FIC: Against All Odds (Chapter Eleven)
Ohayo, minnasan, I hope everyone out there in Cyberland is doing well! Thank you to everyone who commented on my "Falling Feathers" ficlet, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Whew, and now I have the next update to "AAO." I actually wrote the whole thing in like an hour because I was feeling so inspired! I also started crying like a baby because now the HanHae is in real turmoil. But I tried to lighten the mood with Hae's texting "pin number." I hope everyone enjoys and has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
"Against All Odds" (Sequel to "Impasse")
By: Miracle Shining
PAIRINGS: HanHae, YeTeuk. KangChun (Kangin/Yoochun), KyuMin, ShinChul, etc.
RATING: PG-13 to NC-17 (Will be notated if R to NC-17)
GENRE: Action/Romance/Angst
GROUPS/ACTORS: Super Junior/Dong Bang Shin Ki/Tackey & Tsubasa/Epik High/Rain/Lee Junki (cameo)
WARNINGS: Dark themes, Violence, Character Death, Sexual Situations
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Don't own them, just borrowing them for a bit.
SUMMARY: AU~ Two years after the events in "Impasse," Hankyung and Donghae return to Seoul for the first time to visit Kangin. However, the two soon find themselves caught up in a new problem as Hankyung has to return to underground fighting for one last time. Old and new friends unite as old and new enemies appear. Among all the chaos, will the love that Hankyung and Donghae strived to develop survive when a seeming ghost from one of their pasts appears?
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
SPECIAL NOTE: Dedicated to all my supporters of "Impasse," I hope this next piece will be worth reading as much. Special thank you to forfirith_tda, wings_strength9, volatileflame, music_loner, chelletasmic, followurdestiny, fifteen_half, skeletoncunt and stevensghost.
*****
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Playing Pairs
"Do you want to talk about it?"
The question hung heavily in the air.
Hankyung and Donghae had returned back to the training center with Kangin, Jaejoong and the rest of the group. Eunhyuk and Junsu had excused themselves with Henry and Kibum. Junsu was hoping to reach Shindong and Heechul about the new turn of events. Kyuhyun and Sungmin had disappeared into their little room off from the main quarters. Jaejoong had followed Kangin into his office to discuss matters involving the release of the Tarantula Twins and the impending coverup.
That left the two men standing quietly in a spare storage room that Kangin had makeshifted into their sleeping quarters. Donghae walked silently over to the little cot and sat down. He rubbed his tired eyes for a few moments.
"I... I don't know really what to say, Hankyung." Donghae whispered.
The Chinese man nodded slightly and approached the cot. Donghae scooted over as the taller man eased himself down. He reached out and took his companion's hand, cradling it lightly in his palm.
"Just anything. I just need to know something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know either, Hae. Tonight made me realize something very critical. I know so little about you previous to you being with Eeteuk. I guess I never really thought to ask."
Donghae let out a forced, almost bitter laugh. Hankyung felt his heart clench for his lover. He was so accustomed to seeing him with a bright smile and cheery mood. Now, he looked almost defeated to the fighter.
"I don't want to remember that part of me, Hannie. I really don't." Donghae said softly.
Hankyung sighed softly. He caught Donghae looking at him from the corner of his eye. The younger man bit the bottom of his lip. Without thought, Hankyung tapped his mouth gently.
"Don't, you'll make it bleed."
Something about the moment felt almost surrealistic to the older man. His mind flashed back to that rainy night over three years ago. When Donghae had dared to defy him by watching the video he had held so private and dear. The conversation that resulted afterwards and then the following events made Hankyung's face soften immensely.
"Donghae?"
"Yes?"
"Remember the first night we were together?"
Donghae nodded.
"Somehow in that one night and the following day, you found out all of my secrets, all of my pain, everything I kept inside. I just... I just want to be able to do that for you in return."
The younger man closed his eyes for a long while. Hankyung saw the subtle shifts on his face, as if he was replaying something very painful in his mind. The Chinese man tried his best to wait patiently. He wanted to press badly though. He couldn't shake the feeling of jealousy that was starting to tendril through his blood.
Donghae opened his eyes slowly and then looked down at their joined hands.
"Will you leave me if I tell you?"
The question was so blunt that it threw Hankyung off guard. The man looked at his partner wide eyed before shaking his head.
"Why would you even ask that, Donghae?"
"Will you?" he repeated.
"No!" Hankyung almost cried.
Donghae let out a choked but relieved sob. He swallowed back the tears that were threatening to rise to the surface.
"When I was a kid, my mother left for no reason. I still don't know to this day. My father got really sick then and died shortly afterwards. I was tossed from one foster home to the next. I just got so tired of it that one day I just grabbed what I had in a drawer and took off. I was maybe ten, I think?"
Hankyung nodded slowly. His childhood had been much less complex. He had willingly went to South Korea and had been well trained and cared for by the members of the fighting community.
Donghae sniffled a little and wiped his nose with the back of his sweatshirt sleeve. He didn't want to relive the terrible period of his childhood but wanted to be honest to his companion.
"I was living on the streets, bumming food and money where I could. Then on a really cold winter's night, I was hiding underneath some newspapers. This guy found me in an alleyway. He was a teenager and spoke Korean with a really thick accent. He asked me my name and I guess I managed to tell him even though I was almost frozen. He ended up basically picking me up out of the alley and taking me to this little apartment he lived at. He mended me up, gave me medicine, food, and after a while, I ended up just kind of living there."
Hankyung nodded slowly.
"After about a month, he actually told me his name. He said he was called 'Takki,' but I could call him by his first name, 'Hideaki'. I had never met anyone from Japan before but he told me lots about his home country. He also told me he could never go back because some bad things had happened, so for now, Seoul was going to be his home."
Donghae stopped then, drawing in a shuddered breath. Hankyung lifted his arm and slid it around Donghae's shoulders, pulling the man closer to him. Donghae turned into Hankyung, seeking the warmth and support from his friend's body.
"Hideaki kind of home schooled me, I guess. I could read and write like other kids, but I was really good at numbers. I also had a knack for making and building puzzles."
"Puzzles?" Hankyung asked curiously.
Donghae nodded slightly.
"You know, like the wooden ones where you try to get the screw out or the ones where you roll the marble down the paths?"
"Labyrinth puzzles?"
"Yeah, I used to make those to entertain myself. Hideaki would some times have me design those puzzles for high standing people. I guess some used them to keep their vital documents in because there would be only one way to solve it. After a while, I guess Hideaki grew really attached to me and things just started to happen."
Hankyung inwardly flinched. He tried his best to not let any of those feelings rise to the surface. Donghae needed his support more than ever now.
"I think I was thirteen when he first kissed me." Donghae barely said. "Then everything else just happened from there. I never really thought anything about it. I... I lost my virginity when I was a little past fourteen."
The Chinese man nodded slowly. Donghae let out a quiet sigh, seeming relieved to have finally said it out loud.
"A bit after that is when I met Teukie. Apparently Hideaki and him had been long time friends and Teukie needed some help moving around some numbers in a series of bank accounts. It was easy work for me, and the three of us became fast friends. Then, just after my fifteenth birthday, Hideaki asked me to make a special puzzle for an associate of his. I met the man only once to give it to him. He was a nice man but there was something really scary about him. Like he wasn't quite right."
Donghae openly shivered at the memory. Hankyung pressed a kiss to the top of his head, trying to ease the fear that seemed to be radiating from the younger man.
"After that meeting, Hideaki went away on a business meeting with him. When he came back, he told me to pack up my things and that I was going to stay with Eeteuk for a while. He had promised to never leave me alone and before I knew it, I was in Eeteuk's home and I never saw him again. He lied to me. He lied!"
Donghae broke down, the sobs cutting off anything else he had wanted to say. Hankyung felt every tremor to his very core. He rubbed Donghae's back gently, trying his best to soothe away the ache.
"And then he comes back." Donghae ground out. "Comes back and expects everything to be normal between us. How can it be? How can I even accept he's alive!"
"Donghae." Hankyung said very softly.
"I feel like I've been punched over and over, Hannie. I don't want to be here. I don't want to see him. I just want to go back to Tokyo and forget."
"But it won't be that easy now, Donghae. Especially now that Jaejoong knows the connection between you and one half of those twins."
"I don't care! I just want to go home!"
"Donghae..."
"I let you fight, Hankyung! Even though it hurt me inside, I let you! I don't want to hurt any more, I want to go home!"
The Chinese man was suprised by the outburst. He looked at Donghae for a moment. The young man's face shown pure misery. Hankyung found he was at a loss. He usually always had the right words.
"But that was to catch the Tarantula Twins. Things have changed."
"They have? How have they changed?" Donghae demanded.
"Your connection, Hae. What about if he follows you to Tokyo, what then? What will you do?"
Donghae suddenly pulled away from Hankyung and stood up. He paced the room and then looked at his lover. Tears were streaming out of his already too red eyes.
"So what if he follows me? What are you going to do? Hand me over to him?"
Hankyung didn't even realize it until it happened. He had lowered his head and turned to look away from Donghae. That one simple act was all it took.
"So that's it, isn't it?" Donghae's voice was painfully low. "I tell you the truth and all I get is a downward glance."
Hankyung desperately tried to correct his miscommunication. He knew that Donghae was stressed and it was resulting in the terrible shift in the mood of the conversation.
"Donghae, please listen to me, that's not what I meant! I didn't mean to do that! I just don't know what to do!"
"You know what to do! You promised me, Hankyung! You promised me that you'd never leave me!" the young man cried out.
"DONGHAE!" Hankyung replied, anger starting to unintentionally rise to the surface.
His partner's eyes went wide at hearing Hankyung raise his voice. The man was still a fearsome force when he was angered. The fighter blinked, shocked at himself. Donghae stood for a moment longer before turning and throwing open the door.
He ran then. He ran through the training center, pushing right between Kyuhyun and Sungmin.
"Donghae?!" Sungmin shouted.
He felt sick, the bile rising up in his throat. He had to get away, had to find somewhere to hide. It was too much and too little. He could feel his life slipping through his fingers as the cold air struck his lungs. He still ran, hard and fast, through blurred vision.
"You promised!" he silently shouted to the heavens.
Kyuhyun and Sungmin looked back and forth between the open training center door and the open storage room door. Kangin's door to his office flew open, Jaejoong and he running out.
"What the hell is going on?" Kangin demanded.
"Donghae just ran out the door." Kyuhyun replied quietly.
"Why did he do that?"
"He was crying, I think." Sungmin responded, his eyes worried.
"Where's Dancer?"
The question was answered as Hankyung took the couple steps out of the door. His face was a ghostly shade of white, his skin looking clammy. He said nothing, his eyes going to the open door. The air felt cold on his flesh, chill biting into his limbs. He looked briefly at the four men.
"I think... I think I just lost my life..."
"Hangeng?" Kangin barely got out.
The fighter didn't feel his fall. He didn't see Kangin rush forward and catch his frame. He could only see Donghae's face as he unintentionally shattered his lover's soul. He wondered in the depths of his blackness if he could just stay there.
Losing Siwon had been the precipice. Losing Donghae was already taking the step over the edge into the abyss.
*****
"What is that?"
Tsubasa sat on a parkbench next to Takki. The man was fiddling with a small device in between his fingers. It took the taller man only a moment to realize it was a cell phone.
"When did you get a cell phone?"
"It's not mine." Takki replied.
"Well then who's..." Tsubasa quit speaking for a moment as it dawned on him. "Dammit, Takki, you stole that off that Donghae kid, didn't you?"
"I borrowed it." Takki corrected calmly.
"When did you do that?"
"Shortly after that cop took the cuffs off. When I was talking to him, I managed to pick it out of his sweatshirt pocket."
"Don't you think he's going to realize it's missing?"
"Probably." came the curt reply.
"Are you trying to get us arrested again?"
"Humor me, Tsubasa."
"I'm trying, but this is getting really tiring. Rain has probably given up on us going to America already. Now we're going to get thrown into jail here in Seoul for theft."
"He's got a text message."
"What?"
"A text message."
"So? It's not like you can read it. He's got a password code..."
Takki typed in a series of four numbers and the text message was unlocked. Tsubasa stared as his blonde haired companion in disbelief.
"How the hell did you know that?"
"Donghae has used the same password for everything since he was a kid. It's 3474."
"That's kind of a random series of numbers."
"Not if you know, Haechan." Takki stated. "It spells 'fish'."
Tsubasa raised an eyebrow at that as Takki scrolled down the text message. His expression changed, his lips curling into a slightly dark smile. Tsubasa caught the shift in his face. The man's curiousity was immediately peaked.
"What do you have there, friend?"
"Seems that a friend of ours wants to meet Donghae at this location. Are you in the mood for a little side trip, Tsubasa?"
"Sounds like fun." the other man replied, his words gruff.
*****
The cafe was quiet, offset a little from one of the main busy shopping streets in Seoul. Eeteuk shifted nervously in his chair. He disliked even being in this public of a place after the disturbance at the airport. However, the cafe was almost deserted, the waitress busy flirting with one of the busboys.
Eeteuk looked at his cell phone for seeming the twentieth time. He had received a text message back from Donghae saying he'd meet Eeteuk at the cafe.
It had been Yesung's suggestion for them to see each other. The hitman had pointed out that perhaps it was fate that they were both in Seoul at the same time.
Said hitman was currently bringing over two cups of coffee and a very old looking bagel.
"Sorry, all they had."
"In a cafe?"
"The waitress wasn't too pleasant."
"You were rude, weren't you?"
"I say we shake this place down."
"I say you need to shut up and drink your coffee."
Yesung gave Eeteuk a bland look. He sipped the hot liquid, making a face.
"Seems like every time we meet in a coffee joint, the stuff sucks."
Eeteuk just rolled his eyes. The sound of the door's bell caught his attention. Two men walked through wearing heavy coats and hats pulled low over their faces. The taller of the two gestured for the waitress. The woman crossed and then seated the duo three tables over. Eeteuk sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"He's not coming." he said to Yesung.
"You're right about that." came an accented voice.
Eeteuk felt his heart jump into his throat. He turned slowly to his left. The taller man had removed his hat, his shortish brown hair falling freely around his face. The other took off his hat, blonded hair falling down around his neck and almost to his shoulders. The coat was slowly sluffed off, revealing a distinctive tarantula tattoo on his shoulder. He turned slowly in his chair and looked at the two men. His smile was icy.
"Hello, Jungsu."
"Takki..."
Whew, and now I have the next update to "AAO." I actually wrote the whole thing in like an hour because I was feeling so inspired! I also started crying like a baby because now the HanHae is in real turmoil. But I tried to lighten the mood with Hae's texting "pin number." I hope everyone enjoys and has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
"Against All Odds" (Sequel to "Impasse")
By: Miracle Shining
PAIRINGS: HanHae, YeTeuk. KangChun (Kangin/Yoochun), KyuMin, ShinChul, etc.
RATING: PG-13 to NC-17 (Will be notated if R to NC-17)
GENRE: Action/Romance/Angst
GROUPS/ACTORS: Super Junior/Dong Bang Shin Ki/Tackey & Tsubasa/Epik High/Rain/Lee Junki (cameo)
WARNINGS: Dark themes, Violence, Character Death, Sexual Situations
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Don't own them, just borrowing them for a bit.
SUMMARY: AU~ Two years after the events in "Impasse," Hankyung and Donghae return to Seoul for the first time to visit Kangin. However, the two soon find themselves caught up in a new problem as Hankyung has to return to underground fighting for one last time. Old and new friends unite as old and new enemies appear. Among all the chaos, will the love that Hankyung and Donghae strived to develop survive when a seeming ghost from one of their pasts appears?
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
SPECIAL NOTE: Dedicated to all my supporters of "Impasse," I hope this next piece will be worth reading as much. Special thank you to forfirith_tda, wings_strength9, volatileflame, music_loner, chelletasmic, followurdestiny, fifteen_half, skeletoncunt and stevensghost.
*****
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Playing Pairs
"Do you want to talk about it?"
The question hung heavily in the air.
Hankyung and Donghae had returned back to the training center with Kangin, Jaejoong and the rest of the group. Eunhyuk and Junsu had excused themselves with Henry and Kibum. Junsu was hoping to reach Shindong and Heechul about the new turn of events. Kyuhyun and Sungmin had disappeared into their little room off from the main quarters. Jaejoong had followed Kangin into his office to discuss matters involving the release of the Tarantula Twins and the impending coverup.
That left the two men standing quietly in a spare storage room that Kangin had makeshifted into their sleeping quarters. Donghae walked silently over to the little cot and sat down. He rubbed his tired eyes for a few moments.
"I... I don't know really what to say, Hankyung." Donghae whispered.
The Chinese man nodded slightly and approached the cot. Donghae scooted over as the taller man eased himself down. He reached out and took his companion's hand, cradling it lightly in his palm.
"Just anything. I just need to know something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know either, Hae. Tonight made me realize something very critical. I know so little about you previous to you being with Eeteuk. I guess I never really thought to ask."
Donghae let out a forced, almost bitter laugh. Hankyung felt his heart clench for his lover. He was so accustomed to seeing him with a bright smile and cheery mood. Now, he looked almost defeated to the fighter.
"I don't want to remember that part of me, Hannie. I really don't." Donghae said softly.
Hankyung sighed softly. He caught Donghae looking at him from the corner of his eye. The younger man bit the bottom of his lip. Without thought, Hankyung tapped his mouth gently.
"Don't, you'll make it bleed."
Something about the moment felt almost surrealistic to the older man. His mind flashed back to that rainy night over three years ago. When Donghae had dared to defy him by watching the video he had held so private and dear. The conversation that resulted afterwards and then the following events made Hankyung's face soften immensely.
"Donghae?"
"Yes?"
"Remember the first night we were together?"
Donghae nodded.
"Somehow in that one night and the following day, you found out all of my secrets, all of my pain, everything I kept inside. I just... I just want to be able to do that for you in return."
The younger man closed his eyes for a long while. Hankyung saw the subtle shifts on his face, as if he was replaying something very painful in his mind. The Chinese man tried his best to wait patiently. He wanted to press badly though. He couldn't shake the feeling of jealousy that was starting to tendril through his blood.
Donghae opened his eyes slowly and then looked down at their joined hands.
"Will you leave me if I tell you?"
The question was so blunt that it threw Hankyung off guard. The man looked at his partner wide eyed before shaking his head.
"Why would you even ask that, Donghae?"
"Will you?" he repeated.
"No!" Hankyung almost cried.
Donghae let out a choked but relieved sob. He swallowed back the tears that were threatening to rise to the surface.
"When I was a kid, my mother left for no reason. I still don't know to this day. My father got really sick then and died shortly afterwards. I was tossed from one foster home to the next. I just got so tired of it that one day I just grabbed what I had in a drawer and took off. I was maybe ten, I think?"
Hankyung nodded slowly. His childhood had been much less complex. He had willingly went to South Korea and had been well trained and cared for by the members of the fighting community.
Donghae sniffled a little and wiped his nose with the back of his sweatshirt sleeve. He didn't want to relive the terrible period of his childhood but wanted to be honest to his companion.
"I was living on the streets, bumming food and money where I could. Then on a really cold winter's night, I was hiding underneath some newspapers. This guy found me in an alleyway. He was a teenager and spoke Korean with a really thick accent. He asked me my name and I guess I managed to tell him even though I was almost frozen. He ended up basically picking me up out of the alley and taking me to this little apartment he lived at. He mended me up, gave me medicine, food, and after a while, I ended up just kind of living there."
Hankyung nodded slowly.
"After about a month, he actually told me his name. He said he was called 'Takki,' but I could call him by his first name, 'Hideaki'. I had never met anyone from Japan before but he told me lots about his home country. He also told me he could never go back because some bad things had happened, so for now, Seoul was going to be his home."
Donghae stopped then, drawing in a shuddered breath. Hankyung lifted his arm and slid it around Donghae's shoulders, pulling the man closer to him. Donghae turned into Hankyung, seeking the warmth and support from his friend's body.
"Hideaki kind of home schooled me, I guess. I could read and write like other kids, but I was really good at numbers. I also had a knack for making and building puzzles."
"Puzzles?" Hankyung asked curiously.
Donghae nodded slightly.
"You know, like the wooden ones where you try to get the screw out or the ones where you roll the marble down the paths?"
"Labyrinth puzzles?"
"Yeah, I used to make those to entertain myself. Hideaki would some times have me design those puzzles for high standing people. I guess some used them to keep their vital documents in because there would be only one way to solve it. After a while, I guess Hideaki grew really attached to me and things just started to happen."
Hankyung inwardly flinched. He tried his best to not let any of those feelings rise to the surface. Donghae needed his support more than ever now.
"I think I was thirteen when he first kissed me." Donghae barely said. "Then everything else just happened from there. I never really thought anything about it. I... I lost my virginity when I was a little past fourteen."
The Chinese man nodded slowly. Donghae let out a quiet sigh, seeming relieved to have finally said it out loud.
"A bit after that is when I met Teukie. Apparently Hideaki and him had been long time friends and Teukie needed some help moving around some numbers in a series of bank accounts. It was easy work for me, and the three of us became fast friends. Then, just after my fifteenth birthday, Hideaki asked me to make a special puzzle for an associate of his. I met the man only once to give it to him. He was a nice man but there was something really scary about him. Like he wasn't quite right."
Donghae openly shivered at the memory. Hankyung pressed a kiss to the top of his head, trying to ease the fear that seemed to be radiating from the younger man.
"After that meeting, Hideaki went away on a business meeting with him. When he came back, he told me to pack up my things and that I was going to stay with Eeteuk for a while. He had promised to never leave me alone and before I knew it, I was in Eeteuk's home and I never saw him again. He lied to me. He lied!"
Donghae broke down, the sobs cutting off anything else he had wanted to say. Hankyung felt every tremor to his very core. He rubbed Donghae's back gently, trying his best to soothe away the ache.
"And then he comes back." Donghae ground out. "Comes back and expects everything to be normal between us. How can it be? How can I even accept he's alive!"
"Donghae." Hankyung said very softly.
"I feel like I've been punched over and over, Hannie. I don't want to be here. I don't want to see him. I just want to go back to Tokyo and forget."
"But it won't be that easy now, Donghae. Especially now that Jaejoong knows the connection between you and one half of those twins."
"I don't care! I just want to go home!"
"Donghae..."
"I let you fight, Hankyung! Even though it hurt me inside, I let you! I don't want to hurt any more, I want to go home!"
The Chinese man was suprised by the outburst. He looked at Donghae for a moment. The young man's face shown pure misery. Hankyung found he was at a loss. He usually always had the right words.
"But that was to catch the Tarantula Twins. Things have changed."
"They have? How have they changed?" Donghae demanded.
"Your connection, Hae. What about if he follows you to Tokyo, what then? What will you do?"
Donghae suddenly pulled away from Hankyung and stood up. He paced the room and then looked at his lover. Tears were streaming out of his already too red eyes.
"So what if he follows me? What are you going to do? Hand me over to him?"
Hankyung didn't even realize it until it happened. He had lowered his head and turned to look away from Donghae. That one simple act was all it took.
"So that's it, isn't it?" Donghae's voice was painfully low. "I tell you the truth and all I get is a downward glance."
Hankyung desperately tried to correct his miscommunication. He knew that Donghae was stressed and it was resulting in the terrible shift in the mood of the conversation.
"Donghae, please listen to me, that's not what I meant! I didn't mean to do that! I just don't know what to do!"
"You know what to do! You promised me, Hankyung! You promised me that you'd never leave me!" the young man cried out.
"DONGHAE!" Hankyung replied, anger starting to unintentionally rise to the surface.
His partner's eyes went wide at hearing Hankyung raise his voice. The man was still a fearsome force when he was angered. The fighter blinked, shocked at himself. Donghae stood for a moment longer before turning and throwing open the door.
He ran then. He ran through the training center, pushing right between Kyuhyun and Sungmin.
"Donghae?!" Sungmin shouted.
He felt sick, the bile rising up in his throat. He had to get away, had to find somewhere to hide. It was too much and too little. He could feel his life slipping through his fingers as the cold air struck his lungs. He still ran, hard and fast, through blurred vision.
"You promised!" he silently shouted to the heavens.
Kyuhyun and Sungmin looked back and forth between the open training center door and the open storage room door. Kangin's door to his office flew open, Jaejoong and he running out.
"What the hell is going on?" Kangin demanded.
"Donghae just ran out the door." Kyuhyun replied quietly.
"Why did he do that?"
"He was crying, I think." Sungmin responded, his eyes worried.
"Where's Dancer?"
The question was answered as Hankyung took the couple steps out of the door. His face was a ghostly shade of white, his skin looking clammy. He said nothing, his eyes going to the open door. The air felt cold on his flesh, chill biting into his limbs. He looked briefly at the four men.
"I think... I think I just lost my life..."
"Hangeng?" Kangin barely got out.
The fighter didn't feel his fall. He didn't see Kangin rush forward and catch his frame. He could only see Donghae's face as he unintentionally shattered his lover's soul. He wondered in the depths of his blackness if he could just stay there.
Losing Siwon had been the precipice. Losing Donghae was already taking the step over the edge into the abyss.
*****
"What is that?"
Tsubasa sat on a parkbench next to Takki. The man was fiddling with a small device in between his fingers. It took the taller man only a moment to realize it was a cell phone.
"When did you get a cell phone?"
"It's not mine." Takki replied.
"Well then who's..." Tsubasa quit speaking for a moment as it dawned on him. "Dammit, Takki, you stole that off that Donghae kid, didn't you?"
"I borrowed it." Takki corrected calmly.
"When did you do that?"
"Shortly after that cop took the cuffs off. When I was talking to him, I managed to pick it out of his sweatshirt pocket."
"Don't you think he's going to realize it's missing?"
"Probably." came the curt reply.
"Are you trying to get us arrested again?"
"Humor me, Tsubasa."
"I'm trying, but this is getting really tiring. Rain has probably given up on us going to America already. Now we're going to get thrown into jail here in Seoul for theft."
"He's got a text message."
"What?"
"A text message."
"So? It's not like you can read it. He's got a password code..."
Takki typed in a series of four numbers and the text message was unlocked. Tsubasa stared as his blonde haired companion in disbelief.
"How the hell did you know that?"
"Donghae has used the same password for everything since he was a kid. It's 3474."
"That's kind of a random series of numbers."
"Not if you know, Haechan." Takki stated. "It spells 'fish'."
Tsubasa raised an eyebrow at that as Takki scrolled down the text message. His expression changed, his lips curling into a slightly dark smile. Tsubasa caught the shift in his face. The man's curiousity was immediately peaked.
"What do you have there, friend?"
"Seems that a friend of ours wants to meet Donghae at this location. Are you in the mood for a little side trip, Tsubasa?"
"Sounds like fun." the other man replied, his words gruff.
*****
The cafe was quiet, offset a little from one of the main busy shopping streets in Seoul. Eeteuk shifted nervously in his chair. He disliked even being in this public of a place after the disturbance at the airport. However, the cafe was almost deserted, the waitress busy flirting with one of the busboys.
Eeteuk looked at his cell phone for seeming the twentieth time. He had received a text message back from Donghae saying he'd meet Eeteuk at the cafe.
It had been Yesung's suggestion for them to see each other. The hitman had pointed out that perhaps it was fate that they were both in Seoul at the same time.
Said hitman was currently bringing over two cups of coffee and a very old looking bagel.
"Sorry, all they had."
"In a cafe?"
"The waitress wasn't too pleasant."
"You were rude, weren't you?"
"I say we shake this place down."
"I say you need to shut up and drink your coffee."
Yesung gave Eeteuk a bland look. He sipped the hot liquid, making a face.
"Seems like every time we meet in a coffee joint, the stuff sucks."
Eeteuk just rolled his eyes. The sound of the door's bell caught his attention. Two men walked through wearing heavy coats and hats pulled low over their faces. The taller of the two gestured for the waitress. The woman crossed and then seated the duo three tables over. Eeteuk sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"He's not coming." he said to Yesung.
"You're right about that." came an accented voice.
Eeteuk felt his heart jump into his throat. He turned slowly to his left. The taller man had removed his hat, his shortish brown hair falling freely around his face. The other took off his hat, blonded hair falling down around his neck and almost to his shoulders. The coat was slowly sluffed off, revealing a distinctive tarantula tattoo on his shoulder. He turned slowly in his chair and looked at the two men. His smile was icy.
"Hello, Jungsu."
"Takki..."