[Shinee] Middlemen | #5
Five: Trips
The thing about Taemin is that he would want nothing more than to wake up every morning next to Kibum.
When Taemin stretches up on his elbows that morning, flipping his bangs out of his eyes, the blanket sliding down from his bare chest, he stares at Kibum’s sleeping form next to him, naked save for the sheer cotton of the blanket over his waist, curving up his buttocks and calves as he continues to drift into his sleep on his stomach.
Taemin pushes all of his weight on one elbow as he frees one of his hands to poke at the black mess of Kibum’s hair, cautious not to interrupt his deep slumber. He stares at Kibum the way he thinks the older boy might call him creepy.
You’re too pretty, Kibum. He really is. The more Taemin stares the more he sees. And what he sees are high cheek bones and sharp features. He sees Kibum’s strength in his eyes even when they’re closed and fluttering a bit. He hears Kibum’s snarky remarks even when Kibum’s lips are sealed.
You’re staring again, kid.
Taemin searches for his boxers and shirt as quietly as possible, slipping them on before making his way to the kitchen to whip up pancakes and blueberries for Kibum before he wakes up. Just like old times.
“I think you’re ready to take this negotiation on your own, Taemin.”
“Umma?”
“The Namasaki Corporation has always been one of my target clients. And I think you’re just the person to win them over.”
“Why’s that?”
“Namasaki told me. His younger brother, Tamayama, has grown very fond of you the last time you and Kibum were over there. He requested for you especially.”
“Umma…”
“You love me, don’t you, baby?”
“Of course.”
“And you want me to be happy?”
Taemin nods, hair bouncing from the sides of his face.
“Then make this happen for me.”
Before he knew it, his black, bowl shaped hair was being dyed a color stuck between brown and red, auburn at best, straightened and lengthened with similar shaded extensions.
“Taemin.”
“Kibum.” Taemin jumps before swerving away from the mirror in his room where he was testing out his new hair.
“Your hair.”
Taemin carelessly pushes a hand in the layers of his real hair, strands puffing up against his touch. “Umma she-it’s for Japan. Namasaki, uhmm. Do you like it?”
“It’s different.” Kibum picks at the ends of his extensions, Taemin’s eyes following Kibum’s fingers. “You kind of look like you have a vagina.”
“You, of all people, should know that I don’t.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Kibum slips his fingers in between strands of Taemin’s hair before tugging at them slightly, Taemin flinching in response. Kibum’s voice lowers. “When I said vagina I was referring to your face.”
The younger boy uses both of his hands to shove Kibum away with a smirk playing on his lips.
“Come here.” Kibum commands as he hauls Taemin back by digging his finger in the waistband of Taemin’s sweat pants. “I wanna find out if the carpets match the drapes.”
Taemin hates the sound of Tamayama’s groans and grunts as he pushes into Taemin, sweat trickling down the side of his face and burning the patches of Taemin’s skin where it lands. He’s grinding his teeth, gripping onto the sofa as he tries to balance himself despite the continuous rocking from behind him caused by Tamayama’s unforgiving thrusts.
The tears come much later, once he’s alone in his hotel room, under the thin safety of his blanket. He’s never felt dirtier in his life even though he’s already taken two showers since he’s been back. He’d have to take more.
Kibum doesn’t know how much it hurts. And if Taemin were to be completely honest, neither did he. When the house came into view later that night as the taxi came up the driveway, Taemin’s heart started beating one, two, three more times than it should just because of the knowledge that Kibum was in that house. It’s only then that he realizes how much has been taken from him. How much has been taken that he could no longer retrieve and it kills him inside because it wasn’t for Tamayama to take.
His body was never his to begin with. Who he was, everything that he thought he was belonged to Kibum. And he was stupid enough, naïve enough to think that he could protect it. How could he have been so foolish? Now that he isn’t whole, how could he even call himself worthy of Kibum?
“Taemin?”
Kibum’s voice is groggy when it reaches Taemin’s ears; making him spin on his heel, both hands occupied by a tray filled with pancakes and blueberries and two glasses of orange juice. He would greet Kibum back if it were not for the Pocky, chocolate covered biscuit stick poking out of his mouth.
The older boy seems to have donned on his boxers before venturing into the halls once Taemin was out of sight again. He rubs sleep out of his eyes with the heel of his palm, not even bothering to tame his disheveled hair like he usually does. Taemin finds himself rooted to the ground, unable to move at the sight of Kibum. He always knew how to make an entrance.
Kibum walks over to Taemin until they only have the tray in between them. He smiles at the younger boy like he’s relieved or happy. Or contented, Taemin can’t really figure it out. But all of those reasons will do.
“Can I have some of that?”
Taemin thinks that Kibum is referring to the pancakes, but of course he isn’t. Kibum places both of his lips over the other end of the biscuit stick, nibbling until he has to lean over the tray cautiously and catch Taemin’s lips.
“Get a fucking room, why don’t you?” Minho makes his presence known as he opens the gigantic, silver, two door refrigerator.
Kibum doesn’t stop kissing Taemin and Taemin doesn’t seem to mind. They go on for a few more seconds, their kiss tasting of chocolate until Kibum pulls back, taking the tray from Taemin’s hands.
Minho’s helping himself to an apple as he leans across the marble, island counter, a smile on his face. “I hear you two made up.”
Kibum settles the tray on the adjacent side of the same counter. “Not that it’s any of your business, third wheel, but yes. We did.” Kibum takes a few of the blue berries from the plate and places them in twos in his mouth. “Now, I think it’s time for you to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because I just found out that Taemin was making me breakfast and I want to thank him by fucking him senseless across this counter top.” Kibum tosses a single blueberry in Taemin’s direction. It shoots in Taemin’s mouth with ease.
“Didn’t you already fuck him last night?” Minho retaliates, but is already heading for the door.
“I did.” Kibum shrugs as Taemin wraps his arms around his waist from behind him; chin perched on one of his shoulders as he smiles back at Minho. “So now I’m gonna fuck him again.”
“I don’t mind an audience.” Taemin whispers.
“Imma shoot the audience in the balls if the audience doesn’t get the fuck out.”
“I’m gone, oh cryptic one.” When Minho is out of the kitchen he is greeted by Jinki making his way down the stairs.
“Jinki,” Minho greets. “I’ve been looking for you. Where’d you run off to?”
“I, uhh.” When Jinki looks up Minho is granted a view of Jinki’s eyes, red and rimmed with particles of tears clinging on to his lashes for dear life. It doesn’t take Minho much longer to figure out why that is. “I had to go to the bathroom so.” Is all Jinki replies with the same polite smile on his face. Minho frowns.
“Where you headed?”
“I was gonna make a sandwich in the kitch-“
“Trust me.” Minho cuts him off through a mouthful of apple chunks. “You don’t wanna go in there.”
“I don’t?”
“No.” Minho shakes his head vigorously. “Taemin and Kibum are in there and I think they plan on making the entire kitchen smell like sex.”
“Oh, fuck. Harder, Kibum!” Taemin’s moan reaches their ears, faint yet still audible, as if on cue, making both boys stare at each other with wide eyes.
“Wanna go get breakfast somewhere else?” Minho’s already dragging Jinki towards the main hall.
“I-but. What about them?”
“Umma’ll get on that. Don’t worry.”
~o~
“Wow.” This is as much as Minho is able to comment when their orders finally come. As his and Jinki’s plate is being placed in between them he can’t help but compare how amazingly tiny his ham and cheese sandwich is to Jinki’s ultimate chicken burger with tomato, lettuce (hold the onions) and fries.
The walk did them both some good. Jinki hasn’t really been out of the house ever since he came and Minho thinks that despite the many luxuries the house and the Underground had to offer, you can’t buy or replace the value of fresh air.
“You sure have an appetite during the mornings.” Minho reaches for the ketchup bottle by the end of the table and hands it to Jinki.
“I don’t think I’ve been eating that much.”
“Doesn’t look like it.” Minho wipes his hands on a clean piece of tissue. “Just as well, Jinki. You’re gonna need all that nutrients for tonight.”
“Right.”
“You ready?”
“I don’t really know what to be ready for.”
“Just bear in mind that you shouldn’t take things so seriously.”
Jinki bites a generous crescent out of the chicken burger, cheeks puffing out as bits of tomato and lettuce peek from his pursed lips. It makes Minho’s lips thin out into a smile as he pushes the rest of the tissue dispenser towards Jinki.
“He loves you, you know that right?”
Jinki swallows his gunk of food hard before looking up at Minho with a quizzical expression lining his eyes. “What?”
“Jonghyun. He loves you.”
It takes Jinki a few more seconds to move again. He dismisses Minho’s statement with a smile then goes back to stuffing his mouth with stick after stick of French fries.
“You’d think that by working in this industry you become wiser or more aware. Jaded. What have you. The truth is it just makes you a coward.”
Minho continues when Jinki doesn’t say anything.
“When I first came here I didn’t want anyone who knew me to ever see me and what I did. Or was doing. Or could do. It was shameful. And just. I didn’t want to have the people that I care about see me in that light.” Minho pauses, his eyes aiming at Jinki’s when he looks up from his food. “And at the same time I would rather die than have them being capable of doing even half of what I could.”
Jinki notices the way Minho looks at him, his eyes hard, like he knows exactly what he’s talking about. “He said he forgot-“
“He’s a liar.” Minho doesn’t let Jinki finish, probably because he was already ahead of Jinki. He always was, anyway, despite his age.
“I don’t know what to do.” Jinki mutters as he settles the burger down, his appetite dissolving.
“Just keep doing this. Talking to him and stuff. No matter how much he pushes you away. That resolve is gonna break somehow. And just. Just trust me, okay.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Someone has to be.” Minho says right before he calls the attention of another waitress and orders two chocolate milkshakes for both him and Jinki.
~o~
Minho doesn’t usually meddle, but his orders are clear and he would have to report back with positive results by the end of the day. Also, as much as Minho hates to admit it, maybe Jinki got under his skin somehow, slid under the wire. Minho will never figure out exactly how, but he did. Maybe he got himself too distracted by Jinki’s smile or maybe he’s never felt more attached to someone in his entire life, but he can’t stand seeing Jinki that way. It felt wrong somehow and although he was never and is never going to be the right person to fix things, he doesn’t see anyone who cares enough to step up to the plate.
And it also helps that he’s the only person in the house that gets along with almost everyone. Which is probably why he was chosen for this assignment and not one of the other practiced, undercover agents in the National security.
Minho finds Jonghyun in his room, door unlocked, when he attempts to turn the knob. Jonghyun’s by his drawer, dropping something inside once he hears the door creak open. His eyes are hopeful and they aren’t lost on Minho when Jonghyun drops his gaze the moment he registers that it is only him who was by his door. Such a terrible actor.
“Hey, you okay?” Minho lets himself in.
“Yeah.” Jonghyun nods. “What’s up?”
“I had a little chat with Jinki.”
“Hm.”
“Yeah.” Minho rubs the back of his neck as he carefully places his words. “So. Uhmm. I know it’s none of my business. But. I’m just saying. You should quit it. This whole cold shoulder thing. It’s not helping him. Or anyone else for that matter.”
Jonghyun considers the tall boy under a stern gaze before taking a seat by the edge of his bed. “You’re right. This isn’t any of your business.”
“Jonghyun-“
“You don’t understand.” Jonghyun shakes his head. “Jinki can’t be here. He just. He can’t.”
“But he is, though.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“I think that you care about him. And that this whole situation is overwhelming. But Jonghyun, it won’t change the fact that he is here. And that there is nothing you can do about it but protect him.”
“The longer he stays here the more powerless I am. I can’t protect him here-“
“You haven’t even tried. All you’ve done so far is make him believe that he’s alone.” Minho stops himself when he realizes that they’re both raising their voices. “Listen. Don’t wait for things to blow out of proportion. You’ve no idea what dangers await Jinki the moment he steps out of that door and starts dealing with us. He’s trained and he’s smart but preparation can only do so much.”
Minho’s words stay with Jonghyun even as he turns away and leaves, the door swinging back in its place. Jonghyun twists his head in the direction of his drawer, where Jinki’s present lies, unopened.
~o~
“What the fuck is this?” Kibum asks the question at Victoria for all of them as he picks up, with dismay on his face, the stringy black thong she tossed towards them in the meeting room.
“That’s your uniform for tonight.” Victoria explains.
“Underwear?” Minho exhales as he pokes at the stringy material in front of him.
“Women’s underwear.” Jonghyun adds.
“I’ve seen hair scrunchies less revealing than this.” Taemin says absentmindedly as he stretches the material with both hands.
Jinki finds himself staring at the way Taemin stretches the material to its fullest, only to lose his grip on one end sending the black underwear to fly in the nest of Minho’s chocolate brown hair.
And with the look Minho gives, his lips pushed together, eyes narrow as he plucks the stringy garment away and throws it back at Taemin in a ball, Kibum is reminded once again why he’s in love with a skinny, auburn haired boy, who can’t seem to correctly place himself in any situation but manages to pinch Kibum’s heart without even touching him.
“What the client wants-“ Victoria begins to instruct.
“-the client gets. Yeah, yeah.” Kibum completes with a wave of his hand, his own pair of the black material flailing about in the same hand. “But Umma, look at this thing. I could floss with it.”
“Well, you have to entice the whole room.”
“What’s so enticing with all of our junk hanging out?” Jonghyun has yet to touch the pair thrown at him.
“I hate Jonghyun’s guts and my insides turn at the thought of agreeing with him, but I do.” Kibum adds with vigorous nods.
“She’s getting married, okay.” Victoria amends. “She needs a last hurrah-“ she holds her hands over her head for emphasis. “-besides, she’s one of our important clients.”
“You say that about all the clients.” Minho retaliates.
“That’s how you run a business.”
“I can’t.” Jinki’s voice is suddenly heard from the far side of the mahogany, employee meeting table. His eyes are boring into something above Victoria’s shoulder, unable to look at any of them in the eye. “I can’t, uhmm-“ Jinki tries again after clearing his throat, the whole room has their eyes on him now. “I can’t wear. This.”
“That’s what we’re trying to say-“ Kibum says as he looks back at Victoria.
“No,” Jinki interrupts. “I literally. I can’t wear this.”
“What do you mean?” Minho is beside him, eyes melting into concern.
“I just. They.” Jinki nods towards the untouched black pair of lingerie in front of him. “They’re too small.”
“No shit, Sherlock.” Taemin comments.
“Jinki,” Victoria tries. “They’re all too small. You’ll all be wearing the same thing.”
Jinki smiles like he’s embarrassed. “I-No. Vic-I mean. Umma, I can’t wear this. It’s too small. For me.”
Realization dawns on Taemin first after a long pause and Jinki’s too embarrassed to even take notice. “I think he’s trying to say that his dick is too big.”
“What? I-No! I just-They’re too small.” Jinki stutters.
“They’re too small coz you’re too big.” Kibum repeats with one brow raised.
“They’re just small. That’s. I mean. I can’t wear these.”
Jinki is too busy trying to figure out how many shades of red his face is glowing with to see the glint in Taemin’s eye. Kibum, from the other end of the table hurls his own pair of black lingerie at Taemin, glare on full force.
“What?” Taemin retaliates at Kibum the moment the garment hits the side of his cheek.
“I saw that.”
“He said he was too big.”
“Stop being such a slut.”
“Stop being such a chick!”
“Guys.” Victoria decides to finally put a halt to the conversation gone astray. “Just. Just wear them with pants.” Victoria announces finally like that was the best idea in the world. “Pants. Yes. And, uhmm, Jinki. We’ll….We’ll work something out.”
~o~
The Diamond hotel fits its name perfectly, Jinki thinks as they enter the main lobby. The walls are black, but the whole room is spacious enough to not look affected by its darkness. The ceilings are white, clean and dangling with several chandeliers, making the entire floor sparkle. Jinki struggled to walk by Minho’s side without slowing down as he took in the sight before him. The people that walked to and fro didn’t even bother to take a second glance at him as they were clad in suits and gowns, probably heading towards the opera or just nowhere near where they were going.
It made Jinki wonder how such a hotel could even think about accommodating what it was that they were about to do. He gets his answer soon enough. After Kibum’s brief conversation with the lady at the front desk they were accompanied to the top floor of the hotel, right before the rooftop. Once out of the elevator they were guided down the hallway, ending in a room with double doors. As she pushed the two doors apart a whiff of what Jinki could only describe as roses explodes from the room and laces his nostrils. But there were no roses in the room.
It was wide but not wide enough to be a function room. If anything it looked like a suite, banned of the appropriate furnish most suites acquired. There were merely a few tables where a line of champagne and food were being arranged by a few butlers in black vests and white shirts. They didn’t even look up when they made their way inside the room.
Jinki allows his eyes to wander around the two walls by his side, left hollow with a glass window in exchange for where the concrete should be, much like empty windows of clothing boutiques in department stores where the mannequins show cased the store’s latest clothes.
“What are the windows for?” Jinki whispers at Minho who had to lean in a bit closer just to hear him.
“The guests will be arriving in a few minutes.” The woman who accompanied them announces even before Minho could reply. “I have been told that Ms. Song has briefed you on the mechanics of the party.”
“Mechanics?” Kibum asks.
“Yes. About the windows.” She gestures towards the two windows opposite one another, the same ones Jinki was curious about, the way stewardesses show passengers where the exits of the airplane are.
“Oh,” Kibum breathes. “Yes. Yeah. We know what to do.”
In the dressing room, twenty minutes before what Jinki started mentally dubbing as the big show, he clings onto Minho’s wrist to steady himself.
“Jinki?” Minho questions as his free hand to curl his fingers around Jinki’s hand.
“Can you repeat that?”
“I said,” Minho says with a sigh. “We’re going to be displaying ourselves in the windows.”
“We’re gonna be the ones in the windows.”
“Yeah.”
“Doing what?”
“Enticing, according to Umma-relax will you?” Minho twists his hands away from Jinki’s the moment he feels his circulation being cut off.
“Breathe, Jinki.” Taemin says as he appears from behind Minho.
It would have been comforting had it not been for Taemin’s lack of a shirt and the fact that he was looking extremely delectable with his bare torso oiled up and glistening with glitter.
“Oh God.” Jinki mouths without thinking much about what he’s saying.
“Taemin,” Minho exclaims the moment he lays his eyes on the younger boy.
“What?” Taemin shrugs. “It was Kibum’s idea. Now, I’m all shiny.”
“Indeed, you are.” Minho replies with a smile.
“You ready?” Kibum is suddenly by Jinki’s side, one hand held baby oil, the other a plastic cup of silver glitters.
Jinki jerks away. “What are you doing?”
“What the fuck do you think? Imma oil you down, bitch. Let’s do this.”
“Easy, Kibum” Minho holds an arm out to separate the two. He stares at Jinki. “Just relax, Jinki. This’ll all be over before you know it.”
An hour in and the guests are pouring in. The party, as Victoria explained, is exclusive. And judging by who were present Jinki understands why. There were governors from other countries, people he has only seen on the news, a few well knows celebrities, both local and international, but he has yet to find out who the woman to be wed is.
The only comforting thought in Jinki’s head is that they were all women. It was a bachelorette party, after all. But, at the same time,, he was frightened because they were all women who dealt with the Underground. If there was one thing he knew for sure about the Underground, it was that looks can be fucking deceiving.
Jinki stays by Minho’s side even as they usher themselves into the windows they are assigned to enter. Minho and Jinki share one box while the three others share the opposite one. Jinki doesn’t glance at Jonghyun when he makes his way with Taemin and Kibum to the other side of the room where they are to enter the second window.
He has too much on his mind at the moment. He felt icky and uncomfortable, glitters playing on his slippery skin even in the dark. Minho’s by his side, ready to turn the knob on the door allowing them entrance to the window. But he stops himself midway, before turning his head to face Jinki.
“Relax.” Jinki says Minho’s words for him. “I know.”
Minho smiles as he pulls a small, folded parcel from his back pocket. He unfolds the tiny packaging until in the center two square papers with gold stars drawn in the center are revealed. Minho takes one of the two squares and places it on his tongue. He then points his forefinger at the second square. The square sticks to the tips of his finger as he brings it up and offers it to Jinki.
“What is that?” Jinki asks, not letting his mouth go too wide in fear that Minho might just place it in suddenly.
Minho’s smile grows wider. “LSD. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. Better known as acid. It’ll help you relax.”
Jinki blinks. “I dunno.”
“Trust me, Jinki. You need to trust someone in this whole thing. You can trust me.”
And it’s not like things could get any worse anyway. He might as well be on something to help numb the embarrassment. Tentatively, Jinki leans in, opens his mouth wide enough to take in Minho’s finger from the knuckle up. His tongue meets with the tip of his finger as he slides his lips upward, sucking lightly as he did so, a small pop sound formed the second he releases Minho’s finger.
Minho throws the now empty parcel away, a knowing smirk playing on his lips before turning back towards the door and turning the knob so suddenly he doesn’t give Jinki the appropriate amount of time to think things through.
~o~
Everyone was staring at him with admiration and lust in their half lidded eyes and Jinki doesn’t know what to make of it. They all had to be twice his age. Possibly much more. The crowd had thickened and even through the glass separating them Jinki can still make out the ooh’s and ahh’s being mouthed as they feast their eyes on both his and Minho’s body.
To say that Jinki felt uncomfortable was an understatement. They were literally looking at him like that was all he was good for. And he kind of felt that way because he wasn’t doing anything but just standing there for all of them to stare at.
“I don’t feel anything.” Jinki says without glancing at Minho.
“What?”
“The acid isn’t working.”
“It’s gonna kick in a few more minutes.”
To add more to Jinki’s frustrated state the fact that the two windows were facing each other was not helping him avoid looking at Jonghyun. And with Jonghyun under the same fluorescent lights as him from inside the window, serving as the only appropriate light for the entire room, the shine of his body as the glitters danced off his skin, Jinki could feel himself melting despite himself. He wanted to break both his and Jonghyun’s window, push the other boy onto the ground and disregard how the shards of glass are prickling the skin on his back.
He thanks the speaker from the inside of the room for interrupting his thoughts.
“Ladies,” She says into the microphone, its speakers loud enough for Jinki and Minho to hear. “Thank you so much for joining me tonight.”
Jinki assumes that the speaker was the bride to be, but he could not make out what she looked like from where he was standing since she was somewhere by the far end of the room.
“I wanted tonight to be extra special so as my last act as a free woman I called up a few friends in order to help me make tonight much more memorable.”
“Amen to that!” A random scream erupts from the crowd followed by a chorus of laughter.
“So, I won’t be taking up much of your time. Please help yourself to some of the finest champagne and food the Diamond has to offer.” She pauses. “Oh, and ladies? Happy window shopping.”
The crowd’s roar of approval drowns out the giggle following the statement and Jinki swallows hard as the attention of half the crowd is once again on him and Minho.
A shrill scream of excitement resonates from the other side of the room. Jinki only has to look up in order to find out why. He almost falls down when he sees Taemin’s pants being unbuttoned by Jonghyun’s hands, arms circling around Taemin’s waist from behind. Kibum’s not far away. He’s whispering something into Taemin’s ear, making the auburn haired boy grin.
Jinki’s losing his breath even though he hasn’t been doing anything but just standing in the exact same spot, eyes trailing up when Taemin raises both his arms to wrap them around Jonghyun’s neck. Jinki watches with the rest of the crowd how Taemin’s eyes go shut the moment Kibum starts placing his hand inside Taemin’s snug fitting jeans, except he’s less enthused.
Jonghyun’s leaning towards Kibum, starts nibbling on his neck and it’s all becoming too much for Jinki to bear. His throat is tightening, his heart is lost somewhere in the pit of his stomach. He wants to run. Run away from here, run away from this entire scene and into the sun where he thinks he’ll be safe until night time comes again.
But when he spins away, Minho stops him, hands firm on both sides of his arms.
“Jinki.”
“I can’t do this.” Jinki shuts his eyes closed as he shakes his head vigorously.
Minho drops his head down, lips crashing into Jinki’s and it paralyzes the other boy, eyes opening and closing in confusion. Jinki pulls away, ending the kiss before he can even feel Minho’s lips. The back of his hand flies to his lips, wiping away things that aren’t there.
Minho inches closer again, licking his lips in the process. Jinki backs away until he hits the wall, trying to make sense of why this was happening.
“Trust me.” Minho says as he searches Jinki’s eyes, traps him on the wall with both hands flat beside his body.
Jinki, much to his dismay, steals another glance at Jonghyun who was now in between Taemin and Kibum, rubbing up against one another as the entire room diverts their attention towards the three boys, cheering them with howls of encouragement.
“Jesus.” Jinki buries his face in his hands as if not seeing what was going on was going to cease its existence. Tears are playing in his eyes and his knees are weakening by the second. “What is he doing? I can’t, oh fuck.”
Minho wraps his hands around both of Jinki’s wrists and pulls them away. Jinki looks up at him with pleading eyes and it makes Minho want to shoot Jonghyun in the face. Except it’s not Jonghyun’s fault completely. “This is what we do, Jinki.”
“This is inhumane.” Jinki whispers. For some reason he can’t seem to push Minho away when he starts dipping his head down with every intention of licking Jinki’s lips clean. In the corner of Jinki’s eye he sees the crowd starting to face them with wonder written on their faces. Then he sees Jonghyun’s face, hair disheveled as Taemin tears into his mouth with his tongue, Kibum biting Taemin’s back.
Minho uses one hand to turn Jinki’s stare away from the sight. “Stop torturing yourself. This is all about the job. Okay?”
That’s when it starts to kick in. Acid, seeping in his veins, making it to the sutures of his brain. “You don’t have to like it. But it helps if you do.” Minho’s voice is almost a groan when Jinki places one hand on the side of his hips to regain composure. “Or you can just pretend I’m him.”
But Minho kisses nothing like Jonghyun. Not that he and Jonghyun have done much kissing before and it has been quite a while but from what he can remember there was less hunger in Minho’s kisses.
Which is why when Minho starts deepening the kiss, coaxing Jinki’s tongue with his own as he presses their bodies together, Jinki thinks he might have judged Minho all too quickly. Minho’s hands literally slide up his neck, nabbing some more of the glitter in the process and Jinki does everything he can to stop himself from opening his eyes and making himself more aware of the fact that they were being watched rather carefully under these very immoral circumstances.
It’s almost automatic when he holds onto Minho’s back. He realizes that it’s just as firm and wide as it looks, but immediately shuts the idea away. Minho was his only friend in the house and it would be wrong of him to think about the younger boy in such a way. Then again, it was Minho’s tongue that was down his throat at this very moment and the effects of the drugs he had taken earlier were not coming to his rescue at all.
Minho’s tongue dances with ease as he trails wet, sloppy kisses down Jinki’s jaw then behind his ear where Jinki feels a slight tingle every time Minho’s warm breath hits a certain patch of skin. He knows Jonghyun can probably see him. Jonghyun has his eyes on him, along with several other pairs of eyes, and he can see the way Jinki’s face is painting a picture of pure pleasure in response to Minho’s sucking, how his hands are starting to claw into the ripples of Minho’s back as his muscles flex with every move he makes.
A moan makes its way out of his lips just as Minho tests Jinki by catching a small area of Jinki’s heated skin in between his teeth. He licks the same spot right after as he works a leg in between both of Jinki’s. Jinki can’t seem to get his focus in the right place. He feels like the lightest feather in the world. And his head is spinning, but in a good way. Everything becomes much more beautiful than it ordinarily is. And Minho’s hands make him feel the way he’s wanted to feel in a long time. He shoves his hands into Minho’s hair, pulling him tighter and pressing onto him at the same time as he breathes out Minho’s name, not Jonghyun’s. When he opens his eyes he sees Minho. Only Minho, want painting his features in a way Jinki has never seen before. It’s like the only noises he hears are the smacking of Minho’s lips, the slight bump as Jinki’s being pushed back again on the hollow wall.
All of the rubbing and warm breaths has the side of Jinki’s face forming sweat beads. His pants are loosening and it takes him a moment to realize that it was Minho’s skilled hands that were causing it. Minho catches Jinki’s lips in another bruising kiss, his tongue massaging the older boy’s in slick, perfect motion as his hand slips past the waistband of Jinki’s jeans.
Minho’s hands are warm and slightly sweaty when he cups Jinki’s full length. He curls his fingers over the tip, his thumb grazing over the smooth head as he spreads Jinki’s precum up and down.
“Wait,” Jinki hears himself say. “Minho.”
“Don’t you like that?” When Jinki returns Minho’s gaze his eyes are drunk with the vision that greets him. The glitter has spread to his face, probably cause by Jinki’s hands and Minho kissing his neck, and the colors glistening play into a pool of lights, making Minho’s eyes hypnotizing.
Minho doesn’t wait for Jinki to reply. Mostly because the look in Jinki’s dark eyes was enough of an answer for him. He continues to move his hands all over Jinki’s cock now and realizes as Jinki grows harder and harder in response to his touches that he would have never fit into that black thong at all.
Jinki reaches his lips out and Minho meets him halfway, lips gluing to Jinki’s as Jinki starts to moan for more in Minho’s mouth.
Jinki’s knees turn into jello and it makes him want to fuck Minho on the floor but he’s so close he combats temptation and just opts for release. Minho holds the rest of Jinki’s hands up above his head while his other hand busies itself by stroking Jinki faster, rougher this time, from shaft to tip, making sure he doesn’t miss any sensitive areas.
Minho rests his forehead against Jinki’s, both boys’ labored breaths molding into one with their eyes closed. “Come hard for me, Jinki.”
Minho doesn’t have to repeat himself.
~o~
The call comes in right when Minho expects it. While the others are in the shower, washing themselves of oil and glitter from tonight’s festivities, Minho’s in the dressing room, dry and already in a pair of pants and a polo shirt left open by the collar. He flips his phone open, not even bothering to look at the screen to find out who it is on the other line.
“How are things?” The voice he knows so well asks.
“Splendid.” Minho picks at a piece of white thread gone astray on his black jeans. “I’ve got everything under control.”
“That’s good. And Victoria?”
“Same as always.”
A chuckle reaches Minho’s ear, rich and mirthful. “Of course. Why do I even bother?”
Minho doesn’t answer, just breathes into the receiver as he stares at his reflection by the dressing room mirror. He was tired and it showed through the black circles of his eyes.
“You’re being careful then?”
“Always.”
“Atta boy.” He sounded pleased. “I’ll check in again soon. Goodbye, Minho.”
“Goodbye, Nichkhun.”
Minho flips his phone shut before pushing the end of the phone to his lips as he sinks into his thoughts. A knock on the door abruptly distracts him.
“Come in.”
Minho is greeted by the woman at the front desk earlier. She doesn’t hesitate to let herself in, a smile plastered on her face like she could banish starvation.
“The bride requests that all middlemen be present later for the negotiation.” She says in her most business-like tone.
Minho nods. “I’ll inform the troops.”
“Lovely. Half an hour?”
“Half an hour.” Minho confirms right as the woman’s gaze wanders somewhere by the far side of the room.
Minho follows her stare and finds Jonghyun, a towel slinging low around his hips as he walks emerges from the bathroom. He flashes her a grin, teasing and quick as he places both hands on his hips.
Minho looks back at the woman, obviously still in awe at the sight of Jonghyun’s body. “Later, then.”
“What?” The woman shakes her head momentarily as she awakens from her dazed state. “Later. Yes. I-yes.”
Once she disappears from the door Jonghyun makes his way towards the cabinet where a fresh new set of clothes awaits his. “What did she want?”
“The bride wants to negotiate.” Minho explains as he scratches the itch by the side of his jaw. “Are they going to be long? She wants us there in thirty minutes. Besides, I think Jinki’s had enough boy love for today.”
“You made sure of that, didn’t you?” Jonghyun says with a huff as he slips his jeans on.
“Someone had to.” Minho shrugs. “You gave him blue balls for three years.”
“Fuck you.”
“If you don’t quit it Jinki just might.” Minho winks accompanied by a smug smile.
This makes Jonghyun stop from reaching for his shirt. Both his hands drop to his sides as he turns fully to face the other boy. “What are you doing, Minho?”
“If you want him you better step up, lover boy. Because I do. And I don’t do anything half assed.”
Taemin walks into the room, right in the middle of things, with a smile on his face but it does not break the tension.
“Hey,” Taemin starts as he walks towards the already open cabinet. “Any of you seen Jinki?”
This makes both boys turn their heads to where Taemin is as the younger boy struggles to pull up his boxers without revealing what was behind his towel. “He’s not in the shower?” Minho asks.
Taemin shakes his head as he reaches for a pair of pants on one of the hangers. “I thought he was out here.”
~o~
Minho and Taemin try to hold Jonghyun back when the bride reveals Jinki with a snap of her fingers. He’s being held captive by the elbow, a gun pointed directly at his head with the tip of the barrel not leaving much space between the side of his cranium and its lips. Jonghyun notices how his paper white skin is dripping with sweat, clothes a mess and his bottom lip bleeding by the side.
“What the fuck?” Kibum eyes Jinki’s messed up state then sends his gaze back to the bride’s pleased smirk.
“You gave me blank shrines last time.” Is all the bride explains with a tilt of her head.
Minho casts Jonghyun a warning with his eyes, asking him to calm down. It takes every ounce of self control in Jonghyun’s body to comply. It would be stupid of him to lash out. If he were to pull out his gun and blow the mother fucker’s head off then the bride would know exactly what Jinki meant to him and that would just make her think that she made the right decision of choosing to kidnap this one middleman in particular.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Kibum tries with a softer tone. “But we the only involvement we have with the shrine is delivery. We have no idea what goes on with the drug outside of that concept. Neither does he.” Kibum gestures towards Jinki. “Let him go.”
“The Underground guarantees satisfaction. I wasn’t fucking satisfied. I think it’s only fair that I let Mama Bear know of my displeasure.” With another snap of the bride’s fingers a couple of her bodyguards stand before the door behind them, one of them locking the door with a rather audible click.
Kibum snorts out a laugh, hands on his hips as he breathes out like he’s bored. “Listen. If you want to make it to your wedding tomorrow you’re going to let him go.”
She returns the rudeness by leaning further into her chair and crossing one long, milky white leg over the other. “I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with here.”
“I am perfectly aware of who you are.” Kibum retaliates, smile still playing on his lips. “I’ve read your file. And know a whole lot more about you and your husband to be than you think.”
Her face doesn’t crack, doesn’t show any sign of resentment or flaking caused by Kibum’s statement, but Kibum knows he got under her skin.
“Now, the five of us,” Kibum continues. “We’ve played this game longer than you’ve been with your little groom. We’re division one’s finest and the only group of middlemen in the Underground, personally hand picked by Mama Bear. Trust me, sweetie. If there is anyone in this room who doesn’t know who they’re dealing with it most definitely isn’t us.”
Kibum doesn’t even have to physically slap her in order to break her resolve and it makes Jonghyun grateful for the first time since he’s met Kibum. Jinki’s still very much in his place where the hand gun is digging into his skin. Minho can feel the metal of his gun screaming into his sides, begging to be used as it hid beneath the black of his jacket, but he restrains himself and waits.
A pause ensues, causing Jonghyun’s heart to do more beats than it should. He tries not to look at Jinki mainly because he didn’t want to see Jinki scared out of his wits. The very sight of the boy being pulled out into the room, a gun pointed at his head, was enough to make his mind wonder about the many possibilities and the fact that he has absolutely no control of what was going to happen tonight. That man could pull the trigger and there would be no way for Jonghyun to get to Jinki in time. Jinki could die tonight and his blood would stain Jonghyun’s hands forever.
The bride uncrosses her legs as she stands back up on her feet. She tucks a few strands of her hair behind her ear where a gigantic circular earring dangles as she makes her way towards Kibum. “Send Mama Bear my love.”
It’s the last thing Jonghyun and the rest of them hear before the gunshot shouts throughout the room followed by the deathly thud of Jinki’s body hitting the wooden floor.
Next
The thing about Taemin is that he would want nothing more than to wake up every morning next to Kibum.
When Taemin stretches up on his elbows that morning, flipping his bangs out of his eyes, the blanket sliding down from his bare chest, he stares at Kibum’s sleeping form next to him, naked save for the sheer cotton of the blanket over his waist, curving up his buttocks and calves as he continues to drift into his sleep on his stomach.
Taemin pushes all of his weight on one elbow as he frees one of his hands to poke at the black mess of Kibum’s hair, cautious not to interrupt his deep slumber. He stares at Kibum the way he thinks the older boy might call him creepy.
You’re too pretty, Kibum. He really is. The more Taemin stares the more he sees. And what he sees are high cheek bones and sharp features. He sees Kibum’s strength in his eyes even when they’re closed and fluttering a bit. He hears Kibum’s snarky remarks even when Kibum’s lips are sealed.
You’re staring again, kid.
Taemin searches for his boxers and shirt as quietly as possible, slipping them on before making his way to the kitchen to whip up pancakes and blueberries for Kibum before he wakes up. Just like old times.
“I think you’re ready to take this negotiation on your own, Taemin.”
“Umma?”
“The Namasaki Corporation has always been one of my target clients. And I think you’re just the person to win them over.”
“Why’s that?”
“Namasaki told me. His younger brother, Tamayama, has grown very fond of you the last time you and Kibum were over there. He requested for you especially.”
“Umma…”
“You love me, don’t you, baby?”
“Of course.”
“And you want me to be happy?”
Taemin nods, hair bouncing from the sides of his face.
“Then make this happen for me.”
Before he knew it, his black, bowl shaped hair was being dyed a color stuck between brown and red, auburn at best, straightened and lengthened with similar shaded extensions.
“Taemin.”
“Kibum.” Taemin jumps before swerving away from the mirror in his room where he was testing out his new hair.
“Your hair.”
Taemin carelessly pushes a hand in the layers of his real hair, strands puffing up against his touch. “Umma she-it’s for Japan. Namasaki, uhmm. Do you like it?”
“It’s different.” Kibum picks at the ends of his extensions, Taemin’s eyes following Kibum’s fingers. “You kind of look like you have a vagina.”
“You, of all people, should know that I don’t.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Kibum slips his fingers in between strands of Taemin’s hair before tugging at them slightly, Taemin flinching in response. Kibum’s voice lowers. “When I said vagina I was referring to your face.”
The younger boy uses both of his hands to shove Kibum away with a smirk playing on his lips.
“Come here.” Kibum commands as he hauls Taemin back by digging his finger in the waistband of Taemin’s sweat pants. “I wanna find out if the carpets match the drapes.”
Taemin hates the sound of Tamayama’s groans and grunts as he pushes into Taemin, sweat trickling down the side of his face and burning the patches of Taemin’s skin where it lands. He’s grinding his teeth, gripping onto the sofa as he tries to balance himself despite the continuous rocking from behind him caused by Tamayama’s unforgiving thrusts.
The tears come much later, once he’s alone in his hotel room, under the thin safety of his blanket. He’s never felt dirtier in his life even though he’s already taken two showers since he’s been back. He’d have to take more.
Kibum doesn’t know how much it hurts. And if Taemin were to be completely honest, neither did he. When the house came into view later that night as the taxi came up the driveway, Taemin’s heart started beating one, two, three more times than it should just because of the knowledge that Kibum was in that house. It’s only then that he realizes how much has been taken from him. How much has been taken that he could no longer retrieve and it kills him inside because it wasn’t for Tamayama to take.
His body was never his to begin with. Who he was, everything that he thought he was belonged to Kibum. And he was stupid enough, naïve enough to think that he could protect it. How could he have been so foolish? Now that he isn’t whole, how could he even call himself worthy of Kibum?
“Taemin?”
Kibum’s voice is groggy when it reaches Taemin’s ears; making him spin on his heel, both hands occupied by a tray filled with pancakes and blueberries and two glasses of orange juice. He would greet Kibum back if it were not for the Pocky, chocolate covered biscuit stick poking out of his mouth.
The older boy seems to have donned on his boxers before venturing into the halls once Taemin was out of sight again. He rubs sleep out of his eyes with the heel of his palm, not even bothering to tame his disheveled hair like he usually does. Taemin finds himself rooted to the ground, unable to move at the sight of Kibum. He always knew how to make an entrance.
Kibum walks over to Taemin until they only have the tray in between them. He smiles at the younger boy like he’s relieved or happy. Or contented, Taemin can’t really figure it out. But all of those reasons will do.
“Can I have some of that?”
Taemin thinks that Kibum is referring to the pancakes, but of course he isn’t. Kibum places both of his lips over the other end of the biscuit stick, nibbling until he has to lean over the tray cautiously and catch Taemin’s lips.
“Get a fucking room, why don’t you?” Minho makes his presence known as he opens the gigantic, silver, two door refrigerator.
Kibum doesn’t stop kissing Taemin and Taemin doesn’t seem to mind. They go on for a few more seconds, their kiss tasting of chocolate until Kibum pulls back, taking the tray from Taemin’s hands.
Minho’s helping himself to an apple as he leans across the marble, island counter, a smile on his face. “I hear you two made up.”
Kibum settles the tray on the adjacent side of the same counter. “Not that it’s any of your business, third wheel, but yes. We did.” Kibum takes a few of the blue berries from the plate and places them in twos in his mouth. “Now, I think it’s time for you to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because I just found out that Taemin was making me breakfast and I want to thank him by fucking him senseless across this counter top.” Kibum tosses a single blueberry in Taemin’s direction. It shoots in Taemin’s mouth with ease.
“Didn’t you already fuck him last night?” Minho retaliates, but is already heading for the door.
“I did.” Kibum shrugs as Taemin wraps his arms around his waist from behind him; chin perched on one of his shoulders as he smiles back at Minho. “So now I’m gonna fuck him again.”
“I don’t mind an audience.” Taemin whispers.
“Imma shoot the audience in the balls if the audience doesn’t get the fuck out.”
“I’m gone, oh cryptic one.” When Minho is out of the kitchen he is greeted by Jinki making his way down the stairs.
“Jinki,” Minho greets. “I’ve been looking for you. Where’d you run off to?”
“I, uhh.” When Jinki looks up Minho is granted a view of Jinki’s eyes, red and rimmed with particles of tears clinging on to his lashes for dear life. It doesn’t take Minho much longer to figure out why that is. “I had to go to the bathroom so.” Is all Jinki replies with the same polite smile on his face. Minho frowns.
“Where you headed?”
“I was gonna make a sandwich in the kitch-“
“Trust me.” Minho cuts him off through a mouthful of apple chunks. “You don’t wanna go in there.”
“I don’t?”
“No.” Minho shakes his head vigorously. “Taemin and Kibum are in there and I think they plan on making the entire kitchen smell like sex.”
“Oh, fuck. Harder, Kibum!” Taemin’s moan reaches their ears, faint yet still audible, as if on cue, making both boys stare at each other with wide eyes.
“Wanna go get breakfast somewhere else?” Minho’s already dragging Jinki towards the main hall.
“I-but. What about them?”
“Umma’ll get on that. Don’t worry.”
~o~
“Wow.” This is as much as Minho is able to comment when their orders finally come. As his and Jinki’s plate is being placed in between them he can’t help but compare how amazingly tiny his ham and cheese sandwich is to Jinki’s ultimate chicken burger with tomato, lettuce (hold the onions) and fries.
The walk did them both some good. Jinki hasn’t really been out of the house ever since he came and Minho thinks that despite the many luxuries the house and the Underground had to offer, you can’t buy or replace the value of fresh air.
“You sure have an appetite during the mornings.” Minho reaches for the ketchup bottle by the end of the table and hands it to Jinki.
“I don’t think I’ve been eating that much.”
“Doesn’t look like it.” Minho wipes his hands on a clean piece of tissue. “Just as well, Jinki. You’re gonna need all that nutrients for tonight.”
“Right.”
“You ready?”
“I don’t really know what to be ready for.”
“Just bear in mind that you shouldn’t take things so seriously.”
Jinki bites a generous crescent out of the chicken burger, cheeks puffing out as bits of tomato and lettuce peek from his pursed lips. It makes Minho’s lips thin out into a smile as he pushes the rest of the tissue dispenser towards Jinki.
“He loves you, you know that right?”
Jinki swallows his gunk of food hard before looking up at Minho with a quizzical expression lining his eyes. “What?”
“Jonghyun. He loves you.”
It takes Jinki a few more seconds to move again. He dismisses Minho’s statement with a smile then goes back to stuffing his mouth with stick after stick of French fries.
“You’d think that by working in this industry you become wiser or more aware. Jaded. What have you. The truth is it just makes you a coward.”
Minho continues when Jinki doesn’t say anything.
“When I first came here I didn’t want anyone who knew me to ever see me and what I did. Or was doing. Or could do. It was shameful. And just. I didn’t want to have the people that I care about see me in that light.” Minho pauses, his eyes aiming at Jinki’s when he looks up from his food. “And at the same time I would rather die than have them being capable of doing even half of what I could.”
Jinki notices the way Minho looks at him, his eyes hard, like he knows exactly what he’s talking about. “He said he forgot-“
“He’s a liar.” Minho doesn’t let Jinki finish, probably because he was already ahead of Jinki. He always was, anyway, despite his age.
“I don’t know what to do.” Jinki mutters as he settles the burger down, his appetite dissolving.
“Just keep doing this. Talking to him and stuff. No matter how much he pushes you away. That resolve is gonna break somehow. And just. Just trust me, okay.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Someone has to be.” Minho says right before he calls the attention of another waitress and orders two chocolate milkshakes for both him and Jinki.
~o~
Minho doesn’t usually meddle, but his orders are clear and he would have to report back with positive results by the end of the day. Also, as much as Minho hates to admit it, maybe Jinki got under his skin somehow, slid under the wire. Minho will never figure out exactly how, but he did. Maybe he got himself too distracted by Jinki’s smile or maybe he’s never felt more attached to someone in his entire life, but he can’t stand seeing Jinki that way. It felt wrong somehow and although he was never and is never going to be the right person to fix things, he doesn’t see anyone who cares enough to step up to the plate.
And it also helps that he’s the only person in the house that gets along with almost everyone. Which is probably why he was chosen for this assignment and not one of the other practiced, undercover agents in the National security.
Minho finds Jonghyun in his room, door unlocked, when he attempts to turn the knob. Jonghyun’s by his drawer, dropping something inside once he hears the door creak open. His eyes are hopeful and they aren’t lost on Minho when Jonghyun drops his gaze the moment he registers that it is only him who was by his door. Such a terrible actor.
“Hey, you okay?” Minho lets himself in.
“Yeah.” Jonghyun nods. “What’s up?”
“I had a little chat with Jinki.”
“Hm.”
“Yeah.” Minho rubs the back of his neck as he carefully places his words. “So. Uhmm. I know it’s none of my business. But. I’m just saying. You should quit it. This whole cold shoulder thing. It’s not helping him. Or anyone else for that matter.”
Jonghyun considers the tall boy under a stern gaze before taking a seat by the edge of his bed. “You’re right. This isn’t any of your business.”
“Jonghyun-“
“You don’t understand.” Jonghyun shakes his head. “Jinki can’t be here. He just. He can’t.”
“But he is, though.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“I think that you care about him. And that this whole situation is overwhelming. But Jonghyun, it won’t change the fact that he is here. And that there is nothing you can do about it but protect him.”
“The longer he stays here the more powerless I am. I can’t protect him here-“
“You haven’t even tried. All you’ve done so far is make him believe that he’s alone.” Minho stops himself when he realizes that they’re both raising their voices. “Listen. Don’t wait for things to blow out of proportion. You’ve no idea what dangers await Jinki the moment he steps out of that door and starts dealing with us. He’s trained and he’s smart but preparation can only do so much.”
Minho’s words stay with Jonghyun even as he turns away and leaves, the door swinging back in its place. Jonghyun twists his head in the direction of his drawer, where Jinki’s present lies, unopened.
~o~
“What the fuck is this?” Kibum asks the question at Victoria for all of them as he picks up, with dismay on his face, the stringy black thong she tossed towards them in the meeting room.
“That’s your uniform for tonight.” Victoria explains.
“Underwear?” Minho exhales as he pokes at the stringy material in front of him.
“Women’s underwear.” Jonghyun adds.
“I’ve seen hair scrunchies less revealing than this.” Taemin says absentmindedly as he stretches the material with both hands.
Jinki finds himself staring at the way Taemin stretches the material to its fullest, only to lose his grip on one end sending the black underwear to fly in the nest of Minho’s chocolate brown hair.
And with the look Minho gives, his lips pushed together, eyes narrow as he plucks the stringy garment away and throws it back at Taemin in a ball, Kibum is reminded once again why he’s in love with a skinny, auburn haired boy, who can’t seem to correctly place himself in any situation but manages to pinch Kibum’s heart without even touching him.
“What the client wants-“ Victoria begins to instruct.
“-the client gets. Yeah, yeah.” Kibum completes with a wave of his hand, his own pair of the black material flailing about in the same hand. “But Umma, look at this thing. I could floss with it.”
“Well, you have to entice the whole room.”
“What’s so enticing with all of our junk hanging out?” Jonghyun has yet to touch the pair thrown at him.
“I hate Jonghyun’s guts and my insides turn at the thought of agreeing with him, but I do.” Kibum adds with vigorous nods.
“She’s getting married, okay.” Victoria amends. “She needs a last hurrah-“ she holds her hands over her head for emphasis. “-besides, she’s one of our important clients.”
“You say that about all the clients.” Minho retaliates.
“That’s how you run a business.”
“I can’t.” Jinki’s voice is suddenly heard from the far side of the mahogany, employee meeting table. His eyes are boring into something above Victoria’s shoulder, unable to look at any of them in the eye. “I can’t, uhmm-“ Jinki tries again after clearing his throat, the whole room has their eyes on him now. “I can’t wear. This.”
“That’s what we’re trying to say-“ Kibum says as he looks back at Victoria.
“No,” Jinki interrupts. “I literally. I can’t wear this.”
“What do you mean?” Minho is beside him, eyes melting into concern.
“I just. They.” Jinki nods towards the untouched black pair of lingerie in front of him. “They’re too small.”
“No shit, Sherlock.” Taemin comments.
“Jinki,” Victoria tries. “They’re all too small. You’ll all be wearing the same thing.”
Jinki smiles like he’s embarrassed. “I-No. Vic-I mean. Umma, I can’t wear this. It’s too small. For me.”
Realization dawns on Taemin first after a long pause and Jinki’s too embarrassed to even take notice. “I think he’s trying to say that his dick is too big.”
“What? I-No! I just-They’re too small.” Jinki stutters.
“They’re too small coz you’re too big.” Kibum repeats with one brow raised.
“They’re just small. That’s. I mean. I can’t wear these.”
Jinki is too busy trying to figure out how many shades of red his face is glowing with to see the glint in Taemin’s eye. Kibum, from the other end of the table hurls his own pair of black lingerie at Taemin, glare on full force.
“What?” Taemin retaliates at Kibum the moment the garment hits the side of his cheek.
“I saw that.”
“He said he was too big.”
“Stop being such a slut.”
“Stop being such a chick!”
“Guys.” Victoria decides to finally put a halt to the conversation gone astray. “Just. Just wear them with pants.” Victoria announces finally like that was the best idea in the world. “Pants. Yes. And, uhmm, Jinki. We’ll….We’ll work something out.”
~o~
The Diamond hotel fits its name perfectly, Jinki thinks as they enter the main lobby. The walls are black, but the whole room is spacious enough to not look affected by its darkness. The ceilings are white, clean and dangling with several chandeliers, making the entire floor sparkle. Jinki struggled to walk by Minho’s side without slowing down as he took in the sight before him. The people that walked to and fro didn’t even bother to take a second glance at him as they were clad in suits and gowns, probably heading towards the opera or just nowhere near where they were going.
It made Jinki wonder how such a hotel could even think about accommodating what it was that they were about to do. He gets his answer soon enough. After Kibum’s brief conversation with the lady at the front desk they were accompanied to the top floor of the hotel, right before the rooftop. Once out of the elevator they were guided down the hallway, ending in a room with double doors. As she pushed the two doors apart a whiff of what Jinki could only describe as roses explodes from the room and laces his nostrils. But there were no roses in the room.
It was wide but not wide enough to be a function room. If anything it looked like a suite, banned of the appropriate furnish most suites acquired. There were merely a few tables where a line of champagne and food were being arranged by a few butlers in black vests and white shirts. They didn’t even look up when they made their way inside the room.
Jinki allows his eyes to wander around the two walls by his side, left hollow with a glass window in exchange for where the concrete should be, much like empty windows of clothing boutiques in department stores where the mannequins show cased the store’s latest clothes.
“What are the windows for?” Jinki whispers at Minho who had to lean in a bit closer just to hear him.
“The guests will be arriving in a few minutes.” The woman who accompanied them announces even before Minho could reply. “I have been told that Ms. Song has briefed you on the mechanics of the party.”
“Mechanics?” Kibum asks.
“Yes. About the windows.” She gestures towards the two windows opposite one another, the same ones Jinki was curious about, the way stewardesses show passengers where the exits of the airplane are.
“Oh,” Kibum breathes. “Yes. Yeah. We know what to do.”
In the dressing room, twenty minutes before what Jinki started mentally dubbing as the big show, he clings onto Minho’s wrist to steady himself.
“Jinki?” Minho questions as his free hand to curl his fingers around Jinki’s hand.
“Can you repeat that?”
“I said,” Minho says with a sigh. “We’re going to be displaying ourselves in the windows.”
“We’re gonna be the ones in the windows.”
“Yeah.”
“Doing what?”
“Enticing, according to Umma-relax will you?” Minho twists his hands away from Jinki’s the moment he feels his circulation being cut off.
“Breathe, Jinki.” Taemin says as he appears from behind Minho.
It would have been comforting had it not been for Taemin’s lack of a shirt and the fact that he was looking extremely delectable with his bare torso oiled up and glistening with glitter.
“Oh God.” Jinki mouths without thinking much about what he’s saying.
“Taemin,” Minho exclaims the moment he lays his eyes on the younger boy.
“What?” Taemin shrugs. “It was Kibum’s idea. Now, I’m all shiny.”
“Indeed, you are.” Minho replies with a smile.
“You ready?” Kibum is suddenly by Jinki’s side, one hand held baby oil, the other a plastic cup of silver glitters.
Jinki jerks away. “What are you doing?”
“What the fuck do you think? Imma oil you down, bitch. Let’s do this.”
“Easy, Kibum” Minho holds an arm out to separate the two. He stares at Jinki. “Just relax, Jinki. This’ll all be over before you know it.”
An hour in and the guests are pouring in. The party, as Victoria explained, is exclusive. And judging by who were present Jinki understands why. There were governors from other countries, people he has only seen on the news, a few well knows celebrities, both local and international, but he has yet to find out who the woman to be wed is.
The only comforting thought in Jinki’s head is that they were all women. It was a bachelorette party, after all. But, at the same time,, he was frightened because they were all women who dealt with the Underground. If there was one thing he knew for sure about the Underground, it was that looks can be fucking deceiving.
Jinki stays by Minho’s side even as they usher themselves into the windows they are assigned to enter. Minho and Jinki share one box while the three others share the opposite one. Jinki doesn’t glance at Jonghyun when he makes his way with Taemin and Kibum to the other side of the room where they are to enter the second window.
He has too much on his mind at the moment. He felt icky and uncomfortable, glitters playing on his slippery skin even in the dark. Minho’s by his side, ready to turn the knob on the door allowing them entrance to the window. But he stops himself midway, before turning his head to face Jinki.
“Relax.” Jinki says Minho’s words for him. “I know.”
Minho smiles as he pulls a small, folded parcel from his back pocket. He unfolds the tiny packaging until in the center two square papers with gold stars drawn in the center are revealed. Minho takes one of the two squares and places it on his tongue. He then points his forefinger at the second square. The square sticks to the tips of his finger as he brings it up and offers it to Jinki.
“What is that?” Jinki asks, not letting his mouth go too wide in fear that Minho might just place it in suddenly.
Minho’s smile grows wider. “LSD. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. Better known as acid. It’ll help you relax.”
Jinki blinks. “I dunno.”
“Trust me, Jinki. You need to trust someone in this whole thing. You can trust me.”
And it’s not like things could get any worse anyway. He might as well be on something to help numb the embarrassment. Tentatively, Jinki leans in, opens his mouth wide enough to take in Minho’s finger from the knuckle up. His tongue meets with the tip of his finger as he slides his lips upward, sucking lightly as he did so, a small pop sound formed the second he releases Minho’s finger.
Minho throws the now empty parcel away, a knowing smirk playing on his lips before turning back towards the door and turning the knob so suddenly he doesn’t give Jinki the appropriate amount of time to think things through.
~o~
Everyone was staring at him with admiration and lust in their half lidded eyes and Jinki doesn’t know what to make of it. They all had to be twice his age. Possibly much more. The crowd had thickened and even through the glass separating them Jinki can still make out the ooh’s and ahh’s being mouthed as they feast their eyes on both his and Minho’s body.
To say that Jinki felt uncomfortable was an understatement. They were literally looking at him like that was all he was good for. And he kind of felt that way because he wasn’t doing anything but just standing there for all of them to stare at.
“I don’t feel anything.” Jinki says without glancing at Minho.
“What?”
“The acid isn’t working.”
“It’s gonna kick in a few more minutes.”
To add more to Jinki’s frustrated state the fact that the two windows were facing each other was not helping him avoid looking at Jonghyun. And with Jonghyun under the same fluorescent lights as him from inside the window, serving as the only appropriate light for the entire room, the shine of his body as the glitters danced off his skin, Jinki could feel himself melting despite himself. He wanted to break both his and Jonghyun’s window, push the other boy onto the ground and disregard how the shards of glass are prickling the skin on his back.
He thanks the speaker from the inside of the room for interrupting his thoughts.
“Ladies,” She says into the microphone, its speakers loud enough for Jinki and Minho to hear. “Thank you so much for joining me tonight.”
Jinki assumes that the speaker was the bride to be, but he could not make out what she looked like from where he was standing since she was somewhere by the far end of the room.
“I wanted tonight to be extra special so as my last act as a free woman I called up a few friends in order to help me make tonight much more memorable.”
“Amen to that!” A random scream erupts from the crowd followed by a chorus of laughter.
“So, I won’t be taking up much of your time. Please help yourself to some of the finest champagne and food the Diamond has to offer.” She pauses. “Oh, and ladies? Happy window shopping.”
The crowd’s roar of approval drowns out the giggle following the statement and Jinki swallows hard as the attention of half the crowd is once again on him and Minho.
A shrill scream of excitement resonates from the other side of the room. Jinki only has to look up in order to find out why. He almost falls down when he sees Taemin’s pants being unbuttoned by Jonghyun’s hands, arms circling around Taemin’s waist from behind. Kibum’s not far away. He’s whispering something into Taemin’s ear, making the auburn haired boy grin.
Jinki’s losing his breath even though he hasn’t been doing anything but just standing in the exact same spot, eyes trailing up when Taemin raises both his arms to wrap them around Jonghyun’s neck. Jinki watches with the rest of the crowd how Taemin’s eyes go shut the moment Kibum starts placing his hand inside Taemin’s snug fitting jeans, except he’s less enthused.
Jonghyun’s leaning towards Kibum, starts nibbling on his neck and it’s all becoming too much for Jinki to bear. His throat is tightening, his heart is lost somewhere in the pit of his stomach. He wants to run. Run away from here, run away from this entire scene and into the sun where he thinks he’ll be safe until night time comes again.
But when he spins away, Minho stops him, hands firm on both sides of his arms.
“Jinki.”
“I can’t do this.” Jinki shuts his eyes closed as he shakes his head vigorously.
Minho drops his head down, lips crashing into Jinki’s and it paralyzes the other boy, eyes opening and closing in confusion. Jinki pulls away, ending the kiss before he can even feel Minho’s lips. The back of his hand flies to his lips, wiping away things that aren’t there.
Minho inches closer again, licking his lips in the process. Jinki backs away until he hits the wall, trying to make sense of why this was happening.
“Trust me.” Minho says as he searches Jinki’s eyes, traps him on the wall with both hands flat beside his body.
Jinki, much to his dismay, steals another glance at Jonghyun who was now in between Taemin and Kibum, rubbing up against one another as the entire room diverts their attention towards the three boys, cheering them with howls of encouragement.
“Jesus.” Jinki buries his face in his hands as if not seeing what was going on was going to cease its existence. Tears are playing in his eyes and his knees are weakening by the second. “What is he doing? I can’t, oh fuck.”
Minho wraps his hands around both of Jinki’s wrists and pulls them away. Jinki looks up at him with pleading eyes and it makes Minho want to shoot Jonghyun in the face. Except it’s not Jonghyun’s fault completely. “This is what we do, Jinki.”
“This is inhumane.” Jinki whispers. For some reason he can’t seem to push Minho away when he starts dipping his head down with every intention of licking Jinki’s lips clean. In the corner of Jinki’s eye he sees the crowd starting to face them with wonder written on their faces. Then he sees Jonghyun’s face, hair disheveled as Taemin tears into his mouth with his tongue, Kibum biting Taemin’s back.
Minho uses one hand to turn Jinki’s stare away from the sight. “Stop torturing yourself. This is all about the job. Okay?”
That’s when it starts to kick in. Acid, seeping in his veins, making it to the sutures of his brain. “You don’t have to like it. But it helps if you do.” Minho’s voice is almost a groan when Jinki places one hand on the side of his hips to regain composure. “Or you can just pretend I’m him.”
But Minho kisses nothing like Jonghyun. Not that he and Jonghyun have done much kissing before and it has been quite a while but from what he can remember there was less hunger in Minho’s kisses.
Which is why when Minho starts deepening the kiss, coaxing Jinki’s tongue with his own as he presses their bodies together, Jinki thinks he might have judged Minho all too quickly. Minho’s hands literally slide up his neck, nabbing some more of the glitter in the process and Jinki does everything he can to stop himself from opening his eyes and making himself more aware of the fact that they were being watched rather carefully under these very immoral circumstances.
It’s almost automatic when he holds onto Minho’s back. He realizes that it’s just as firm and wide as it looks, but immediately shuts the idea away. Minho was his only friend in the house and it would be wrong of him to think about the younger boy in such a way. Then again, it was Minho’s tongue that was down his throat at this very moment and the effects of the drugs he had taken earlier were not coming to his rescue at all.
Minho’s tongue dances with ease as he trails wet, sloppy kisses down Jinki’s jaw then behind his ear where Jinki feels a slight tingle every time Minho’s warm breath hits a certain patch of skin. He knows Jonghyun can probably see him. Jonghyun has his eyes on him, along with several other pairs of eyes, and he can see the way Jinki’s face is painting a picture of pure pleasure in response to Minho’s sucking, how his hands are starting to claw into the ripples of Minho’s back as his muscles flex with every move he makes.
A moan makes its way out of his lips just as Minho tests Jinki by catching a small area of Jinki’s heated skin in between his teeth. He licks the same spot right after as he works a leg in between both of Jinki’s. Jinki can’t seem to get his focus in the right place. He feels like the lightest feather in the world. And his head is spinning, but in a good way. Everything becomes much more beautiful than it ordinarily is. And Minho’s hands make him feel the way he’s wanted to feel in a long time. He shoves his hands into Minho’s hair, pulling him tighter and pressing onto him at the same time as he breathes out Minho’s name, not Jonghyun’s. When he opens his eyes he sees Minho. Only Minho, want painting his features in a way Jinki has never seen before. It’s like the only noises he hears are the smacking of Minho’s lips, the slight bump as Jinki’s being pushed back again on the hollow wall.
All of the rubbing and warm breaths has the side of Jinki’s face forming sweat beads. His pants are loosening and it takes him a moment to realize that it was Minho’s skilled hands that were causing it. Minho catches Jinki’s lips in another bruising kiss, his tongue massaging the older boy’s in slick, perfect motion as his hand slips past the waistband of Jinki’s jeans.
Minho’s hands are warm and slightly sweaty when he cups Jinki’s full length. He curls his fingers over the tip, his thumb grazing over the smooth head as he spreads Jinki’s precum up and down.
“Wait,” Jinki hears himself say. “Minho.”
“Don’t you like that?” When Jinki returns Minho’s gaze his eyes are drunk with the vision that greets him. The glitter has spread to his face, probably cause by Jinki’s hands and Minho kissing his neck, and the colors glistening play into a pool of lights, making Minho’s eyes hypnotizing.
Minho doesn’t wait for Jinki to reply. Mostly because the look in Jinki’s dark eyes was enough of an answer for him. He continues to move his hands all over Jinki’s cock now and realizes as Jinki grows harder and harder in response to his touches that he would have never fit into that black thong at all.
Jinki reaches his lips out and Minho meets him halfway, lips gluing to Jinki’s as Jinki starts to moan for more in Minho’s mouth.
Jinki’s knees turn into jello and it makes him want to fuck Minho on the floor but he’s so close he combats temptation and just opts for release. Minho holds the rest of Jinki’s hands up above his head while his other hand busies itself by stroking Jinki faster, rougher this time, from shaft to tip, making sure he doesn’t miss any sensitive areas.
Minho rests his forehead against Jinki’s, both boys’ labored breaths molding into one with their eyes closed. “Come hard for me, Jinki.”
Minho doesn’t have to repeat himself.
~o~
The call comes in right when Minho expects it. While the others are in the shower, washing themselves of oil and glitter from tonight’s festivities, Minho’s in the dressing room, dry and already in a pair of pants and a polo shirt left open by the collar. He flips his phone open, not even bothering to look at the screen to find out who it is on the other line.
“How are things?” The voice he knows so well asks.
“Splendid.” Minho picks at a piece of white thread gone astray on his black jeans. “I’ve got everything under control.”
“That’s good. And Victoria?”
“Same as always.”
A chuckle reaches Minho’s ear, rich and mirthful. “Of course. Why do I even bother?”
Minho doesn’t answer, just breathes into the receiver as he stares at his reflection by the dressing room mirror. He was tired and it showed through the black circles of his eyes.
“You’re being careful then?”
“Always.”
“Atta boy.” He sounded pleased. “I’ll check in again soon. Goodbye, Minho.”
“Goodbye, Nichkhun.”
Minho flips his phone shut before pushing the end of the phone to his lips as he sinks into his thoughts. A knock on the door abruptly distracts him.
“Come in.”
Minho is greeted by the woman at the front desk earlier. She doesn’t hesitate to let herself in, a smile plastered on her face like she could banish starvation.
“The bride requests that all middlemen be present later for the negotiation.” She says in her most business-like tone.
Minho nods. “I’ll inform the troops.”
“Lovely. Half an hour?”
“Half an hour.” Minho confirms right as the woman’s gaze wanders somewhere by the far side of the room.
Minho follows her stare and finds Jonghyun, a towel slinging low around his hips as he walks emerges from the bathroom. He flashes her a grin, teasing and quick as he places both hands on his hips.
Minho looks back at the woman, obviously still in awe at the sight of Jonghyun’s body. “Later, then.”
“What?” The woman shakes her head momentarily as she awakens from her dazed state. “Later. Yes. I-yes.”
Once she disappears from the door Jonghyun makes his way towards the cabinet where a fresh new set of clothes awaits his. “What did she want?”
“The bride wants to negotiate.” Minho explains as he scratches the itch by the side of his jaw. “Are they going to be long? She wants us there in thirty minutes. Besides, I think Jinki’s had enough boy love for today.”
“You made sure of that, didn’t you?” Jonghyun says with a huff as he slips his jeans on.
“Someone had to.” Minho shrugs. “You gave him blue balls for three years.”
“Fuck you.”
“If you don’t quit it Jinki just might.” Minho winks accompanied by a smug smile.
This makes Jonghyun stop from reaching for his shirt. Both his hands drop to his sides as he turns fully to face the other boy. “What are you doing, Minho?”
“If you want him you better step up, lover boy. Because I do. And I don’t do anything half assed.”
Taemin walks into the room, right in the middle of things, with a smile on his face but it does not break the tension.
“Hey,” Taemin starts as he walks towards the already open cabinet. “Any of you seen Jinki?”
This makes both boys turn their heads to where Taemin is as the younger boy struggles to pull up his boxers without revealing what was behind his towel. “He’s not in the shower?” Minho asks.
Taemin shakes his head as he reaches for a pair of pants on one of the hangers. “I thought he was out here.”
~o~
Minho and Taemin try to hold Jonghyun back when the bride reveals Jinki with a snap of her fingers. He’s being held captive by the elbow, a gun pointed directly at his head with the tip of the barrel not leaving much space between the side of his cranium and its lips. Jonghyun notices how his paper white skin is dripping with sweat, clothes a mess and his bottom lip bleeding by the side.
“What the fuck?” Kibum eyes Jinki’s messed up state then sends his gaze back to the bride’s pleased smirk.
“You gave me blank shrines last time.” Is all the bride explains with a tilt of her head.
Minho casts Jonghyun a warning with his eyes, asking him to calm down. It takes every ounce of self control in Jonghyun’s body to comply. It would be stupid of him to lash out. If he were to pull out his gun and blow the mother fucker’s head off then the bride would know exactly what Jinki meant to him and that would just make her think that she made the right decision of choosing to kidnap this one middleman in particular.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Kibum tries with a softer tone. “But we the only involvement we have with the shrine is delivery. We have no idea what goes on with the drug outside of that concept. Neither does he.” Kibum gestures towards Jinki. “Let him go.”
“The Underground guarantees satisfaction. I wasn’t fucking satisfied. I think it’s only fair that I let Mama Bear know of my displeasure.” With another snap of the bride’s fingers a couple of her bodyguards stand before the door behind them, one of them locking the door with a rather audible click.
Kibum snorts out a laugh, hands on his hips as he breathes out like he’s bored. “Listen. If you want to make it to your wedding tomorrow you’re going to let him go.”
She returns the rudeness by leaning further into her chair and crossing one long, milky white leg over the other. “I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with here.”
“I am perfectly aware of who you are.” Kibum retaliates, smile still playing on his lips. “I’ve read your file. And know a whole lot more about you and your husband to be than you think.”
Her face doesn’t crack, doesn’t show any sign of resentment or flaking caused by Kibum’s statement, but Kibum knows he got under her skin.
“Now, the five of us,” Kibum continues. “We’ve played this game longer than you’ve been with your little groom. We’re division one’s finest and the only group of middlemen in the Underground, personally hand picked by Mama Bear. Trust me, sweetie. If there is anyone in this room who doesn’t know who they’re dealing with it most definitely isn’t us.”
Kibum doesn’t even have to physically slap her in order to break her resolve and it makes Jonghyun grateful for the first time since he’s met Kibum. Jinki’s still very much in his place where the hand gun is digging into his skin. Minho can feel the metal of his gun screaming into his sides, begging to be used as it hid beneath the black of his jacket, but he restrains himself and waits.
A pause ensues, causing Jonghyun’s heart to do more beats than it should. He tries not to look at Jinki mainly because he didn’t want to see Jinki scared out of his wits. The very sight of the boy being pulled out into the room, a gun pointed at his head, was enough to make his mind wonder about the many possibilities and the fact that he has absolutely no control of what was going to happen tonight. That man could pull the trigger and there would be no way for Jonghyun to get to Jinki in time. Jinki could die tonight and his blood would stain Jonghyun’s hands forever.
The bride uncrosses her legs as she stands back up on her feet. She tucks a few strands of her hair behind her ear where a gigantic circular earring dangles as she makes her way towards Kibum. “Send Mama Bear my love.”
It’s the last thing Jonghyun and the rest of them hear before the gunshot shouts throughout the room followed by the deathly thud of Jinki’s body hitting the wooden floor.
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