Rotation Round 6
todefinebeauty's round!
Title: Light Match
Pairing: Heechul/Sungmin
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue
A/N: For a while, I seriously considered calling this, "Two tickets to that thing you love"
The kid was hiding something.
Officer Rhee didn’t know if this was necessarily true or not, but these were the exact words Detective Kim had hissed to him before entering the room. Since this was his first official case, Officer Rhee thought it would be best if he just agreed.
Detective Kim was something of a legend in their small office. With a reputation that far exceeded the person, Detective Kim was noted for his sheer brilliance and uncannily accurate diagnostics in investigations. He was also famed for his mood swings that flashed on and off faster than a ticking light signal. People tended to give him a wide berth whenever they heard him coming and bolted out of sight when they actually saw him. When the other officers at the pool had heard who Rhee was temporarily assigned to, they patted him on the back and wished him the best of luck. Rhee, who had heard tales of Detective Kim’s explosive rage and had personally cleaned up the destructive remains of the Detective’s office when an investigation went sour, could only cringe and hope that the experience would be worth it.
Over time, he learned that it was just best to follow Detective Kim’s instincts. Despite his pretty boy appearance and silver edged tongue that could flay the skin off your back, Detective Kim was undoubtedly one of the best detectives they had on the squad. He almost seemed to know about crimes just seconds before they occurred.
So when Detective Kim said the boy was hiding something, Officer Rhee peered at the kid through narrowed eyes and believed that yes, the kid was definitely hiding something.
How else could he explain how relaxed the kid looked and the nonchalant manner he took in his surrounding area? The space was no paradise to be trapped in. It was a suffocating small room sealed in by drab gray walls that left the room feeling damp no matter what the temperature was outside. A fine layer of discolored mildew had grown in one corner and like a slowly moving army, had advanced itself across the vulnerable concrete covered floors. Outfitted with a stained splattered table and a chair whose legs constantly threatened collapse if anything heavier than a bag of air was placed on it, the room was illuminated by a single naked bulb that hung overhead. Tied to the ceiling by a single piece of wire, it swung aimlessly around like a body that had ceased struggling after a violent strangulation.
Detective Kim was pissed. Officer Rhee wasn’t sure what had set him off this time, but his anger practically sparked off of him.
“Do you know what happens to pretty little boys like you in prison?” Detective Kim snarled as he stalked around the table the kid was seated in front of.
“Why, Detective, are you insinuating that our penal system is a corrupt one?” the kid replied, the very picture of affability and polite curiosity as he leaned back into the cold metal frame of his chair. “I’d like to speak to my lawyer now, if you please,” he said, directing his request and smile towards Officer Rhee. The handcuffs rattled nosily behind him as they banged against the surfaces of his chair.
Officer Rhee took a deep cleansing breath in. Detective Kim looked like he was within half an inch of belting the kid across the face. It was his responsibility to play the good cop here.
“Listen, kid, we know you’re innocent. All you have to do is answer a couple of questions and you’ll get to go home. Simple as that.”
The kid was silent and Officer Rhee took the moment to rub away the sweat that had suddenly sprung up on his upper lip.
Detective Kim slammed his hand down on the table, the ruby insert in his silver bracelet glinting underneath the single bulb that glared down at them. “Think you’re so tough, you little shit? How do you think your little brother is gonna feel like when he hears that the big brother he looks up to ends up behind bars, huh?”
Detective Kim leaned in closer, his spittle landing on the kid’s face like so many droplets of rain. “What about your mom? The doctor said she should be careful not to strain her weak heart, didn’t he?”
The kid visibly flinched. Officer Rhee could see the Detective barely hold himself back in triumph. They had him. They freaking had him.
Officer Rhee licked the edges of his cracked lips and tried to contain his excitement. This was the big break they were waiting for. This was the confession that was going to promote him. He was going to be the wunderkind of their office, the one that all the lieutenants and sergeants begged to have on their team. This was it. This was going to be his case.
“Don’t you want to go home to see your mom?” Officer Rhee asked, gentling his voice with effort.
“Sungmin,” the kid hunched in on himself like a deflated balloon. His earlier bravado had peeled away like cracked and broken paint chips. “My name is Sungmin, not kid.”
“Alright...Sungmin,” Officer Rhee said as he held his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. “We just need you to answer a couple of questions and you’ll- ”
“What the fuck?!” Detective Kim shouted as the room suddenly trembled around them. The room shook again, and the Detective lost his balance and almost pitched into Sungmin’s lap.
The door burst open a senior officer Rhee didn’t recognize barked out, “Kim! Rhee! Grab the kid and get your asses out of here! The goddamn building is on fire!”
The Detective wasted no time. Sparing no thought for anybody else in the room, he quickly got his feet and bolted out the door.
Officer Rhee made to do the same when Sungmin’s reedy voice made high and unsteady with fear cried out, “Please Officer! You have to get these cuffs off of me! They’re coming for me! I know they are and oh god, if they see me like this they’ll - I can’t - I’ll - I’ll tell you everything! Just PLEASE -” The rest of his sentence broke off in hitching sobs.
Officer Rhee hesitated, looking quickly from the crying kid to the hoards of bodies streaming past his door.
“Shit,” Officer Rhee said, cursing his bleeding heart as he scrambled for the keys hanging around his waist. He had the handcuffs off and was straightening when he found the cold barrel of a gun shoved squarely in-between his eyes.
He knew that firearm anywhere. Only Detective Kim was outrageous enough to repaint his weapon. It made it easier for him to locate was what he had said when Officer Rhee had asked him about it.
“You really shouldn’t trust people so easily,” Sungmin said, still smiling at him as he thumbed the hammer back. Officer Rhee felt a sickening wave of dread and horror wash over him and then, everything turned to white.
***
They were waiting. Inside the hush stillness of the car, the only indication that there was still life in the vehicle was the soft sound of each inhaled breath.
Then, “Could you seriously have waited any longer to hand me your gun?” Sungmin said in disgust as he wiped officer residue off his face.
In the distance like a great phoenix unfurling its wings, a great pillar of smoke rose as it billowed out across the sky. Kangin and Donghae had just finished their part.
Next to Sungmin in the driver’s seat, Detective Kim Heechul cackled, the detonator still swinging from its silver chain around his wrist. He abruptly brought the car roaring to life and when he turned to face Sungmin, his eyes were filled with unholy glee.
“You know what they say about doing things you’re passionate about,” He said, teeth flashing in the darkness.
Sungmin grinned in spite of himself. “Yeah, there’s no mechanics behind it. You just do it.”
Their merry laughter spilled out of the car as they sped off leaving the city burning to the ground behind them.
Title: Light Match
Pairing: Heechul/Sungmin
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue
A/N: For a while, I seriously considered calling this, "Two tickets to that thing you love"
The kid was hiding something.
Officer Rhee didn’t know if this was necessarily true or not, but these were the exact words Detective Kim had hissed to him before entering the room. Since this was his first official case, Officer Rhee thought it would be best if he just agreed.
Detective Kim was something of a legend in their small office. With a reputation that far exceeded the person, Detective Kim was noted for his sheer brilliance and uncannily accurate diagnostics in investigations. He was also famed for his mood swings that flashed on and off faster than a ticking light signal. People tended to give him a wide berth whenever they heard him coming and bolted out of sight when they actually saw him. When the other officers at the pool had heard who Rhee was temporarily assigned to, they patted him on the back and wished him the best of luck. Rhee, who had heard tales of Detective Kim’s explosive rage and had personally cleaned up the destructive remains of the Detective’s office when an investigation went sour, could only cringe and hope that the experience would be worth it.
Over time, he learned that it was just best to follow Detective Kim’s instincts. Despite his pretty boy appearance and silver edged tongue that could flay the skin off your back, Detective Kim was undoubtedly one of the best detectives they had on the squad. He almost seemed to know about crimes just seconds before they occurred.
So when Detective Kim said the boy was hiding something, Officer Rhee peered at the kid through narrowed eyes and believed that yes, the kid was definitely hiding something.
How else could he explain how relaxed the kid looked and the nonchalant manner he took in his surrounding area? The space was no paradise to be trapped in. It was a suffocating small room sealed in by drab gray walls that left the room feeling damp no matter what the temperature was outside. A fine layer of discolored mildew had grown in one corner and like a slowly moving army, had advanced itself across the vulnerable concrete covered floors. Outfitted with a stained splattered table and a chair whose legs constantly threatened collapse if anything heavier than a bag of air was placed on it, the room was illuminated by a single naked bulb that hung overhead. Tied to the ceiling by a single piece of wire, it swung aimlessly around like a body that had ceased struggling after a violent strangulation.
Detective Kim was pissed. Officer Rhee wasn’t sure what had set him off this time, but his anger practically sparked off of him.
“Do you know what happens to pretty little boys like you in prison?” Detective Kim snarled as he stalked around the table the kid was seated in front of.
“Why, Detective, are you insinuating that our penal system is a corrupt one?” the kid replied, the very picture of affability and polite curiosity as he leaned back into the cold metal frame of his chair. “I’d like to speak to my lawyer now, if you please,” he said, directing his request and smile towards Officer Rhee. The handcuffs rattled nosily behind him as they banged against the surfaces of his chair.
Officer Rhee took a deep cleansing breath in. Detective Kim looked like he was within half an inch of belting the kid across the face. It was his responsibility to play the good cop here.
“Listen, kid, we know you’re innocent. All you have to do is answer a couple of questions and you’ll get to go home. Simple as that.”
The kid was silent and Officer Rhee took the moment to rub away the sweat that had suddenly sprung up on his upper lip.
Detective Kim slammed his hand down on the table, the ruby insert in his silver bracelet glinting underneath the single bulb that glared down at them. “Think you’re so tough, you little shit? How do you think your little brother is gonna feel like when he hears that the big brother he looks up to ends up behind bars, huh?”
Detective Kim leaned in closer, his spittle landing on the kid’s face like so many droplets of rain. “What about your mom? The doctor said she should be careful not to strain her weak heart, didn’t he?”
The kid visibly flinched. Officer Rhee could see the Detective barely hold himself back in triumph. They had him. They freaking had him.
Officer Rhee licked the edges of his cracked lips and tried to contain his excitement. This was the big break they were waiting for. This was the confession that was going to promote him. He was going to be the wunderkind of their office, the one that all the lieutenants and sergeants begged to have on their team. This was it. This was going to be his case.
“Don’t you want to go home to see your mom?” Officer Rhee asked, gentling his voice with effort.
“Sungmin,” the kid hunched in on himself like a deflated balloon. His earlier bravado had peeled away like cracked and broken paint chips. “My name is Sungmin, not kid.”
“Alright...Sungmin,” Officer Rhee said as he held his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. “We just need you to answer a couple of questions and you’ll- ”
“What the fuck?!” Detective Kim shouted as the room suddenly trembled around them. The room shook again, and the Detective lost his balance and almost pitched into Sungmin’s lap.
The door burst open a senior officer Rhee didn’t recognize barked out, “Kim! Rhee! Grab the kid and get your asses out of here! The goddamn building is on fire!”
The Detective wasted no time. Sparing no thought for anybody else in the room, he quickly got his feet and bolted out the door.
Officer Rhee made to do the same when Sungmin’s reedy voice made high and unsteady with fear cried out, “Please Officer! You have to get these cuffs off of me! They’re coming for me! I know they are and oh god, if they see me like this they’ll - I can’t - I’ll - I’ll tell you everything! Just PLEASE -” The rest of his sentence broke off in hitching sobs.
Officer Rhee hesitated, looking quickly from the crying kid to the hoards of bodies streaming past his door.
“Shit,” Officer Rhee said, cursing his bleeding heart as he scrambled for the keys hanging around his waist. He had the handcuffs off and was straightening when he found the cold barrel of a gun shoved squarely in-between his eyes.
He knew that firearm anywhere. Only Detective Kim was outrageous enough to repaint his weapon. It made it easier for him to locate was what he had said when Officer Rhee had asked him about it.
“You really shouldn’t trust people so easily,” Sungmin said, still smiling at him as he thumbed the hammer back. Officer Rhee felt a sickening wave of dread and horror wash over him and then, everything turned to white.
***
They were waiting. Inside the hush stillness of the car, the only indication that there was still life in the vehicle was the soft sound of each inhaled breath.
Then, “Could you seriously have waited any longer to hand me your gun?” Sungmin said in disgust as he wiped officer residue off his face.
In the distance like a great phoenix unfurling its wings, a great pillar of smoke rose as it billowed out across the sky. Kangin and Donghae had just finished their part.
Next to Sungmin in the driver’s seat, Detective Kim Heechul cackled, the detonator still swinging from its silver chain around his wrist. He abruptly brought the car roaring to life and when he turned to face Sungmin, his eyes were filled with unholy glee.
“You know what they say about doing things you’re passionate about,” He said, teeth flashing in the darkness.
Sungmin grinned in spite of himself. “Yeah, there’s no mechanics behind it. You just do it.”
Their merry laughter spilled out of the car as they sped off leaving the city burning to the ground behind them.