three is company (and two is none), for everyone (1/3)
Title: Three is company (And two is none)
Recipient: everyone
Pairing: Tao/Chen/Kai, side XiuTao
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Explicit sex including : rimming, cuckolding, breath play and slight D/S dynamics
Summary: After struggling to find a new roommate,Tao seems to have finally found a great one. Only said roommate comes with a boyfriend who's life mission seems to be getting under his skin.He's resigned himself to a life of unrequited love and pining when the couple approach him with an offer he can't refuse.
Author's notes: [spoiler]
All my thanks to L,J and R for their support and betaing.
This fic was slightly traumatic to write given that my mother stumbled across the gdoc and I was subjected to a thirty minute lecture on pornographic material and morality but regardless, I hope you like it, recipient-nim
Title taken from the original bae, Oscar Wilde.
In retrospect, Tao should’ve suspected something was up when he came home to find the table set and Minseok stirring a pot on the stove. Getting Minseok to cook was like pulling teeth, half the time Tao had to resign himself to ramen or sandwiches cribbed together from whatever ingredients in their fridge weren’t expired (cucumber-banana was a surprisingly good combo). He's had a long day though, interning at a law firm has got to be at least the sixth level of hell and he reeks of coffee and printer ink, having made photocopies all day until his fingers were numb and aching. And if he’s being completely honest, Tao loves being taken care of, especially by his favourite hyung, loves it when Minseok presses kisses to his jaw and takes his bag from him, nudging him towards the bathroom and he lets himself be led, soft and pliant, only in the way Minseok can make him. Minseok strips him out of his work clothes but doesn’t join him in the shower, even when Tao pouts at him, leaning up to ruffle at his hair. “The food will burn, Taozi. Later, I promise.”
Later happens after they’ve eaten, Tao curled up against the elder as he feeds him pasta, laughing when the other moans around a mouthful. He’s pushed against the sheets, warm and sated and with a pleasant thrum of arousal in his chest that grows as Minseok sucks on his lower lip, hands trailing his sides to flick at small nipples before sliding underneath the waistband of his sweatpants. Minseok preps him open slowly, fingers so small that he can fit four in easily, curving them upwards and making Tao jolt when they brush up against the sensitive bundle of nerves. Minseok doesn’t make him wait for long, fucking him open with slow, steady thrusts that have him keening and scrabbling against the sheets until he comes all over his stomach, legs coming up to tighten against the small of Minseok’s back, urging him closer and the elder picks up the pace, pumping into him until he’s gasping out his own orgasm, thrusts losing all rhythm until he pulls out and rolls over to press against Tao’s side.
Tao hums softly into Minseok’s hair, wincing slightly at the feeling of cum leaking out of him. He has half a mind to push Minseok’s head down, make him clean it up but he’s too tired for round two and lying and cuddling seems to be a better option. Minseok shifts slightly, hair brushing against Tao’s neck as he smiles at him. “Okay, Taozi?”
“‘Mmm, I’m happy, hyung.” Tao pulls him closer. “I needed that.”
Minseok hums in response, fingers smoothing over Tao’s collarbones before he stills, looking up at him. “Tao, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s important.”
“Mmm.” Tao hums, too sleepy to really pay attention. Minseok could tell him he was moving to Pakistan to train as Qawwali singer and Tao still wouldn’t be able to muster up the energy to care. He whines when Minseok pulls away, the loss of warmth making him curl up. Minseok pokes him in the ribs. “Tao, are you even listening?”
“Okay, okay, stop that hyung.” Tao whines, pushing Minseok’s hands away. “What were you saying?”
“I said, I’m moving out.”
And Tao’s thoughts come to a screeching halt. He sits up, sheets pooling around as his waist as he gapes at Minseok. ”What?”
Minseok pushes him back down. “Calm down, Tao. I got a promotion at work but it means I’m transferring to the Gangnam office and the commute from here to there would be too long. I’ve been looking for other apartments to rent near there.” he runs his fingers through Tao’s hair, scratching lightly along the scalp. “I’m moving out next week.”
“Oh.” Tao says in a small voice , hunching down further. “That’s- I mean… congratulations on the promotion, hyung.”
“Oh, Taozi, don’t be like that, I’m not dying.” Minseok pokes him in the cheek, grin wide and eyes affectionate. “Like yeah, there'll be no sex and you’ll have to do your own laundry but you’re a big boy, you can manage.”
“You’d better visit.” Tao mutters, already letting the hand still running through his hair soothe him back into his previous state of sleepiness. He curls up on his side, slinging an arm over Minseok’s waist and tugs him back in.
“Every weekend, baby.” he hears Minseok murmur before sleep takes him under.
***
Tao flops down on the couch beside Luhan, tossing a gatorade bottle into the other man’s lap. “Well, that was a bust.”
“Hey, it wasn’t all that bad.” Luhan consults his legal pad, squinting at the letters. “I thought candidate four showed promise.”
“Candidate four? Wasn’t that the chick who did taxidermy as a hobby? Taxidermy! You know my feelings on baby animals, Luhan.” Tao shudders, recalling the stuffed mouse in a top hat the girl had proudly pulled out of her purse to show a fascinated Luhan and an appalled Tao.
“Okay, what about candidate two? The guy with the big ears and the crazy eyes?”
“He had a Rainbow Dash keychain on his phone.” Tao deadpans. “I refuse to share living quarters with a brony .” He says brony, the same way some people might say nudist or Republican.
“Tao, you’re going to have to lower your standards for potential roommates if you’re planning on getting anywhere with this.” Luhan takes a swig of the gatorade, frowning when some sloshes down his front. “I know you’re unlikely to find another roommate as great as Minseok-” Luhan’s face has an adoring, glazed-over expression, a default for whenever Minseok is mentioned. “And you probably won’t be able to get your new roommate to marathon Sex and The City with you or blow you in the shower but there are some sacrifices you have to make.”
Tao frowns, making a paper plane out of notebook paper. “Maybe I’ll just move in with Minseok in his new place.”
Luhan snorts. “And commute two hours to the law firm? I can’t see you giving up your sleep for that, princess.”
Tao lets out a frustrated grunt, burying his face into the couch cushion. Luhan take that as his cue to leave, patting his forlorn friend on the butt as he leaves. “I’ll be back tomorrow for the next round of interviews.” Tao lets out a wail in response and Luhan grimaces as he shuts the apartment door behind him.
Tao tosses and turns on the couch, alternating between sending Minseok sad-emoji filled texts, updating instagram with solemn selfies (“There’s a vacancy, love don’t live here anymore #nofilter” ) and reading the emails send to him by people looking to rent the apartment. None of them look particularly appealing at all and he signs out with an angry huff. He wants Minseok and only him, goddamnit.
He nearly drops his phone when it vibrates loudly, swiping to answer the call. “What do you want, Luhan?”
“Tao, you still home? Wait, why am I asking, you probably haven’t moved from the couch.”
“That’s not true.” Tao insists, sliding from the couch to the floor. “What are you calling for?”
“Ah, right. I ran into a friend and it turns out he’s looking for a place to stay. I sent him over to your place, he should be getting there-” the doorbell rings, sound echoing off the walls.”-right about now.”
“Goddamnit Luhan, you can’t just spring these things on me!” Tao hisses, straightening his shirt as he frantically rights his t-shirt and shoves the empty snack wrappers under a couch cushion. The person at the door knocks, a hesitant tapping and Tao lets out a string of curses before crossing the room and opens the door.
And promptly slams it shut again because holyfuckignshit-
“Luhan!” he hisses into the phone, clutching it tightly as he desperately tries to check his reflection in the metallic exterior of the fridge. “Why didn’t you tell me your friend looks like a fucking supermodel?! I am not prepared for this.” He stares at his legs, wondering if he has time to pull on a pair of jeans that shows off his calves better. There’s another series of knocks, each fainter than the last and Tao curses before hanging up on a laughing Luhan. He checks his reflection one more time, tugging his shirt down so it shows off more collarbone before opening the door again.
Supermodel stares back at him, smile apprehensive. “Um, hi there. I’m here to see the apartment?’ It comes out like a question.
Tao smiles ushering him in. “Yeah, Luhan called me. Sorry about earlier, I- uh-” he gives the boy a once-over. “- have a phobia of turtlenecks.”
“Oh.” Supermodel’s hands come up to his collar, face slightly stricken. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware. I have a jacket in my car, I can wear that if you’d like.”
“No, no, it's fine, I can handle it. Yoga breathing helps.” Tao laughs airily, trying not to cringe at his own behaviour. “So. Apartment. Let me give you a tour.”
Supermodel (who introduces himself as Jongin) smiles and nods appreciatively as they go around, taking perfunctory glances at the kitchen, living area and bathroom before they get to Minseok’s old room. He smiles when he sees it, going over to stare out the window . “This is bigger than I’d expected.”
“The entire place is pretty roomy by Seoul standards. And you get a view of the park from here.” Tao leans in the doorway, letting his eyes linger over Jongin’s legs while the other’s back is turned away. “So are you interested?”
Jongin nods, hair flopping onto his forehead and Tao is shrieking inside.
“Definitely, It’s reasonable, close to my Uni, great area.” he smiles widely and it’s like a choir of angels descends from the heavens and Tao grips the doorway for strength. “That’s great.” he says weakly. “We can go down to the landlord and get the lease drawn up today, if you’d like.”
The smile suddenly leaves Jongin’s face and he shuffles his foot into the carpet. “Um, before that, I think I should tell you something.”
Oh great, here it comes. Jongin’s going to tell him he’s a satanist or a vegan or something equally reprehensible . He silently waves goodbye to his hot roommate fantasies as he waits for Jongin to speak. The other coughs before lifting his head up to meet his eyes. “Um, how do you feel about puppies?”
Tao blinks. “Puppies?” This wasn’t how the conversation was supposed to go. “Um, I’m more partial to cats but I like them well enough.”
Jongin’s face breaks into a smile again. “Oh, that’s great. See I have this puppy, Jjangah, and she normally stays at my parents place with my other two dogs, Monggu and JJangu but my mom says Jjangah’s been missing me and she’s not eating and I really wanted to be able to bring her over a couple of times a week. I’m sure you’ll love her, she’s really cute, they all are- here, I have pictures!” He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through his gallery, pressed up against Tao’s side as he shows him various selcas with his dogs, each one more adorable than the last and Tao knows, right then and there, that he’s screwed.
***
In many ways, Jongin is a great roommate.
He’s clean and doesn’t leave his wet towels on the bathroom floor or let dishes pile up in his room. He keeps his music at acceptable volumes and pays his half of the rent on time. He greets Tao with a smile and always asks after his day and leaves leftovers for him in the fridge, a post-it note with “Enjoy!” stuck to the saran wrap. Sometimes he’ll even fold Tao’s laundry for him and leave it outside his bedroom door.
And yet Tao’s never been more miserable.
Because Jongin is so nice and sweet and friendly. He’s also mind-blowingly gorgeous, face reminiscent of a young James Dean (if he was Asian), full lips and sharp jawline and that smooth tan skin Tao gets an eyeful of every morning. Because Jongin doesn’t leave his wet towel on the bathroom floor, he knots them around his hips before striding from the bathroom to his room in all his shirtless glory and leaving Tao to choke on his coffee at the breakfast counter.
Jongin also likes to stretch in the living room, usually during commercial breaks between whatever drama he’s talked Tao into watching with him and Tao has to sit there on the sofa, mouth dry as he watches Jongin bend and contort himself into a variety of positions, shirt riding up and sweatpants clinging to the curves of his thighs and he inevitably has to excuse himself to the bathroom to... handle matters . And he inevitably ends up missing the end of the episode and has to catch up on reruns the next day. So now most of his nights are spent tossing and turning as he alternates between pondering whether Siwon and Yoon Jae kissed at the end or recalling the image of Jongin’s ass curved upwards as he goes into a downward plank. Tao is very particular about asses, and being the proud owner of wushu-honed glutes himself, he can honestly say Jongin’s passes all his standards, toned but with enough jiggle to make you want to sink your teeth into it. And yes, Tao has spent that much time in the three weeks Jongin’s been living with him to memorizing the contours of his butt.
Let us reiterate: Tao is so screwed.
***
“I don’t get it.” Minseok frowns at him from where he’s tucked under Tao’s arm, the two of them sprawled across the kitchen floor. It’s the first weekend Tao’s spending at Minseok’s new apartment and by unspoken agreement, they’ve been making their way through every corner of the place, blessing the space so to speak. They're on a break after round three (they still need to get to the living room and the pantry) and Tao has just finished unloading his roommate woes to Minseok who is now poking him in the cheek. “If you think he’s so hot, why don’t you just go for it? He’s gay, right?”
“Yep.” Tao pops the “p” irritably. “And I can’t go for it, because he already has a boyfriend.”
Ah, yes, the boyfriend. If Tao had known that his sweet, perfect Jongin came with the spawn of Satan aka Kim Jongdae attached to his side, he may have had reconsidered the whole roommate deal. As it was he had the displeasure of meeting the man one fine day when he’d walked into the apartment and seen him pinning Jongin to the couch, hands halfway down his pants.
Tao had let out a small shriek before clapping his hands over his mouth but the other two had heard him, Jongin letting out a startled yelp while the man on top of him calmly, continued with his ministration eyes locked on Tao’s. “Enjoying the show?” he’d taunted and in that moment Tao knew he'd loathe the bastard.
Jongin had later knocked on his bedroom door and apologized profusely, face red and Tao hadn't had it in him to be mad at him when he looked like a kicked puppy. He also didn’t have the heart to tell him that his boyfriend was an asshole and that Tao would like him 50 feet away from their apartment at all times. Thus he had to endure the other’s presence in his home several times a week, at best for a few hours, at worst for the entire weekend where he’d lie in bed and crank up the volume of his iPod to drown out the moans coming from the other room.
Jongdae was as opposite from Jongin as you could get with his pale skin and short stature, bone structure carved by the gods and a kitten-ish smile that always appeared right before he shot some snide, sarcastic comment, usually at Tao. It appeared that whatever dislike Tao harboured for the other man was completely mutual and the two spent whatever time they were forced to endure in each other’s company circling each other like alley cats, one hiss away from a fight. Jongdae or Chen as he pompously liked to refer to himself was a professor at SNU, the youngest member of their faculty, hired straight after graduation and making the kind of money poor legal intern Tao could only dream of. He taught Chinese studies and was fluent in Mandarin, as Tao had learnt after he’d muttered a few choice curses under his breath and had the other man respond to him likewise . It’s become a sort of game for the two of them to insult each other in the language, tones deceptively sweet as an oblivious Jongin sits between them on the couch.
Minseok’s laugh breaks Tao out of his thought, the elder giving him an impish grin as he sits up. “You should see the look on your face right now, Taozi, you’re so obviously jealous.”
“Am not.” Tao argues irritably, gripping the counter and hauling himself up, wincing at the sudden pain in his lower back. “I just think Jongin deserves better than that scum sucker.” He follows Minseok out of the kitchen into the living room.
“Like you, maybe?” Minseok tosses over his shoulder, smirking. Tao scoffs and manhandles him onto the sofa, tickling Minseok’s sides until the other pleads for mercy. “Of course he’d be lucky to have me, anyone would.” he leans down till their cheeks are smushed together. “Right, Minseokkie?”
“Stop fishing for compliments.” Minseok mutters, flipping them over till he’s straddling Tao, ass pressing against his crotch as he grinds down, smile playful. “So, what’s say we give your ass a break this round, babe?”
Three hours later Tao stumbles back into his apartment, sore and tingling and probably looking like he’s been mugged. He hums to himself as he round the corner into the kitchen, voice trailing off when he sees Chen standing in front of the fridge. The other snorts, taking in Tao’s appearance. “Have you taken up part time-work at the sanitation plant?”
“I have no desire to see your place of residence, thanks.” Tao replies faux-sweetly, shoving Chen to the side so he can get to the fridge. He’s rifling through it when he hears Chen let out a laugh and then there’s fingers pinching into his side, right on a bruise Minseok had left. He yelps and stands, swatting Chen away. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Chen dodges him easily, smirk wide. “Wow, Zitao, I didn’t think you had it in you to get that stick out your ass and let something else in.” He gives Tao a pat on the back. “Congratulations.”
Before Tao can do something potentially insane, like commit homicide, Jongin comes out of his room, clad only in his Spongebob boxers and blinking sleepily as he nearly stumbles into the coffee table. It’s simultaneously the most arousing and adorable thing Tao has ever seen and he has to restrain himself from pulling Jongin into his chest and sticking a hand down his underwear. Jongin smiles when he sees him, eyes crinkling and Tao wants to fucking coo at him. Jongin’s turned him into a goddamned canary.
“Hi, Tao. I thought you said you were spending the night at your friends place. I would’ve saved you some dinner.”
Tao reaches over to ruffle Jongin’s hair, feeling a bit bold and the small pleased whine Jongin lets out has him mentally fist-pumping. “I was supposed to but Minseok got a call for an emergency work meeting and kicked me out. And it’s okay, I already ate.”
“That’s good.” Jongin murmurs, voice still sleep-tinged. “I’m gonna head back to bed, don’t forget to turn the lights off.” He slinks back to the bedroom and Tao watches him go, a fond look on his face. He starts when Chen clears his throat beside him, almost having forgotten the other was there. Chen tilts his head, appraising him. “Minseok? He your boyfriend?”
“Former roommate.” Tao takes a swig of his drink, suddenly uncomfortable at being the subject of Chen’s attention. “With benefits.”
“Interesting.” Chen murmurs looking back and forth between Tao and Jongin’s bedroom door before striding out of the kitchen and leaving one very confused boy in his wake.
***
Tao manages to push that strange moment with Chen out of his mind, the other having readily resumed his normal schedule of being an annoying, little shit and Tao is occupied with work, having been promoted from photocopying to filing. His goal is to make it into the divorce law section by next month. He’s heard the stories of what goes on when feuding couples come in together; it’ll be like a live-action Real Housewives episode.
Jongin continues to be the sweet, sexy being he is and Tao continues to vent (and fuck) away his frustrations to Minseok every weekend before stumbling home. Still, even he begins to notice the hushed conversation Jongin and Chen keep having, that mysteriously die off every time he enters the room, Jongin being a little too quick in changing the subject. He also notices Chen staring at him sometimes, lips curled up in his trademark feline smirk and it makes Tao want to shiver. He chalks it up to couple weirdness and does his best to stay out of their way until he comes home from work one night and sees the two of them sitting in the living room, liquor bottles set out before them. He pauses in the doorway, not quite sure whether he’s interrupting something (again) but Jongin catches his eye and smiles, motioning him over. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Tao warily makes his way to the living room, opting to sit on the armchair to the let of the sofa. He gestures to the coffee table stacked with bottles. “Bit lush for a weekday, isn’t it?”
“Some of us can hold our booze.” Chen shrugs, tipping his head back to down a shot. Jongin narrows his eyes, slapping the other man on the thigh and they make eye contact before Chen turns back to Tao, holding out an empty glass towards him. “Pick your poison.”
Tao shakes his head, making to stand. “I shouldn’t, I have an early day tomorrow.” Jongin catches his arm before he can leave and gives him a small smile. “Um, actually, Tao, there’s something we want to ask you.”
“O-kay.” Tao sits down again, giving them an expectant look. “What is it?”
Jongin worries his bottom lip between his teeth, throwing Chen a pleading look before he screws his eyes shut and mumbles something Tao doesn’t catch. He leans forward. “Sorry, can you say that again?”
“We were wondering if you’d-” Jongin swallows before blurting it out, voice too loud for the quiet room. “-have a threesome with us.”
That was not what Tao was expecting. He gives them both a wide-eyed stare, mouth hanging open. “Is- is this a joke?” he sputters out, half expecting Chen to burst into an evil cackle and Jongin to start apologizing profusely for whatever prank his demon boyfriend had roped him into. But both of them stare back at him, Jongin flushing red and Chen giving him an impassive stare. Tao looks back and forth between them. “Say something!”
His tone frightens Jjangah who’s been sleeping under the table this entire time (Tao is horrified that the puppy had even had to hear this discussion) and she begins to bark, sound echoing off the walls. Jongin winces, pulling her into his lap to soothe. “I think she needs to be walked, I’ll just go do that now.” He’s out the door before Tao can blink, clearly relieved at having found an escape route.
Tao whirls around to face Chen. “Okay, how and why the hell would you put him up to this?”
Chen takes a sip of his drink, looking infuriatingly nonchalant. “I didn’t put him up to anything, it was a mutual decision.”
“You can’t be serious.” Tao reaches forward and yanks the glass from Chen’s grip, downing it all in one go. “Why the fuck would you choose me for a threesome? You can’t stand me.”
Chen doesn’t deny the statement. “That’s precisely why I picked you.” He pours himself another drink, leaning over to refill Tao’s glass. ‘Have you ever heard of cuckolding, Tao?”
Tao gives him a blank stare. “Sounds like a KFC dinner special .”
Chen rolls his eyes, muttering “idiot” under his breath. “Cuckolding is a sexual practice where a couple invites a third party into the bedroom,” Chen gives Tao a knowing smirk over the rim of his glass. “To fuck one of them while their partner watches.”
Tao feels lightheaded. “I- I don’t- I don’t understand.”
Chen shrugs. “It’s simple. You and Jongin fuck and I watch.”
Tao feels his breath catch at the thought of Jongin pinned underneath him, moaning his name through those pretty, plush lips before dragging his focus back to Chen. “So wait, what do you get out of this?”
Chen leans back in his chair, pressing his fingertips together and Tao vaguely wonders whether this is the pose he uses while lecturing. “Cuckolding- it’s a bit of an intellectual fetish, you could say, with roots in humiliation and dominance. Kind of like sadomasochism for your mind. I pick men who’re different from me in almost every way.” Chen drags his eyes over Tao’s body making him squirm slightly in his seat. “Physically, intellectually, maybe even those with more power or status. And I let them have Jongin and I have to sit there and watch him get off with them and I can’t do anything about it.”
“And you get off on this.” Tao states faintly, still not quite able to believe that he’s having this conversation. “Does Jongin agree to this?”
“I would never force him into anything he didn’t want. He gives his consent and he has a safeword, the control is always with him” Chen’s tone is sharp and Tao can tell he’s touched a nerve. He nods in lieu of an apology, staring down at his glass. “I’ll- I’ll have to think about this.”
Chen smiles, standing up abruptly. “The offer is on the table, Zitao. Let us know what you decide.” he takes his coat from the rack and shrugs it on, door shutting behind him softly.
Tao makes his way to his room, eager to be out of the way before Jongin comes back. He snags a bottle of vodka on his way in, deciding that this chain of events justifies a drink or two. He falls back against his sheets, uncaring of the creases in his dress slacks that are going to be a bitch to get out, taking a swig and wincing as it burns going down. Eyes watering, he lies there and stares at the ceiling.
“But did they seriously have to proposition me on a Wednesday ?” he says into the silence.
***
To say Tao accomplishes nothing that week is an understatement, he walks around in a half-awake daze, accidentally stapling some files to his suit jacket at one point. The only time he’s mentally aware is when he’s trying to avoid Jongin, a task easier said than done when they live in the same apartment, but it’s too much to see Jongin standing in the kitchen and having his traitorous mind immediately start spiraling into a whirlwind of sexual thoughts that have him skittering back into his room. He vaguely considers calling Minseok to ask for advice but he’s not sure what the correct procedure for asking your former roommate-with-benefits on the the benefits of a having a threesome with your current roommate and his boyfriend is.( Plus he can’t trust Minseok to not blab to Luhan.)
It’s Friday when he finally gets back from work to see Chen in the kitchen, casually munching away on a bag of Tao’s chips. He scowls at the other. “Do you not have food at your own place?
Chen shrugs, smile infuriatingly bright. “But I don’t have special Chinese prawn chips at my place.”
“I paid a shitload in shipping for those, you ass.” Tao strips off his suit jackets, reaching over Chen’s head for a bowl. He nearly drops it when Chen speaks next, voice loud in the space between them. “So, have you decided yet?”
Tao places the bowl down before he smashes any more of his and Jongin’s limited dishware. “About the- thing?”
“The threesome.” Chen states flatly. “If you can’t say it, how’re you ever going to be able to do it?”
Tao ignores the barb, fiddling with his sleeve cuffs. “If I say yes, will it change things between Jongin and I? Would you be okay letting your boyfriend live with someone he’d slept with before?”
He’s not expecting for Chen to touch him, starting slightly when he feels him tip his chin up and even from this angle, with Chen staring up at him, Tao manages to feel so small. “I trust Jongin completely.” Chen speaks, voice soft. “And nothing has to change unless you think there’s any reason for them to.”
He knows . There’s no way Chen isn’t referring to Tao’s blatantly obvious feelings for Jongin but he’s still offering him this golden opportunity on a platter and Tao would be an idiot not to accept. So he pushes aside his misgivings and nods slowly. “You’re right.” he coughs, throat suddenly dry. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
Chen smiles, hand dropping back down against his side. “Was there ever any doubt?”
And Tao can’t even salvage enough energy to refute. It's the truth anyways.
***
Jongin is gone the next morning and Tao stumbles around the apartment in a daze, the weight of his phone burning against his thigh. He’d woken up to a single text from Chen with an address and a time, a single line at the bottom warning him not to be late. To say Tao’s nervous is an understatement, he’s sweating through his t-shirt, biting at his nails till they’re nothing but nasty looking stubs and he prays Jongin doesn’t notice. He’s showered and out the door about an hour earlier than he needs to be but he’s convinced if he spends any more time alone in the apartment, he’s going to go insane. He takes the subway, shifting in his seat with nerves, convinced that everyone who looks at him can see “SEXUAL DEVIANT EN ROUTE TO COMMIT SEXUAL DEVIANCY ” written across his face.
The address turns out to be a love motel, tucked away in the corner of an alley and Tao makes his way inside through a side entrance. Behind a pane of frosted glass, a female voice tells him the room has been paid for already and slides over a room key. He takes the proffered item and gets into the elevator. The door is the first on his right and he knocks hesitantly, before moving to slide his key in the car reader.
The door opens before he can and he’s staring down at Chen who gives him a smirk before tugging him inside by the front of his shirt.
The room is...nice. Tao didn’t know why he’d been expecting some kind of den of sin with black sheets and Chen in leather boots and a whip standing over Jongin hog-tied to the bed (he had an overactive imagination, okay) but it’s exceedingly normal. There’s a large bed in the corner, a couch across from it and a small table where a bottle of wine and some glasses are resting. Jongin is there, looking resplendent as always in his grey sweater and black jeans and he smiles when he sees him standing up and tugging him to the table by the hand. “You’re early."
Chen lets out a cough that sounds suspiciously like “eager” but Tao ignores him, giving Jongin a smile and sitting down. “I wasn’t sure what the etiquette was for these kinds of things but I figured punctuality was necessary.”
“Speaking of etiquette,” Chen sits on the chair beside him, tapping his fingers on the wooden surface of the table. “We need to set some ground rules first.” He points at Jongin. “First things first; safeword.”
“Starlight.” Jongin responds promptly and Chen makes Tao repeat it several times, nodding once he’s satisfied the other will remember. "The safeword is absolute. If it’s used at any time by either you, Jongin or me, then everything stops, immediately. No exceptions.”
“Understood.” Tao nods, slightly intimidated by the aura Chen’s giving off.
“Secondly, do you have any conditions we should know about? STIs or STDs or something equivalent? We’ll be using condoms this time but we still need to know.”
“I’m clean.” Tao fishes through his jean pocket, glad he had the foresight to bring this. “I got tested last month.”
Chen hums, giving the paper a cursory glance before folding it and putting it to the side. “Lastly, there’s hard and soft limits. I’m assuming you know what those are?”
“Um, stuff I’m not into but can be talked into and stuff that’s completely off limits?”
“Essentially. For today, we’re not going to do anything too extreme but you should still know.” he turns to the side. “Jongin, tell him what he can’t do.”
“Anything involving blood, fire, electricity, scat-” he pauses and grins when he sees Tao blanch. "Okay, good, the feeling’s mutual. I’m okay with mild age play, spanking and biting.” He leans forward till he’s almost nose to nose with Tao. “I also really like getting my hair pulled.”
Tao feels a stirring in his pants from all the images Jongin’s placing there and he crosses his thighs tightly. “I understand.”
“If this ends up being more than a one-time deal than we’ll do a checklist in detail.’ Chen stands abruptly, jostling the table slightly and Jongin reaches over to steady the wine bottle. Jongdae walks away and Tao hears the bathroom door close. Jongin gives him a small smile, reaching over to uncork the bottle and pouring it, wrist delicate under the frayed cuffs of his sweater. “He likes to walk in after things have already started.”
“You guys have done this before?” Tao reaches for the glass, tipping his head slightly in Jongin’s direction before taking a drink. The other boy watches him, eyes bright even in the dim lighting of the room. “Yeah, we have but not for a while. The last time was with Yifan, the head of the Mandarin department at Chen’s uni.” Jongin shrugs, the movement causing his sweater to fall off one shoulder. “It was fun.”
“Isn’t it kind of, I don’t know, weird? Your boyfriend wanting to watch you with other guys?” Tao eyes the patch of exposed, tan skin, wanting to trace the contours of Jongin’s collarbone with his tongue. “What do you get out of it?”
“I enjoy myself. And Chen gets very possessive afterwards which is always a plus.” Jongin smirks suddenly, leaning over to take the hand holding the wine glass, taking a slow drink as he keeps his eyes locked on Tao the entire time. His lips are a pretty shade of red when he pulls it away. “I like being worshipped , whether by him or someone else.’
In response, Ta o puts the glass down and leans over to press their lips together. It’s a hesitant press of lips at first, Jongin letting out a happy sigh before parting his lips and granting him access to taste the leftover wine clinging to his tongue, bite into the plushness of his bottom lip. Tao leans in until he’s hovering over Jongin in his chair, hand on his thigh for balance as he press forward, licking his way in and reveling in the soft noises Jongin’s letting out all the while. The other pulls back, breathing heavy and lips spit-slick, so Tao leans in again, letting out a displeased grunt when Jongin twists away. “Bed.” he whispers, pushing Tao back until his knees hit the edge and he falls back with a soft thump. Jongin climbs atop him, knees on either side of his thighs before leaning in again and letting Tao place a hand on his waist for support. The other hand makes its way to Jongin’s hair and Tao tugs a little at the root, testing Jongin’s claim from earlier. The moan he gets in response makes him bolder and he fists his hand tighter in the black strands, pulling away from Jongin’s lips to press kisses to the smooth, tan column of his throat. Jongin twitches as Tao sucks a mark onto his neck, pulling back to tug his sweater over his head and throw it across the room. He gives Tao cheeky grin. “Enjoying the show?”
Tao wipes that smile right off his face, sitting up and sucking a dark nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue around the nub as Jongin keens, hands coming to clench onto his shoulders. Tao alternates between the two, and Jongin’s cries gets louder until he’s rutting into Tao’s lap, hips moving in fluid waves as he rubs their crotches together, erection already tenting the front of his jeans. Tao fumbles with the buttons, and it’s hard to focus when every movement send a small spark of pleasure up his spine, nearly breaking the zipper trying to get it down. Jongin lets out a small sob when Tao’s hand makes contact with his cock through his boxers and he slumps forward, breathing heavily, hips twitching up to match his strokes and god, he’s so fucking responsive, it’s making Tao dizzy with want.
He’s so preoccupied with stripping Jongin out of his clothes that he doesn’t hear Chen come in and sit down. It isn’t until he hears Jongin murmur a soft “oh,” that he looks up and makes eye contact with the third man on the couch. Immediately the tension is back and his hands still on Jongin’s cock, much to the other’s displeasure. It feels strange, taboo almost to be touching Jongin like this when he can feel the weight of Chen’s gaze on him from across the room. Jongin tilts his head away, leaning into kiss him again until the tension bleeds out of Tao’s shoulders.
They finish stripping Tao out of his clothes and Jongin leans over to the nightstand, searching around before he pulls out a bottle of lube and a pack of condoms that he tosses to the side. He look down at Tao “How do you want me?”
Fuck, Tao can’t breathe .He sees Jongdae out of the corner of his eye and a spike of something goes through him, rivalry or vanity maybe. He sits up, pushing Jongin down and angling him so that Chen has a full view. “Fuck yourself open, get yourself ready for my cock.”
Jongin is so obedient, groaning a little as he flips the cap open and dribbles lube over his fingers, legs spread wide enough for Tao to see everything. Jongin’s cock lies against his belly, hard and flushed a pretty pink that Tao can’t resist bending down and lapping at it. Jongin squirms, mouth falling open and fingers stilling as he pants harshly, hips thrusting up as Tao takes him in deeper, relaxing his jaw around the stiffness and swallowing. Jongin fucks up into the heat, keening and they’re both caught off guard when he comes suddenly, Tao moving away a second too late and ending up with smears of white across one cheek and down his collarbones. He leans over Jongin and gestures to the mess. “Clean it up.”
Jongin licks at his come and Tao takes the opportunity to slide a finger into him, the other’s entrance clamping tightly upon the intrusion. He hears a sharp intake of breath from the corner and looks over to Chen, still in the same position on the couch but with his hands fisted at his sides and a noticeable bulge in his pants. He maintains eye contact as he slowly fucks Jongin open, sliding another finger in and scissoring, the dancer’s body loose and relaxed after his orgasm. There’s a sheen of sweat on Chen’s face by the time Tao has three in and Jongin is gasping, begging “please, please, I’m ready, I’m ready”. Tao feels a triumphant thrill when he sees Chen’s hand stray to the waistband of his jeans, hesitating before reaching in to rub at his erection. He turns his attention back to Jongin, curling his fingers up one more time before pulling out and reaching for the condom. He fumbles with it a few times before Jongin chuckles and tears it open for him, rolling it on one-handed, a skill Tao will have to ask him about later. He lines his cock up with Jongin’s entrance, dragging the head teasingly over the rim and eliciting an impatient whine before pushing in, the slow enveloping heat making him throw his head back with a loud groan. Jongin is impatient, pushing down until his hips are lined up with Tao’s and they’re both panting, Jongin’s fingers tightening on Tao’s shoulders. “Fucking move.”
He tries to start off slow but Jongin is having none of it, meeting his thrusts with hard slams of his hips until Tao’s fucking into him for all he’s worth. The head of his cock drags over Jongin’s prostate on every thrust, friction catching at the rim and it's turned Jongin into a gasping mess. He’s so caught up in staring at him, memorizing every detail of his arousal from the flushed cheeks to the sweat-soaked bangs plastered to Jongin’s forehead that he almost misses the sounds coming from the corner of the room. He looks over and feels something inside him spark when he sees Chen with his cock out, rubbing himself so hard that Tao’s surprised it doesn’t hurt. His eyes are clouded, teeth worrying at his lower lip as he watches them and in that moment Tao feels so fucking powerful , being able to reduce Jongdae to this barely-composed thing, enraptured by the performance they’re putting on. He’s going too fast now, the tell-tale thrum under his skin as his orgasm approaches and he lets it happen, moaning lowly as he comes into the condom, Jongin clenching down as he fucks him through it. He stays like that, still buried in the tight heat as he strokes Jongin to completion, shuddering when he feels his ass clench tight around his still sensitive cock as Jongin paints his hand in white.
He’s semi-disappointed when he looks over and sees Chen gone, he’d wanted to watch the other as he came, hear the sound he’d let out or whether he had a hideous orgasm face that Tao could use for future teasing purposes. Jongin shifts underneath him, pushing at his chest. “You’re heavy.” he whines, tone huskier than normal and Ta o wants to lean down and kiss him again but with the haze of lust receding, he’s becoming more aware of the circumstances and he’s not sure how to proceed. He figures cleaning them up is a good start and pulls out, rolling over onto his side and pulling off the condom. That goes in the trash and he starts searching for a box of tissues to wipe the drying mess off his hand. A wet towel hit him in the chest and he looks up to meet Chen’s gaze.
“Clean up and get out.” He says shortly, turning and striding out again before Tao can respond or maybe throw the towel back in his face. He turns to Jongin, slightly discomfited. “Is he okay?”
“Hmm? Oh that, don’t worry about it. Dae always gets like that afterwards.” Jongin takes the towel, wiping his chest down before moving to his hands, wiping carefully till all the cum’s gone. He tries to return the favour but Jongin shakes his head, pushing him away. “He likes me like this after a session.”
Session. The term is clinical and detached, Jongin could be discussing a dance class for all the casual lilt of his tone lets on and Tao comes back to reality with a crashing realization. He shuffles over to the edge of the bed, searching for his pants, underwear lost somewhere in the chaos and he can’t be arsed to search for them right now. His shirt goes on next and he heads for the door, sending a small wave in Jongin’s direction. He walks in a daze to the elevator and out of the motel, squinting against the bright neon lights that have lit up the street. They must’ve been in there for a few hours. It’s strange. He just had an excellent not-quite threesome, he probably should be feeling a lot of emotions right now but disappointment should surely not be one of them.
***
He doesn’t see Jongin again until Wednesday, the other entering the apartment with Jjangah’s excited yips in his wake. He frowns when he sees Tao curled up under a blanket on the couch, dumping his coat on the armchair as he walks over. “Hey, how come you’re not at work?”
“Sick” Tao mutters snuggling deeper into the cushion and turning away so Jongin can’t see his puffy eyes and cracked lips. “I was feverish and they sent me home early.”
“Oh, god, you too?” He feels a cool hand on his forehead and Jongin tips his chin up to appraise him. “Have you eaten anything?”
“Nope.” He’d texted Minseok an hour earlier, begging him to bring him some soup but he’s not sure whether his messages were even remotely understandable in his feverish haze. Jongin makes a displeased sound and gets up, dumping Jangah on Tao’s lap. “I’ll make you something, you need to keep your fluid intake up.” Jjangah squirms around on his belly before settling down and leaving little, licks all over his face. Groaning, he pushes her off, sitting up so he can see Jongin moving around in the kitchenette. “What did you mean by “you too”?”
“I got sick on Sunday and then Dae on tuesday. We quarantined ourselves at his place for the past few days.” Jongin brings him a glass of water and he takes a sip, almost moaning at how good it feels down his sandpaper throat. Jongin’s carrying a plate with a sandwich on it which he leaves on the table, awkwardly scratching at his head. “Sorry, I’m not really good at making soup or juk or something.”
“It’s great, thank you.” Tao eats, holding the sandwich out of Jjangah’s reach. Jongin pulls the puppy into his own lap, flopping on the sofa besides him and Tao almost chokes on the bite he’d taken when he feels Jongin’s arm brush against his, skin hot to the touch. He swallows quickly. “Wait, so how did you get sick too, I haven't seen you all...week.” he trails off when he sees the smirk on Jongin’s face and stares down at his plate flushing furiously. “Oh.”
Jongin laughs, standing and stretching so that his shirt rides up and Tao can see small hickeys peppered along his hips and oh yeah, Tao put them there. . Jongin puts Jjangah on the couch, turning back to face him. "I’m gonna shower and then I have class, are you going to be okay on your own?”
“I’m a big kid, I can go to the bathroom by myself and everything.” Tao grumbles, lying back down and tucking the blanket under his chin again. He dozes off to the sound of the pipes creaking as Jongin showers, Jjangah having taken residence on his chest. It feels like he’s only been out for a few minutes when he feels someone shaking him awake, Jjangah’s loud barks near his ear. Groaning, he squints one eye open, letting out a startled meep when he sees Jongdae staring down at him. He opens his mouth but before he can speak, there a thermometer being shoved under his tongue and Jongdae claps his jaw shut for him, almost making Tao bite off his tongue. He ignores the indignant noises Tao’s letting out, checking his watch and pulling the thermometer out after a minute . He squints at the numbers. “103 huh, that’s high.”
“What are you doing here?” Tao groans, grimacing as he sits up. There’s a sheen of sweat on his skin, his eyes are crusty and he knows he looks like hell and he feels like it too. Having Chen in the vicinity isn’t doing wonders for his constitution either. The other rifles through a plastic bag on the coffee table, pulling out a small glass bottle and a plastic spoon. He pours some out and holds it in front of Tao’s face. “Say aah.”
“No.” Tao deadpans, leaning back. “Why are you even here?”
“Jongin made me promise to check up on you, brat. Don’t know why I bothered.” Chen brings the spoon back to his lips. “Drink.”
He acquiesces, swallowing two mouthfuls of the syrup. Jongdae pulls out a small metal container and deposits it it in his lap, chucking a pack of spices at him. “That’s soup, eat it now while it’s still warm.”
“Thanks for this.” Tao mutters, purposely pitching his voice low but Chen hears him anyways and lets out an obnoxious coo, reaching over to ruffle his hair and Tao glowers at him from around his spoon. “Back off, creep, I still don’t like you."
“Still?” Chen pouts. “But I let you fuck my boyfriend, I thought that would earn me a few points.”
Tao swallows too fast, soup burning his throat and he coughs before glaring at Chen, eyes watering. “You can’t just say shit like that!”
“Why?” Chen shrugs, nonchalant as ever. “It’s the truth. Speaking of which, tell me, did you enjoy yourself last weekend?”
Tao feels the heat crawling up his neck but forces himself to maintain eye contact. “Couldn’t you tell? Or were you too preoccupied jerking off to focus?” He smiles as Chen registers the barb, eyes narrowing slightly. “I’d expect better multi-tasking skills from a college professor.”
Suddenly, he finds himself with his neck pressed against the sofa, Chen’s hand around his throat in a firm grip but with no pressure behind it. He stares wide-eyed as Chen tips his head down, breathing along the shell of his ear. “Oh, you don’t want to go down this road, Zitao.” he whispers slowly, thumb stroking a slow circle over his adam’s apple. “There’s nothing you did Saturday night that I couldn’t do better and I can do more. I’d fucking break you. Have you begging and crying, so sweet and needy. I think I’d like that side of you a lot better than this one.” He pulls away suddenly, Tao still pressed against the back of the couch, frozen. “But that’s not what I need you for, unfortunately. If you’re better by Friday, let Jongin know. He’ll give you the hotel address.” He stands and Tao stands up, finally having returned to his senses. “Wait, you mean- the three of us- again?”
“Are you declining?” Tao shakes his head quickly and Chen laughs, hands in the pocket of his hoodie. “Then it’s settled.” He pulls something out of his pocket, chucking it towards Tao’s head. “That’s yours.”
Tao stares at the black fabric, the small white tag with his name written in faded black hanja (Minseok insisted). “Why the hell did you have my boxers?”
“You forgot them at the hotel.” Chen calls over his shoulder, twisting the doorknob as he steps into his shoes. “I used them to gag Jongin. Might wanna wash them.” The door shuts behind him with a loud click and Tao falls back on the sofa, suddenly feeling very lightheaded.
***
NEXT
Recipient: everyone
Pairing: Tao/Chen/Kai, side XiuTao
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Explicit sex including : rimming, cuckolding, breath play and slight D/S dynamics
Summary: After struggling to find a new roommate,Tao seems to have finally found a great one. Only said roommate comes with a boyfriend who's life mission seems to be getting under his skin.He's resigned himself to a life of unrequited love and pining when the couple approach him with an offer he can't refuse.
Author's notes: [spoiler]
All my thanks to L,J and R for their support and betaing.
This fic was slightly traumatic to write given that my mother stumbled across the gdoc and I was subjected to a thirty minute lecture on pornographic material and morality but regardless, I hope you like it, recipient-nim
Title taken from the original bae, Oscar Wilde.
In retrospect, Tao should’ve suspected something was up when he came home to find the table set and Minseok stirring a pot on the stove. Getting Minseok to cook was like pulling teeth, half the time Tao had to resign himself to ramen or sandwiches cribbed together from whatever ingredients in their fridge weren’t expired (cucumber-banana was a surprisingly good combo). He's had a long day though, interning at a law firm has got to be at least the sixth level of hell and he reeks of coffee and printer ink, having made photocopies all day until his fingers were numb and aching. And if he’s being completely honest, Tao loves being taken care of, especially by his favourite hyung, loves it when Minseok presses kisses to his jaw and takes his bag from him, nudging him towards the bathroom and he lets himself be led, soft and pliant, only in the way Minseok can make him. Minseok strips him out of his work clothes but doesn’t join him in the shower, even when Tao pouts at him, leaning up to ruffle at his hair. “The food will burn, Taozi. Later, I promise.”
Later happens after they’ve eaten, Tao curled up against the elder as he feeds him pasta, laughing when the other moans around a mouthful. He’s pushed against the sheets, warm and sated and with a pleasant thrum of arousal in his chest that grows as Minseok sucks on his lower lip, hands trailing his sides to flick at small nipples before sliding underneath the waistband of his sweatpants. Minseok preps him open slowly, fingers so small that he can fit four in easily, curving them upwards and making Tao jolt when they brush up against the sensitive bundle of nerves. Minseok doesn’t make him wait for long, fucking him open with slow, steady thrusts that have him keening and scrabbling against the sheets until he comes all over his stomach, legs coming up to tighten against the small of Minseok’s back, urging him closer and the elder picks up the pace, pumping into him until he’s gasping out his own orgasm, thrusts losing all rhythm until he pulls out and rolls over to press against Tao’s side.
Tao hums softly into Minseok’s hair, wincing slightly at the feeling of cum leaking out of him. He has half a mind to push Minseok’s head down, make him clean it up but he’s too tired for round two and lying and cuddling seems to be a better option. Minseok shifts slightly, hair brushing against Tao’s neck as he smiles at him. “Okay, Taozi?”
“‘Mmm, I’m happy, hyung.” Tao pulls him closer. “I needed that.”
Minseok hums in response, fingers smoothing over Tao’s collarbones before he stills, looking up at him. “Tao, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s important.”
“Mmm.” Tao hums, too sleepy to really pay attention. Minseok could tell him he was moving to Pakistan to train as Qawwali singer and Tao still wouldn’t be able to muster up the energy to care. He whines when Minseok pulls away, the loss of warmth making him curl up. Minseok pokes him in the ribs. “Tao, are you even listening?”
“Okay, okay, stop that hyung.” Tao whines, pushing Minseok’s hands away. “What were you saying?”
“I said, I’m moving out.”
And Tao’s thoughts come to a screeching halt. He sits up, sheets pooling around as his waist as he gapes at Minseok. ”What?”
Minseok pushes him back down. “Calm down, Tao. I got a promotion at work but it means I’m transferring to the Gangnam office and the commute from here to there would be too long. I’ve been looking for other apartments to rent near there.” he runs his fingers through Tao’s hair, scratching lightly along the scalp. “I’m moving out next week.”
“Oh.” Tao says in a small voice , hunching down further. “That’s- I mean… congratulations on the promotion, hyung.”
“Oh, Taozi, don’t be like that, I’m not dying.” Minseok pokes him in the cheek, grin wide and eyes affectionate. “Like yeah, there'll be no sex and you’ll have to do your own laundry but you’re a big boy, you can manage.”
“You’d better visit.” Tao mutters, already letting the hand still running through his hair soothe him back into his previous state of sleepiness. He curls up on his side, slinging an arm over Minseok’s waist and tugs him back in.
“Every weekend, baby.” he hears Minseok murmur before sleep takes him under.
***
Tao flops down on the couch beside Luhan, tossing a gatorade bottle into the other man’s lap. “Well, that was a bust.”
“Hey, it wasn’t all that bad.” Luhan consults his legal pad, squinting at the letters. “I thought candidate four showed promise.”
“Candidate four? Wasn’t that the chick who did taxidermy as a hobby? Taxidermy! You know my feelings on baby animals, Luhan.” Tao shudders, recalling the stuffed mouse in a top hat the girl had proudly pulled out of her purse to show a fascinated Luhan and an appalled Tao.
“Okay, what about candidate two? The guy with the big ears and the crazy eyes?”
“He had a Rainbow Dash keychain on his phone.” Tao deadpans. “I refuse to share living quarters with a brony .” He says brony, the same way some people might say nudist or Republican.
“Tao, you’re going to have to lower your standards for potential roommates if you’re planning on getting anywhere with this.” Luhan takes a swig of the gatorade, frowning when some sloshes down his front. “I know you’re unlikely to find another roommate as great as Minseok-” Luhan’s face has an adoring, glazed-over expression, a default for whenever Minseok is mentioned. “And you probably won’t be able to get your new roommate to marathon Sex and The City with you or blow you in the shower but there are some sacrifices you have to make.”
Tao frowns, making a paper plane out of notebook paper. “Maybe I’ll just move in with Minseok in his new place.”
Luhan snorts. “And commute two hours to the law firm? I can’t see you giving up your sleep for that, princess.”
Tao lets out a frustrated grunt, burying his face into the couch cushion. Luhan take that as his cue to leave, patting his forlorn friend on the butt as he leaves. “I’ll be back tomorrow for the next round of interviews.” Tao lets out a wail in response and Luhan grimaces as he shuts the apartment door behind him.
Tao tosses and turns on the couch, alternating between sending Minseok sad-emoji filled texts, updating instagram with solemn selfies (“There’s a vacancy, love don’t live here anymore #nofilter” ) and reading the emails send to him by people looking to rent the apartment. None of them look particularly appealing at all and he signs out with an angry huff. He wants Minseok and only him, goddamnit.
He nearly drops his phone when it vibrates loudly, swiping to answer the call. “What do you want, Luhan?”
“Tao, you still home? Wait, why am I asking, you probably haven’t moved from the couch.”
“That’s not true.” Tao insists, sliding from the couch to the floor. “What are you calling for?”
“Ah, right. I ran into a friend and it turns out he’s looking for a place to stay. I sent him over to your place, he should be getting there-” the doorbell rings, sound echoing off the walls.”-right about now.”
“Goddamnit Luhan, you can’t just spring these things on me!” Tao hisses, straightening his shirt as he frantically rights his t-shirt and shoves the empty snack wrappers under a couch cushion. The person at the door knocks, a hesitant tapping and Tao lets out a string of curses before crossing the room and opens the door.
And promptly slams it shut again because holyfuckignshit-
“Luhan!” he hisses into the phone, clutching it tightly as he desperately tries to check his reflection in the metallic exterior of the fridge. “Why didn’t you tell me your friend looks like a fucking supermodel?! I am not prepared for this.” He stares at his legs, wondering if he has time to pull on a pair of jeans that shows off his calves better. There’s another series of knocks, each fainter than the last and Tao curses before hanging up on a laughing Luhan. He checks his reflection one more time, tugging his shirt down so it shows off more collarbone before opening the door again.
Supermodel stares back at him, smile apprehensive. “Um, hi there. I’m here to see the apartment?’ It comes out like a question.
Tao smiles ushering him in. “Yeah, Luhan called me. Sorry about earlier, I- uh-” he gives the boy a once-over. “- have a phobia of turtlenecks.”
“Oh.” Supermodel’s hands come up to his collar, face slightly stricken. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware. I have a jacket in my car, I can wear that if you’d like.”
“No, no, it's fine, I can handle it. Yoga breathing helps.” Tao laughs airily, trying not to cringe at his own behaviour. “So. Apartment. Let me give you a tour.”
Supermodel (who introduces himself as Jongin) smiles and nods appreciatively as they go around, taking perfunctory glances at the kitchen, living area and bathroom before they get to Minseok’s old room. He smiles when he sees it, going over to stare out the window . “This is bigger than I’d expected.”
“The entire place is pretty roomy by Seoul standards. And you get a view of the park from here.” Tao leans in the doorway, letting his eyes linger over Jongin’s legs while the other’s back is turned away. “So are you interested?”
Jongin nods, hair flopping onto his forehead and Tao is shrieking inside.
“Definitely, It’s reasonable, close to my Uni, great area.” he smiles widely and it’s like a choir of angels descends from the heavens and Tao grips the doorway for strength. “That’s great.” he says weakly. “We can go down to the landlord and get the lease drawn up today, if you’d like.”
The smile suddenly leaves Jongin’s face and he shuffles his foot into the carpet. “Um, before that, I think I should tell you something.”
Oh great, here it comes. Jongin’s going to tell him he’s a satanist or a vegan or something equally reprehensible . He silently waves goodbye to his hot roommate fantasies as he waits for Jongin to speak. The other coughs before lifting his head up to meet his eyes. “Um, how do you feel about puppies?”
Tao blinks. “Puppies?” This wasn’t how the conversation was supposed to go. “Um, I’m more partial to cats but I like them well enough.”
Jongin’s face breaks into a smile again. “Oh, that’s great. See I have this puppy, Jjangah, and she normally stays at my parents place with my other two dogs, Monggu and JJangu but my mom says Jjangah’s been missing me and she’s not eating and I really wanted to be able to bring her over a couple of times a week. I’m sure you’ll love her, she’s really cute, they all are- here, I have pictures!” He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through his gallery, pressed up against Tao’s side as he shows him various selcas with his dogs, each one more adorable than the last and Tao knows, right then and there, that he’s screwed.
***
In many ways, Jongin is a great roommate.
He’s clean and doesn’t leave his wet towels on the bathroom floor or let dishes pile up in his room. He keeps his music at acceptable volumes and pays his half of the rent on time. He greets Tao with a smile and always asks after his day and leaves leftovers for him in the fridge, a post-it note with “Enjoy!” stuck to the saran wrap. Sometimes he’ll even fold Tao’s laundry for him and leave it outside his bedroom door.
And yet Tao’s never been more miserable.
Because Jongin is so nice and sweet and friendly. He’s also mind-blowingly gorgeous, face reminiscent of a young James Dean (if he was Asian), full lips and sharp jawline and that smooth tan skin Tao gets an eyeful of every morning. Because Jongin doesn’t leave his wet towel on the bathroom floor, he knots them around his hips before striding from the bathroom to his room in all his shirtless glory and leaving Tao to choke on his coffee at the breakfast counter.
Jongin also likes to stretch in the living room, usually during commercial breaks between whatever drama he’s talked Tao into watching with him and Tao has to sit there on the sofa, mouth dry as he watches Jongin bend and contort himself into a variety of positions, shirt riding up and sweatpants clinging to the curves of his thighs and he inevitably has to excuse himself to the bathroom to... handle matters . And he inevitably ends up missing the end of the episode and has to catch up on reruns the next day. So now most of his nights are spent tossing and turning as he alternates between pondering whether Siwon and Yoon Jae kissed at the end or recalling the image of Jongin’s ass curved upwards as he goes into a downward plank. Tao is very particular about asses, and being the proud owner of wushu-honed glutes himself, he can honestly say Jongin’s passes all his standards, toned but with enough jiggle to make you want to sink your teeth into it. And yes, Tao has spent that much time in the three weeks Jongin’s been living with him to memorizing the contours of his butt.
Let us reiterate: Tao is so screwed.
***
“I don’t get it.” Minseok frowns at him from where he’s tucked under Tao’s arm, the two of them sprawled across the kitchen floor. It’s the first weekend Tao’s spending at Minseok’s new apartment and by unspoken agreement, they’ve been making their way through every corner of the place, blessing the space so to speak. They're on a break after round three (they still need to get to the living room and the pantry) and Tao has just finished unloading his roommate woes to Minseok who is now poking him in the cheek. “If you think he’s so hot, why don’t you just go for it? He’s gay, right?”
“Yep.” Tao pops the “p” irritably. “And I can’t go for it, because he already has a boyfriend.”
Ah, yes, the boyfriend. If Tao had known that his sweet, perfect Jongin came with the spawn of Satan aka Kim Jongdae attached to his side, he may have had reconsidered the whole roommate deal. As it was he had the displeasure of meeting the man one fine day when he’d walked into the apartment and seen him pinning Jongin to the couch, hands halfway down his pants.
Tao had let out a small shriek before clapping his hands over his mouth but the other two had heard him, Jongin letting out a startled yelp while the man on top of him calmly, continued with his ministration eyes locked on Tao’s. “Enjoying the show?” he’d taunted and in that moment Tao knew he'd loathe the bastard.
Jongin had later knocked on his bedroom door and apologized profusely, face red and Tao hadn't had it in him to be mad at him when he looked like a kicked puppy. He also didn’t have the heart to tell him that his boyfriend was an asshole and that Tao would like him 50 feet away from their apartment at all times. Thus he had to endure the other’s presence in his home several times a week, at best for a few hours, at worst for the entire weekend where he’d lie in bed and crank up the volume of his iPod to drown out the moans coming from the other room.
Jongdae was as opposite from Jongin as you could get with his pale skin and short stature, bone structure carved by the gods and a kitten-ish smile that always appeared right before he shot some snide, sarcastic comment, usually at Tao. It appeared that whatever dislike Tao harboured for the other man was completely mutual and the two spent whatever time they were forced to endure in each other’s company circling each other like alley cats, one hiss away from a fight. Jongdae or Chen as he pompously liked to refer to himself was a professor at SNU, the youngest member of their faculty, hired straight after graduation and making the kind of money poor legal intern Tao could only dream of. He taught Chinese studies and was fluent in Mandarin, as Tao had learnt after he’d muttered a few choice curses under his breath and had the other man respond to him likewise . It’s become a sort of game for the two of them to insult each other in the language, tones deceptively sweet as an oblivious Jongin sits between them on the couch.
Minseok’s laugh breaks Tao out of his thought, the elder giving him an impish grin as he sits up. “You should see the look on your face right now, Taozi, you’re so obviously jealous.”
“Am not.” Tao argues irritably, gripping the counter and hauling himself up, wincing at the sudden pain in his lower back. “I just think Jongin deserves better than that scum sucker.” He follows Minseok out of the kitchen into the living room.
“Like you, maybe?” Minseok tosses over his shoulder, smirking. Tao scoffs and manhandles him onto the sofa, tickling Minseok’s sides until the other pleads for mercy. “Of course he’d be lucky to have me, anyone would.” he leans down till their cheeks are smushed together. “Right, Minseokkie?”
“Stop fishing for compliments.” Minseok mutters, flipping them over till he’s straddling Tao, ass pressing against his crotch as he grinds down, smile playful. “So, what’s say we give your ass a break this round, babe?”
Three hours later Tao stumbles back into his apartment, sore and tingling and probably looking like he’s been mugged. He hums to himself as he round the corner into the kitchen, voice trailing off when he sees Chen standing in front of the fridge. The other snorts, taking in Tao’s appearance. “Have you taken up part time-work at the sanitation plant?”
“I have no desire to see your place of residence, thanks.” Tao replies faux-sweetly, shoving Chen to the side so he can get to the fridge. He’s rifling through it when he hears Chen let out a laugh and then there’s fingers pinching into his side, right on a bruise Minseok had left. He yelps and stands, swatting Chen away. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Chen dodges him easily, smirk wide. “Wow, Zitao, I didn’t think you had it in you to get that stick out your ass and let something else in.” He gives Tao a pat on the back. “Congratulations.”
Before Tao can do something potentially insane, like commit homicide, Jongin comes out of his room, clad only in his Spongebob boxers and blinking sleepily as he nearly stumbles into the coffee table. It’s simultaneously the most arousing and adorable thing Tao has ever seen and he has to restrain himself from pulling Jongin into his chest and sticking a hand down his underwear. Jongin smiles when he sees him, eyes crinkling and Tao wants to fucking coo at him. Jongin’s turned him into a goddamned canary.
“Hi, Tao. I thought you said you were spending the night at your friends place. I would’ve saved you some dinner.”
Tao reaches over to ruffle Jongin’s hair, feeling a bit bold and the small pleased whine Jongin lets out has him mentally fist-pumping. “I was supposed to but Minseok got a call for an emergency work meeting and kicked me out. And it’s okay, I already ate.”
“That’s good.” Jongin murmurs, voice still sleep-tinged. “I’m gonna head back to bed, don’t forget to turn the lights off.” He slinks back to the bedroom and Tao watches him go, a fond look on his face. He starts when Chen clears his throat beside him, almost having forgotten the other was there. Chen tilts his head, appraising him. “Minseok? He your boyfriend?”
“Former roommate.” Tao takes a swig of his drink, suddenly uncomfortable at being the subject of Chen’s attention. “With benefits.”
“Interesting.” Chen murmurs looking back and forth between Tao and Jongin’s bedroom door before striding out of the kitchen and leaving one very confused boy in his wake.
***
Tao manages to push that strange moment with Chen out of his mind, the other having readily resumed his normal schedule of being an annoying, little shit and Tao is occupied with work, having been promoted from photocopying to filing. His goal is to make it into the divorce law section by next month. He’s heard the stories of what goes on when feuding couples come in together; it’ll be like a live-action Real Housewives episode.
Jongin continues to be the sweet, sexy being he is and Tao continues to vent (and fuck) away his frustrations to Minseok every weekend before stumbling home. Still, even he begins to notice the hushed conversation Jongin and Chen keep having, that mysteriously die off every time he enters the room, Jongin being a little too quick in changing the subject. He also notices Chen staring at him sometimes, lips curled up in his trademark feline smirk and it makes Tao want to shiver. He chalks it up to couple weirdness and does his best to stay out of their way until he comes home from work one night and sees the two of them sitting in the living room, liquor bottles set out before them. He pauses in the doorway, not quite sure whether he’s interrupting something (again) but Jongin catches his eye and smiles, motioning him over. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Tao warily makes his way to the living room, opting to sit on the armchair to the let of the sofa. He gestures to the coffee table stacked with bottles. “Bit lush for a weekday, isn’t it?”
“Some of us can hold our booze.” Chen shrugs, tipping his head back to down a shot. Jongin narrows his eyes, slapping the other man on the thigh and they make eye contact before Chen turns back to Tao, holding out an empty glass towards him. “Pick your poison.”
Tao shakes his head, making to stand. “I shouldn’t, I have an early day tomorrow.” Jongin catches his arm before he can leave and gives him a small smile. “Um, actually, Tao, there’s something we want to ask you.”
“O-kay.” Tao sits down again, giving them an expectant look. “What is it?”
Jongin worries his bottom lip between his teeth, throwing Chen a pleading look before he screws his eyes shut and mumbles something Tao doesn’t catch. He leans forward. “Sorry, can you say that again?”
“We were wondering if you’d-” Jongin swallows before blurting it out, voice too loud for the quiet room. “-have a threesome with us.”
That was not what Tao was expecting. He gives them both a wide-eyed stare, mouth hanging open. “Is- is this a joke?” he sputters out, half expecting Chen to burst into an evil cackle and Jongin to start apologizing profusely for whatever prank his demon boyfriend had roped him into. But both of them stare back at him, Jongin flushing red and Chen giving him an impassive stare. Tao looks back and forth between them. “Say something!”
His tone frightens Jjangah who’s been sleeping under the table this entire time (Tao is horrified that the puppy had even had to hear this discussion) and she begins to bark, sound echoing off the walls. Jongin winces, pulling her into his lap to soothe. “I think she needs to be walked, I’ll just go do that now.” He’s out the door before Tao can blink, clearly relieved at having found an escape route.
Tao whirls around to face Chen. “Okay, how and why the hell would you put him up to this?”
Chen takes a sip of his drink, looking infuriatingly nonchalant. “I didn’t put him up to anything, it was a mutual decision.”
“You can’t be serious.” Tao reaches forward and yanks the glass from Chen’s grip, downing it all in one go. “Why the fuck would you choose me for a threesome? You can’t stand me.”
Chen doesn’t deny the statement. “That’s precisely why I picked you.” He pours himself another drink, leaning over to refill Tao’s glass. ‘Have you ever heard of cuckolding, Tao?”
Tao gives him a blank stare. “Sounds like a KFC dinner special .”
Chen rolls his eyes, muttering “idiot” under his breath. “Cuckolding is a sexual practice where a couple invites a third party into the bedroom,” Chen gives Tao a knowing smirk over the rim of his glass. “To fuck one of them while their partner watches.”
Tao feels lightheaded. “I- I don’t- I don’t understand.”
Chen shrugs. “It’s simple. You and Jongin fuck and I watch.”
Tao feels his breath catch at the thought of Jongin pinned underneath him, moaning his name through those pretty, plush lips before dragging his focus back to Chen. “So wait, what do you get out of this?”
Chen leans back in his chair, pressing his fingertips together and Tao vaguely wonders whether this is the pose he uses while lecturing. “Cuckolding- it’s a bit of an intellectual fetish, you could say, with roots in humiliation and dominance. Kind of like sadomasochism for your mind. I pick men who’re different from me in almost every way.” Chen drags his eyes over Tao’s body making him squirm slightly in his seat. “Physically, intellectually, maybe even those with more power or status. And I let them have Jongin and I have to sit there and watch him get off with them and I can’t do anything about it.”
“And you get off on this.” Tao states faintly, still not quite able to believe that he’s having this conversation. “Does Jongin agree to this?”
“I would never force him into anything he didn’t want. He gives his consent and he has a safeword, the control is always with him” Chen’s tone is sharp and Tao can tell he’s touched a nerve. He nods in lieu of an apology, staring down at his glass. “I’ll- I’ll have to think about this.”
Chen smiles, standing up abruptly. “The offer is on the table, Zitao. Let us know what you decide.” he takes his coat from the rack and shrugs it on, door shutting behind him softly.
Tao makes his way to his room, eager to be out of the way before Jongin comes back. He snags a bottle of vodka on his way in, deciding that this chain of events justifies a drink or two. He falls back against his sheets, uncaring of the creases in his dress slacks that are going to be a bitch to get out, taking a swig and wincing as it burns going down. Eyes watering, he lies there and stares at the ceiling.
“But did they seriously have to proposition me on a Wednesday ?” he says into the silence.
***
To say Tao accomplishes nothing that week is an understatement, he walks around in a half-awake daze, accidentally stapling some files to his suit jacket at one point. The only time he’s mentally aware is when he’s trying to avoid Jongin, a task easier said than done when they live in the same apartment, but it’s too much to see Jongin standing in the kitchen and having his traitorous mind immediately start spiraling into a whirlwind of sexual thoughts that have him skittering back into his room. He vaguely considers calling Minseok to ask for advice but he’s not sure what the correct procedure for asking your former roommate-with-benefits on the the benefits of a having a threesome with your current roommate and his boyfriend is.( Plus he can’t trust Minseok to not blab to Luhan.)
It’s Friday when he finally gets back from work to see Chen in the kitchen, casually munching away on a bag of Tao’s chips. He scowls at the other. “Do you not have food at your own place?
Chen shrugs, smile infuriatingly bright. “But I don’t have special Chinese prawn chips at my place.”
“I paid a shitload in shipping for those, you ass.” Tao strips off his suit jackets, reaching over Chen’s head for a bowl. He nearly drops it when Chen speaks next, voice loud in the space between them. “So, have you decided yet?”
Tao places the bowl down before he smashes any more of his and Jongin’s limited dishware. “About the- thing?”
“The threesome.” Chen states flatly. “If you can’t say it, how’re you ever going to be able to do it?”
Tao ignores the barb, fiddling with his sleeve cuffs. “If I say yes, will it change things between Jongin and I? Would you be okay letting your boyfriend live with someone he’d slept with before?”
He’s not expecting for Chen to touch him, starting slightly when he feels him tip his chin up and even from this angle, with Chen staring up at him, Tao manages to feel so small. “I trust Jongin completely.” Chen speaks, voice soft. “And nothing has to change unless you think there’s any reason for them to.”
He knows . There’s no way Chen isn’t referring to Tao’s blatantly obvious feelings for Jongin but he’s still offering him this golden opportunity on a platter and Tao would be an idiot not to accept. So he pushes aside his misgivings and nods slowly. “You’re right.” he coughs, throat suddenly dry. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
Chen smiles, hand dropping back down against his side. “Was there ever any doubt?”
And Tao can’t even salvage enough energy to refute. It's the truth anyways.
***
Jongin is gone the next morning and Tao stumbles around the apartment in a daze, the weight of his phone burning against his thigh. He’d woken up to a single text from Chen with an address and a time, a single line at the bottom warning him not to be late. To say Tao’s nervous is an understatement, he’s sweating through his t-shirt, biting at his nails till they’re nothing but nasty looking stubs and he prays Jongin doesn’t notice. He’s showered and out the door about an hour earlier than he needs to be but he’s convinced if he spends any more time alone in the apartment, he’s going to go insane. He takes the subway, shifting in his seat with nerves, convinced that everyone who looks at him can see “SEXUAL DEVIANT EN ROUTE TO COMMIT SEXUAL DEVIANCY ” written across his face.
The address turns out to be a love motel, tucked away in the corner of an alley and Tao makes his way inside through a side entrance. Behind a pane of frosted glass, a female voice tells him the room has been paid for already and slides over a room key. He takes the proffered item and gets into the elevator. The door is the first on his right and he knocks hesitantly, before moving to slide his key in the car reader.
The door opens before he can and he’s staring down at Chen who gives him a smirk before tugging him inside by the front of his shirt.
The room is...nice. Tao didn’t know why he’d been expecting some kind of den of sin with black sheets and Chen in leather boots and a whip standing over Jongin hog-tied to the bed (he had an overactive imagination, okay) but it’s exceedingly normal. There’s a large bed in the corner, a couch across from it and a small table where a bottle of wine and some glasses are resting. Jongin is there, looking resplendent as always in his grey sweater and black jeans and he smiles when he sees him standing up and tugging him to the table by the hand. “You’re early."
Chen lets out a cough that sounds suspiciously like “eager” but Tao ignores him, giving Jongin a smile and sitting down. “I wasn’t sure what the etiquette was for these kinds of things but I figured punctuality was necessary.”
“Speaking of etiquette,” Chen sits on the chair beside him, tapping his fingers on the wooden surface of the table. “We need to set some ground rules first.” He points at Jongin. “First things first; safeword.”
“Starlight.” Jongin responds promptly and Chen makes Tao repeat it several times, nodding once he’s satisfied the other will remember. "The safeword is absolute. If it’s used at any time by either you, Jongin or me, then everything stops, immediately. No exceptions.”
“Understood.” Tao nods, slightly intimidated by the aura Chen’s giving off.
“Secondly, do you have any conditions we should know about? STIs or STDs or something equivalent? We’ll be using condoms this time but we still need to know.”
“I’m clean.” Tao fishes through his jean pocket, glad he had the foresight to bring this. “I got tested last month.”
Chen hums, giving the paper a cursory glance before folding it and putting it to the side. “Lastly, there’s hard and soft limits. I’m assuming you know what those are?”
“Um, stuff I’m not into but can be talked into and stuff that’s completely off limits?”
“Essentially. For today, we’re not going to do anything too extreme but you should still know.” he turns to the side. “Jongin, tell him what he can’t do.”
“Anything involving blood, fire, electricity, scat-” he pauses and grins when he sees Tao blanch. "Okay, good, the feeling’s mutual. I’m okay with mild age play, spanking and biting.” He leans forward till he’s almost nose to nose with Tao. “I also really like getting my hair pulled.”
Tao feels a stirring in his pants from all the images Jongin’s placing there and he crosses his thighs tightly. “I understand.”
“If this ends up being more than a one-time deal than we’ll do a checklist in detail.’ Chen stands abruptly, jostling the table slightly and Jongin reaches over to steady the wine bottle. Jongdae walks away and Tao hears the bathroom door close. Jongin gives him a small smile, reaching over to uncork the bottle and pouring it, wrist delicate under the frayed cuffs of his sweater. “He likes to walk in after things have already started.”
“You guys have done this before?” Tao reaches for the glass, tipping his head slightly in Jongin’s direction before taking a drink. The other boy watches him, eyes bright even in the dim lighting of the room. “Yeah, we have but not for a while. The last time was with Yifan, the head of the Mandarin department at Chen’s uni.” Jongin shrugs, the movement causing his sweater to fall off one shoulder. “It was fun.”
“Isn’t it kind of, I don’t know, weird? Your boyfriend wanting to watch you with other guys?” Tao eyes the patch of exposed, tan skin, wanting to trace the contours of Jongin’s collarbone with his tongue. “What do you get out of it?”
“I enjoy myself. And Chen gets very possessive afterwards which is always a plus.” Jongin smirks suddenly, leaning over to take the hand holding the wine glass, taking a slow drink as he keeps his eyes locked on Tao the entire time. His lips are a pretty shade of red when he pulls it away. “I like being worshipped , whether by him or someone else.’
In response, Ta o puts the glass down and leans over to press their lips together. It’s a hesitant press of lips at first, Jongin letting out a happy sigh before parting his lips and granting him access to taste the leftover wine clinging to his tongue, bite into the plushness of his bottom lip. Tao leans in until he’s hovering over Jongin in his chair, hand on his thigh for balance as he press forward, licking his way in and reveling in the soft noises Jongin’s letting out all the while. The other pulls back, breathing heavy and lips spit-slick, so Tao leans in again, letting out a displeased grunt when Jongin twists away. “Bed.” he whispers, pushing Tao back until his knees hit the edge and he falls back with a soft thump. Jongin climbs atop him, knees on either side of his thighs before leaning in again and letting Tao place a hand on his waist for support. The other hand makes its way to Jongin’s hair and Tao tugs a little at the root, testing Jongin’s claim from earlier. The moan he gets in response makes him bolder and he fists his hand tighter in the black strands, pulling away from Jongin’s lips to press kisses to the smooth, tan column of his throat. Jongin twitches as Tao sucks a mark onto his neck, pulling back to tug his sweater over his head and throw it across the room. He gives Tao cheeky grin. “Enjoying the show?”
Tao wipes that smile right off his face, sitting up and sucking a dark nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue around the nub as Jongin keens, hands coming to clench onto his shoulders. Tao alternates between the two, and Jongin’s cries gets louder until he’s rutting into Tao’s lap, hips moving in fluid waves as he rubs their crotches together, erection already tenting the front of his jeans. Tao fumbles with the buttons, and it’s hard to focus when every movement send a small spark of pleasure up his spine, nearly breaking the zipper trying to get it down. Jongin lets out a small sob when Tao’s hand makes contact with his cock through his boxers and he slumps forward, breathing heavily, hips twitching up to match his strokes and god, he’s so fucking responsive, it’s making Tao dizzy with want.
He’s so preoccupied with stripping Jongin out of his clothes that he doesn’t hear Chen come in and sit down. It isn’t until he hears Jongin murmur a soft “oh,” that he looks up and makes eye contact with the third man on the couch. Immediately the tension is back and his hands still on Jongin’s cock, much to the other’s displeasure. It feels strange, taboo almost to be touching Jongin like this when he can feel the weight of Chen’s gaze on him from across the room. Jongin tilts his head away, leaning into kiss him again until the tension bleeds out of Tao’s shoulders.
They finish stripping Tao out of his clothes and Jongin leans over to the nightstand, searching around before he pulls out a bottle of lube and a pack of condoms that he tosses to the side. He look down at Tao “How do you want me?”
Fuck, Tao can’t breathe .He sees Jongdae out of the corner of his eye and a spike of something goes through him, rivalry or vanity maybe. He sits up, pushing Jongin down and angling him so that Chen has a full view. “Fuck yourself open, get yourself ready for my cock.”
Jongin is so obedient, groaning a little as he flips the cap open and dribbles lube over his fingers, legs spread wide enough for Tao to see everything. Jongin’s cock lies against his belly, hard and flushed a pretty pink that Tao can’t resist bending down and lapping at it. Jongin squirms, mouth falling open and fingers stilling as he pants harshly, hips thrusting up as Tao takes him in deeper, relaxing his jaw around the stiffness and swallowing. Jongin fucks up into the heat, keening and they’re both caught off guard when he comes suddenly, Tao moving away a second too late and ending up with smears of white across one cheek and down his collarbones. He leans over Jongin and gestures to the mess. “Clean it up.”
Jongin licks at his come and Tao takes the opportunity to slide a finger into him, the other’s entrance clamping tightly upon the intrusion. He hears a sharp intake of breath from the corner and looks over to Chen, still in the same position on the couch but with his hands fisted at his sides and a noticeable bulge in his pants. He maintains eye contact as he slowly fucks Jongin open, sliding another finger in and scissoring, the dancer’s body loose and relaxed after his orgasm. There’s a sheen of sweat on Chen’s face by the time Tao has three in and Jongin is gasping, begging “please, please, I’m ready, I’m ready”. Tao feels a triumphant thrill when he sees Chen’s hand stray to the waistband of his jeans, hesitating before reaching in to rub at his erection. He turns his attention back to Jongin, curling his fingers up one more time before pulling out and reaching for the condom. He fumbles with it a few times before Jongin chuckles and tears it open for him, rolling it on one-handed, a skill Tao will have to ask him about later. He lines his cock up with Jongin’s entrance, dragging the head teasingly over the rim and eliciting an impatient whine before pushing in, the slow enveloping heat making him throw his head back with a loud groan. Jongin is impatient, pushing down until his hips are lined up with Tao’s and they’re both panting, Jongin’s fingers tightening on Tao’s shoulders. “Fucking move.”
He tries to start off slow but Jongin is having none of it, meeting his thrusts with hard slams of his hips until Tao’s fucking into him for all he’s worth. The head of his cock drags over Jongin’s prostate on every thrust, friction catching at the rim and it's turned Jongin into a gasping mess. He’s so caught up in staring at him, memorizing every detail of his arousal from the flushed cheeks to the sweat-soaked bangs plastered to Jongin’s forehead that he almost misses the sounds coming from the corner of the room. He looks over and feels something inside him spark when he sees Chen with his cock out, rubbing himself so hard that Tao’s surprised it doesn’t hurt. His eyes are clouded, teeth worrying at his lower lip as he watches them and in that moment Tao feels so fucking powerful , being able to reduce Jongdae to this barely-composed thing, enraptured by the performance they’re putting on. He’s going too fast now, the tell-tale thrum under his skin as his orgasm approaches and he lets it happen, moaning lowly as he comes into the condom, Jongin clenching down as he fucks him through it. He stays like that, still buried in the tight heat as he strokes Jongin to completion, shuddering when he feels his ass clench tight around his still sensitive cock as Jongin paints his hand in white.
He’s semi-disappointed when he looks over and sees Chen gone, he’d wanted to watch the other as he came, hear the sound he’d let out or whether he had a hideous orgasm face that Tao could use for future teasing purposes. Jongin shifts underneath him, pushing at his chest. “You’re heavy.” he whines, tone huskier than normal and Ta o wants to lean down and kiss him again but with the haze of lust receding, he’s becoming more aware of the circumstances and he’s not sure how to proceed. He figures cleaning them up is a good start and pulls out, rolling over onto his side and pulling off the condom. That goes in the trash and he starts searching for a box of tissues to wipe the drying mess off his hand. A wet towel hit him in the chest and he looks up to meet Chen’s gaze.
“Clean up and get out.” He says shortly, turning and striding out again before Tao can respond or maybe throw the towel back in his face. He turns to Jongin, slightly discomfited. “Is he okay?”
“Hmm? Oh that, don’t worry about it. Dae always gets like that afterwards.” Jongin takes the towel, wiping his chest down before moving to his hands, wiping carefully till all the cum’s gone. He tries to return the favour but Jongin shakes his head, pushing him away. “He likes me like this after a session.”
Session. The term is clinical and detached, Jongin could be discussing a dance class for all the casual lilt of his tone lets on and Tao comes back to reality with a crashing realization. He shuffles over to the edge of the bed, searching for his pants, underwear lost somewhere in the chaos and he can’t be arsed to search for them right now. His shirt goes on next and he heads for the door, sending a small wave in Jongin’s direction. He walks in a daze to the elevator and out of the motel, squinting against the bright neon lights that have lit up the street. They must’ve been in there for a few hours. It’s strange. He just had an excellent not-quite threesome, he probably should be feeling a lot of emotions right now but disappointment should surely not be one of them.
***
He doesn’t see Jongin again until Wednesday, the other entering the apartment with Jjangah’s excited yips in his wake. He frowns when he sees Tao curled up under a blanket on the couch, dumping his coat on the armchair as he walks over. “Hey, how come you’re not at work?”
“Sick” Tao mutters snuggling deeper into the cushion and turning away so Jongin can’t see his puffy eyes and cracked lips. “I was feverish and they sent me home early.”
“Oh, god, you too?” He feels a cool hand on his forehead and Jongin tips his chin up to appraise him. “Have you eaten anything?”
“Nope.” He’d texted Minseok an hour earlier, begging him to bring him some soup but he’s not sure whether his messages were even remotely understandable in his feverish haze. Jongin makes a displeased sound and gets up, dumping Jangah on Tao’s lap. “I’ll make you something, you need to keep your fluid intake up.” Jjangah squirms around on his belly before settling down and leaving little, licks all over his face. Groaning, he pushes her off, sitting up so he can see Jongin moving around in the kitchenette. “What did you mean by “you too”?”
“I got sick on Sunday and then Dae on tuesday. We quarantined ourselves at his place for the past few days.” Jongin brings him a glass of water and he takes a sip, almost moaning at how good it feels down his sandpaper throat. Jongin’s carrying a plate with a sandwich on it which he leaves on the table, awkwardly scratching at his head. “Sorry, I’m not really good at making soup or juk or something.”
“It’s great, thank you.” Tao eats, holding the sandwich out of Jjangah’s reach. Jongin pulls the puppy into his own lap, flopping on the sofa besides him and Tao almost chokes on the bite he’d taken when he feels Jongin’s arm brush against his, skin hot to the touch. He swallows quickly. “Wait, so how did you get sick too, I haven't seen you all...week.” he trails off when he sees the smirk on Jongin’s face and stares down at his plate flushing furiously. “Oh.”
Jongin laughs, standing and stretching so that his shirt rides up and Tao can see small hickeys peppered along his hips and oh yeah, Tao put them there. . Jongin puts Jjangah on the couch, turning back to face him. "I’m gonna shower and then I have class, are you going to be okay on your own?”
“I’m a big kid, I can go to the bathroom by myself and everything.” Tao grumbles, lying back down and tucking the blanket under his chin again. He dozes off to the sound of the pipes creaking as Jongin showers, Jjangah having taken residence on his chest. It feels like he’s only been out for a few minutes when he feels someone shaking him awake, Jjangah’s loud barks near his ear. Groaning, he squints one eye open, letting out a startled meep when he sees Jongdae staring down at him. He opens his mouth but before he can speak, there a thermometer being shoved under his tongue and Jongdae claps his jaw shut for him, almost making Tao bite off his tongue. He ignores the indignant noises Tao’s letting out, checking his watch and pulling the thermometer out after a minute . He squints at the numbers. “103 huh, that’s high.”
“What are you doing here?” Tao groans, grimacing as he sits up. There’s a sheen of sweat on his skin, his eyes are crusty and he knows he looks like hell and he feels like it too. Having Chen in the vicinity isn’t doing wonders for his constitution either. The other rifles through a plastic bag on the coffee table, pulling out a small glass bottle and a plastic spoon. He pours some out and holds it in front of Tao’s face. “Say aah.”
“No.” Tao deadpans, leaning back. “Why are you even here?”
“Jongin made me promise to check up on you, brat. Don’t know why I bothered.” Chen brings the spoon back to his lips. “Drink.”
He acquiesces, swallowing two mouthfuls of the syrup. Jongdae pulls out a small metal container and deposits it it in his lap, chucking a pack of spices at him. “That’s soup, eat it now while it’s still warm.”
“Thanks for this.” Tao mutters, purposely pitching his voice low but Chen hears him anyways and lets out an obnoxious coo, reaching over to ruffle his hair and Tao glowers at him from around his spoon. “Back off, creep, I still don’t like you."
“Still?” Chen pouts. “But I let you fuck my boyfriend, I thought that would earn me a few points.”
Tao swallows too fast, soup burning his throat and he coughs before glaring at Chen, eyes watering. “You can’t just say shit like that!”
“Why?” Chen shrugs, nonchalant as ever. “It’s the truth. Speaking of which, tell me, did you enjoy yourself last weekend?”
Tao feels the heat crawling up his neck but forces himself to maintain eye contact. “Couldn’t you tell? Or were you too preoccupied jerking off to focus?” He smiles as Chen registers the barb, eyes narrowing slightly. “I’d expect better multi-tasking skills from a college professor.”
Suddenly, he finds himself with his neck pressed against the sofa, Chen’s hand around his throat in a firm grip but with no pressure behind it. He stares wide-eyed as Chen tips his head down, breathing along the shell of his ear. “Oh, you don’t want to go down this road, Zitao.” he whispers slowly, thumb stroking a slow circle over his adam’s apple. “There’s nothing you did Saturday night that I couldn’t do better and I can do more. I’d fucking break you. Have you begging and crying, so sweet and needy. I think I’d like that side of you a lot better than this one.” He pulls away suddenly, Tao still pressed against the back of the couch, frozen. “But that’s not what I need you for, unfortunately. If you’re better by Friday, let Jongin know. He’ll give you the hotel address.” He stands and Tao stands up, finally having returned to his senses. “Wait, you mean- the three of us- again?”
“Are you declining?” Tao shakes his head quickly and Chen laughs, hands in the pocket of his hoodie. “Then it’s settled.” He pulls something out of his pocket, chucking it towards Tao’s head. “That’s yours.”
Tao stares at the black fabric, the small white tag with his name written in faded black hanja (Minseok insisted). “Why the hell did you have my boxers?”
“You forgot them at the hotel.” Chen calls over his shoulder, twisting the doorknob as he steps into his shoes. “I used them to gag Jongin. Might wanna wash them.” The door shuts behind him with a loud click and Tao falls back on the sofa, suddenly feeling very lightheaded.
***
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