お帰り [Welcome Home] - Chapter Twenty-Nine
Title: お帰り [Welcome Home]
Authors: curionenene and yeonah
Chapter: 29/?
Fandom: SS501 + Epik High Cameos
Pairings: KyuMin, HyunSaeng
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU
Summary: Black and white... white and black. It isn't always possible to tell what is good and what is evil; and four players in the never-ending fight for freedom would know. In a world where things are painted by shades of grey, taking a stand could mean life or death. And the struggle to be free, truly free, may tear them apart until there is nothing left but ash.
A/N: KyuJong, HyunJoong, and Tablo are played by curionenene , while JungMin, YoungSaeng, HyungJoon, Mithra and Thaestae are played by yeonah . Sorry for the late update!!!
“I love you.” HyunJoong confessed, the words slipping out like the truth from a dark place. Balancing on one hand, he let soft fingers run over YoungSaeng’s cheek before pressing lips against the rosy red.
The felinefolk's eyes opened fully at that, golden blinking up at HyunJoong in first plain shock, then almost a sense of dazed wonder.
He couldn't remember the last time anyone had told him that, and even if he had, it would have paled in comparison to the emotions HyunJoong's confession sent through him.
"I-I...” YoungSaeng's breath caught in his throat before he tried again, skin burning under the soft pressure of HyunJoong's lips. "I love you too," he whispered.
HyunJoong hadn’t thought that he’d get a response, let alone a positive one. And he pulled back a little, eyes widened in surprise. “You do?”
Turning redder, YoungSaeng's smile widened a little. There was no other word for it. It might take him forever and a half to trust someone he should have known would always protect him, but he wasn't going to deny what he felt any longer.
It was all or nothing, and if he was going to trust HyunJoong, he was going to let him know just how far that trust went.
Of course, the logic behind it didn't occur to him right then, as he slowly sat up when HyunJoong pulled back. "Mhm." He caught HyunJoong's lips again, loving the taste of the Merus, before pulling back just enough to breathe, letting their gazes meet.
The grin that broke on HyunJoong’s face was like sunshine splitting across the horizon. His eyes lit up as all those in love do, and like an idiot he let out a laugh of joy. “You do.”
He leaned forward then, inhibitions gone, arms wrapping tight around YoungSaeng as he crashed lips with the felinefolk.
YoungSaeng's reaction was nothing if it wasn't positive, the felinefolk wrapping his arms around HyunJoong in return as he returned the kiss, purring. Heart soaring at the pure joy he could feel coming from his master, he squirmed closer, chest pressing against HyunJoong's and tail curling in delight.
HyunJoong smiled into the kiss, deepening it a bit before pulling back. There were tears in his eyes but they were tears of joy. And his voice cracked just a little as he teased, “Someone’s happy.”
Lips curling upwards, YoungSaeng chuckled and reached up to brush at the dampness in his master's eyes. "Can't be you, you're crying," he teased back, eyes the color of warm honey.
“And whose fault is that?” HyunJoong replied, breath catching at the touch and the warmth in YoungSaeng’s eyes. “You’re too beautiful, you know that?”
The felinefolk turned pink again. "You're just biased. And too lovable." He'd long since given up trying to figure out what this idiot man was doing to make him feel so much.
“No, I’m not.” HyunJoong protested, pinching YoungSaeng’s cheek lightly. “I’m just in love.”
YoungSaeng rolled his eyes, lips quirking at the pinch. "And sappy to boot," he mused, before leaning forward to touch their noses together, eyes half-open.
HyunJoong rubbed against YoungSaeng’s nose in an Eskimo kiss, smiling. “But you love me anyway, right?”
"Fortunately, yes," YoungSaeng gave a long-suffering sigh before smiling as well, purring softly in contentment.
“Good.” HyunJoong closed his eyes, kissing down YoungSaeng’s cheeks to his ears. “Then I suppose you don’t mind me doing this.” He murmured as he slowly rubbed his lips against the ear.
A soft gasp left YoungSaeng's lips at the pressure against his ear, the old fear prickling at him for a moment before HyunJoong's scent brought him back to the present. He relaxed against his master's body with a louder than usual purr, ear twitching slightly as he curled his fingers into HyunJoong's shirt.
HyunJoong smiled, and gently, his right hand reached up, fingers tweaking the other ear lightly while he continued to kiss the one his lips were occupied with.
Mewling against HyunJoong's shirt, not even trying to keep the sounds at bay, YoungSaeng squirmed a little against the other man's body. Then a mew shifted into a low moan when HyunJoong's lips found the tip of his ear, the felinefolk's eyes glazing over as he panted a little. "H-Hyun..."
“Yes?” HyunJoong blew lightly across the soft fur, his eyes clearly darkened at the way their bodies were pressed tight together.
It was hard to put together coherent sentences, the effect playing with his ears had on him only tripled by the fact it was HyunJoong. "Y-you probably...shouldn't...be doing this," YoungSaeng managed to get out, half his words nearly lost in a moan.
But there was no sign he didn't like what HyunJoong was doing to him...in fact, the problem wasn't that he didn't like it, but that he did...too much. And though YoungSaeng was pretty solid in his control for his kind, there were problems with tempting a felinefolk...
HyunJoong paused, and his lips lifted away from the felinefolk’s ears as he gently cupped YoungSaeng’s face, eyes searching. “Do you want me to stop?”
Panting, YoungSaeng's gazed eyes met HyunJoong's after a moment, the gold within them darkened and hazed over with something not unlike what clouded HyunJoong's eyes. He wouldn't have been able to lie even if he had wanted to.
"No," he whispered, control fraying as his hands pressed lightly against his master's clothed stomach, wanting to feel more.
HyunJoong’s eyelids fluttered, and he leaned into the warmth of YoungSaeng’s hands, fervently wishing that the barrier of cotton would do him a favor and disappear by itself. There were no more words as he leaned down, lips finding a spot on YoungSaeng’s jaw, latching on, teeth grazing, tongue swirling.
A reflexive gasp melted into a moan as YoungSaeng lifted his head a little to give HyunJoong more room, eyes fluttering shut. He only realized his hands had moved when he suddenly felt warm skin under his fingers instead of cloth, fingers spread out across HyunJoong's stomach, caressing his skin and moving further up, tracing the lines of abdominal muscles earned from long training sessions.
The feeling of fingers was like electricity, and it shot up as discharge in the form of a muffled moan, lips trembling against YoungSaeng’s skin. HyunJoong’s palms smoothed down the skin of YoungSaeng’s neck, arms sliding till he could lean them on YoungSaeng’s shoulders and let him press flush against YoungSaeng’s body.
YoungSaeng's response was to squirm and shift around until he was settled fully in HyunJoong's lap, doing so without even thinking about it, their entire bodies pressed together with the felinefolk's legs on either side of the other man's. Whispering HyunJoong's name, he let his hands explore the expanse of his master's chest and stomach, fingers catching on sensitive areas and lingering.
It had been years since he had been touched in this way, and even with JaeJoong, HyunJoong had never felt this warmth and desire that caught him so much by surprise, he lost his mind for a moment and his hips bucked up a little, whine escaping when a sensitive part of his body pressed against firm warmth.
Also caught off-guard by the sudden increase of contact, YoungSaeng keened in HyunJoong's ear, mewling as his tail curled in pleasure. His mouth found an exposed edge of the man's collarbone as he rolled his own hips a little, unable to stop himself and past caring.
HyunJoong's breath stuttered, eyes rolling back as his lips unwittingly detached from their task. There was a satisfactory mark already, so HyunJoong was too happy to start a new task, nibbling lightly on YoungSaeng’s ear as he bent down.
A shudder ran through the felinefolk's body at the pressure of teeth against his ear, YoungSaeng moaning against HyunJoong's collarbone as he sucked on the soft skin, somehow keeping enough presence of mind to stop himself from biting hard enough to hurt HyunJoong with his fangs. He squirmed closer until his legs were wrapped around HyunJoong's waist, hands forced from their position against his chest by the proximity but soon finding new homes pressed against the human's broad back.
HyunJoong’s back arched against those palms, letting loose a hoarse breath against YoungSaeng’s ears before straightening up. “Saeng… I… If we don’t stop… I’ll…”
Mewling at the loss of the teeth against his ear, YoungSaeng panted against the man's skin before managing to lift his head, hair falling into his face and accenting the glow in his eyes, dark with desire. All thought of control had left him, all reason gone, leaving just the urge to be as close to HyunJoong as possible, and the animalistic need for more.
"Then don't stop," he breathed, practically quivering with the urge to continue what he had been doing. "If you don't want to...don't stop."
HyunJoong swallowed, his throat dry at the raw desire in YoungSaeng’s eyes. Closing his own as he leaned forward, arms finding a new position, wrapped around YoungSaeng’s waist, tugging at his shirt. “No, I don’t want to stop.”
YoungSaeng's lips curled into a smile, before he leaned forward to press his lips against HyunJoong's, nibbling at his lower lip and purring loudly. Feeling the hands pulling at his shirt, he squirmed a little in HyunJoong's lap to make it easier to take the offending material off as his own hands ran along HyunJoong's back down to the edge of the other man's shirt.
YoungSaeng’s shirt easily slid off his form, the felinefolk always wearing shirts one-size too big for himself. Once that was done, HyunJoong happily helped YoungSaeng with his own, wiggling until he got out of the tight shirt - magic could only stretch material so far.
The moment they were both shirtless, HyunJoong could not wait to feel how their skin would tingle against each other, almost immediately pulling the felinefolk into a hug and rubbing their skin together. “Mmm… that feels good.”
From the soft noise that escaped YoungSaeng, he agreed, breathing uneven as he ran his hands along HyunJoong's back and sides, shivering at the contrast between the air in the room and the warmth of his master's skin. "V-very good," he managed to get out, forcing his voice box to produce something other than mewls and purrs as he dropped his head slightly, kissing HyunJoong's bare shoulder.
HyunJoong smiled and gently, he turned over their positions so that YoungSaeng now lay on the bed. Dark eyes met golden, and HyunJoong gently traced the bones of YoungSaeng’s chest, drawing their perfect outline. “What should I do next then?”
The felinefolk's breath hitched slightly at the fingers that traced along his skin, eyes glazed over as he looked up at HyunJoong. "What do you want to do?" he whispered, reaching up to run one hand along a strong arm, the other hand against the back of his master's head.
“Love you.” HyunJoong replied automatically, leaning down to kiss the lips of the object of his love. “Make you feel like you never have. Give you sweet dreams to replace the nightmares, and make you mine.”
YoungSaeng smiled into the kiss, returning it. It was pointless to say that he already had never felt like this before, fully trusting in the man above him, trusting him with everything he had and more.
"Then what are you waiting for?" he whispered, a soft purr in his words as he drew HyunJoong down to him.
“You.” HyunJoong answered simply. Before his hand gently slid downwards, sliding his palm against YoungSaeng’s crotch. “But then, I have you now, don’t I? I keep forgetting.”
"Y-" The other man's answer melted into a moan as he arched up into the touch, tail brushing against HyunJoong's arm. "Yes," he breathed once he remembered he was in the middle of replying. "You have me, HyunJoong."
“Good.” HyunJoong whispered, his fingers flipping open the offensive button of YoungSaeng’s pants with suspicious ease. “Good…”
YoungSaeng arched up again to help HyunJoong in removing the last articles of clothing, one hand keeping him stable while the other fumbled with the human's own jeans with less expertise than the other man, finally getting the buttons open.
Clothes were strewn all over the floor and HyunJoong paused, taking in the glorious sight of YoungSaeng bare against the covers. He smiled, eyes shining at the sight, taking in how beautiful the felinefolk was and telling YoungSaeng just that.
Turning a light pink at the gaze of the man above him, YoungSaeng let his own eyes trail along his master's figure, silently amazed. Swallowing, he looked back up to HyunJoong's eyes, returning the smile before wrapping his arms and one leg around his love, drawing him down into a kiss.
HyunJoong chuckled, deepening the kiss, knowing it was the prelude to something wonderful. And with all things wonderful one needed to announce it to the world, so he broke the kiss for one brief moment and with a cheeky smile whispered, “Itadakimasu~”
*****************************
It had already been over a week, nearing two since Thaestae had possessed JungMin and the two anti-hunters had started their masquerade in hunter HQ. So far everything seemed to be proceeding well; they were mostly out of the hunter's bad books, or at least the hunters had stopped wasting resources on following them every second of the day. They had discovered valuable information, and reported back to the organization through coded letters and messengers.
They had been working hard, and so JungMin thought nothing of it when the exhaustion that had started in his bones continued to build, no matter how much he slept. Instead he did his best to appear normal, since KyuJong was prone to worrying over something as small as a sneeze.
The coughing had started while KyuJong was out on errands and delivering another message. Rubbing his sore throat, the human shrugged it off and went on with writing down more messages in codes.
Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the blinds, signaling the start to another day, but just like the rest of the week JungMin made no attempt to wake up, curled up against his lover's body with his face buried in KyuJong's shirt, out cold.
KyuJong as per usual was the first to wake up. He blinked, feeling a little warm, and wondering if he was coming down with something - although it was rare, ankous were known to get sick, but only on the extremes of exhaustion. So when his brain caught up with the rest of his body, he realized that something else must be causing him to feel warm.
“Min?” He murmured, wrapping his hands around JungMin gently and frowning when he found the human warm - too warm. “Hey…”
There was zero response from his partner, not even the usual kicking or strangling that came when he really didn't want to be woken up. JungMin’s face was flushed red, chills running down his frame every now and then as he curled further against KyuJong, trying to burrow himself into both the blankets and the ankou's hold. When the slight shift in position stopped him from smushing his face against KyuJong's shirt, a rattling in his chest became audible with each breath he took.
KyuJong’s eyes widened in alarm. “Min!” And gently, he pried JungMin off him so he could get a look at the human. His eyebrows furrowed in worry as he pulled himself off the bed. It was obvious that JungMin was sick… but there hadn’t been any symptoms other than JungMin always sleeping earlier than usual…
His eyebrows furrowing, KyuJong gently shook JungMin’s form, but it wasn’t JungMin he wanted to talk to. “Thaestae!”
It took longer than usual for the demon to respond, probably because JungMin's illness was dragging him down as well. Finally the energy around and inside JungMin shifted, and red eyes opened to look up at KyuJong questioningly.
Drawing in a deep breath that hitched halfway through, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, eyes on the ankou and waiting for him to speak, though from how his lips pressed together Thaestae already had an idea of what KyuJong was going to say.
“The possession… it's beginning to have adverse effects on JungMin’s body.” KyuJong didn’t ask - it was quite obvious what had happened. “Why didn’t you tell me anything earlier?”
"I thought you would have noticed," Thaestae shrugged, one hand over his eyes for a moment before he lowered it. "I have been trying to limit my interference the whole week to delay it." It was true. Aside from mental quips, there had been little sign of the demon all week. He hadn't even protested against the lovemaking.
KyuJong lips thinned, and he turned away in shame. Thaestae was right - he should have noticed it. He had failed his master yet again.
“What can I do to help?” KyuJong whispered quietly, not meeting the demon’s eyes.
Thaestae sighed. "Try to limit strenuous activities, keep him resting as long as possible. The signs have been present for over a week, but relatively mild...the running around last night must be what caused it to become this bad." JungMin and KyuJong had been out all night rounding up non-humans with the other hunters, and sneaking a few out in the process.
"On my end, I am limiting my presence as much as I can. And he can't know the reason for his illness." The demon looked at KyuJong sharply. "If he is aware and thinking about it, it will only serve to quicken the effects." From how JungMin had reacted upon first hearing of Thaestae's possession, it was clear the human would make himself sicker with fear.
KyuJong nodded, rubbing his face, suddenly feeling tired despite the sleep he had gotten. “Right. I’ll sign him in sick… and keep him in bed and all. Gotta tell Tablo and the rest. And to definitely keep this from him… Thank you, Thaestae.”
The demon nodded. "Good luck," he murmured, lying back down on the bed before closing his eyes, Thaestae's presence fading.
JungMin stirred after a moment, hazy black eyes opening to peer at KyuJong. "Hey. What are you doing over there?" he murmured, rubbing his face with one hand before pushing himself up onto his elbows, then to a sitting position, suddenly dizzy.
KyuJong swallowed a little, before standing up and moving towards the bathroom. “Getting you a cold compress. You’re sick. Must have been running around in the cold last night.”
JungMin blinked at him, making a face at the news. "What a lousy time to catch sick...” He remembered they had been ordered to report in the HQ for a new assignment. "I'll just take some pills or something, we've got work to do," he said, kicking off the blankets and swinging his feet around to the floor.
KyuJong was by JungMin’s side in the blink of an eye, pushing the human back onto the bed. “Uh-uh. Not on my watch. That looks like something bad, and there’s no way you’re going anywhere. Work can wait. I’m sure both sides will understand.”
The human pouted at his partner, sighing inwardly. He should have known KyuJong wouldn't go for letting him work like this. "But I feel fine," he protested. "Just a little dizzy." And of course the chills, but that was nothing a few pills couldn't fix.
Of course, he had no idea that the fever and dizziness were prelude to something much, much worse.
KyuJong could see that JungMin was going to argue and worm his way until KyuJong agreed to allow them to go to work, not that KyuJong would let him. However, arguing would only tire JungMin, and tiring JungMin was just not on the agenda from now on.
With a sigh, KyuJong leaned forward, his eyes wide and sad as he sniffled. “Please? You don’t want me to worry, right?”
Eyes widening as he propped himself back on his hands, JungMin tried valiantly to avoid the puppy look that, while rarely used against him, was horribly easy to give in to. "N-no, I...but we might miss something important," he said weakly, grasping at straws as he looked at the other man's doe-like eyes. "We were told to show up, which means there could be something going on, right?"
“I’m sure they can find someone else.” KyuJong pouted affectedly, leaning even closer, and if possible, his eyes even more pathetic and wide. “Please? Stay home and lie down until you get well? For me?”
Leaning back a little, JungMin felt himself caving, unable to protest any longer with his partner and lover looking at him like that. "...Only if you stay with me," he mumbled finally, giving in as he leaned in to kiss those pouty lips before stopping. "Er...is this contagious?"
“Even if it is, I probably wouldn’t get it. Ankou’s have stronger immune systems than humans.” KyuJong was careful not to let anything slip, gently fluffing JungMin’s hair. “Now stay in bed while I get a cold compress, and maybe some porridge for you to eat.”
"All right," JungMin sighed, unhappy about needing to stay in bed. But the overabundance of energy that usually made it so impossible was strangely absent, so he just leaned forward to kiss KyuJong lightly.
KyuJong hid his frown, gently patting JungMin on the top of his head as he got up. Usually he would be troubled if JungMin was itching to get out of bed even after promising, but the lack of protest was worrisome now. It meant that JungMin didn’t have the energy to bounce out of bed like he usually did.
KyuJong sighed again as he got ready the cold compress, moving back to JungMin’s side and laying the cold towel over JungMin’s head. “Gonna make the porridge. Be right back.”
JungMin had shifted to half-lying down, propped up on his elbows out of stubbornness to lie down fully. His lips quirked upwards at the cold against his forehead, shivering a little. "Okay," he said, and once KyuJong was out of the room he covered his mouth with one hand to muffle a cough.
KyuJong was pretty apt in cooking, especially with something as simple as porridge. So it was a small matter to get a pot of plain porridge cooking on the stove. He rushed around doing everything else, calling the hunters to explain that JungMin was sick, and to do the same for the anti-hunter organization. When he was done, he rushed back into the room to check if JungMin was up to anything. “Been sitting still I hope?”
Sick or not, JungMin got bored easily, and since he couldn't move very far he was amusing himself by making paper airplanes out of the spare papers in the nightstand. "I'm being good," he huffed with a pout, looking up at KyuJong dejectedly. "I hate being sick." It had happened only a few times since he'd met KyuJong, and each time JungMin only managed to stay in bed for a few hours at a time before trying to sneak away, usually making the illness worse in the process.
He tossed the paper airplane in his hand at his lover, pout deepening when it did a loop in the air and crashed into the ground instead.
KyuJong raised an eyebrow at the airplanes. Sighing, he moved over to JungMin’s side, replacing the compress that had began to slide down. “I know. But if you stay still, then the likelihood that you’ll get better fast will be higher.” He hoped.
"That's what you say every time," JungMin grumbled, arms wrapping around KyuJong's waist and pulling him close.
“Yes, I do. But you never listen.” KyuJong reminded, gently wriggling himself closer, so that JungMin could lie against him. “Be good and believe me this time, alright?”
"Okay," the human sighed, smiling as he nuzzled close, closing his eyes and resting against the ankou. "Only because you're asking so nicely."
The ankou smiled for a moment, gently brushing off the matted hair that had stuck to JungMin’s forehead. “Good. Now close your eyes and sleep, alright?”
JungMin pouted, but didn't argue, eyes fluttering slightly at the gentle touch. "Fine, fine." He kissed KyuJong, nuzzling against his lover. Closing his eyes, he was out within a few seconds, exhaustion pulling him back under.
Once JungMin was asleep again, the frown on KyuJong’s face reappeared. The exhaustion was evident on JungMin’s face, even more so now that he was asleep.
Gently stroking the human’s cheek, KyuJong mused about how to keep his overactive master from moving around too much - the cute approach might have worked today, but it would lose its appeal after a while. And once that happened, JungMin was going to be hell to deal with.
KyuJong sighed as he slowly climbed out of JungMin’s hold, placing the human gently back onto the bed and arranging the covers over him. Luckily, he had simpler things to worry about for the moment.
Like the porridge boiling over.
Authors: curionenene and yeonah
Chapter: 29/?
Fandom: SS501 + Epik High Cameos
Pairings: KyuMin, HyunSaeng
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU
Summary: Black and white... white and black. It isn't always possible to tell what is good and what is evil; and four players in the never-ending fight for freedom would know. In a world where things are painted by shades of grey, taking a stand could mean life or death. And the struggle to be free, truly free, may tear them apart until there is nothing left but ash.
A/N: KyuJong, HyunJoong, and Tablo are played by curionenene , while JungMin, YoungSaeng, HyungJoon, Mithra and Thaestae are played by yeonah . Sorry for the late update!!!
“I love you.” HyunJoong confessed, the words slipping out like the truth from a dark place. Balancing on one hand, he let soft fingers run over YoungSaeng’s cheek before pressing lips against the rosy red.
The felinefolk's eyes opened fully at that, golden blinking up at HyunJoong in first plain shock, then almost a sense of dazed wonder.
He couldn't remember the last time anyone had told him that, and even if he had, it would have paled in comparison to the emotions HyunJoong's confession sent through him.
"I-I...” YoungSaeng's breath caught in his throat before he tried again, skin burning under the soft pressure of HyunJoong's lips. "I love you too," he whispered.
HyunJoong hadn’t thought that he’d get a response, let alone a positive one. And he pulled back a little, eyes widened in surprise. “You do?”
Turning redder, YoungSaeng's smile widened a little. There was no other word for it. It might take him forever and a half to trust someone he should have known would always protect him, but he wasn't going to deny what he felt any longer.
It was all or nothing, and if he was going to trust HyunJoong, he was going to let him know just how far that trust went.
Of course, the logic behind it didn't occur to him right then, as he slowly sat up when HyunJoong pulled back. "Mhm." He caught HyunJoong's lips again, loving the taste of the Merus, before pulling back just enough to breathe, letting their gazes meet.
The grin that broke on HyunJoong’s face was like sunshine splitting across the horizon. His eyes lit up as all those in love do, and like an idiot he let out a laugh of joy. “You do.”
He leaned forward then, inhibitions gone, arms wrapping tight around YoungSaeng as he crashed lips with the felinefolk.
YoungSaeng's reaction was nothing if it wasn't positive, the felinefolk wrapping his arms around HyunJoong in return as he returned the kiss, purring. Heart soaring at the pure joy he could feel coming from his master, he squirmed closer, chest pressing against HyunJoong's and tail curling in delight.
HyunJoong smiled into the kiss, deepening it a bit before pulling back. There were tears in his eyes but they were tears of joy. And his voice cracked just a little as he teased, “Someone’s happy.”
Lips curling upwards, YoungSaeng chuckled and reached up to brush at the dampness in his master's eyes. "Can't be you, you're crying," he teased back, eyes the color of warm honey.
“And whose fault is that?” HyunJoong replied, breath catching at the touch and the warmth in YoungSaeng’s eyes. “You’re too beautiful, you know that?”
The felinefolk turned pink again. "You're just biased. And too lovable." He'd long since given up trying to figure out what this idiot man was doing to make him feel so much.
“No, I’m not.” HyunJoong protested, pinching YoungSaeng’s cheek lightly. “I’m just in love.”
YoungSaeng rolled his eyes, lips quirking at the pinch. "And sappy to boot," he mused, before leaning forward to touch their noses together, eyes half-open.
HyunJoong rubbed against YoungSaeng’s nose in an Eskimo kiss, smiling. “But you love me anyway, right?”
"Fortunately, yes," YoungSaeng gave a long-suffering sigh before smiling as well, purring softly in contentment.
“Good.” HyunJoong closed his eyes, kissing down YoungSaeng’s cheeks to his ears. “Then I suppose you don’t mind me doing this.” He murmured as he slowly rubbed his lips against the ear.
A soft gasp left YoungSaeng's lips at the pressure against his ear, the old fear prickling at him for a moment before HyunJoong's scent brought him back to the present. He relaxed against his master's body with a louder than usual purr, ear twitching slightly as he curled his fingers into HyunJoong's shirt.
HyunJoong smiled, and gently, his right hand reached up, fingers tweaking the other ear lightly while he continued to kiss the one his lips were occupied with.
Mewling against HyunJoong's shirt, not even trying to keep the sounds at bay, YoungSaeng squirmed a little against the other man's body. Then a mew shifted into a low moan when HyunJoong's lips found the tip of his ear, the felinefolk's eyes glazing over as he panted a little. "H-Hyun..."
“Yes?” HyunJoong blew lightly across the soft fur, his eyes clearly darkened at the way their bodies were pressed tight together.
It was hard to put together coherent sentences, the effect playing with his ears had on him only tripled by the fact it was HyunJoong. "Y-you probably...shouldn't...be doing this," YoungSaeng managed to get out, half his words nearly lost in a moan.
But there was no sign he didn't like what HyunJoong was doing to him...in fact, the problem wasn't that he didn't like it, but that he did...too much. And though YoungSaeng was pretty solid in his control for his kind, there were problems with tempting a felinefolk...
HyunJoong paused, and his lips lifted away from the felinefolk’s ears as he gently cupped YoungSaeng’s face, eyes searching. “Do you want me to stop?”
Panting, YoungSaeng's gazed eyes met HyunJoong's after a moment, the gold within them darkened and hazed over with something not unlike what clouded HyunJoong's eyes. He wouldn't have been able to lie even if he had wanted to.
"No," he whispered, control fraying as his hands pressed lightly against his master's clothed stomach, wanting to feel more.
HyunJoong’s eyelids fluttered, and he leaned into the warmth of YoungSaeng’s hands, fervently wishing that the barrier of cotton would do him a favor and disappear by itself. There were no more words as he leaned down, lips finding a spot on YoungSaeng’s jaw, latching on, teeth grazing, tongue swirling.
A reflexive gasp melted into a moan as YoungSaeng lifted his head a little to give HyunJoong more room, eyes fluttering shut. He only realized his hands had moved when he suddenly felt warm skin under his fingers instead of cloth, fingers spread out across HyunJoong's stomach, caressing his skin and moving further up, tracing the lines of abdominal muscles earned from long training sessions.
The feeling of fingers was like electricity, and it shot up as discharge in the form of a muffled moan, lips trembling against YoungSaeng’s skin. HyunJoong’s palms smoothed down the skin of YoungSaeng’s neck, arms sliding till he could lean them on YoungSaeng’s shoulders and let him press flush against YoungSaeng’s body.
YoungSaeng's response was to squirm and shift around until he was settled fully in HyunJoong's lap, doing so without even thinking about it, their entire bodies pressed together with the felinefolk's legs on either side of the other man's. Whispering HyunJoong's name, he let his hands explore the expanse of his master's chest and stomach, fingers catching on sensitive areas and lingering.
It had been years since he had been touched in this way, and even with JaeJoong, HyunJoong had never felt this warmth and desire that caught him so much by surprise, he lost his mind for a moment and his hips bucked up a little, whine escaping when a sensitive part of his body pressed against firm warmth.
Also caught off-guard by the sudden increase of contact, YoungSaeng keened in HyunJoong's ear, mewling as his tail curled in pleasure. His mouth found an exposed edge of the man's collarbone as he rolled his own hips a little, unable to stop himself and past caring.
HyunJoong's breath stuttered, eyes rolling back as his lips unwittingly detached from their task. There was a satisfactory mark already, so HyunJoong was too happy to start a new task, nibbling lightly on YoungSaeng’s ear as he bent down.
A shudder ran through the felinefolk's body at the pressure of teeth against his ear, YoungSaeng moaning against HyunJoong's collarbone as he sucked on the soft skin, somehow keeping enough presence of mind to stop himself from biting hard enough to hurt HyunJoong with his fangs. He squirmed closer until his legs were wrapped around HyunJoong's waist, hands forced from their position against his chest by the proximity but soon finding new homes pressed against the human's broad back.
HyunJoong’s back arched against those palms, letting loose a hoarse breath against YoungSaeng’s ears before straightening up. “Saeng… I… If we don’t stop… I’ll…”
Mewling at the loss of the teeth against his ear, YoungSaeng panted against the man's skin before managing to lift his head, hair falling into his face and accenting the glow in his eyes, dark with desire. All thought of control had left him, all reason gone, leaving just the urge to be as close to HyunJoong as possible, and the animalistic need for more.
"Then don't stop," he breathed, practically quivering with the urge to continue what he had been doing. "If you don't want to...don't stop."
HyunJoong swallowed, his throat dry at the raw desire in YoungSaeng’s eyes. Closing his own as he leaned forward, arms finding a new position, wrapped around YoungSaeng’s waist, tugging at his shirt. “No, I don’t want to stop.”
YoungSaeng's lips curled into a smile, before he leaned forward to press his lips against HyunJoong's, nibbling at his lower lip and purring loudly. Feeling the hands pulling at his shirt, he squirmed a little in HyunJoong's lap to make it easier to take the offending material off as his own hands ran along HyunJoong's back down to the edge of the other man's shirt.
YoungSaeng’s shirt easily slid off his form, the felinefolk always wearing shirts one-size too big for himself. Once that was done, HyunJoong happily helped YoungSaeng with his own, wiggling until he got out of the tight shirt - magic could only stretch material so far.
The moment they were both shirtless, HyunJoong could not wait to feel how their skin would tingle against each other, almost immediately pulling the felinefolk into a hug and rubbing their skin together. “Mmm… that feels good.”
From the soft noise that escaped YoungSaeng, he agreed, breathing uneven as he ran his hands along HyunJoong's back and sides, shivering at the contrast between the air in the room and the warmth of his master's skin. "V-very good," he managed to get out, forcing his voice box to produce something other than mewls and purrs as he dropped his head slightly, kissing HyunJoong's bare shoulder.
HyunJoong smiled and gently, he turned over their positions so that YoungSaeng now lay on the bed. Dark eyes met golden, and HyunJoong gently traced the bones of YoungSaeng’s chest, drawing their perfect outline. “What should I do next then?”
The felinefolk's breath hitched slightly at the fingers that traced along his skin, eyes glazed over as he looked up at HyunJoong. "What do you want to do?" he whispered, reaching up to run one hand along a strong arm, the other hand against the back of his master's head.
“Love you.” HyunJoong replied automatically, leaning down to kiss the lips of the object of his love. “Make you feel like you never have. Give you sweet dreams to replace the nightmares, and make you mine.”
YoungSaeng smiled into the kiss, returning it. It was pointless to say that he already had never felt like this before, fully trusting in the man above him, trusting him with everything he had and more.
"Then what are you waiting for?" he whispered, a soft purr in his words as he drew HyunJoong down to him.
“You.” HyunJoong answered simply. Before his hand gently slid downwards, sliding his palm against YoungSaeng’s crotch. “But then, I have you now, don’t I? I keep forgetting.”
"Y-" The other man's answer melted into a moan as he arched up into the touch, tail brushing against HyunJoong's arm. "Yes," he breathed once he remembered he was in the middle of replying. "You have me, HyunJoong."
“Good.” HyunJoong whispered, his fingers flipping open the offensive button of YoungSaeng’s pants with suspicious ease. “Good…”
YoungSaeng arched up again to help HyunJoong in removing the last articles of clothing, one hand keeping him stable while the other fumbled with the human's own jeans with less expertise than the other man, finally getting the buttons open.
Clothes were strewn all over the floor and HyunJoong paused, taking in the glorious sight of YoungSaeng bare against the covers. He smiled, eyes shining at the sight, taking in how beautiful the felinefolk was and telling YoungSaeng just that.
Turning a light pink at the gaze of the man above him, YoungSaeng let his own eyes trail along his master's figure, silently amazed. Swallowing, he looked back up to HyunJoong's eyes, returning the smile before wrapping his arms and one leg around his love, drawing him down into a kiss.
HyunJoong chuckled, deepening the kiss, knowing it was the prelude to something wonderful. And with all things wonderful one needed to announce it to the world, so he broke the kiss for one brief moment and with a cheeky smile whispered, “Itadakimasu~”
*****************************
It had already been over a week, nearing two since Thaestae had possessed JungMin and the two anti-hunters had started their masquerade in hunter HQ. So far everything seemed to be proceeding well; they were mostly out of the hunter's bad books, or at least the hunters had stopped wasting resources on following them every second of the day. They had discovered valuable information, and reported back to the organization through coded letters and messengers.
They had been working hard, and so JungMin thought nothing of it when the exhaustion that had started in his bones continued to build, no matter how much he slept. Instead he did his best to appear normal, since KyuJong was prone to worrying over something as small as a sneeze.
The coughing had started while KyuJong was out on errands and delivering another message. Rubbing his sore throat, the human shrugged it off and went on with writing down more messages in codes.
Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the blinds, signaling the start to another day, but just like the rest of the week JungMin made no attempt to wake up, curled up against his lover's body with his face buried in KyuJong's shirt, out cold.
KyuJong as per usual was the first to wake up. He blinked, feeling a little warm, and wondering if he was coming down with something - although it was rare, ankous were known to get sick, but only on the extremes of exhaustion. So when his brain caught up with the rest of his body, he realized that something else must be causing him to feel warm.
“Min?” He murmured, wrapping his hands around JungMin gently and frowning when he found the human warm - too warm. “Hey…”
There was zero response from his partner, not even the usual kicking or strangling that came when he really didn't want to be woken up. JungMin’s face was flushed red, chills running down his frame every now and then as he curled further against KyuJong, trying to burrow himself into both the blankets and the ankou's hold. When the slight shift in position stopped him from smushing his face against KyuJong's shirt, a rattling in his chest became audible with each breath he took.
KyuJong’s eyes widened in alarm. “Min!” And gently, he pried JungMin off him so he could get a look at the human. His eyebrows furrowed in worry as he pulled himself off the bed. It was obvious that JungMin was sick… but there hadn’t been any symptoms other than JungMin always sleeping earlier than usual…
His eyebrows furrowing, KyuJong gently shook JungMin’s form, but it wasn’t JungMin he wanted to talk to. “Thaestae!”
It took longer than usual for the demon to respond, probably because JungMin's illness was dragging him down as well. Finally the energy around and inside JungMin shifted, and red eyes opened to look up at KyuJong questioningly.
Drawing in a deep breath that hitched halfway through, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, eyes on the ankou and waiting for him to speak, though from how his lips pressed together Thaestae already had an idea of what KyuJong was going to say.
“The possession… it's beginning to have adverse effects on JungMin’s body.” KyuJong didn’t ask - it was quite obvious what had happened. “Why didn’t you tell me anything earlier?”
"I thought you would have noticed," Thaestae shrugged, one hand over his eyes for a moment before he lowered it. "I have been trying to limit my interference the whole week to delay it." It was true. Aside from mental quips, there had been little sign of the demon all week. He hadn't even protested against the lovemaking.
KyuJong lips thinned, and he turned away in shame. Thaestae was right - he should have noticed it. He had failed his master yet again.
“What can I do to help?” KyuJong whispered quietly, not meeting the demon’s eyes.
Thaestae sighed. "Try to limit strenuous activities, keep him resting as long as possible. The signs have been present for over a week, but relatively mild...the running around last night must be what caused it to become this bad." JungMin and KyuJong had been out all night rounding up non-humans with the other hunters, and sneaking a few out in the process.
"On my end, I am limiting my presence as much as I can. And he can't know the reason for his illness." The demon looked at KyuJong sharply. "If he is aware and thinking about it, it will only serve to quicken the effects." From how JungMin had reacted upon first hearing of Thaestae's possession, it was clear the human would make himself sicker with fear.
KyuJong nodded, rubbing his face, suddenly feeling tired despite the sleep he had gotten. “Right. I’ll sign him in sick… and keep him in bed and all. Gotta tell Tablo and the rest. And to definitely keep this from him… Thank you, Thaestae.”
The demon nodded. "Good luck," he murmured, lying back down on the bed before closing his eyes, Thaestae's presence fading.
JungMin stirred after a moment, hazy black eyes opening to peer at KyuJong. "Hey. What are you doing over there?" he murmured, rubbing his face with one hand before pushing himself up onto his elbows, then to a sitting position, suddenly dizzy.
KyuJong swallowed a little, before standing up and moving towards the bathroom. “Getting you a cold compress. You’re sick. Must have been running around in the cold last night.”
JungMin blinked at him, making a face at the news. "What a lousy time to catch sick...” He remembered they had been ordered to report in the HQ for a new assignment. "I'll just take some pills or something, we've got work to do," he said, kicking off the blankets and swinging his feet around to the floor.
KyuJong was by JungMin’s side in the blink of an eye, pushing the human back onto the bed. “Uh-uh. Not on my watch. That looks like something bad, and there’s no way you’re going anywhere. Work can wait. I’m sure both sides will understand.”
The human pouted at his partner, sighing inwardly. He should have known KyuJong wouldn't go for letting him work like this. "But I feel fine," he protested. "Just a little dizzy." And of course the chills, but that was nothing a few pills couldn't fix.
Of course, he had no idea that the fever and dizziness were prelude to something much, much worse.
KyuJong could see that JungMin was going to argue and worm his way until KyuJong agreed to allow them to go to work, not that KyuJong would let him. However, arguing would only tire JungMin, and tiring JungMin was just not on the agenda from now on.
With a sigh, KyuJong leaned forward, his eyes wide and sad as he sniffled. “Please? You don’t want me to worry, right?”
Eyes widening as he propped himself back on his hands, JungMin tried valiantly to avoid the puppy look that, while rarely used against him, was horribly easy to give in to. "N-no, I...but we might miss something important," he said weakly, grasping at straws as he looked at the other man's doe-like eyes. "We were told to show up, which means there could be something going on, right?"
“I’m sure they can find someone else.” KyuJong pouted affectedly, leaning even closer, and if possible, his eyes even more pathetic and wide. “Please? Stay home and lie down until you get well? For me?”
Leaning back a little, JungMin felt himself caving, unable to protest any longer with his partner and lover looking at him like that. "...Only if you stay with me," he mumbled finally, giving in as he leaned in to kiss those pouty lips before stopping. "Er...is this contagious?"
“Even if it is, I probably wouldn’t get it. Ankou’s have stronger immune systems than humans.” KyuJong was careful not to let anything slip, gently fluffing JungMin’s hair. “Now stay in bed while I get a cold compress, and maybe some porridge for you to eat.”
"All right," JungMin sighed, unhappy about needing to stay in bed. But the overabundance of energy that usually made it so impossible was strangely absent, so he just leaned forward to kiss KyuJong lightly.
KyuJong hid his frown, gently patting JungMin on the top of his head as he got up. Usually he would be troubled if JungMin was itching to get out of bed even after promising, but the lack of protest was worrisome now. It meant that JungMin didn’t have the energy to bounce out of bed like he usually did.
KyuJong sighed again as he got ready the cold compress, moving back to JungMin’s side and laying the cold towel over JungMin’s head. “Gonna make the porridge. Be right back.”
JungMin had shifted to half-lying down, propped up on his elbows out of stubbornness to lie down fully. His lips quirked upwards at the cold against his forehead, shivering a little. "Okay," he said, and once KyuJong was out of the room he covered his mouth with one hand to muffle a cough.
KyuJong was pretty apt in cooking, especially with something as simple as porridge. So it was a small matter to get a pot of plain porridge cooking on the stove. He rushed around doing everything else, calling the hunters to explain that JungMin was sick, and to do the same for the anti-hunter organization. When he was done, he rushed back into the room to check if JungMin was up to anything. “Been sitting still I hope?”
Sick or not, JungMin got bored easily, and since he couldn't move very far he was amusing himself by making paper airplanes out of the spare papers in the nightstand. "I'm being good," he huffed with a pout, looking up at KyuJong dejectedly. "I hate being sick." It had happened only a few times since he'd met KyuJong, and each time JungMin only managed to stay in bed for a few hours at a time before trying to sneak away, usually making the illness worse in the process.
He tossed the paper airplane in his hand at his lover, pout deepening when it did a loop in the air and crashed into the ground instead.
KyuJong raised an eyebrow at the airplanes. Sighing, he moved over to JungMin’s side, replacing the compress that had began to slide down. “I know. But if you stay still, then the likelihood that you’ll get better fast will be higher.” He hoped.
"That's what you say every time," JungMin grumbled, arms wrapping around KyuJong's waist and pulling him close.
“Yes, I do. But you never listen.” KyuJong reminded, gently wriggling himself closer, so that JungMin could lie against him. “Be good and believe me this time, alright?”
"Okay," the human sighed, smiling as he nuzzled close, closing his eyes and resting against the ankou. "Only because you're asking so nicely."
The ankou smiled for a moment, gently brushing off the matted hair that had stuck to JungMin’s forehead. “Good. Now close your eyes and sleep, alright?”
JungMin pouted, but didn't argue, eyes fluttering slightly at the gentle touch. "Fine, fine." He kissed KyuJong, nuzzling against his lover. Closing his eyes, he was out within a few seconds, exhaustion pulling him back under.
Once JungMin was asleep again, the frown on KyuJong’s face reappeared. The exhaustion was evident on JungMin’s face, even more so now that he was asleep.
Gently stroking the human’s cheek, KyuJong mused about how to keep his overactive master from moving around too much - the cute approach might have worked today, but it would lose its appeal after a while. And once that happened, JungMin was going to be hell to deal with.
KyuJong sighed as he slowly climbed out of JungMin’s hold, placing the human gently back onto the bed and arranging the covers over him. Luckily, he had simpler things to worry about for the moment.
Like the porridge boiling over.