Round 4: Black Tie, Blue Skies
Title: Black Tie, Blue Skies
Team: AU
Rating: R
Fandom: Big Bang
Pairing: Seungri/Jiyong
Summary: Secret Agent Jiyong is at the top of his game, partners with the man he loves, and backed up with the most efficient team in the business, so he doesn’t know what to do when he loses it all in one, single night.
Prompt Used: Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl
The thing about being a secret agent is that no one really expects you to have friends, but you have to be social, charming, and approachable all rolled into one. Contradictions come with the job, so Jiyong isn’t going to bitch about it, but it’d be nice if once in a while he didn’t have to come on to a seventy year old woman just to distract her while your partner sneaks into her room.
“Clyde, two minutes.”
Jiyong represses a sigh as Mrs. Golding’s hand creeps up his chest. Jesus, he didn’t sign up for this.
“You seems distracted, Joey,” she whispers in a voice she probably thinks is sultry but makes Jiyong cringe, because all he wants to do is give her warm milk and tuck her in for the night.
“Just thinking,” he whispers back, slowly stepping forward until they’re dancing in a counterclockwise circle.
“Exit.”
He takes his time, tucking her hair behind her ear, and says, “I’m afraid I have to leave.”
Not waiting around to hear her protest, he weaves his way out of the crowd, a finger presses to his earpiece as he whispers, “Exiting.”
“Path 3.”
“Got it.”
“Approach left. Data is secured.”
Jiyong steps into the elevator and pushes the ground floor’s button. There’s another man in the elevator and Jiyong doesn’t have to look to know it’s Seungri, his partner in governmental crime. He doesn’t acknowledge him, though, obviously, and doesn’t even glance at him until they’re in the parking lot. He nods casually, a universal hello, and Seungri mirrors the movement as he continues to walk past Jiyong’s car.
“We are set to go, Clyde.”
Sliding into his car, he rolls down the windows and turns up the music. Styx’s Renegade blasts into the fairly empty lot and Jiyong smirks just thinking about the way Seungri would wrinkle his nose if he hear the music, how he would punch Jiyong’s arm and call him a hick with a voice so affectionate that it’d defeat the whole purpose of the insult. He sings along obnoxiously, the lyrics making his heart race in a sick sort of thrill.
This'll be the end today of the wanted man, the wanted man.
+
Back at the headquarters, Seungri is sifting through the information on the computer, one elbow propped up to keep Daesung away and the other digging into Jiyong’s stomach. Deasung makes an impatient noise and mutters something about the techs having no respect, damn spies with their shiny fucking suits and stupid fucking codenames.
Jiyong grins really wide and gets his chair kicked away by Daesung, who seems to lighten up considerably after Jiyong knocks into a table and ends up sprawled on the floor.
“Quit screwin’ around, Ji,” Seungri says, not really looking but frowning at the computer screen like that’s all there is. Daesung mimes a hearty laugh and Jiyong flips him off, getting up and swatting at his ass even though the floor is carpeted.
“Seriously, though,” Jiyong says, “Is there something worthwhile in there or did I just get semi-raped for nothing?”
“Not for nothing, sweetheart,” Seungri says, his voice holding more sarcasm than affection, “We’ve got a contact list of Utopia’s.”
“No way,” Daesung whispers and quickly shoves Seungri out of the way so he can look too. He scrolls down furiously quick and then screeches, “No way!”
Jiyong makes a face. “I’m going deaf here, Dae. What the fuck.”
Daesung pulls Jiyong down until he’s face to face with the computer. Jiyong scans the pages in front of him and slowly, his lips stretch up into a grin. He high fives half of his team and pulls them along so they can go talk to the other half.
Youngbae seems to be waiting for them, headphones around his neck and a huge smile on his face, but Seunghyun just looks half asleep, flashing them a lazy thumbs-up.
“Glad to see this means so much to you, Seunghyun,” Jiyong says, bumping into his chair and disrupting his calm. Seunghyun runs a hand down his unruly and weirdly white hair. He sighs dramatically, but his eyes are shining with pride like they always are when they’ve accomplished a mission.
“Well, I ran the contacts while you guys were shitting all over yourselves,” Seunghyun explains and motions for them to come closer to his monitor. The screen is as big as a regular TV and has twenty windows open all at once. Seunghyun minimizing all the unnecessary ones and pulls up the contacts that have been organized into a spreadsheet.
“The ones in red are known to be dead, the ones in green are where we should head next, and the ones in yellow are what could just be traps.”
Daesung groans and Seungri scrunches up his face. Jiyong isn’t so pessimistic.
“That’s fine, though, right? Dead means good. And, we’ve a few greens. We’ll just have to look into the yellow areas and see if it’s safe or whatever. Right?”
Youngbae nods and says, “Exactly. I’m glad you’re taking a brighter turn than the rest of your dismal team. If our theories are correct, these contacts hold the biggest names in drug trafficking, so obviously a decent amount should be dead. And, a decent amount should be very, very hard to find. This is big scale. And, Utopia’s holding all the cards.”
“So, where do you want us to start?” Seungri asks.
“We’ll run it by the guys upstairs and let you know tomorrow at the latest,” Seunghyun says, swiveling his chair back around until he’s facing his computer. Youngbae gives them a little wave, good-naturedly going along with Jiyong’s spastic high-fives, and kicks them out.
+
Jiyong watches with half-open eyes as Seungri stalks around the room and pulls on his clothes, having to bend more often than not at weird places since Jiyong wasn’t really looking when he walked them backwards to the bed.
“You got somewhere to be?”
Seungri sticks out his tongue and it’s so childish and young that Jiyong feels his heart clench. Seungri shouldn’t be working as a double agent in a job as dangerous as theirs. But, he doesn’t say anything, because Seungri only gets pissed it it’s ever brought up, saying he can handle much more than that, thank you very much.
“Not taking a shower?”
“Not fixing your face?”
“Real mature, Ri. I applaud your immaculate wit, you silver-tongued devil you.”
Chuckling, Seungri crawls back onto the bed, straddling Jiyong’s naked body and leaning down to whisper, “You love my tongue, Jiyong.”
Jiyong groans, bucking up against Seungri instinctively but Seungri’s already moving away, grabbing his wallet and keys.
“Love you. Bye,” he calls out over his shoulder before slamming the door shut. Jiyong rolls over in bed, bringing the sheets with him until he’s in a cocoon, and tries not to worry like an overprotective mother as Seungri goes off to Agency Utopia disguised as a completely different man.
+
Seungri’s late and Jiyong can’t sit still.
“Clyde, respond.”
“Here, Silver.”
“Bonnie spotted at two o’clock. Move out.”
All the air inside Jiyong leaves in one big whoosh like he’d been sucking it in and holding it there. Discreetly, he checks to see if Seungri really is coming, and relaxes even further when he sees Seungri’s ridiculously shaggy hair. He kicks himself off the wall and heads down the lobby, a careful distance behind Seungri, who looks like any other business man with an indistinguishable black briefcase.
Once outside, Jiyong pulls on his shades and keeps his eyes trained on the driveway of the hotel as Seungri does the same. Seungri’s car arrived first and he’s already out of the parking lot by the time Jiyong’s car pulls up. He slips inside after muttering a quick status update to Seunghyun.
+
Youngbae’s talking to Seungri in a corner and it’s probably about why Seungri wasn’t where he was supposed to be at the given time. Jiyong knows from personal experience how utterly nerve-wracking Youngbae’s anger can be, especially since the man doesn’t ever raise his voice and just guilt trips you into feeling like the biggest shit ever.
Even Daesung, who’s mostly unsympathetic towards everyone, winces when Youngbae puts a hand on Seungri’s knee, and watches pityingly as Seungri’s face crumbles.
“Hey, Bae, I think that’s enough,” Jiyong says, ignoring the grateful look Seungri shoots him.
“He could have died, Jiyong,” Youngbae says slowly like Jiyong didn’t quite get it, “I know he’s your… whatever, but we can’t just pretend he didn’t defy plain orders,” he turns to Seungri, “You’re young and that means agility but also stupidity. Don’t make me ever lecture you on this again. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Seungri says, quickly shuffling out of the control room, and Jiyong almost expects him to salute or something on the way out. Seunghyun clicks his tongue and swats pens around as Youngbae rubs a hand down his face.
“Seriously, though. Jiyong, you have to talk to him. Kid’s a double agent. He can’t just disappear. He needs to realize that he’s the very thin thread that’s holding an entire operation together. It’s not a mission he’s doing off to the side.”
“Geez, BaeBear, don’t sugarcoat it.”
Youngbae blindly kicks at Seunghyun’s chair and doesn’t look away from Jiyong, who nods slowly.
“Sure thing, man. I’ll talk to him.”
He feels Youngbae’s gaze all the way downstairs.
+
Seunghyun claps his hands and everyone quiets down.
“Alright, recap. We’ve checked out all the green contacts and they were pretty reliable. Too bad some of them turned out to be red once we found them. Anyway, the okay has come from upstairs about the yellow ones, but we’re going to have to be extra careful. Utopia isn’t a reckless agency and they know how we work, so they probably know we’ve got the list. Seungri’s holding them back but that can’t possibly last long. We have to move fast and make it efficient, okay?”
Everyone nods and Seunghyun gets off from where he was leaning on his desk, handing Daesung an in-depth printout of the information already presented.
“Bonnie and Clyde set to go for Nashville raid,” Seunghyun mutters into his headpiece as Seungri and Jiyong make their way out of the room.
“Bonnie and Clyde takeoff.”
+
Jiyong curls his fingers around his gun, finding comfort in the cold metal, and points it in a general direction. He can’t make out much of anything in this dark of a room, but he doesn’t dare turn the light. If someone was forewarned of his arrival, then they’re both at a disadvantage at the moment. With the light on, Jiyong wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Sixty seconds.”
He starts almost violently when he hears the door swing open. Someone fumbles around until the light flickers on, but by that time, Jiyong has already hidden himself in the closet. He squints through the crack between the two doors and sees a man walk to the dresser. The man’s wearing a plain, black suit and nothing extra other than a watch which he takes off quickly.
“Jiyong Kwon.”
Jiyong freezes, his heart kick starting like something painful, and he doesn’t think he can even speak until the man turn around. He’s one of the agents from Utopia, one Seungri ‘worked’ with on several occasions. His lips have a scar down one edge and are pulling up into a smirk at the other.
“I’m afraid I don’t know you the same as you know me.”
“I’m nobody important.”
“You’re in this room. I’m guessing you’re pretty damn important if you can come and go in a room that was on Utopia’s contact list.”
“I’m not a contact, Kwon. I’m an agent. Specifically, I’m Seungri’s partner.”
Jiyong’s hand twitches up until he’s got his gun situated at the man’s groin.
“Is that so?”
The man’s eyes are an endless black, his graying hair making him look a lot older than he must actually be, and his teeth are unnaturally white when he grins.
“Yes, but then again, aren’t you his partner too?”
“So, you know a lot of shit. Congratulations.”
He rolls his eyes, but inside, he’s panicking because it’s clear that Utopia knows Seungri’s a double agent and it’s also pretty clear what Utopia does with traitors.
“I know a lot more than you, that’s for sure,” the man says, eyes dimming into something that’s a lot like pity and makes Jiyong squirm and step away from the closet. The man hasn’t moved since he turned around to call Jiyong out, but now he steps forward too, bringing them both to the center of the room. Jiyong still has his gun poised and ready to shoot.
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Like,” the man starts, drawing the word out, “Seungri isn’t loyal to ACE.”
Jiyong’s fingers tighten on the trigger.
“What?”
The man makes a show of being startled, hand on his heart, and says, “You didn’t know? He’s working for us, Jiyong.”
“Of course, he’s working for you.”
“Not because you guys made him a double agent though. He’s not a double agent at all actually.”
“Then what is he?” Jiyong scoffs.
“A triple agent.”
Jiyong almost laughs. “What?”
The man sighs wearily and explains, “He was pretending to be a double agent while being loyal to us. Triple agent. Get it?”
“I know what a triple agent is. I just. Seungri wouldn’t. He got us your entire contact list.”
The man smiles slowly and it’s a little bit cruel, making Jiyong unsure what he’s supposed to do. His mind is still reeling when a soft voice buzzes in his ear.
“Clyde. Bonnie has fallen off mission. We have to video of the room. Abort mission.”
The room feels like it’s a hundred degrees all of a sudden and Jiyong doesn’t know what to do first, run or drink out of the water bottle on the side table. He wonders if he should shoot this man before he runs, but the decision is taken out of his hands when there’s a knock on the door.
“Wait here a minute, would you?” the man says, putting up a finger like they’re in the middle of some house visit, and goes to the door.
Seungri shoves past the man and for a second, his eyes hold nothing but red hot anger before he reins it in under a veil of indifference. Jiyong still has his gun up, so his arm finally fall down against his side and his muscles ache with the movement.
“Seungri, this guy. He said. That you.”
Jiyong can’t even bring himself to finish as he watches Seungri’s shoulders droop in silent agreement.
“There was no harm intended towards ACE, Jiyong. Utopia just had an operation to run that you guys were interfering with. You can leave now. You’re of no threat anymore.”
His heart feels like it’s going to give out any second, because no, Seungri must be lying, must be keeping up appearances in front of his fake partner. But, the agent in him knows exactly what the truth is and it stings so bad, he’s certain he’s going to choke up blood if he tries to talk.
“C’mon, Jiyong. Leave,” Seungri says, hands wringing together like they always do when he’s especially nervous and without a clear plan. The man behind Seungri tugs at his sleeve in a motion that’s so intimate, it shakes Jiyong out of his funk.
“Was you fucking around with me part of the job description?” he spits out, hating how dejected and bitter he sounds, but he relishes the way Seungri’s entire face winces at the words.
“No, it wasn’t,” he says, but before he elaborates, he turns around to whisper something to the man, who nods and salutes as he leaves the room. As soon as the door closes, Jiyong snaps the gun back up, aiming it right at Seungri’s heart.
Seungri barely even blinks.
“Ji, get out of here or they will kill you.”
Jiyong can hardly see straight and he’d be crying if he weren’t so damn angry.
“You son of a bitch,” Jiyong says, biting out of the words and holding the gun steady.
“Listen,” Seungri says and he holds up his hands as though in surrender, “Sex wasn’t part of the plan, Ji. That was all me, okay? So, if you’re gonna feel betrayed, don’t do it on your own account, do it on ACE’s. You’re not the one I was hoping to gain trust from and you’re not the one I was hoping to betray.”
“So, I was just a good fuck,” Jiyong says, smirking humorlessly, “Just a fun time while you were fucking with everything that I’ve worked for, everything our team worked for?”
Seungri looks exhausted all of a sudden and Jiyong hates how his heart squeezes a little in concern.
“I didn’t fuck with anything, Jiyong. Weren’t you listening? My job was to keep you occupied with the contact list so you’d back off the real missions. That’s it. I didn’t give you false information. That really was the contact list, but it was just of our enemies that we needed dead anyway. We actually really respect your agency and it was never a rival thing.”
Jiyong all but snorts. “You talk a real nice game, Seungri. Can’t say I ever noticed. Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to shoot you in that little hole where your heart should be.”
Seungri doesn’t look scared. In fact, he looks worn down like he just knows Jiyong won’t hurt him, and the thought makes Jiyong want to hurt him, want to make him bleed as pretty as his smile.
“I still love you, asshole. Don’t go shooting people just because your pride is hurt.”
“Just because? Seungri, you’ve fucking lying to me for the past two years. You don’t know how many nights I spent worrying over you, hoping against hope that no one in Utopia would get suspicious of you, praying like I believed in a God. For two years, you’ve had my heart on a silver platter and I’m just pissed because my pride is hurt?”
Uncertainty flickers across Seungri’s face and he suddenly looks out of his element.
“I didn’t mean to worry you,” he says quietly, looking over Jiyong’s shoulder.
“Yeah, well.” Jiyong holds out his arms indicating that the not worrying him part didn’t quite work out so well. Seungri doesn’t seem to notice, his eyes roaming around the room, looking everywhere Jiyong is not. Realization hits Jiyong like an ice cold shower washing down his spine.
“You’re planning an escape?”
Seungri startles and then almost smiles.
“Right. You would know that.”
“Yeah, I would. I haven’t been your partner for nothing. But, oh wait, have we really been partners at all?”
Seungri frowns.
“Of course, we have. I always had your back, Jiyong. That never changed. And, it won’t ever change. To you specifically, I have always been loyal.”
Something gives in Jiyong’s chest and he feels it presses against his ribcage, making it ache terribly.
“Don’t. Don’t say shit like that.”
“Like what?” Seungri asks, following the movement when Jiyong lowers his gun until it’s pointed at the floor.
“Like we’re still something.”
Seungri’s eyes snap up to meet Jiyong’s and he looks furious, sad, and heartbroken all at once.
“Did you not hear me? I said I still love you. That wasn’t part of a plan or anything.”
“You don’t do this to people you love, Seungri, so feed that bullshit to someone who’ll believe. I’m going to shoot you on the shoulder so you won’t die, but it’ll hurt so damn bad you’ll wish you could just stop feeling. And, then you’ll know what I’m going to be going through for the rest of my life, you lying sack of shit.”
Seungri’s almost pouting and it would be adorable if it weren’t so fucking tragic. Jiyong feels his eyes prickle and he quickly blinks, terrified of actually crying in front of Seungri.
“Don’t do this, Ji. I can’t. I love you,” he says, desperation lacing his voice, and Jiyong can’t even look at him.
“Fuck you,” Jiyong mutters, shoving past Seungri as he leaves the room, and he’s not surprised when Seungri doesn’t come after him.
+
Life without Seungri is oddly not that much different than it was with him, because Jiyong’s still on missions most of the time and Seunghyun’s voice still crackles as he barks out orders. It’s only when Jiyong is at his apartment, all alone in his bedroom, the napkin with the bartender’s number laying somewhere on the floor, that he feels like something has changed.
If anything, he’s actually a much better agent now that he’s not worrying over Seungri half the time and usually does one-man missions. Youngbae transferred after he learned about Seungri, eyes downcast and looking so broken that Jiyong hated Seungri for real in that brief moment, but Daesung’s still around. Seunghyun and Daesung never mention Seungri, and a part of Jiyong is eternally grateful for that.
But, a larger part of Jiyong wants to talk about it, wants to formulate a plan to hunt Seungri down. He keeps that thought to himself, though, and files it under personal missions.
All he needs is an unattached tech and he’s got just the right girl in mind.
+
Chaerin’s bangs keep bugging her eyes and he almost whips his ponytail right into Jiyong’s eye as she turns around. She lifts a file off her shelf and flips through it.
“Why do you need Seungri’s location again?”
“It’s a job.”
“Real nice and vague, Agent. You seem to forget I’ve known for a while now. Seungri was your partner before he disappeared.”
Jiyong clenches his jaw, but keeps his face otherwise impassive as he says, “He didn’t disappear. He left the agency.”
“Oh, I know. I was just being considerate of your feelings,” she says, grinning cheekily and Jiyong rolls his eyes fondly. She goes back in front of her computer and types in whatever information she gathered from the file. It takes a few minutes, but eventually, she’s got Seungri pinned down to the hotel room.
“You’re amazing.”
“I know,” she says, but her smile dims as she tucks his hair behind his ear, “Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
He doesn’t say anything, because he doesn’t want to say lie and would rather not say the truth.
+
Youngbae manages to contact him five weeks after his leave and it’s a message in a special code just they know. It’s a report of how Seungri was shot in a drug raid in Nashville of all places.
Jiyong feels his entire world tilt, falter, and disintegrate.
Seungri’s dead and he won’t ever know Jiyong never stopped loving him.
+
Masochistic as he is, he still goes down to the hotel Chaerin said Seungri was at last, and would still be at had he not gone down to the city. He goes up all the way to the exact room and stands there for a second, feeling like he’s at the loneliest funeral in history. He’s so close to breaking down crying that he’s jumps back when the door swings open.
And, it’s Seungri looking alive, pale, and completely shocked.
They stare at each other for what seems like hours until Seungri clears his throat.
“How did. How did you find me?”
“You’re dead,” Jiyong blurts out before he can help himself and flushes when Seungri snorts.
“Check again. Like I asked, how did you find me?”
“Chaerin tracked you down by your cab. Youngbae said you got shot at the raid.”
Seungri looks up and down the hallway before tugging Jiyong inside the room. He doesn’t ask Jiyong to sit down, just sort of stands there shuffling his feet until he reaches some kind of decision in his mind.
“I faked it.”
“Why?”
“I had to leave Utopia somehow. I didn’t want to work there anymore.”
“Got a conscience all of a sudden? Gee, I’m impressed.”
Seungri looks so sad that Jiyong almost begins to backtrack, but Seungri speaks up.
“Don’t be an ass, Jiyong. I did it for you.”
“You knew I’d find out you were dead and you know what that would do to me. So, what the hell kind of thing is that to do for me?”
“I was on my way to get you,” Seungri explains, voice childishly excited all of a sudden and Jiyong has to will away the urge to smile.
“What, you think I’m going to drop everything and run away with you? With Utopia and ACE on my ass?”
Seungri’s grin drops immediately and he looks uncomfortable. Looking somewhere near Jiyong’s chin, he scratches the back of his neck, laughs awkwardly, and fails to sound nonchalant as he says, “Right. Sorry. I. I guess I didn’t think-”
Jiyong grabs Seungri by the collar and spins him around until he can keep him against the wall and goes to town on his neck. Seungri sputters of a second before dissolving into moans and fuck yes’s.
“I thought you were dead,” Jiyong mutters stupidly, “I thought you were. Jesus, don’t ever do that to me again?”
“Can you ever forgive me, Jiyong? For what I did?”
“I can try,” Jiyong says, kissing up to Seungri’s jaw, “But, fuck if I’m gonna let you out of my sight ever again. You screw with my head too much as it is.”
He digs his fingers into Seungri’s hips and rocks forward, swallowing Seungri’s moans like a starved man.
“I love you,” he whispers into Seungri’s ear.
“I know. Now, fuck me, you bastard.”
Jiyong chuckles, but doesn’t dare refuse. Later, when he’s got Seungri sated and pliant in his hands, he thinks running away wouldn’t be so bad after all.
+
“Why, Bonnie, you’re looking mighty fine this morning.”
Seungri rolls his eyes, swatting at Jiyong’s naked chest with his newspaper, and bypasses Jiyong’s puckered lips for coffee.
“Stop pouting. You look like an idiot.”
Jiyong sulks for two seconds before Seungri settles himself in his lap.
“Oh, hello,” he leers and Seungri smiles fondly with that look he always get when he’s loose and still buzzing from the shower sex.
“Youngbae says you’ve always been sleazy, so I guess I can’t even complain.”
“Youngbae says a lot of things, my love. Most of which are true.”
Seungri kisses his forehead and says, “Seunghyun sent in a message. Utopia’s closing in on us again.”
Jiyong groans, burying his nose in Seungri’s neck, and mumbles, “How’d they even know you’re alive?”
“We stayed at the hotel too long. The receptionist had excellent memory.”
“Whatever. It’s fine. Where do you want to go?”
He traces up Seungri’s spine lazily as Seungri says, “Brazil. I figured changing countries is the only way to get them off my tail.”
“Brazil it is, then,” Jiyong says, grinning up at Seungri, who grins back.
+
Utopia never manages to find them and they end up working for a Brazilian agency. Pretty soon, there’s talk all over of this infamous pair, Bonnie and Clyde, who managed to infiltrate an entire underground drug trafficking system by themselves.
Poll Round 4: Black Tie, Blue Skies
Team: AU
Rating: R
Fandom: Big Bang
Pairing: Seungri/Jiyong
Summary: Secret Agent Jiyong is at the top of his game, partners with the man he loves, and backed up with the most efficient team in the business, so he doesn’t know what to do when he loses it all in one, single night.
Prompt Used: Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl
The thing about being a secret agent is that no one really expects you to have friends, but you have to be social, charming, and approachable all rolled into one. Contradictions come with the job, so Jiyong isn’t going to bitch about it, but it’d be nice if once in a while he didn’t have to come on to a seventy year old woman just to distract her while your partner sneaks into her room.
“Clyde, two minutes.”
Jiyong represses a sigh as Mrs. Golding’s hand creeps up his chest. Jesus, he didn’t sign up for this.
“You seems distracted, Joey,” she whispers in a voice she probably thinks is sultry but makes Jiyong cringe, because all he wants to do is give her warm milk and tuck her in for the night.
“Just thinking,” he whispers back, slowly stepping forward until they’re dancing in a counterclockwise circle.
“Exit.”
He takes his time, tucking her hair behind her ear, and says, “I’m afraid I have to leave.”
Not waiting around to hear her protest, he weaves his way out of the crowd, a finger presses to his earpiece as he whispers, “Exiting.”
“Path 3.”
“Got it.”
“Approach left. Data is secured.”
Jiyong steps into the elevator and pushes the ground floor’s button. There’s another man in the elevator and Jiyong doesn’t have to look to know it’s Seungri, his partner in governmental crime. He doesn’t acknowledge him, though, obviously, and doesn’t even glance at him until they’re in the parking lot. He nods casually, a universal hello, and Seungri mirrors the movement as he continues to walk past Jiyong’s car.
“We are set to go, Clyde.”
Sliding into his car, he rolls down the windows and turns up the music. Styx’s Renegade blasts into the fairly empty lot and Jiyong smirks just thinking about the way Seungri would wrinkle his nose if he hear the music, how he would punch Jiyong’s arm and call him a hick with a voice so affectionate that it’d defeat the whole purpose of the insult. He sings along obnoxiously, the lyrics making his heart race in a sick sort of thrill.
This'll be the end today of the wanted man, the wanted man.
+
Back at the headquarters, Seungri is sifting through the information on the computer, one elbow propped up to keep Daesung away and the other digging into Jiyong’s stomach. Deasung makes an impatient noise and mutters something about the techs having no respect, damn spies with their shiny fucking suits and stupid fucking codenames.
Jiyong grins really wide and gets his chair kicked away by Daesung, who seems to lighten up considerably after Jiyong knocks into a table and ends up sprawled on the floor.
“Quit screwin’ around, Ji,” Seungri says, not really looking but frowning at the computer screen like that’s all there is. Daesung mimes a hearty laugh and Jiyong flips him off, getting up and swatting at his ass even though the floor is carpeted.
“Seriously, though,” Jiyong says, “Is there something worthwhile in there or did I just get semi-raped for nothing?”
“Not for nothing, sweetheart,” Seungri says, his voice holding more sarcasm than affection, “We’ve got a contact list of Utopia’s.”
“No way,” Daesung whispers and quickly shoves Seungri out of the way so he can look too. He scrolls down furiously quick and then screeches, “No way!”
Jiyong makes a face. “I’m going deaf here, Dae. What the fuck.”
Daesung pulls Jiyong down until he’s face to face with the computer. Jiyong scans the pages in front of him and slowly, his lips stretch up into a grin. He high fives half of his team and pulls them along so they can go talk to the other half.
Youngbae seems to be waiting for them, headphones around his neck and a huge smile on his face, but Seunghyun just looks half asleep, flashing them a lazy thumbs-up.
“Glad to see this means so much to you, Seunghyun,” Jiyong says, bumping into his chair and disrupting his calm. Seunghyun runs a hand down his unruly and weirdly white hair. He sighs dramatically, but his eyes are shining with pride like they always are when they’ve accomplished a mission.
“Well, I ran the contacts while you guys were shitting all over yourselves,” Seunghyun explains and motions for them to come closer to his monitor. The screen is as big as a regular TV and has twenty windows open all at once. Seunghyun minimizing all the unnecessary ones and pulls up the contacts that have been organized into a spreadsheet.
“The ones in red are known to be dead, the ones in green are where we should head next, and the ones in yellow are what could just be traps.”
Daesung groans and Seungri scrunches up his face. Jiyong isn’t so pessimistic.
“That’s fine, though, right? Dead means good. And, we’ve a few greens. We’ll just have to look into the yellow areas and see if it’s safe or whatever. Right?”
Youngbae nods and says, “Exactly. I’m glad you’re taking a brighter turn than the rest of your dismal team. If our theories are correct, these contacts hold the biggest names in drug trafficking, so obviously a decent amount should be dead. And, a decent amount should be very, very hard to find. This is big scale. And, Utopia’s holding all the cards.”
“So, where do you want us to start?” Seungri asks.
“We’ll run it by the guys upstairs and let you know tomorrow at the latest,” Seunghyun says, swiveling his chair back around until he’s facing his computer. Youngbae gives them a little wave, good-naturedly going along with Jiyong’s spastic high-fives, and kicks them out.
+
Jiyong watches with half-open eyes as Seungri stalks around the room and pulls on his clothes, having to bend more often than not at weird places since Jiyong wasn’t really looking when he walked them backwards to the bed.
“You got somewhere to be?”
Seungri sticks out his tongue and it’s so childish and young that Jiyong feels his heart clench. Seungri shouldn’t be working as a double agent in a job as dangerous as theirs. But, he doesn’t say anything, because Seungri only gets pissed it it’s ever brought up, saying he can handle much more than that, thank you very much.
“Not taking a shower?”
“Not fixing your face?”
“Real mature, Ri. I applaud your immaculate wit, you silver-tongued devil you.”
Chuckling, Seungri crawls back onto the bed, straddling Jiyong’s naked body and leaning down to whisper, “You love my tongue, Jiyong.”
Jiyong groans, bucking up against Seungri instinctively but Seungri’s already moving away, grabbing his wallet and keys.
“Love you. Bye,” he calls out over his shoulder before slamming the door shut. Jiyong rolls over in bed, bringing the sheets with him until he’s in a cocoon, and tries not to worry like an overprotective mother as Seungri goes off to Agency Utopia disguised as a completely different man.
+
Seungri’s late and Jiyong can’t sit still.
“Clyde, respond.”
“Here, Silver.”
“Bonnie spotted at two o’clock. Move out.”
All the air inside Jiyong leaves in one big whoosh like he’d been sucking it in and holding it there. Discreetly, he checks to see if Seungri really is coming, and relaxes even further when he sees Seungri’s ridiculously shaggy hair. He kicks himself off the wall and heads down the lobby, a careful distance behind Seungri, who looks like any other business man with an indistinguishable black briefcase.
Once outside, Jiyong pulls on his shades and keeps his eyes trained on the driveway of the hotel as Seungri does the same. Seungri’s car arrived first and he’s already out of the parking lot by the time Jiyong’s car pulls up. He slips inside after muttering a quick status update to Seunghyun.
+
Youngbae’s talking to Seungri in a corner and it’s probably about why Seungri wasn’t where he was supposed to be at the given time. Jiyong knows from personal experience how utterly nerve-wracking Youngbae’s anger can be, especially since the man doesn’t ever raise his voice and just guilt trips you into feeling like the biggest shit ever.
Even Daesung, who’s mostly unsympathetic towards everyone, winces when Youngbae puts a hand on Seungri’s knee, and watches pityingly as Seungri’s face crumbles.
“Hey, Bae, I think that’s enough,” Jiyong says, ignoring the grateful look Seungri shoots him.
“He could have died, Jiyong,” Youngbae says slowly like Jiyong didn’t quite get it, “I know he’s your… whatever, but we can’t just pretend he didn’t defy plain orders,” he turns to Seungri, “You’re young and that means agility but also stupidity. Don’t make me ever lecture you on this again. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Seungri says, quickly shuffling out of the control room, and Jiyong almost expects him to salute or something on the way out. Seunghyun clicks his tongue and swats pens around as Youngbae rubs a hand down his face.
“Seriously, though. Jiyong, you have to talk to him. Kid’s a double agent. He can’t just disappear. He needs to realize that he’s the very thin thread that’s holding an entire operation together. It’s not a mission he’s doing off to the side.”
“Geez, BaeBear, don’t sugarcoat it.”
Youngbae blindly kicks at Seunghyun’s chair and doesn’t look away from Jiyong, who nods slowly.
“Sure thing, man. I’ll talk to him.”
He feels Youngbae’s gaze all the way downstairs.
+
Seunghyun claps his hands and everyone quiets down.
“Alright, recap. We’ve checked out all the green contacts and they were pretty reliable. Too bad some of them turned out to be red once we found them. Anyway, the okay has come from upstairs about the yellow ones, but we’re going to have to be extra careful. Utopia isn’t a reckless agency and they know how we work, so they probably know we’ve got the list. Seungri’s holding them back but that can’t possibly last long. We have to move fast and make it efficient, okay?”
Everyone nods and Seunghyun gets off from where he was leaning on his desk, handing Daesung an in-depth printout of the information already presented.
“Bonnie and Clyde set to go for Nashville raid,” Seunghyun mutters into his headpiece as Seungri and Jiyong make their way out of the room.
“Bonnie and Clyde takeoff.”
+
Jiyong curls his fingers around his gun, finding comfort in the cold metal, and points it in a general direction. He can’t make out much of anything in this dark of a room, but he doesn’t dare turn the light. If someone was forewarned of his arrival, then they’re both at a disadvantage at the moment. With the light on, Jiyong wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Sixty seconds.”
He starts almost violently when he hears the door swing open. Someone fumbles around until the light flickers on, but by that time, Jiyong has already hidden himself in the closet. He squints through the crack between the two doors and sees a man walk to the dresser. The man’s wearing a plain, black suit and nothing extra other than a watch which he takes off quickly.
“Jiyong Kwon.”
Jiyong freezes, his heart kick starting like something painful, and he doesn’t think he can even speak until the man turn around. He’s one of the agents from Utopia, one Seungri ‘worked’ with on several occasions. His lips have a scar down one edge and are pulling up into a smirk at the other.
“I’m afraid I don’t know you the same as you know me.”
“I’m nobody important.”
“You’re in this room. I’m guessing you’re pretty damn important if you can come and go in a room that was on Utopia’s contact list.”
“I’m not a contact, Kwon. I’m an agent. Specifically, I’m Seungri’s partner.”
Jiyong’s hand twitches up until he’s got his gun situated at the man’s groin.
“Is that so?”
The man’s eyes are an endless black, his graying hair making him look a lot older than he must actually be, and his teeth are unnaturally white when he grins.
“Yes, but then again, aren’t you his partner too?”
“So, you know a lot of shit. Congratulations.”
He rolls his eyes, but inside, he’s panicking because it’s clear that Utopia knows Seungri’s a double agent and it’s also pretty clear what Utopia does with traitors.
“I know a lot more than you, that’s for sure,” the man says, eyes dimming into something that’s a lot like pity and makes Jiyong squirm and step away from the closet. The man hasn’t moved since he turned around to call Jiyong out, but now he steps forward too, bringing them both to the center of the room. Jiyong still has his gun poised and ready to shoot.
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Like,” the man starts, drawing the word out, “Seungri isn’t loyal to ACE.”
Jiyong’s fingers tighten on the trigger.
“What?”
The man makes a show of being startled, hand on his heart, and says, “You didn’t know? He’s working for us, Jiyong.”
“Of course, he’s working for you.”
“Not because you guys made him a double agent though. He’s not a double agent at all actually.”
“Then what is he?” Jiyong scoffs.
“A triple agent.”
Jiyong almost laughs. “What?”
The man sighs wearily and explains, “He was pretending to be a double agent while being loyal to us. Triple agent. Get it?”
“I know what a triple agent is. I just. Seungri wouldn’t. He got us your entire contact list.”
The man smiles slowly and it’s a little bit cruel, making Jiyong unsure what he’s supposed to do. His mind is still reeling when a soft voice buzzes in his ear.
“Clyde. Bonnie has fallen off mission. We have to video of the room. Abort mission.”
The room feels like it’s a hundred degrees all of a sudden and Jiyong doesn’t know what to do first, run or drink out of the water bottle on the side table. He wonders if he should shoot this man before he runs, but the decision is taken out of his hands when there’s a knock on the door.
“Wait here a minute, would you?” the man says, putting up a finger like they’re in the middle of some house visit, and goes to the door.
Seungri shoves past the man and for a second, his eyes hold nothing but red hot anger before he reins it in under a veil of indifference. Jiyong still has his gun up, so his arm finally fall down against his side and his muscles ache with the movement.
“Seungri, this guy. He said. That you.”
Jiyong can’t even bring himself to finish as he watches Seungri’s shoulders droop in silent agreement.
“There was no harm intended towards ACE, Jiyong. Utopia just had an operation to run that you guys were interfering with. You can leave now. You’re of no threat anymore.”
His heart feels like it’s going to give out any second, because no, Seungri must be lying, must be keeping up appearances in front of his fake partner. But, the agent in him knows exactly what the truth is and it stings so bad, he’s certain he’s going to choke up blood if he tries to talk.
“C’mon, Jiyong. Leave,” Seungri says, hands wringing together like they always do when he’s especially nervous and without a clear plan. The man behind Seungri tugs at his sleeve in a motion that’s so intimate, it shakes Jiyong out of his funk.
“Was you fucking around with me part of the job description?” he spits out, hating how dejected and bitter he sounds, but he relishes the way Seungri’s entire face winces at the words.
“No, it wasn’t,” he says, but before he elaborates, he turns around to whisper something to the man, who nods and salutes as he leaves the room. As soon as the door closes, Jiyong snaps the gun back up, aiming it right at Seungri’s heart.
Seungri barely even blinks.
“Ji, get out of here or they will kill you.”
Jiyong can hardly see straight and he’d be crying if he weren’t so damn angry.
“You son of a bitch,” Jiyong says, biting out of the words and holding the gun steady.
“Listen,” Seungri says and he holds up his hands as though in surrender, “Sex wasn’t part of the plan, Ji. That was all me, okay? So, if you’re gonna feel betrayed, don’t do it on your own account, do it on ACE’s. You’re not the one I was hoping to gain trust from and you’re not the one I was hoping to betray.”
“So, I was just a good fuck,” Jiyong says, smirking humorlessly, “Just a fun time while you were fucking with everything that I’ve worked for, everything our team worked for?”
Seungri looks exhausted all of a sudden and Jiyong hates how his heart squeezes a little in concern.
“I didn’t fuck with anything, Jiyong. Weren’t you listening? My job was to keep you occupied with the contact list so you’d back off the real missions. That’s it. I didn’t give you false information. That really was the contact list, but it was just of our enemies that we needed dead anyway. We actually really respect your agency and it was never a rival thing.”
Jiyong all but snorts. “You talk a real nice game, Seungri. Can’t say I ever noticed. Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to shoot you in that little hole where your heart should be.”
Seungri doesn’t look scared. In fact, he looks worn down like he just knows Jiyong won’t hurt him, and the thought makes Jiyong want to hurt him, want to make him bleed as pretty as his smile.
“I still love you, asshole. Don’t go shooting people just because your pride is hurt.”
“Just because? Seungri, you’ve fucking lying to me for the past two years. You don’t know how many nights I spent worrying over you, hoping against hope that no one in Utopia would get suspicious of you, praying like I believed in a God. For two years, you’ve had my heart on a silver platter and I’m just pissed because my pride is hurt?”
Uncertainty flickers across Seungri’s face and he suddenly looks out of his element.
“I didn’t mean to worry you,” he says quietly, looking over Jiyong’s shoulder.
“Yeah, well.” Jiyong holds out his arms indicating that the not worrying him part didn’t quite work out so well. Seungri doesn’t seem to notice, his eyes roaming around the room, looking everywhere Jiyong is not. Realization hits Jiyong like an ice cold shower washing down his spine.
“You’re planning an escape?”
Seungri startles and then almost smiles.
“Right. You would know that.”
“Yeah, I would. I haven’t been your partner for nothing. But, oh wait, have we really been partners at all?”
Seungri frowns.
“Of course, we have. I always had your back, Jiyong. That never changed. And, it won’t ever change. To you specifically, I have always been loyal.”
Something gives in Jiyong’s chest and he feels it presses against his ribcage, making it ache terribly.
“Don’t. Don’t say shit like that.”
“Like what?” Seungri asks, following the movement when Jiyong lowers his gun until it’s pointed at the floor.
“Like we’re still something.”
Seungri’s eyes snap up to meet Jiyong’s and he looks furious, sad, and heartbroken all at once.
“Did you not hear me? I said I still love you. That wasn’t part of a plan or anything.”
“You don’t do this to people you love, Seungri, so feed that bullshit to someone who’ll believe. I’m going to shoot you on the shoulder so you won’t die, but it’ll hurt so damn bad you’ll wish you could just stop feeling. And, then you’ll know what I’m going to be going through for the rest of my life, you lying sack of shit.”
Seungri’s almost pouting and it would be adorable if it weren’t so fucking tragic. Jiyong feels his eyes prickle and he quickly blinks, terrified of actually crying in front of Seungri.
“Don’t do this, Ji. I can’t. I love you,” he says, desperation lacing his voice, and Jiyong can’t even look at him.
“Fuck you,” Jiyong mutters, shoving past Seungri as he leaves the room, and he’s not surprised when Seungri doesn’t come after him.
+
Life without Seungri is oddly not that much different than it was with him, because Jiyong’s still on missions most of the time and Seunghyun’s voice still crackles as he barks out orders. It’s only when Jiyong is at his apartment, all alone in his bedroom, the napkin with the bartender’s number laying somewhere on the floor, that he feels like something has changed.
If anything, he’s actually a much better agent now that he’s not worrying over Seungri half the time and usually does one-man missions. Youngbae transferred after he learned about Seungri, eyes downcast and looking so broken that Jiyong hated Seungri for real in that brief moment, but Daesung’s still around. Seunghyun and Daesung never mention Seungri, and a part of Jiyong is eternally grateful for that.
But, a larger part of Jiyong wants to talk about it, wants to formulate a plan to hunt Seungri down. He keeps that thought to himself, though, and files it under personal missions.
All he needs is an unattached tech and he’s got just the right girl in mind.
+
Chaerin’s bangs keep bugging her eyes and he almost whips his ponytail right into Jiyong’s eye as she turns around. She lifts a file off her shelf and flips through it.
“Why do you need Seungri’s location again?”
“It’s a job.”
“Real nice and vague, Agent. You seem to forget I’ve known for a while now. Seungri was your partner before he disappeared.”
Jiyong clenches his jaw, but keeps his face otherwise impassive as he says, “He didn’t disappear. He left the agency.”
“Oh, I know. I was just being considerate of your feelings,” she says, grinning cheekily and Jiyong rolls his eyes fondly. She goes back in front of her computer and types in whatever information she gathered from the file. It takes a few minutes, but eventually, she’s got Seungri pinned down to the hotel room.
“You’re amazing.”
“I know,” she says, but her smile dims as she tucks his hair behind his ear, “Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
He doesn’t say anything, because he doesn’t want to say lie and would rather not say the truth.
+
Youngbae manages to contact him five weeks after his leave and it’s a message in a special code just they know. It’s a report of how Seungri was shot in a drug raid in Nashville of all places.
Jiyong feels his entire world tilt, falter, and disintegrate.
Seungri’s dead and he won’t ever know Jiyong never stopped loving him.
+
Masochistic as he is, he still goes down to the hotel Chaerin said Seungri was at last, and would still be at had he not gone down to the city. He goes up all the way to the exact room and stands there for a second, feeling like he’s at the loneliest funeral in history. He’s so close to breaking down crying that he’s jumps back when the door swings open.
And, it’s Seungri looking alive, pale, and completely shocked.
They stare at each other for what seems like hours until Seungri clears his throat.
“How did. How did you find me?”
“You’re dead,” Jiyong blurts out before he can help himself and flushes when Seungri snorts.
“Check again. Like I asked, how did you find me?”
“Chaerin tracked you down by your cab. Youngbae said you got shot at the raid.”
Seungri looks up and down the hallway before tugging Jiyong inside the room. He doesn’t ask Jiyong to sit down, just sort of stands there shuffling his feet until he reaches some kind of decision in his mind.
“I faked it.”
“Why?”
“I had to leave Utopia somehow. I didn’t want to work there anymore.”
“Got a conscience all of a sudden? Gee, I’m impressed.”
Seungri looks so sad that Jiyong almost begins to backtrack, but Seungri speaks up.
“Don’t be an ass, Jiyong. I did it for you.”
“You knew I’d find out you were dead and you know what that would do to me. So, what the hell kind of thing is that to do for me?”
“I was on my way to get you,” Seungri explains, voice childishly excited all of a sudden and Jiyong has to will away the urge to smile.
“What, you think I’m going to drop everything and run away with you? With Utopia and ACE on my ass?”
Seungri’s grin drops immediately and he looks uncomfortable. Looking somewhere near Jiyong’s chin, he scratches the back of his neck, laughs awkwardly, and fails to sound nonchalant as he says, “Right. Sorry. I. I guess I didn’t think-”
Jiyong grabs Seungri by the collar and spins him around until he can keep him against the wall and goes to town on his neck. Seungri sputters of a second before dissolving into moans and fuck yes’s.
“I thought you were dead,” Jiyong mutters stupidly, “I thought you were. Jesus, don’t ever do that to me again?”
“Can you ever forgive me, Jiyong? For what I did?”
“I can try,” Jiyong says, kissing up to Seungri’s jaw, “But, fuck if I’m gonna let you out of my sight ever again. You screw with my head too much as it is.”
He digs his fingers into Seungri’s hips and rocks forward, swallowing Seungri’s moans like a starved man.
“I love you,” he whispers into Seungri’s ear.
“I know. Now, fuck me, you bastard.”
Jiyong chuckles, but doesn’t dare refuse. Later, when he’s got Seungri sated and pliant in his hands, he thinks running away wouldn’t be so bad after all.
+
“Why, Bonnie, you’re looking mighty fine this morning.”
Seungri rolls his eyes, swatting at Jiyong’s naked chest with his newspaper, and bypasses Jiyong’s puckered lips for coffee.
“Stop pouting. You look like an idiot.”
Jiyong sulks for two seconds before Seungri settles himself in his lap.
“Oh, hello,” he leers and Seungri smiles fondly with that look he always get when he’s loose and still buzzing from the shower sex.
“Youngbae says you’ve always been sleazy, so I guess I can’t even complain.”
“Youngbae says a lot of things, my love. Most of which are true.”
Seungri kisses his forehead and says, “Seunghyun sent in a message. Utopia’s closing in on us again.”
Jiyong groans, burying his nose in Seungri’s neck, and mumbles, “How’d they even know you’re alive?”
“We stayed at the hotel too long. The receptionist had excellent memory.”
“Whatever. It’s fine. Where do you want to go?”
He traces up Seungri’s spine lazily as Seungri says, “Brazil. I figured changing countries is the only way to get them off my tail.”
“Brazil it is, then,” Jiyong says, grinning up at Seungri, who grins back.
+
Utopia never manages to find them and they end up working for a Brazilian agency. Pretty soon, there’s talk all over of this infamous pair, Bonnie and Clyde, who managed to infiltrate an entire underground drug trafficking system by themselves.
Poll Round 4: Black Tie, Blue Skies