Bet On Me Part 2
Title: Bet On Me
Pairing: HaeHyuk
Minor Pairings: MinKyu, YeWook
Part: 2
Rating: R
Genre: romance, drama, angst
Disclaimer: I wish
Warnings: more than implied sex, language
Summary: It's been years and Donghae is still struggling with the ghosts of his past.
A/N: Sequel to Bet On It
“It’s been too long since we’ve met.”
Donghae nodded reluctantly. “Sorry.”
Sungmin smiled at him. “I know you’ve been busy.”
Donghae returned the smile uneasily as the host showed them to their reserved table. “How have you been lately, hyung?” he asked as they were handed their menus.
“Same old, same old. Many students, not enough of me.” Sungmin peered over the menu at Donghae. “Do you want to come back and teach one day?”
Donghae shook his head. “Sorry, no time.”
“Pity,” Sungmin sighed. “You were my best student. Unlike Kyuhyun. Can you believe he still can’t do a proper judo throw?”
Donghae cracked a brief smile, trying to imagine his lanky partner tossing someone over his shoulder. “I can believe that.”
The waiter came and took their order, leaving a bottle of wine for them to enjoy while they waited for their food.
Sungmin poured some wine for Donghae before belatedly realizing his mistake. “I’m sorry,” he apologized immediately. “I forgot.” He waved over the waiter to take away the alcohol and asked for a pitcher of water instead.
“It’s alright,” said Donghae. “You don’t have to-”
He was cut off by one of Sungmin’s glares. “I will not have you become an alcoholic again,” he stated firmly. Donghae remained silent. He had long given up on trying to convince the older man that he was never an alcoholic to begin with.
“Kyuhyun told me you’re obsessed with work,” Sungmin started almost hesitantly.
“I’m not obsessed,” Donghae denied vehemently.
“Donghae, do you do anything besides work?”
Donghae pressed his lips together in a thin line.
“What ever happened to that guy-”
“Don’t,” Donghae growled, eyes flashing. He fought to keep his temper in check, reminding himself that Sungmin meant well. “Don’t even start.”
The rest of the dinner was finished in silence.
-
“Do we have any new cases?” demanded Donghae.
“The answer is still the same as the last five times you asked,” snapped Kyuhyun, clearly reaching the end of his patience. “No.”
Donghae slumped back against his chair, blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes.
Kyuhyun shut down his laptop, earning a raised eyebrow from Donghae. This was not normal. “Hyung, I’m tired.” And Donghae could see he was.
“Stop playing games at night,” suggested Donghae.
“No, I’m tired of you.”
Donghae stared at Kyuhyun, feeling more than a little hurt, but knowing he deserved it after all he put his partner through. “You can request a partner change,” Donghae forced out even though the words felt like sand. “I’m sorry for being a burden.”
“I’m not going to do that,” said Kyuhyun firmly. “When I joined, you were the one who accepted me first and taught me everything I needed to know. And I can’t even count how many times you saved my ass, although I really wouldn’t need saving in the first place if it weren’t for you. I owe you this much.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Donghae protested. “You’ve done too much for me already.”
“Even so, you’re still my friend.” Kyuhyun frowned at Donghae. “Or rather, the Donghae I’m friends with is somewhere under there.”
“What do you mean?”
Kyuhyun sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair. “It’s been almost five years since you’ve…changed. I don’t know what happened and I’m not going to ask unless you decided to tell me.” Donghae felt a rush of gratitude. “I know what happened must’ve been devastating to you, but don’t you think it’s time to let it go?”
The stubborn part of Donghae screamed in protest, but the logical side of him, the one that allowed him to become one of the department’s best officers, saw the wisdom of Kyuhyun’s words. “I-I don’t know,” he stammered instead. “I don’t know.”
-
Kyuhyun stared in shock at the package on his desk next to his steaming coffee mug. He poked it gingerly. “What is this?” he asked Donghae, eyes narrowing. “More importantly, why are you here before me? Since when do you wake up early?”
Donghae shrugged. “Open it.”
Kyuhyun cast Donghae one last suspicious glance before ripping the packaging apart. He let out a very un-Kyuhyun-like squeak when he saw the contents. “The new game I’ve been wanting!” Kyuhyun turned to Donghae, eyes shining. “If Sungmin wouldn’t beat me up, I could kiss you right now.”
Donghae’s lips curled up in an almost smile. “I take it you like?”
Kyuhyun nodded vigorously. “I really like it.” He frowned at Donghae. “Why are you giving me a present? It’s not my birthday yet.”
Donghae rubbed his wrist absentmindedly. “I’ve been thinking about what you told me for some time now,” he admitted. “And I-I think you’re right.”
Kyuhyun frowned. “I usually am, but about what this time?”
Donghae took a deep breath. “About letting it go.”
“Oh.”
“I don’t think I can tell you what happened ever, but I just want you to know that I’m forever grateful to you for being there for me.” Donghae bit his lip. “And I’ll try. No guarantees, but I’ll try to…let it go.”
Kyuhyun was silent for a moment, causing Donghae to fidget. Then, his partner leaned forward to give him an awkward hug, an unusual display of affection. “Welcome back, Donghae-hyung.”
-
“Are we there yet?” whined Kyuhyun from the passenger’s seat.
“I don’t see why this has to be for a month,” complained Donghae from the backseat.
Kyuhyun twisted in his seat to face Donghae. “You haven’t taken a break from work for so long, your vacation days have piled up. You need this.”
“But what about work?” protested Donghae.
“We haven’t had any cases for a while,” Kyuhyun pointed out. “And Leeteuk-hyung said it was okay. Boss’ words.” He turned back to the front. “Are we there yet?”
Sungmin slammed on the brakes abruptly, causing Donghae and Kyuhyun to fly forward before their seatbelts kicked into action. He whirled around to give them both the stink eye. “If you two don’t shut it, I’ll kick you out and let you hitchhike home,” he snapped. Rolling his eyes, he started the car again. “Jeez, from the way you guys are complaining, you’d think we’re going to the doctor’s, not vacation.”
Donghae and Kyuhyun exchanged looks before obediently sitting quietly for the rest of the journey.
“Alright, kids, we’re here,” said Sungmin, pulling smoothly into the parking lot of a fancy hotel. “Grab the luggage while I check in.”
The check in was quick, and soon, Donghae was following the couple into the elevator.
“But Min,” Kyuhyun was saying, doing his best impression of a kicked puppy.
“No ‘but’s, Kyuhyun,” said Sungmin sternly. Then he smirked mischievously. “Unless it’s yours.” He pressed their floor number and the doors closed with a ding.
Kyuhyun’s ears turned pink, but he persisted. “You know I can’t live without Starcraft. It’s my life!” he growled. “How could you confiscate my laptop for a month? I’ll die of boredom!” The elevator reached its destination and the three walked out.
Sungmin fished out their room key and unlocked the front door. “Kyuhyun, I swear you will not be bored here.”
Kyuhyun’s eyes scanned their hotel suite, which was spacious and had two king size beds. “There’s only one room though,” he hissed at Sungmin.
“I was talking about the beach,” teased Sungmin. “You won’t be bored because there’s a really nice beach. And a casino. What did you think I was talking about?”
Donghae coughed awkwardly. “If you guys want, I can leave so you can have some alone time.”
“Oh, no need to leave,” Sungmin said reassuringly. “We’ve always wanted to see how much kinkier it is with a voyeur…”
Donghae was out the door before Sungmin could finish the sentence.
“I thought you said he was into kinky stuff,” he heard Sungmin say to Kyuhyun.
-
Donghae stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the drop. It would be a long way to go if he fell. From his position, he could see other vacationers frolicking on the beach and splashing in the ocean. He wondered if the water was warm. Maybe he would go down to check later.
“This is stupid,” said Kyuhyun, waving the dandelion in his hand around. “Why are we doing this again?”
“It’s proven to be a stress reliever,” Sungmin lectured, snatching the flower out of Kyuhyun’s hand before any damage could be inflicted. “Imagine the flower as all your problems and let it blow away with the wind.” He turned to Donghae. “You believe me, right?”
Donghae smiled weakly at his hyung. “Sure,” he agreed, humoring him.
Sungmin handed Kyuhyun back his flower. “Okay, close your eyes and imagine. When you’re ready, blow the flower away.”
Donghae dutifully closed his eyes. He thought of the last five years, of the fight club, of poker, of money, of a face he could hardly remember anymore. Opening his eyes, he blew on his flower, watching as the seeds floated away with help from the wind. He felt a hand touch his shoulder. Turning, he saw Sungmin and Kyuhyun.
“Hey, do you feel better now?” asked Sungmin.
Donghae took one last look at the seeds flying away. “Yeah,” he said truthfully. “I do.”
-
Donghae was surprised that the vacation he so dreaded actually passed quickly. Before he knew it, it was the last day. To celebrate, they decided to try their hand at the casino.
Donghae’s face remained impassive as he glanced at his cards. Kyuhyun revealed his cards, smirk clearly indicating he believed he would win.
“Sorry Kyuhyun,” said Donghae, flipping his cards over. “I win.” Kyuhyun’s shocked expression as Donghae’s pile of chips grew once more was priceless.
“But I had all the good cards,” Kyuhyun grumbled as the dealer prepared for a new round.
“It’s not about having all the good cards; it’s about how you play them.” Donghae picked up the cards dealt to him and a new round commenced. Donghae smiled a little. One more round and he would win the game. He looked up and suddenly his blood ran cold.
Kyuhyun nudged Donghae’s elbow. “Hey, hyung, it’s your turn.”
Donghae stood up, throwing his cards on the table. “I’m out,” he managed to say before running towards the other side of the casino. Donghae cursed the crowd, trying to be polite but hurry at the same time. But when he got there, there was nothing.
“What was that for?” panted Kyuhyun after he caught up with Donghae.
“I…” Donghae looked around one last time before smiling apologetically at Kyuhyun. “I thought I saw someone.”
“Oh, maybe it was your imagination.”
“Maybe,” Donghae conceded hesitantly. He tried to convince himself that the pounding of his heart was due to the sprint and not the flash of red hair he thought he saw.
-
A/N: Posting a bit early because the warm weather is making me really happy.
So I've been thinking a lot lately about why it takes me so long to get from idea to fic and I have come to this conclusion: my ideas are like cheese. They are fine and all when first conceived, but if I let it age for a bit, the full flavor comes out. That's my theory at any rate, but of course it could be because I'm a lazy bum.
My neighbors' chickens won't stop their ruckus (especially when I'm trying to sleep, grr). Anyone up for fried chicken? >:D