Working Boy, for solitair (1/2)
Title: Working Boy
For: solitair
Pairing: Chen/Kai, minor Xiumin/Tao
Rating: NC-17 (sex and violence ur welcome)
Length: 20,539 (I’m sry)
Summary: Chen is an assassin because he has nothing better to do. Kai is a ~working boy~. There is a fair amount of blood.
On the nights he wakes up for seemingly no reason, Chen rolls onto his side and clings to the warm body next to him. He presses his nose into the short hair on the back of Kai’s neck and remembers because he can’t help himself. As long as he’s been in this profession he’s tried not to have regrets, and he loves Kai so terribly that he almost never does.
Kai murmurs in his sleep and it helps the past fade a little, but not completely. Never completely.
*
Xiumin knocks twice, then just walks into Chen’s room. He does it a lot. Chen’s becoming used to it; it comes with living in an apartment with four other men. Chanyeol’s strolled into the kitchen naked for breakfast a few times.
“Hey, can I borrow your dark blue button-down shirt for tonight?”
He starts rifling through Chen’s closet without an answer. Chen looks up from the paperback he’s reading.
“I guess? What’s tonight?”
“Tao didn’t tell you?” Xiumin finds the shirt, holds it up to himself and smoothes it down. “Wufan wants us to all go out tonight. I’m pretty sure he has a meeting at some club and he’s inviting us to just hang out. I told Tao to come tell you while I was showering, we’re leaving in like an hour.”
Chen sighs and stretches. Their employer, Wufan, lives with them, but goes out to meetings most nights. Chen didn’t know who with. From what Xiumin has alluded to and what Wufan’s mentioned, he has a network of connections spanning from the slums to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and everywhere in between. He must have international connections too, because sometimes he’d go on trips for a few days, or Chen would overhear him talking on the phone in languages he couldn’t even identify, much less understand.
They weren’t forbidden from going out. Xiumin decompresses after a job by going to nearby bars, and he sometimes drags Tao with him to show Tao off. Chanyeol goes out with his boyfriend at least once a week. Chen has only seen them together once or twice; one of the rules Wufan does have is that they should avoid bringing anyone at all back to their apartment.
Now Xiumin’s going through his closet again. “You need to come out with us this time. You’re actually becoming a hermit. We haven’t had to work in almost two weeks, and I feel like this meeting Wufan’s going to means we’re gonna have another mark soon. Maybe even a group effort actually. You should take the opportunity to come actually be a person.”
Chen swings his legs over to sit sideways on the edge of his bed, and catches the t-shirt Xiumin throws at him. He used to go out as often as he could, but got tired of the bars and clubs and the people in them, especially since he never knew what to talk about. He had a cover story of course, not telling random half-drunk girls at the bar that he was an assassin. But it usually boiled down to people thinking he was too timid or boring and walking away.
“Tao just got out of the shower.” Xiumin pulls a pair of black jeans with silver stud details on the pockets out of Chen’s dresser. “You should wear these, and your jacket, and you can borrow my white shoes.”
He looks up at Chen for the first time. “Are you gonna come?”
Chen rotates his neck, cracking it. It has been a while since he went out somewhere, and maybe with Wufan’s status it’ll be somewhere he’s never been before. “Which club is it?”
“It’s called XO. It’s been open for a few months. I hadn’t heard of it, I think its publicity is mainly word-of-mouth. But Wufan’s been there a few times already and seems to like it, so it should be pretty nice.” Xiumin pouts a little and poofs his cheeks. “You should come with. If anything, you can keep Wufan company after his meeting, because Chanyeol’s not coming but Tao and I are going.”
“So you want me to come so you’re free to sneak off and make out with Tao? He knows about you two, you know, and he doesn’t care.”
Xiumin looks so exasperated that Chen feels sorry for him. “Fine. You can stay home and jack off and eat all my cereal. But I’m still wearing your shirt.”
“I’ll come, Xiumin.” Chen smiles. “Get out of my room so I can change.”
“Shower first, you smell rank,” Xiumin sing-songs as he heads out with Chen’s shirt in tow.
*
There’s a decently long line in front of the club, which is marked by a large white neon “XO” high up on the side of the building, above the door. Wufan leads them past everyone to the front. Despite the jeers of the people waiting, when he nods at the hulking bouncer, he ushers all four of them in.
The inside of XO is done up in black and chrome, with purple and blue lights. The bar is a white, lit-up circular structure, visible from the very front of the club, past the mass of writhing bodies on the dance floor and the staircases that lead upwards to a few more private booths.
Wufan stops at the bottom of one of the staircases and leans down so they can hear him.
“I have a bit of business to attend to, but I’ll be back out. Meet at the front at 2:00. Don’t get too drunk.” With that he leaves them, ascending the staircase.
“Let’s go to the bar,” Xiumin shouts over the music and pulls Tao along with him. Chen could go out onto the floor by himself; he hasn’t been to a club in ages, and he likes dancing. But he decides to go to the bar, because Wufan said they couldn’t get wasted, but he didn’t forbid them from loosening up.
They find three open spots at the bar. Xiumin orders bourbon, and gets Tao to let him buy him a shot of Ipsaeju. Chen takes a sojito, then turns away to let the other two scoot close and talk, and watches the dancing crowd.
Everyone here is dressed pretty well, and there are a few absolute knock-outs, both men and women. He sees several clusters of girls in tight dresses dancing together. There are a few couples, pressed together in a way that shakes loose some long-dormant emotion in his chest. Chen glances at Xiumin and Tao. The younger has had a few more shots and is holding one of Xiumin’s hands on his thigh as they talk. Chen thinks of Chanyeol, and hopes he’s with his boyfriend. Chen wonders how much he knows about Chanyeol’s life. He considers how lucky Xiumin and Tao are; Chen likes them both as people and can almost not feel jealous. Almost.
At that moment, Tao stands up, and he’s pulling Xiumin out to the dance floor. They go so far out as to almost leave Chen’s line of sight, but he can still see him when they stop. It’s kind of funny to watch them together, because Tao is taller than Xiumin enough to be noticeable, but he’s still the one dancing with his back pressed against Xiumin, swaying his hips and holding Xiumin’s arms tight around his waist.
Chen breaks his gaze and orders another drink. He stays facing the bar this time, watching how the strobe lights interact with the white light of the bar. Someone taps him on the shoulder.
When he wheels around, he’s face to face with Wufan.
“They’re out there,” Chen points over Wufan’s shoulder. He half turns around and nods in their direction.
“I’ll be in the back, alright? You can tell Xiumin that Room 2 on the second floor is ours, if he asks.”
Chen nods and watches Wufan stride away. A few yards away from the bar, he’s joined by two people. One is a guy, a few years older than them, but with a built body and a sweet, young face. The other is a stunning girl with long light brown hair that turns into ringlets, wearing a red dress that could be painted on.
It’s strange. Chen has never thought of Wufan as someone who really has friends, especially not lovers. He has a ridiculous number of connections, of course, but are these people he already knew, or just met, or -
Wufan’s going through a door in the back corner of the club. It’s painted all black, and Chen can just barely see some red and gold behind it before the door swings shut.
Realization hits him, but doesn’t rattle him. He’s met a few pimps before, been in brothels, and none looked as high-class as this. None of the employees had looked as healthy as the ones with Wufan. He wished he had seen if either one had track marks on their arms or anything. But if Wufan was acquainted with the owner, and even partook in it himself, then it must check out fine. Chen had heard of a few completely legal clubs like this in Japan; maybe XO was just cutting-edge for Korea.
With this knowledge, he looks back to the dance floor and tries to pick out which people work here. There’s a tall girl with dip-dyed hair dancing surrounded by a group of guys, and two young men are chatting up a foreign-looking girl in a green dress. Chen turns in his seat back to see if Xiumin and Tao are still dancing together. They’re gone, maybe deeper into the crowd. Chen starts to get up to go find them on the floor but -
Someone’s watching him. Someone leaning against the far wall. He looks young, with dark brown hair coifed upwards and the fullest pair of lips Chen thinks he’s ever seen. The stranger’s wearing a jacket that looks like leather over a grey shirt with a scoop neck, and tight, white jeans. His eyes are a little lidded, but Chen can tell that he’s looking at him.
He can tell when he’s being followed, and especially since the kid doesn’t move or even look away when he makes eye contact, Chen’s not nervous. There’s a tiny fold-up knife in his back pocket that he always carries for peace of mind. This guy looks like a kid, though. Chen’s been toe-to-toe with guys a foot taller than himself, and with 60 extra pounds of muscle, and walked away fine. He does not feel threatened.
The kid rolls leisurely off the wall and starts walking toward Chen, shoving his hands into his pockets and glancing into the crowd a few times. His posture is noticeably good, and he walks with just a little bit of a swagger. Chen looks up and down his body. He’s fit, for sure, but he doesn’t have the obvious muscles and curves that Tao’s gained from martial arts.
Chen figures, he doesn’t have to sleep with him. Maybe this guy will talk to him for a few minutes and get bored and walk away.
“Hello,” he says, when they’re close enough that he can talk in a relatively low voice. The music has been calmer for a while, like the club is switching out DJs.
“Hi.” He smiles wide and close-mouthed. “Mind if I keep you company?”
Well, Wufan doesn’t need him anymore. “No, not at all. What’s your name?”
“Kai.” He sits in the chair next to Chen and nods at the bartender, who brings him a dark colored drink in a short glass. “What’s yours?”
“Chen. Are you actually old enough to drink?”
Kai laughs quietly enough to be genuine. “Just barely, yes. But this is just Coke and cherry syrup.” He holds it out for Chen to take a sip. It’s almost too sweet and Chen must make a face because Kai laughs again. His voice is lower than Chen thought it’d be from looking at him; it’s deeper than Chen’s, which is kind of sexy
“So, how do you know Wufan?”
“We work together.” Chen doesn’t get asked about Wufan very often, and he doesn’t know how much Kai knows. “He’s my boss.”
“What do you do?” Kai crosses his legs. His pants are tight and it’s very distracting.
Chen hesitates. “I work with computers, you know, keep track of money and stuff. It’s boring. What do you do?”
He asks out of habit, then kicks himself for it mentally. Kai tosses his hair a little bit.
“I work here, in the back. It’s boring too sometimes. I think you and I could have fun, though.”
Lust rises in Chen’s chest. “You sound confident.”
“I’ve received rave reviews from a lot of people.” Kai wets his bottom lip. “Plus, if you’re with Wufan, Joonmyeon will only charge you half. There are girls in the back, too, if that’s what you would prefer.” He leans forward so he’s whispering in Chen’s ear. “But I think I’d be more worth your time.”
Kai drapes his hand over Chen’s knee and brushes his thigh. Chen figures he has time to spare, and Kai looks like he knows what he’s doing. He has cash, and if they’re good enough for Wufan, they must be top quality. “Alright, let’s go.”
*
The room behind the black door in the wall is set up like a hotel lobby. There’s a huge desk-type fixture in the middle of it, close to the wall. On either side are two long hallways lined with a few doors, and Chen can see staircases at the ends of the halls. It’s all decorated in muted red and gold, and he can just barely smell perfume.
“He’s with Wufan,” Kai tells the man behind the counter, who nods and smiles at Chen.
Kai’s room is on the second floor. It’s not badly sized, with a small desk and a closet and a chest of drawers. Of course there’s a bed. It’s huge and four-poster, neatly made with black sheets.
“Now, Chen,” Kai sighs when the door is shut, “what can I do for you?”
It makes Chen realize that he doesn’t know exactly what he wants. The small clock on the bedside table says it’s 12:30. He could have Kai for the next hour and a half. Kai, who is pressing close to him, but not touching him yet. Chen reaches out to hold Kai’s hips, under his jacket but over his shirt. He feels the muscles there flex a little and Kai leans forward. He’s a little taller than Chen but instead of being intimidating he looks expectant, compliant.
“I want you to strip for me.”
Kai makes a quiet but heated noise of consent. He guides Chen backwards until Chen can sit down on the bed, then steps back to give a full view.
Kai starts by shrugging off the leather jacket and dropping it elegantly on the floor. The shirt underneath is a tank top, and it shows off his collarbones and arms, a lot of pretty olive skin. He lifts it up slowly, first giving Chen just a peek of his hips and bellybutton, then pulling it up to just under his chest. Kai’s really lightly toned but Chen can see his muscles tense and relax when Kai undulates his hips and it makes his cheeks flush a bit.
There’s no other noise in the room but Chen’s heart is beating loud enough as Kai finally takes off the tank top. It joins the jacket and Kai moves his hands to his belt. It comes off slowly. When Kai undoes his pants, he slides a hand down to cup himself through his black underwear. He makes a little noise and Chen’s toes curl. He can’t remember the last time his head was this cloudy, and he wants, can feel commands rising in his chest, each more appealing than the last.
Kai’s slowly pushing down his jeans. His underwear reaches mid-thigh and is tight enough so that Chen can see the outline of his cock. He looks halfway hard already, and Chen feels a surge of filthy heat at the idea that Kai gets off on performing for people. It’s too much.
“Come here.” His voice is embarrassingly hoarse, but he forgets it when Kai’s across the room in two steps. He climbs into Chen’s lap and Chen gets his hands on him. Kai’s skin is smooth and hot and he moans a little when Chen runs his hands up his chest and over his nipples.
He looks up meaning to look into Kai’s eyes, but gets distracted by his lips. They’re definitely natural, but they look even more swollen up close, like he’s been biting them. Kai licks them, probably just to tease, then takes the side of Chen’s face in his palm and leans down.
There’s a beat where their breaths mingle. Then Kai’s kissing him, insistent but soft. They kiss slowly at first, until Chen feels like he’s drowning in the heat of Kai’s mouth. Their tongues flick together and Kai grinds down especially hard in his lap.
“Oh God,” Chen sighs and pulls back. Before he can overthink, he takes off his jacket. Kai helps him ungracefully shove his t-shirt over his head and then they’re pressed back together, kissing more fervently. Chen’s hands are all over Kai’s thighs, sometimes straying between them to feel his growing erection. He moves his lips to Kai’s neck and relishes the little moans he gets from the younger.
Kai’s hands fall into Chen’s lap and start undoing his pants. They stop kissing and Chen almost feels lightheaded.
“I wanna blow you,” Kai pants, and oh, that brings Chen to attention. He scoots backwards until he can lean semi-upright against the pillows and headboard. Kai gets his pants undone and yanks them off his legs.
He crawls forward, and spreads Chen’s legs so he can fit between them. Their pace has slowed, and Chen watches Kai give his cock a slow, languid lick through his boxers. He fists his hands in the comforter to resist grabbing Kai’s hair.
Kai doesn’t tease for long, though, and makes a shuddery noise when he pulls down the hem of Chen ‘s boxers and Chen’s cock is fully hard. Just the sight of that mouth near him is making Chen’s lower stomach pulse and he realizes how long it’s been since someone sucked him off properly.
And Kai does it very properly indeed. The inside of his mouth is even hotter than it felt before and Chen has to use a lot of willpower to keep from cramming himself deeper into Kai’s mouth. Kai sucks him with long, thorough movements. He looks so good doing it that Chen can’t look away, and he almost comes when he sees Kai’s arm start moving just before he lets a low moan vibrate around Chen’s cock.
What makes Chen explode is when Kai looks up at him, his eyelids fluttering as he gives himself a particularly good tug. He groans, writhes against the mattress, then he’s coming hot and thick all over Kai’s tongue. There’s a lot of it but Kai swallows around him so well that none leaks out of his mouth.
Chen’s not completely calmed down yet when he looks down to see Kai still squeezing himself, teeth worrying his bottom lip. He starts to climb up the bed and reach for lotion on the nightstand but Chen grabs him by the biceps and flips their positions so Kai is spread-eagled.
He doesn’t protest, just spreads his legs, and he looks so irresistible that Chen is almost tempted to have him fully. Instead he leans down and takes the head of Kai’s erection into his mouth. It makes Kai gasp and shake a little.
It doesn’t take long at all for Kai to come. Chen only sucks him a few times before Kai’s back arches and he keens his way through his orgasm, and Chen swallows it all. He sits up and wipes off his mouth, then crawls upwards so he and Kai are level.
They kiss again, but even softer than it was at first. Kai curls into Chen’s chest, and it occurs to Chen to wonder if Kai is even supposed to be kissing him at all. But he doesn’t seem too reluctant.
When they pull apart, they’re both panting.
“Thank you,” Chen huffs, and Kai smiles sleepily.
“You don’t need to thank me. But thank you, too,” he hums into Chen’s neck.
Chen stays there. It’s comfortable and warm and Kai doesn’t pull away. He looks like he’s dozing, and his body is relaxed.
When Chen sees the clock reach 1:30, he lets go of Kai and slowly leaves the bed. He hears shuffling behind him and when he turns around Kai is curled up with his head on the pillow.
“I should probably go, I mean, I don’t want to take up your time and make you lose money or anything.”
“I don’t have to do anything else tonight. I’ve met my quota.” Kai reaches out an arm so that his fingers brush the edge of the mattress. “You could stay for a little bit. I won’t mind.”
Chen snorts and pulls on his boxers. “You have to say that.”
“I don’t have to do anything but get you off.” Kai almost looks sad. His body looks like it’s sinking into the mattress with exhaustion even though Chen’s sure he’s had rougher appointments. Chen feels a weird twinge of pity.
“I’ll try to come back, alright? I will try to come back by this time next week.” His pants and jacket are back on.
Kai rubs his eyes. “Do you promise?”
“Do you not like being paid?” Chen would think that Kai’d want as little to do with him as possible, seeing as the more time spent with Chen meant the more money lost.
“You made me come.” Kai smiles. “You’d be surprised how many men leave me here still hard and aching. Sometimes they ask that I meet with them after being fucked and teased but without coming. And sometimes they make me do it myself. It’s so tiring. I like when men can do it for me.”
Chen’s a bit flustered, because how is he supposed to reply to this?
“So you should come back, and maybe fuck me, or have me fuck you.”
“Which do you prefer?” Chen wishes he hadn’t asked before he’s done saying it.
Kai rolls away from him and curls up. “You’ll find out when you come back.”
*
By the time Chen has meandered to the front of XO, the other three are waiting. Tao looks smug and Xiumin looks flustered; Chen wonders if he looks like either. He feels calm more than anything else, more content than he’s felt in a long time. No one asks him about what happened. Wufan asks Xiumin if they can take a separate cab home. That’s not abnormal. Chen is aware that Xiumin probably knows more about the true nature of Xiumin’s position that he, Tao and Chanyeol combined.
In their cab, Tao falls asleep on his shoulder halfway home. Chen looks out the window and thinks about how Kai looked strewn naked on his sheets, his eyes dark and bottomless.
*
Chen does go back to XO five days later. Partly because there’s not much else for him to do; Chanyeol and Tao left to spar together, and Xiumin is trying to bake a cake from scratch and insisting that he doesn’t need help. Wufan’s been in and out of his office for most of the day and tying up the phone line.
Another part of it might be Kai. Chen drives there himself this time, in the car he and Xiumin share. He spends a lot of the drive coming up with reasons to go that aren’t Kai, but finds it easier to give in and admit that he wouldn’t mind being in Kai’s bed again.
Once he’s at the bar, he doesn’t have to wait too long.
“You came back,” someone drawls in his ear, and Chen turns to see Kai wrapped partially in a grey sweater.
“That’s what you wear to pick people up?”
“Does that mean you don’t want to come back with me?”
Chen stands maybe a little too quickly. “I’m only coming with you because you’re dressed like you’re going ice skating, and who else are you gonna hook up with in that?”
“You are mean,” Kai huffs as Chen follows him through the side door.
Kai’s body is still gorgeous once the grey sweater and everything else is off. He wraps a leg around Chen’s waist as they’re kissing, entangled on the bed, and grinds up, rubbing himself on Chen’s stomach. Chen runs his hands over as much of Kai and he can, squeezing and pinching. When Kai moans, “Put marks on me,” he starts to cover Kai’s neck with bite-mark bruises.
He sucks a particularly red hickey onto Kai’s collarbone and Kai squirms under him. “Get in me, come on, fuck me.”
“You’re not really in a position to be making demands.” Chen pulls back anyway and spreads Kai’s legs with his hands.
“Please,” Kai whines and raises his arms over his head, grabbing the headboard.
“Get up.” Chen lies on his back and Kai pouts but shuffles onto his knees. “If you’re so desperate, ride me yourself.”
Kai makes the shuddering noise again and it could be all an act, but Chen wouldn’t really care, because it’s ridiculously hot. He watches Kai prepare himself with two fingers, then grab Chen’s shoulders and position himself over Chen.
Kai feels incredible inside, almost too tight to take Chen in. His body thrums with heat and Chen can feel each minute movement of the sensitive muscle stretched around him.
“Oh God,” Kai stutters and throws his head back. He flexes around Chen and Chen digs his nails into Kai’s thighs to keep from coming on the spot.
Kai rides him slow and deep, jaw slack from pleasure. He only picks up speed when a particularly deep thrust makes him jolt and groan low in the back of his throat. Chen can hardly move as he watches Kai get himself off on Chen’s cock. He starts rolling his hips upwards when he notices Kai’s thighs shaking and has just enough presence of mind left through the haze of pleasure to start stroking Kai off. When he reaches up to pluck at one of Kai’s nipples, Kai shakes particularly hard and looks down.
“I’m gonna come, I can’t - ”
“Do it,” Chen grunts, and Kai falls apart, almost screaming. Ecstacy makes Chen laugh his way over the edge, letting it consume him from the inside out.
Kai falls forward and whimpers as Chen slides out of him. Chen is content to never move again. But Kai props himself up on his elbows and looks down at him.
“I have an appointment, I’m sorry,” he sighs. “I have to go shower. But I’ll see you around, right?” He kisses Chen hard on the mouth and then rolls off the bed and walks into the bathroom.
“Yes,” Chen calls sleepily after him, and Kai grins before shutting the door.
*
The next afternoon, Chen’s having his first cup of coffee around 1:00 when Wufan calls them all into his office. They’re not allowed in here often, but Chen likes it. The walls are dark blue and sparsely decorated with newspaper clippings and maps. There’s a bookcase, behind which they store guns and ammunition. Wufan has an impressive computer system. Multiple monitor screens are lit up with various images. Chen sits in between Xiumin and Chanyeol, with Tao looming over the back of Xiumin’s chair.
“I met with an Inspector and a Chief Superintendent General from the SMPA last night,” Wufan starts, leaning against the front of his desk. “They have a job offer for us, and they’ve already showed me what they’re willing to pay.”
Wufan gestures at one of the screens. It shows a collage of semi-blurry pictures, mostly black and white except for one mugshot. From his mugshot Chen can tell that the man is probably Korean, older than him but younger than 35. He has single-lidded eyes and a jawline that could cut glass. The poutiness of his mouth dimly reminds Chen of Kai.
“This man,” Wufan’s saying, “is Lee Hyukjae. He was arrested for meth manufacturing in Seoul three years ago. A few months after his incarceration, his jail cell was found completely empty. They haven’t been able to pin him down since, but these black and white pictures were taken by security cameras in Beijing.”
Wufan points to another screen, this one a bar graph that goes up, then drops and bit and flattens. “It’s a general expectation that a lot of meth in Seoul originates in North Korea. So the Blue House put more drug patrols along the DMZ, and while rates went down, there’s still a fair amount of meth getting in. After some pressure, China let South Korea search a lot of their major ports, and nothing was found. Also in the past few months there have been almost quarterly increases in use of a specific type of highly crystallized meth.
“Now, there’s no way Lee Hyukjae was in Beijing all this time or he would have been caught by now. Both men I met with last night have come to the conclusion that he spent a fair amount of time in North Korea, helping to organize a small but productive system of meth labs clustered in the city of Haeju.
“We have reason to believe that once these drugs make it from North Korea to the city of Tianjin, they’re being hidden in commercial boats that usually ship shoes made in central China.” Everything he says is represented on a map on the central screen. “They’re then shipped from Dalian to Incheon, where Lee and company remove the drugs from the boat and bring them to Seoul to be distributed.
He taps the spacebar of his keyboard twice. The map of China and Korea changes to an aerial schematic of the Port of Incheon. “The SMPA don’t want an international scandal, since it’s pretty evident that somewhere along the line a few officials are being paid off to keep quiet, but they want Lee dead. They’re asking that we intercept the drugs at the dock when Lee’s next shipment arrives.” He turns to face the four, his eyes stern even though he’s smiling.
“We kill him and as much of his crew as necessary. It seems to come in waves: every second shipment is several hundred kilos, but the ones between are a lot more manageable. They’re smaller because it’s the really hard stuff, expertly formed crystals. If their predictions are accurate, one of the small but potent Dalian shipments will be docking at Port of Incheon’s Pier 8 in 9 days. We’ll have to be there.”
Chen’s head feels full, but clear. This is complicated but it’s not the most delicate situation he’s ever been given. And if the five of them are going together, it should be easy enough to take out the needed amount of people. If Lee’s stupid enough to actually do his own dirty work, then he deserves what’s coming to him.
Chanyeol breaks the quiet. “How much are they paying us?”
“Sixty million won each. I saw the money last night and counted it myself.”
Chen hears Tao gasp a little. The highest Chen can remember being paid was thirty-five million won, which wasn’t bad at all, but sixty is almost obscene.
“I anticipate having Tao and Chanyeol above sniping, with Xiumin, Chen and I on the ground. They said to kill everyone necessary but I think we can agree that the more dead, the better.” Wufan looks between Chen and Xiumin. “This should go without saying, but I need you two to practice hand-to-hand for the next week.”
“Of course,” Xiumin mumbles, and Chen nods.
“So we’re in agreement?
Wufan looks genuinely pleased. “I’ll notify my friends in the SMPA of our decision. I should have more exact time and materials details in a few days.”
With that, he bows slightly to them, turns back to his displays, and sits down. It’s their signal to leave.
*
Determined to not let the 9 days pass too quickly, Xiumin starts waking Chen up early most mornings to go sparring with him. Xiumin is faster, and has more upper body strength. But Chen loves to kick and can usually anticipate his opponents movements. Tao tags along sometimes, complaining that you can only practice shooting so many times, and he’s an actual challenge for both of them. It takes him less than a minute to deck both of them when they fight one on one.
Wufan comes occasionally and practices with them. He’s so agile that Chen almost thinks it’s not fair, because never has he met someone who can get around their opponent as fast as Wufan. He succeeds in blocking him more and more as they keep practicing, but never wins against him.
It wouldn’t feel right to Chen to say he’s excited for the job, but he does think it’ll be good to have something new to do for once. They haven’t had new marks in a while, and he’s nowhere near out of cash, but he figures if he keeps going back to XO eventually he’ll need some sort of income.
Two days before they go to the dock, Chen goes to the club. Just after he arrives, he sees Kai. Except that Kai is talking to a group of men that all look older and taller than him. Chen watches from afar as one of them starts to palm Kai’s ass through his jeans.
They all get up from the table, and Kai leads them to the side door and through it. Something like jealousy squirms in Chen’s chest. Of course Kai has other clients. He probably has to work six days a week. Chen downs his drink and orders another and waits.
Chen tries to think logically, telling himself that of course a job with three instead of one would take longer. But still, after an hour, he’s uncomfortable just sitting at the bar. There have been times when he’s seen Kai’s hips or thighs marked up a little, and when Kai tries to hide them, brushes his hand away, he knows they weren’t met to be there. He’s always as gentle as he can be but how can he expect others to be the same?
Standing, Chen crosses the floor and goes through the side door. Joonmyeon looks up when he comes in and opens his mouth to say something.
“I’ll wait,” Chen cuts him off.
“But it might take him a while to shower and all that afterwards. And honestly, I don’t know if tonight’s a good night. He has three guys in there.”
Chen leans against the wall and looks down the hallway to the staircase. “Maybe I want him to be a wreck.”
Joonmyeon doesn’t say anything after that. Once in a while a door will open, or someone will come down the stairs and go out the door, but not Kai. When he’s been in there for almost forty minutes, three men come down the stairs and head to the front desk. They all have at least a head of height on Chen, and their three bodies completely block the desk from view. Chen’s blood boils as they pay and walk out, smiling.
He’s off the wall and up the stairs before Joonmyeon can say anything. The door to Kai’s room isn’t completely shut, and Chen pushes inside.
Kai’s lying on the bed under the covers. He makes a whining noise when the door closes behind Chen.
“Give me five minutes, please?” He sighs without looking up.
“It’s me, are you ok?”
Kai opens his eyes. He looks weary, with red cheeks and swollen lips. “I’m ok, I just need a minute -”
Chen walks to the head of the bed and tries to pull the covers down but Kai curls up even tighter.
“I don’t want sex. I want to make sure you’re alright, though.”
“I’m ok, Chen, really.” Kai clings to his covers. “Don’t worry about them.”
The men are probably already gone now. Chen could kick himself for not trying to stop them earlier. He takes off his shoes. “Can I just lay here with you, then?”
Kai nods, but keeps his side of the blankets pulled up to his neck as Chen climbs under them. He turns to face Kai and wonders if he’s allowed to touch.
“Do you want to go shower or anything?”
“Kind of. But have you to promise not to look.”
“What’s so bad that you don’t want me to see?” Chen reaches out a hand under the covers to feel Kai’s hip, and Kai tenses a little. It feels just as soft and smooth as it usually does. He dips his fingers towards Kai’s stomach and feels hot scratch marks.
“Are you hurt?”
Kai shakes his head. “I’ll get out and shower, but just - don’t say anything, ok, it happens, and I’m fine, and they probably paid and that’s what matters.”
With that, Kai lets the blanket out from being crumpled in his fists. He rolls to the edge of the bed and lets the blanket fall from covering his back. His shoulders have red marks on them, and when he stands, Chen sees his ass and the back of his thighs are a dull red. There are long scratch marks on his hips and bruises on his neck. Kai stands and wobbles a little. Chen can see cum sticky between his thighs.
“Don’t,” Kai says very quietly, and Chen doesn’t. He stays in Kai’s bed as Kai hobbles into the bathroom he must share with an adjacent room. He briefly considers going into the shower and helping Kai clean up, but Kai probably wants to be alone, and Chen can tell Kai hates letting him see him like this. He gets out of bed and puts his shoes back on.
Chen sits on the bed and waits until Kai comes back into his room, looking wet and exhausted. His eyes widen when Chen stands. “Are you leaving?”
“I thought maybe you’d want to be left alone.”
“You don’t have to go.” Kai steps past Chen and crawls into bed. “I usually sleep better after you’ve been here. But if you have to leave, go ahead.”
He curls up again, facing away from Chen. It hits Chen that this could very possible be the last time he sees Kai, if their job goes wrong. He kicks off his shoes again and slides back under the covers.
Kai must have taken a cold shower, because his body is cool when Chen hugs him from behind, wrapping an arm around his side and up to his chest. Kai presses backwards until they’re touching from chest to ankle.
“I might not see you again after this,” Chen starts and feels Kai try to look at him, but he holds Kai tight. “There’s a possibility that I might have to leave Seoul.”
“Where are you going? Why?”
“I can’t tell you. I don’t want to go but it’s not really my choice.”
Kai exhales. He doesn’t say anything for a minute. Then, “Are you going to die?”
Chen closes his eyes and kisses the back of his neck. “Let’s hope not.”
Kai scoots and rolls so that he’s face-to-face with Chen. His eyes are shining a little. “Tell me the truth, then. What do you do that’s so dangerous that you can’t tell me? Who am I going to tell?”
“I wish I could.” Chen really does. He wants to tell Kai everything about himself, more than he’s ever wanted to sleep with him. “I want to be honest with you.”
“Just answer me this,” Kai breathes against his mouth. “Do you kill people?”
The way he says it doesn’t sound like a question. It sounds more like a test. Like Kai knows the answer but wants to see what Chen will do. Chen keeps his eyes shut because he knows if he opens them and sees Kai, he’ll give in.
“If you die, Chen, I want to know the truth. You can kill me if I tell anyone. I’ll kill myself.”
“Please don’t say that.” Chen knows he’s already made up his mind, but he lies to himself and pretends he doesn’t know what to do.
“I mean it. You can trust me, please.” Kai’s mouth is on his neck now, not kissing, just soft and wet. He buries his face in the junction of Chen’s neck and shoulder.
“Yes,” Chen whispers, and instead of immediately regretting it, he feels like a huge weight has been lifted. So relieved. “That is what I do for Wufan. And I have a job in a few days, and that always means I might die. But I’ll be with the others and it’s not too dangerous. I’m not scared. You shouldn’t be, either.”
Kai’s body is relaxed when Chen wraps his arms around it. “That’s all I wanted an answer to,” he says.
“I’m sorry I had to lie to you before.”
“It’s alright, I understand. Just don’t die. Be careful.”
“If I’m not allowed to worry about you, then you’re not allowed to worry about me,” Chen mumbles into Kai’s hair. “I promise I’ll come back. Have some faith in me; I’ve been doing this for a while.”
Kai kisses his jaw and Chen holds him tighter. He’s reluctant to ever let Kai go. “Go to sleep, Kai. I’ll see you in a few days, I promise. Everything will be fine.”
After a few minutes, Kai’s breathing evens out. Chen hopes he’s sleeping well; Kai didn’t seem to affected by the truth and Chen hopes he won’t be worried when he wakes up.
He fully intends on seeing Kai after the day after tomorrow and refuses to let anything stop him.
*
The dock smells very strongly of salt water with a bit of industrial grit. They arrive early, just before the sun starts to set. All dressed in black. Even though they’ll be working mostly physically Xiumin, Chen and Wufan are all carrying handguns. Tao and Chanyeol have Chanyeol’s favorite sniper rifles, Jaguars from Bolivia, steady guns with large scopes. He and Tao find storage modules with small catwalks close to the ceiling, probably intended for operating machinery. Once they’re situated, the other three hole up in a windowed booth that almost exactly triangulates the area in which Lee’s boat well dock. Then, they wait.
Chen finds waiting to be the most unsavory part of his job. He can’t talk, because Wufan gets frighteningly focused, and Xiumin will tell him to shut up because sometimes picking on Chen is how he releases tension. So they stand and wait as the sun sets and the sky grows dark. Soon the only light on the dock is the light pollution from Incheon, with tinges the sky a deep navy.
About an hour after sunset, they hear waves crashing louder, then the creak of metal. The boat has docked. It sits there, unmoving, and smaller than Chen thought it would be. The windows give them a good view, and the captain doesn’t get off. Chen’s nerves hum. They wait.
Chen doesn’t know how long it takes (he generally avoids looking at his watch because it makes time feel slower), but soon they hear hushed voices coming down from the street. A group of men appears in the window. The captain descends from the ship, and Chen can just barely make out him shaking hands with one of the men. He looks up at Wufan, who nods, confirming that the man is Lee.
The captain walks away with a stack of notes in his hand, walks up the road and away from the situation. Lee jumps onto the boat and disappears through a door on the side. A minute passes. Then he pokes his head out and waves the men on board.
They start unloading the ship. Each man exits the boat carrying two or three brown packages the size of cereal boxes, sets them on the dock, then goes back up the stairs to retrieve more. Chen and the others know to wait until they’ve completely unloaded the boat before making a move, but Chen’s still itching to get out and take care of them and go home.
Lee shouts from the deck for two men to start carrying packages to their car. Wufan motions, and Xiumin sneaks out the back to follow them. In five minutes he’s back with all six packages that the men had been carrying.
Out on the dock, Lee’s men appear to already be finishing up. Wufan was right, then; this shipment was small so its contents must be potent.
“Choi and Park, go bring those eight to the car,” Lee commands two of the men. They pick up four each and start making their way up the road.
“I’ve got it,” Wufan hisses before sliding out the back door.
Xiumin and Chen watch and wait as Lee’s men count the packages. There appear to be about thirty in all, not including the ones they’ve already intercepted. Chen glances over at Xiumin when it feels like a long time has passed. Wufan should have come back, shouldn’t he have?
“I’ll go look,” Xiumin whispers. He gets halfway across the booth before a gunshot makes them both drop to the ground.
There’s shouting on the dock. “What the fuck was that,” Xiumin hisses, then crawls the rest of the way to the door.
He turns back to Chen. “Might as well,” he says, and runs out of the booth and towards Lee’s men.
Chen follows. They get around the corner of the booth and start shooting. Some of the men have guns, but they drop like flies, and Chen doesn’t have to glance up to know that Tao’s shot them. The gunshot must have been Chanyeol, because Chen just registers him running into the now empty booth carrying packages before one of Lee’s men charges him.
Chen shoots him point blank, then steps over his body and deeper into the chaos. It’s quickly turned into a shoot-out. He ducks behind a barrel and takes out two more men, watching them fall off the dock and into the water.
Wufan’s got Lee. He pistol whips him across the face and shoots him once he’s down. Tao comes running in after abandoning his building.
There’s a pile of bricks near once of the storage units. Wufan pulls a roll of duct tape from inside his coat. “Start wrapping their feet, we’ll put them in the river. Xiumin and Chanyeol, move the cargo up to our car.”
They work quickly. Chen finishes wrapping a man’s feet when something from the ground moves in the corner of his eye.
It’s one of Lee’s men, bursting from his hiding spot and trying to escape up the hill. When he runs past Chanyeol, Chanyeol tosses aside the items in his arms and starts after him.
“Let him go!” Xiumin’s yelling after Chanyeol. “Chanyeol! Park Chanyeol, come back here!”
“He’s fine.” Wufan rises from kneeling and starts to kick the bodies in front of him into the water.
A gunshot makes them all freeze. None of them have been shot. Xiumin drops the packets in his hands and sprints up the road in Chanyeol’s footsteps. Chen follows despite Wufan shouting after him.
They see it before they can get around the corner. One of Lee’s men standing over Chanyeol, who’s slumped on the ground.
“Chanyeol!” Xiumin stops and screams. The man above him is tying bricks to Chanyeol’s feet. Before Xiumin can reach him, he kicks the body into the deep.
Chen can barely think as he follows Xiumin, chasing the man. Xiumin’s thrown his gun to the ground. They trail him up the slight incline to the road, where a black car is waiting.
“No!” Xiumin’s screaming but no one’s listening. “No! You fuck, you god damn coward!”
Chen stops and unloads every bullet in his gun in the direction of the vehicle. He blows out the back window but the man speeds away, leaving them standing there, desperate and hollow.
*
Wufan brings the intercepted drugs to the SMPA that night, and returns with two briefcases, both with 150 million won inside. “They paid us Chanyeol’s share anyway.” Chen takes his sixty million and nothing more. So do Tao and Xiumin, before silently going back to their room together. By the next morning, it’s gone from the kitchen table.
Wufan calls Chanyeol’s boyfriend to tell him the news. Chen can hear him sobbing through the receiver from across the room. When he gets off the phone, Wufan takes a deep breath and doesn’t look at him.
The atmosphere in the apartment is so dismal that Chen doesn’t even consider trying to go to XO. He figures Kai must be worried, and hopes that instead he’s come to terms with the fact that Chen might as well be dead. He considers not even going back at all.
Tao is almost inconsolable for the first few days. Chen almost wishes he was like Tao and could see the point in being upset, but he can’t. Chanyeol was reckless and thus faced the consequences. No amount of frustration will bring him back.
It’s a few days later when Xiumin knocks on Chen’s door.
“I found him,” he says when Chen opens it. “The guy who killed Chanyeol. I tracked him down through a few tattoo parlors. His name is Oh Sehun, he’s a college dropout who lives in Seoul, alone.” Xiumin holds up a slip of paper. “I have his address.”
Chen used to have reservations about killing in cold blood, but seeing the cold determination on Xiumin’s face makes him dress and follow Xiumin into the car.
Oh Sehun lives in an apartment in the Guro district. It takes a little circling before Xiumin finds the place, which looks small and cramped. Chen realizes that Xiumin isn’t carrying a gun as they enter and find Sehun’s floor, which isn’t like him. But he is wearing gloves.
Xiumin is charming as he knocks on doors, saying he’s Sehun’s friend from school, but he can’t for the life of him remember his apartment number. It only takes a few knocks before a short, pale, young-looking man with rosebud lips and heavy bangs answers the door.
“Can I help you?”
In the mirror that’s close to the door, Chen sees a tattoo spread over kid’s shoulders. Xiumin must notice it too.
“Hi, Sehun, remember me?” Sehun shakes his head.
In response, Xiumin shoves him bodily back through the door. “Stand guard outside,” he growls to Chen before slamming the door behind him.
Chen leans against it casually. He hears some scuffling inside the apartment and what sounds like glass or porcelain breaking. There’s only one human sounding squawk, but none of Sehun’s neighbors even poke their heads out to see.
Xiumin pulls the door open from the inside after not very long. He slams it shut and Chen follows him down and out of the building.
The ride home is silent. Xiumin seems more at peace than he was on the way here but he still grips the steering wheel.
Tao’s waiting on the couch when they reenter the apartment. He follows Xiumin into their room. Chen expects to hear something, but there’s nothing. He goes into the bathroom and starts the shower. As he steps inside, Chen wonders if revenge is supposed to feel better than this.
*
Sixteen days have passed without Chen going back to XO. Tonight, Xiumin is taking Tao out for the first time since Chanyeol’s death, and Wufan is going out on business.
Chen makes his way across the entire dance floor, looking for Kai. When he doesn’t find him, he sits at the bar, trying not to stare at the side door. His stomach twists up in excitement whenever the door opens from the inside and the disappointment gets worse each time it isn’t Kai. He makes himself promise he’ll leave after 45 minutes, after an hour, after an hour and a half.
Finally, when he’s been waiting for almost two hours, the door swings open, and Kai comes out. Chen barely recognizes him with his bangs combed down, almost falling into his eyes. He almost jumps from the barstool and weaves through the crowded club until he closes in on Kai, who’s leaning against the wall and being eyed by a group of men clustered around a table.
Chen reaches out to tap Kai and get his attention, but Kai makes eye contact with him before he gets the chance. He doesn’t say a word. Grabbing Chen’s wrist and not looking back, he leads Chen to the side door and yanks him through it.
“I’m sorry” is the first thing Chen says when they’re in Kai’s room.
“I thought you were dead.” Kai is standing rigid in front of the closed door, jaw locked but trying not to look angry. “After a few days I thought you were busy, then a week and you hadn’t even stopped by, then two weeks and I saw Wufan here but not you, and I thought - “
“Chanyeol’s dead.” Chen says it without much emotion; it’s been consuming his life for weeks and the passion and remorse have been replaced with a cold want for revenge. “We were looking for the guy who killed him.” He starts to move closer, hemming Kai in against the door. “I dreamt about you, I really did, and I thought about you so much I could barely concentrate, Kai I would have come if I could have but things were such a mess that they would have lost if it I had tried to leave. But it’s ok now, we’re done, things are figured out, and I’m not dead.”
They’re almost touching. Chen leans in a little bit, and when Kai doesn’t turn away, he kisses him. Kai tastes fresh, like toothpaste, and after a few seconds he kisses Chen back. They go slow. Chen thought he’d be tearing Kai’s clothes off but something else takes over and now he wants every touch to last a long time.
Kai nudges him forward until Chen can sit down on the bed and loop his arms around Kai’s waist. When he moves to kiss down Kai’s neck he feels him tremble a bit. Kai seems so sensitive, like a virgin, gasping a little as Chen rubs up from his hip to his ribs and back down.
He takes Kai against the wall, both of them gasping and scrambling against each other. Kai comes more than once and can hardly stand when they’re done. Chen carries him to the bed and he pulls Chen down with him, kissing him until he can’t breathe.
“You’re such an ass,” Kai mumbles, “I hate you, I really do, you’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“I feel the same about you,” Chen spits and kisses him back, again and again.
part 2
For: solitair
Pairing: Chen/Kai, minor Xiumin/Tao
Rating: NC-17 (sex and violence ur welcome)
Length: 20,539 (I’m sry)
Summary: Chen is an assassin because he has nothing better to do. Kai is a ~working boy~. There is a fair amount of blood.
On the nights he wakes up for seemingly no reason, Chen rolls onto his side and clings to the warm body next to him. He presses his nose into the short hair on the back of Kai’s neck and remembers because he can’t help himself. As long as he’s been in this profession he’s tried not to have regrets, and he loves Kai so terribly that he almost never does.
Kai murmurs in his sleep and it helps the past fade a little, but not completely. Never completely.
*
Xiumin knocks twice, then just walks into Chen’s room. He does it a lot. Chen’s becoming used to it; it comes with living in an apartment with four other men. Chanyeol’s strolled into the kitchen naked for breakfast a few times.
“Hey, can I borrow your dark blue button-down shirt for tonight?”
He starts rifling through Chen’s closet without an answer. Chen looks up from the paperback he’s reading.
“I guess? What’s tonight?”
“Tao didn’t tell you?” Xiumin finds the shirt, holds it up to himself and smoothes it down. “Wufan wants us to all go out tonight. I’m pretty sure he has a meeting at some club and he’s inviting us to just hang out. I told Tao to come tell you while I was showering, we’re leaving in like an hour.”
Chen sighs and stretches. Their employer, Wufan, lives with them, but goes out to meetings most nights. Chen didn’t know who with. From what Xiumin has alluded to and what Wufan’s mentioned, he has a network of connections spanning from the slums to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and everywhere in between. He must have international connections too, because sometimes he’d go on trips for a few days, or Chen would overhear him talking on the phone in languages he couldn’t even identify, much less understand.
They weren’t forbidden from going out. Xiumin decompresses after a job by going to nearby bars, and he sometimes drags Tao with him to show Tao off. Chanyeol goes out with his boyfriend at least once a week. Chen has only seen them together once or twice; one of the rules Wufan does have is that they should avoid bringing anyone at all back to their apartment.
Now Xiumin’s going through his closet again. “You need to come out with us this time. You’re actually becoming a hermit. We haven’t had to work in almost two weeks, and I feel like this meeting Wufan’s going to means we’re gonna have another mark soon. Maybe even a group effort actually. You should take the opportunity to come actually be a person.”
Chen swings his legs over to sit sideways on the edge of his bed, and catches the t-shirt Xiumin throws at him. He used to go out as often as he could, but got tired of the bars and clubs and the people in them, especially since he never knew what to talk about. He had a cover story of course, not telling random half-drunk girls at the bar that he was an assassin. But it usually boiled down to people thinking he was too timid or boring and walking away.
“Tao just got out of the shower.” Xiumin pulls a pair of black jeans with silver stud details on the pockets out of Chen’s dresser. “You should wear these, and your jacket, and you can borrow my white shoes.”
He looks up at Chen for the first time. “Are you gonna come?”
Chen rotates his neck, cracking it. It has been a while since he went out somewhere, and maybe with Wufan’s status it’ll be somewhere he’s never been before. “Which club is it?”
“It’s called XO. It’s been open for a few months. I hadn’t heard of it, I think its publicity is mainly word-of-mouth. But Wufan’s been there a few times already and seems to like it, so it should be pretty nice.” Xiumin pouts a little and poofs his cheeks. “You should come with. If anything, you can keep Wufan company after his meeting, because Chanyeol’s not coming but Tao and I are going.”
“So you want me to come so you’re free to sneak off and make out with Tao? He knows about you two, you know, and he doesn’t care.”
Xiumin looks so exasperated that Chen feels sorry for him. “Fine. You can stay home and jack off and eat all my cereal. But I’m still wearing your shirt.”
“I’ll come, Xiumin.” Chen smiles. “Get out of my room so I can change.”
“Shower first, you smell rank,” Xiumin sing-songs as he heads out with Chen’s shirt in tow.
*
There’s a decently long line in front of the club, which is marked by a large white neon “XO” high up on the side of the building, above the door. Wufan leads them past everyone to the front. Despite the jeers of the people waiting, when he nods at the hulking bouncer, he ushers all four of them in.
The inside of XO is done up in black and chrome, with purple and blue lights. The bar is a white, lit-up circular structure, visible from the very front of the club, past the mass of writhing bodies on the dance floor and the staircases that lead upwards to a few more private booths.
Wufan stops at the bottom of one of the staircases and leans down so they can hear him.
“I have a bit of business to attend to, but I’ll be back out. Meet at the front at 2:00. Don’t get too drunk.” With that he leaves them, ascending the staircase.
“Let’s go to the bar,” Xiumin shouts over the music and pulls Tao along with him. Chen could go out onto the floor by himself; he hasn’t been to a club in ages, and he likes dancing. But he decides to go to the bar, because Wufan said they couldn’t get wasted, but he didn’t forbid them from loosening up.
They find three open spots at the bar. Xiumin orders bourbon, and gets Tao to let him buy him a shot of Ipsaeju. Chen takes a sojito, then turns away to let the other two scoot close and talk, and watches the dancing crowd.
Everyone here is dressed pretty well, and there are a few absolute knock-outs, both men and women. He sees several clusters of girls in tight dresses dancing together. There are a few couples, pressed together in a way that shakes loose some long-dormant emotion in his chest. Chen glances at Xiumin and Tao. The younger has had a few more shots and is holding one of Xiumin’s hands on his thigh as they talk. Chen thinks of Chanyeol, and hopes he’s with his boyfriend. Chen wonders how much he knows about Chanyeol’s life. He considers how lucky Xiumin and Tao are; Chen likes them both as people and can almost not feel jealous. Almost.
At that moment, Tao stands up, and he’s pulling Xiumin out to the dance floor. They go so far out as to almost leave Chen’s line of sight, but he can still see him when they stop. It’s kind of funny to watch them together, because Tao is taller than Xiumin enough to be noticeable, but he’s still the one dancing with his back pressed against Xiumin, swaying his hips and holding Xiumin’s arms tight around his waist.
Chen breaks his gaze and orders another drink. He stays facing the bar this time, watching how the strobe lights interact with the white light of the bar. Someone taps him on the shoulder.
When he wheels around, he’s face to face with Wufan.
“They’re out there,” Chen points over Wufan’s shoulder. He half turns around and nods in their direction.
“I’ll be in the back, alright? You can tell Xiumin that Room 2 on the second floor is ours, if he asks.”
Chen nods and watches Wufan stride away. A few yards away from the bar, he’s joined by two people. One is a guy, a few years older than them, but with a built body and a sweet, young face. The other is a stunning girl with long light brown hair that turns into ringlets, wearing a red dress that could be painted on.
It’s strange. Chen has never thought of Wufan as someone who really has friends, especially not lovers. He has a ridiculous number of connections, of course, but are these people he already knew, or just met, or -
Wufan’s going through a door in the back corner of the club. It’s painted all black, and Chen can just barely see some red and gold behind it before the door swings shut.
Realization hits him, but doesn’t rattle him. He’s met a few pimps before, been in brothels, and none looked as high-class as this. None of the employees had looked as healthy as the ones with Wufan. He wished he had seen if either one had track marks on their arms or anything. But if Wufan was acquainted with the owner, and even partook in it himself, then it must check out fine. Chen had heard of a few completely legal clubs like this in Japan; maybe XO was just cutting-edge for Korea.
With this knowledge, he looks back to the dance floor and tries to pick out which people work here. There’s a tall girl with dip-dyed hair dancing surrounded by a group of guys, and two young men are chatting up a foreign-looking girl in a green dress. Chen turns in his seat back to see if Xiumin and Tao are still dancing together. They’re gone, maybe deeper into the crowd. Chen starts to get up to go find them on the floor but -
Someone’s watching him. Someone leaning against the far wall. He looks young, with dark brown hair coifed upwards and the fullest pair of lips Chen thinks he’s ever seen. The stranger’s wearing a jacket that looks like leather over a grey shirt with a scoop neck, and tight, white jeans. His eyes are a little lidded, but Chen can tell that he’s looking at him.
He can tell when he’s being followed, and especially since the kid doesn’t move or even look away when he makes eye contact, Chen’s not nervous. There’s a tiny fold-up knife in his back pocket that he always carries for peace of mind. This guy looks like a kid, though. Chen’s been toe-to-toe with guys a foot taller than himself, and with 60 extra pounds of muscle, and walked away fine. He does not feel threatened.
The kid rolls leisurely off the wall and starts walking toward Chen, shoving his hands into his pockets and glancing into the crowd a few times. His posture is noticeably good, and he walks with just a little bit of a swagger. Chen looks up and down his body. He’s fit, for sure, but he doesn’t have the obvious muscles and curves that Tao’s gained from martial arts.
Chen figures, he doesn’t have to sleep with him. Maybe this guy will talk to him for a few minutes and get bored and walk away.
“Hello,” he says, when they’re close enough that he can talk in a relatively low voice. The music has been calmer for a while, like the club is switching out DJs.
“Hi.” He smiles wide and close-mouthed. “Mind if I keep you company?”
Well, Wufan doesn’t need him anymore. “No, not at all. What’s your name?”
“Kai.” He sits in the chair next to Chen and nods at the bartender, who brings him a dark colored drink in a short glass. “What’s yours?”
“Chen. Are you actually old enough to drink?”
Kai laughs quietly enough to be genuine. “Just barely, yes. But this is just Coke and cherry syrup.” He holds it out for Chen to take a sip. It’s almost too sweet and Chen must make a face because Kai laughs again. His voice is lower than Chen thought it’d be from looking at him; it’s deeper than Chen’s, which is kind of sexy
“So, how do you know Wufan?”
“We work together.” Chen doesn’t get asked about Wufan very often, and he doesn’t know how much Kai knows. “He’s my boss.”
“What do you do?” Kai crosses his legs. His pants are tight and it’s very distracting.
Chen hesitates. “I work with computers, you know, keep track of money and stuff. It’s boring. What do you do?”
He asks out of habit, then kicks himself for it mentally. Kai tosses his hair a little bit.
“I work here, in the back. It’s boring too sometimes. I think you and I could have fun, though.”
Lust rises in Chen’s chest. “You sound confident.”
“I’ve received rave reviews from a lot of people.” Kai wets his bottom lip. “Plus, if you’re with Wufan, Joonmyeon will only charge you half. There are girls in the back, too, if that’s what you would prefer.” He leans forward so he’s whispering in Chen’s ear. “But I think I’d be more worth your time.”
Kai drapes his hand over Chen’s knee and brushes his thigh. Chen figures he has time to spare, and Kai looks like he knows what he’s doing. He has cash, and if they’re good enough for Wufan, they must be top quality. “Alright, let’s go.”
*
The room behind the black door in the wall is set up like a hotel lobby. There’s a huge desk-type fixture in the middle of it, close to the wall. On either side are two long hallways lined with a few doors, and Chen can see staircases at the ends of the halls. It’s all decorated in muted red and gold, and he can just barely smell perfume.
“He’s with Wufan,” Kai tells the man behind the counter, who nods and smiles at Chen.
Kai’s room is on the second floor. It’s not badly sized, with a small desk and a closet and a chest of drawers. Of course there’s a bed. It’s huge and four-poster, neatly made with black sheets.
“Now, Chen,” Kai sighs when the door is shut, “what can I do for you?”
It makes Chen realize that he doesn’t know exactly what he wants. The small clock on the bedside table says it’s 12:30. He could have Kai for the next hour and a half. Kai, who is pressing close to him, but not touching him yet. Chen reaches out to hold Kai’s hips, under his jacket but over his shirt. He feels the muscles there flex a little and Kai leans forward. He’s a little taller than Chen but instead of being intimidating he looks expectant, compliant.
“I want you to strip for me.”
Kai makes a quiet but heated noise of consent. He guides Chen backwards until Chen can sit down on the bed, then steps back to give a full view.
Kai starts by shrugging off the leather jacket and dropping it elegantly on the floor. The shirt underneath is a tank top, and it shows off his collarbones and arms, a lot of pretty olive skin. He lifts it up slowly, first giving Chen just a peek of his hips and bellybutton, then pulling it up to just under his chest. Kai’s really lightly toned but Chen can see his muscles tense and relax when Kai undulates his hips and it makes his cheeks flush a bit.
There’s no other noise in the room but Chen’s heart is beating loud enough as Kai finally takes off the tank top. It joins the jacket and Kai moves his hands to his belt. It comes off slowly. When Kai undoes his pants, he slides a hand down to cup himself through his black underwear. He makes a little noise and Chen’s toes curl. He can’t remember the last time his head was this cloudy, and he wants, can feel commands rising in his chest, each more appealing than the last.
Kai’s slowly pushing down his jeans. His underwear reaches mid-thigh and is tight enough so that Chen can see the outline of his cock. He looks halfway hard already, and Chen feels a surge of filthy heat at the idea that Kai gets off on performing for people. It’s too much.
“Come here.” His voice is embarrassingly hoarse, but he forgets it when Kai’s across the room in two steps. He climbs into Chen’s lap and Chen gets his hands on him. Kai’s skin is smooth and hot and he moans a little when Chen runs his hands up his chest and over his nipples.
He looks up meaning to look into Kai’s eyes, but gets distracted by his lips. They’re definitely natural, but they look even more swollen up close, like he’s been biting them. Kai licks them, probably just to tease, then takes the side of Chen’s face in his palm and leans down.
There’s a beat where their breaths mingle. Then Kai’s kissing him, insistent but soft. They kiss slowly at first, until Chen feels like he’s drowning in the heat of Kai’s mouth. Their tongues flick together and Kai grinds down especially hard in his lap.
“Oh God,” Chen sighs and pulls back. Before he can overthink, he takes off his jacket. Kai helps him ungracefully shove his t-shirt over his head and then they’re pressed back together, kissing more fervently. Chen’s hands are all over Kai’s thighs, sometimes straying between them to feel his growing erection. He moves his lips to Kai’s neck and relishes the little moans he gets from the younger.
Kai’s hands fall into Chen’s lap and start undoing his pants. They stop kissing and Chen almost feels lightheaded.
“I wanna blow you,” Kai pants, and oh, that brings Chen to attention. He scoots backwards until he can lean semi-upright against the pillows and headboard. Kai gets his pants undone and yanks them off his legs.
He crawls forward, and spreads Chen’s legs so he can fit between them. Their pace has slowed, and Chen watches Kai give his cock a slow, languid lick through his boxers. He fists his hands in the comforter to resist grabbing Kai’s hair.
Kai doesn’t tease for long, though, and makes a shuddery noise when he pulls down the hem of Chen ‘s boxers and Chen’s cock is fully hard. Just the sight of that mouth near him is making Chen’s lower stomach pulse and he realizes how long it’s been since someone sucked him off properly.
And Kai does it very properly indeed. The inside of his mouth is even hotter than it felt before and Chen has to use a lot of willpower to keep from cramming himself deeper into Kai’s mouth. Kai sucks him with long, thorough movements. He looks so good doing it that Chen can’t look away, and he almost comes when he sees Kai’s arm start moving just before he lets a low moan vibrate around Chen’s cock.
What makes Chen explode is when Kai looks up at him, his eyelids fluttering as he gives himself a particularly good tug. He groans, writhes against the mattress, then he’s coming hot and thick all over Kai’s tongue. There’s a lot of it but Kai swallows around him so well that none leaks out of his mouth.
Chen’s not completely calmed down yet when he looks down to see Kai still squeezing himself, teeth worrying his bottom lip. He starts to climb up the bed and reach for lotion on the nightstand but Chen grabs him by the biceps and flips their positions so Kai is spread-eagled.
He doesn’t protest, just spreads his legs, and he looks so irresistible that Chen is almost tempted to have him fully. Instead he leans down and takes the head of Kai’s erection into his mouth. It makes Kai gasp and shake a little.
It doesn’t take long at all for Kai to come. Chen only sucks him a few times before Kai’s back arches and he keens his way through his orgasm, and Chen swallows it all. He sits up and wipes off his mouth, then crawls upwards so he and Kai are level.
They kiss again, but even softer than it was at first. Kai curls into Chen’s chest, and it occurs to Chen to wonder if Kai is even supposed to be kissing him at all. But he doesn’t seem too reluctant.
When they pull apart, they’re both panting.
“Thank you,” Chen huffs, and Kai smiles sleepily.
“You don’t need to thank me. But thank you, too,” he hums into Chen’s neck.
Chen stays there. It’s comfortable and warm and Kai doesn’t pull away. He looks like he’s dozing, and his body is relaxed.
When Chen sees the clock reach 1:30, he lets go of Kai and slowly leaves the bed. He hears shuffling behind him and when he turns around Kai is curled up with his head on the pillow.
“I should probably go, I mean, I don’t want to take up your time and make you lose money or anything.”
“I don’t have to do anything else tonight. I’ve met my quota.” Kai reaches out an arm so that his fingers brush the edge of the mattress. “You could stay for a little bit. I won’t mind.”
Chen snorts and pulls on his boxers. “You have to say that.”
“I don’t have to do anything but get you off.” Kai almost looks sad. His body looks like it’s sinking into the mattress with exhaustion even though Chen’s sure he’s had rougher appointments. Chen feels a weird twinge of pity.
“I’ll try to come back, alright? I will try to come back by this time next week.” His pants and jacket are back on.
Kai rubs his eyes. “Do you promise?”
“Do you not like being paid?” Chen would think that Kai’d want as little to do with him as possible, seeing as the more time spent with Chen meant the more money lost.
“You made me come.” Kai smiles. “You’d be surprised how many men leave me here still hard and aching. Sometimes they ask that I meet with them after being fucked and teased but without coming. And sometimes they make me do it myself. It’s so tiring. I like when men can do it for me.”
Chen’s a bit flustered, because how is he supposed to reply to this?
“So you should come back, and maybe fuck me, or have me fuck you.”
“Which do you prefer?” Chen wishes he hadn’t asked before he’s done saying it.
Kai rolls away from him and curls up. “You’ll find out when you come back.”
*
By the time Chen has meandered to the front of XO, the other three are waiting. Tao looks smug and Xiumin looks flustered; Chen wonders if he looks like either. He feels calm more than anything else, more content than he’s felt in a long time. No one asks him about what happened. Wufan asks Xiumin if they can take a separate cab home. That’s not abnormal. Chen is aware that Xiumin probably knows more about the true nature of Xiumin’s position that he, Tao and Chanyeol combined.
In their cab, Tao falls asleep on his shoulder halfway home. Chen looks out the window and thinks about how Kai looked strewn naked on his sheets, his eyes dark and bottomless.
*
Chen does go back to XO five days later. Partly because there’s not much else for him to do; Chanyeol and Tao left to spar together, and Xiumin is trying to bake a cake from scratch and insisting that he doesn’t need help. Wufan’s been in and out of his office for most of the day and tying up the phone line.
Another part of it might be Kai. Chen drives there himself this time, in the car he and Xiumin share. He spends a lot of the drive coming up with reasons to go that aren’t Kai, but finds it easier to give in and admit that he wouldn’t mind being in Kai’s bed again.
Once he’s at the bar, he doesn’t have to wait too long.
“You came back,” someone drawls in his ear, and Chen turns to see Kai wrapped partially in a grey sweater.
“That’s what you wear to pick people up?”
“Does that mean you don’t want to come back with me?”
Chen stands maybe a little too quickly. “I’m only coming with you because you’re dressed like you’re going ice skating, and who else are you gonna hook up with in that?”
“You are mean,” Kai huffs as Chen follows him through the side door.
Kai’s body is still gorgeous once the grey sweater and everything else is off. He wraps a leg around Chen’s waist as they’re kissing, entangled on the bed, and grinds up, rubbing himself on Chen’s stomach. Chen runs his hands over as much of Kai and he can, squeezing and pinching. When Kai moans, “Put marks on me,” he starts to cover Kai’s neck with bite-mark bruises.
He sucks a particularly red hickey onto Kai’s collarbone and Kai squirms under him. “Get in me, come on, fuck me.”
“You’re not really in a position to be making demands.” Chen pulls back anyway and spreads Kai’s legs with his hands.
“Please,” Kai whines and raises his arms over his head, grabbing the headboard.
“Get up.” Chen lies on his back and Kai pouts but shuffles onto his knees. “If you’re so desperate, ride me yourself.”
Kai makes the shuddering noise again and it could be all an act, but Chen wouldn’t really care, because it’s ridiculously hot. He watches Kai prepare himself with two fingers, then grab Chen’s shoulders and position himself over Chen.
Kai feels incredible inside, almost too tight to take Chen in. His body thrums with heat and Chen can feel each minute movement of the sensitive muscle stretched around him.
“Oh God,” Kai stutters and throws his head back. He flexes around Chen and Chen digs his nails into Kai’s thighs to keep from coming on the spot.
Kai rides him slow and deep, jaw slack from pleasure. He only picks up speed when a particularly deep thrust makes him jolt and groan low in the back of his throat. Chen can hardly move as he watches Kai get himself off on Chen’s cock. He starts rolling his hips upwards when he notices Kai’s thighs shaking and has just enough presence of mind left through the haze of pleasure to start stroking Kai off. When he reaches up to pluck at one of Kai’s nipples, Kai shakes particularly hard and looks down.
“I’m gonna come, I can’t - ”
“Do it,” Chen grunts, and Kai falls apart, almost screaming. Ecstacy makes Chen laugh his way over the edge, letting it consume him from the inside out.
Kai falls forward and whimpers as Chen slides out of him. Chen is content to never move again. But Kai props himself up on his elbows and looks down at him.
“I have an appointment, I’m sorry,” he sighs. “I have to go shower. But I’ll see you around, right?” He kisses Chen hard on the mouth and then rolls off the bed and walks into the bathroom.
“Yes,” Chen calls sleepily after him, and Kai grins before shutting the door.
*
The next afternoon, Chen’s having his first cup of coffee around 1:00 when Wufan calls them all into his office. They’re not allowed in here often, but Chen likes it. The walls are dark blue and sparsely decorated with newspaper clippings and maps. There’s a bookcase, behind which they store guns and ammunition. Wufan has an impressive computer system. Multiple monitor screens are lit up with various images. Chen sits in between Xiumin and Chanyeol, with Tao looming over the back of Xiumin’s chair.
“I met with an Inspector and a Chief Superintendent General from the SMPA last night,” Wufan starts, leaning against the front of his desk. “They have a job offer for us, and they’ve already showed me what they’re willing to pay.”
Wufan gestures at one of the screens. It shows a collage of semi-blurry pictures, mostly black and white except for one mugshot. From his mugshot Chen can tell that the man is probably Korean, older than him but younger than 35. He has single-lidded eyes and a jawline that could cut glass. The poutiness of his mouth dimly reminds Chen of Kai.
“This man,” Wufan’s saying, “is Lee Hyukjae. He was arrested for meth manufacturing in Seoul three years ago. A few months after his incarceration, his jail cell was found completely empty. They haven’t been able to pin him down since, but these black and white pictures were taken by security cameras in Beijing.”
Wufan points to another screen, this one a bar graph that goes up, then drops and bit and flattens. “It’s a general expectation that a lot of meth in Seoul originates in North Korea. So the Blue House put more drug patrols along the DMZ, and while rates went down, there’s still a fair amount of meth getting in. After some pressure, China let South Korea search a lot of their major ports, and nothing was found. Also in the past few months there have been almost quarterly increases in use of a specific type of highly crystallized meth.
“Now, there’s no way Lee Hyukjae was in Beijing all this time or he would have been caught by now. Both men I met with last night have come to the conclusion that he spent a fair amount of time in North Korea, helping to organize a small but productive system of meth labs clustered in the city of Haeju.
“We have reason to believe that once these drugs make it from North Korea to the city of Tianjin, they’re being hidden in commercial boats that usually ship shoes made in central China.” Everything he says is represented on a map on the central screen. “They’re then shipped from Dalian to Incheon, where Lee and company remove the drugs from the boat and bring them to Seoul to be distributed.
He taps the spacebar of his keyboard twice. The map of China and Korea changes to an aerial schematic of the Port of Incheon. “The SMPA don’t want an international scandal, since it’s pretty evident that somewhere along the line a few officials are being paid off to keep quiet, but they want Lee dead. They’re asking that we intercept the drugs at the dock when Lee’s next shipment arrives.” He turns to face the four, his eyes stern even though he’s smiling.
“We kill him and as much of his crew as necessary. It seems to come in waves: every second shipment is several hundred kilos, but the ones between are a lot more manageable. They’re smaller because it’s the really hard stuff, expertly formed crystals. If their predictions are accurate, one of the small but potent Dalian shipments will be docking at Port of Incheon’s Pier 8 in 9 days. We’ll have to be there.”
Chen’s head feels full, but clear. This is complicated but it’s not the most delicate situation he’s ever been given. And if the five of them are going together, it should be easy enough to take out the needed amount of people. If Lee’s stupid enough to actually do his own dirty work, then he deserves what’s coming to him.
Chanyeol breaks the quiet. “How much are they paying us?”
“Sixty million won each. I saw the money last night and counted it myself.”
Chen hears Tao gasp a little. The highest Chen can remember being paid was thirty-five million won, which wasn’t bad at all, but sixty is almost obscene.
“I anticipate having Tao and Chanyeol above sniping, with Xiumin, Chen and I on the ground. They said to kill everyone necessary but I think we can agree that the more dead, the better.” Wufan looks between Chen and Xiumin. “This should go without saying, but I need you two to practice hand-to-hand for the next week.”
“Of course,” Xiumin mumbles, and Chen nods.
“So we’re in agreement?
Wufan looks genuinely pleased. “I’ll notify my friends in the SMPA of our decision. I should have more exact time and materials details in a few days.”
With that, he bows slightly to them, turns back to his displays, and sits down. It’s their signal to leave.
*
Determined to not let the 9 days pass too quickly, Xiumin starts waking Chen up early most mornings to go sparring with him. Xiumin is faster, and has more upper body strength. But Chen loves to kick and can usually anticipate his opponents movements. Tao tags along sometimes, complaining that you can only practice shooting so many times, and he’s an actual challenge for both of them. It takes him less than a minute to deck both of them when they fight one on one.
Wufan comes occasionally and practices with them. He’s so agile that Chen almost thinks it’s not fair, because never has he met someone who can get around their opponent as fast as Wufan. He succeeds in blocking him more and more as they keep practicing, but never wins against him.
It wouldn’t feel right to Chen to say he’s excited for the job, but he does think it’ll be good to have something new to do for once. They haven’t had new marks in a while, and he’s nowhere near out of cash, but he figures if he keeps going back to XO eventually he’ll need some sort of income.
Two days before they go to the dock, Chen goes to the club. Just after he arrives, he sees Kai. Except that Kai is talking to a group of men that all look older and taller than him. Chen watches from afar as one of them starts to palm Kai’s ass through his jeans.
They all get up from the table, and Kai leads them to the side door and through it. Something like jealousy squirms in Chen’s chest. Of course Kai has other clients. He probably has to work six days a week. Chen downs his drink and orders another and waits.
Chen tries to think logically, telling himself that of course a job with three instead of one would take longer. But still, after an hour, he’s uncomfortable just sitting at the bar. There have been times when he’s seen Kai’s hips or thighs marked up a little, and when Kai tries to hide them, brushes his hand away, he knows they weren’t met to be there. He’s always as gentle as he can be but how can he expect others to be the same?
Standing, Chen crosses the floor and goes through the side door. Joonmyeon looks up when he comes in and opens his mouth to say something.
“I’ll wait,” Chen cuts him off.
“But it might take him a while to shower and all that afterwards. And honestly, I don’t know if tonight’s a good night. He has three guys in there.”
Chen leans against the wall and looks down the hallway to the staircase. “Maybe I want him to be a wreck.”
Joonmyeon doesn’t say anything after that. Once in a while a door will open, or someone will come down the stairs and go out the door, but not Kai. When he’s been in there for almost forty minutes, three men come down the stairs and head to the front desk. They all have at least a head of height on Chen, and their three bodies completely block the desk from view. Chen’s blood boils as they pay and walk out, smiling.
He’s off the wall and up the stairs before Joonmyeon can say anything. The door to Kai’s room isn’t completely shut, and Chen pushes inside.
Kai’s lying on the bed under the covers. He makes a whining noise when the door closes behind Chen.
“Give me five minutes, please?” He sighs without looking up.
“It’s me, are you ok?”
Kai opens his eyes. He looks weary, with red cheeks and swollen lips. “I’m ok, I just need a minute -”
Chen walks to the head of the bed and tries to pull the covers down but Kai curls up even tighter.
“I don’t want sex. I want to make sure you’re alright, though.”
“I’m ok, Chen, really.” Kai clings to his covers. “Don’t worry about them.”
The men are probably already gone now. Chen could kick himself for not trying to stop them earlier. He takes off his shoes. “Can I just lay here with you, then?”
Kai nods, but keeps his side of the blankets pulled up to his neck as Chen climbs under them. He turns to face Kai and wonders if he’s allowed to touch.
“Do you want to go shower or anything?”
“Kind of. But have you to promise not to look.”
“What’s so bad that you don’t want me to see?” Chen reaches out a hand under the covers to feel Kai’s hip, and Kai tenses a little. It feels just as soft and smooth as it usually does. He dips his fingers towards Kai’s stomach and feels hot scratch marks.
“Are you hurt?”
Kai shakes his head. “I’ll get out and shower, but just - don’t say anything, ok, it happens, and I’m fine, and they probably paid and that’s what matters.”
With that, Kai lets the blanket out from being crumpled in his fists. He rolls to the edge of the bed and lets the blanket fall from covering his back. His shoulders have red marks on them, and when he stands, Chen sees his ass and the back of his thighs are a dull red. There are long scratch marks on his hips and bruises on his neck. Kai stands and wobbles a little. Chen can see cum sticky between his thighs.
“Don’t,” Kai says very quietly, and Chen doesn’t. He stays in Kai’s bed as Kai hobbles into the bathroom he must share with an adjacent room. He briefly considers going into the shower and helping Kai clean up, but Kai probably wants to be alone, and Chen can tell Kai hates letting him see him like this. He gets out of bed and puts his shoes back on.
Chen sits on the bed and waits until Kai comes back into his room, looking wet and exhausted. His eyes widen when Chen stands. “Are you leaving?”
“I thought maybe you’d want to be left alone.”
“You don’t have to go.” Kai steps past Chen and crawls into bed. “I usually sleep better after you’ve been here. But if you have to leave, go ahead.”
He curls up again, facing away from Chen. It hits Chen that this could very possible be the last time he sees Kai, if their job goes wrong. He kicks off his shoes again and slides back under the covers.
Kai must have taken a cold shower, because his body is cool when Chen hugs him from behind, wrapping an arm around his side and up to his chest. Kai presses backwards until they’re touching from chest to ankle.
“I might not see you again after this,” Chen starts and feels Kai try to look at him, but he holds Kai tight. “There’s a possibility that I might have to leave Seoul.”
“Where are you going? Why?”
“I can’t tell you. I don’t want to go but it’s not really my choice.”
Kai exhales. He doesn’t say anything for a minute. Then, “Are you going to die?”
Chen closes his eyes and kisses the back of his neck. “Let’s hope not.”
Kai scoots and rolls so that he’s face-to-face with Chen. His eyes are shining a little. “Tell me the truth, then. What do you do that’s so dangerous that you can’t tell me? Who am I going to tell?”
“I wish I could.” Chen really does. He wants to tell Kai everything about himself, more than he’s ever wanted to sleep with him. “I want to be honest with you.”
“Just answer me this,” Kai breathes against his mouth. “Do you kill people?”
The way he says it doesn’t sound like a question. It sounds more like a test. Like Kai knows the answer but wants to see what Chen will do. Chen keeps his eyes shut because he knows if he opens them and sees Kai, he’ll give in.
“If you die, Chen, I want to know the truth. You can kill me if I tell anyone. I’ll kill myself.”
“Please don’t say that.” Chen knows he’s already made up his mind, but he lies to himself and pretends he doesn’t know what to do.
“I mean it. You can trust me, please.” Kai’s mouth is on his neck now, not kissing, just soft and wet. He buries his face in the junction of Chen’s neck and shoulder.
“Yes,” Chen whispers, and instead of immediately regretting it, he feels like a huge weight has been lifted. So relieved. “That is what I do for Wufan. And I have a job in a few days, and that always means I might die. But I’ll be with the others and it’s not too dangerous. I’m not scared. You shouldn’t be, either.”
Kai’s body is relaxed when Chen wraps his arms around it. “That’s all I wanted an answer to,” he says.
“I’m sorry I had to lie to you before.”
“It’s alright, I understand. Just don’t die. Be careful.”
“If I’m not allowed to worry about you, then you’re not allowed to worry about me,” Chen mumbles into Kai’s hair. “I promise I’ll come back. Have some faith in me; I’ve been doing this for a while.”
Kai kisses his jaw and Chen holds him tighter. He’s reluctant to ever let Kai go. “Go to sleep, Kai. I’ll see you in a few days, I promise. Everything will be fine.”
After a few minutes, Kai’s breathing evens out. Chen hopes he’s sleeping well; Kai didn’t seem to affected by the truth and Chen hopes he won’t be worried when he wakes up.
He fully intends on seeing Kai after the day after tomorrow and refuses to let anything stop him.
*
The dock smells very strongly of salt water with a bit of industrial grit. They arrive early, just before the sun starts to set. All dressed in black. Even though they’ll be working mostly physically Xiumin, Chen and Wufan are all carrying handguns. Tao and Chanyeol have Chanyeol’s favorite sniper rifles, Jaguars from Bolivia, steady guns with large scopes. He and Tao find storage modules with small catwalks close to the ceiling, probably intended for operating machinery. Once they’re situated, the other three hole up in a windowed booth that almost exactly triangulates the area in which Lee’s boat well dock. Then, they wait.
Chen finds waiting to be the most unsavory part of his job. He can’t talk, because Wufan gets frighteningly focused, and Xiumin will tell him to shut up because sometimes picking on Chen is how he releases tension. So they stand and wait as the sun sets and the sky grows dark. Soon the only light on the dock is the light pollution from Incheon, with tinges the sky a deep navy.
About an hour after sunset, they hear waves crashing louder, then the creak of metal. The boat has docked. It sits there, unmoving, and smaller than Chen thought it would be. The windows give them a good view, and the captain doesn’t get off. Chen’s nerves hum. They wait.
Chen doesn’t know how long it takes (he generally avoids looking at his watch because it makes time feel slower), but soon they hear hushed voices coming down from the street. A group of men appears in the window. The captain descends from the ship, and Chen can just barely make out him shaking hands with one of the men. He looks up at Wufan, who nods, confirming that the man is Lee.
The captain walks away with a stack of notes in his hand, walks up the road and away from the situation. Lee jumps onto the boat and disappears through a door on the side. A minute passes. Then he pokes his head out and waves the men on board.
They start unloading the ship. Each man exits the boat carrying two or three brown packages the size of cereal boxes, sets them on the dock, then goes back up the stairs to retrieve more. Chen and the others know to wait until they’ve completely unloaded the boat before making a move, but Chen’s still itching to get out and take care of them and go home.
Lee shouts from the deck for two men to start carrying packages to their car. Wufan motions, and Xiumin sneaks out the back to follow them. In five minutes he’s back with all six packages that the men had been carrying.
Out on the dock, Lee’s men appear to already be finishing up. Wufan was right, then; this shipment was small so its contents must be potent.
“Choi and Park, go bring those eight to the car,” Lee commands two of the men. They pick up four each and start making their way up the road.
“I’ve got it,” Wufan hisses before sliding out the back door.
Xiumin and Chen watch and wait as Lee’s men count the packages. There appear to be about thirty in all, not including the ones they’ve already intercepted. Chen glances over at Xiumin when it feels like a long time has passed. Wufan should have come back, shouldn’t he have?
“I’ll go look,” Xiumin whispers. He gets halfway across the booth before a gunshot makes them both drop to the ground.
There’s shouting on the dock. “What the fuck was that,” Xiumin hisses, then crawls the rest of the way to the door.
He turns back to Chen. “Might as well,” he says, and runs out of the booth and towards Lee’s men.
Chen follows. They get around the corner of the booth and start shooting. Some of the men have guns, but they drop like flies, and Chen doesn’t have to glance up to know that Tao’s shot them. The gunshot must have been Chanyeol, because Chen just registers him running into the now empty booth carrying packages before one of Lee’s men charges him.
Chen shoots him point blank, then steps over his body and deeper into the chaos. It’s quickly turned into a shoot-out. He ducks behind a barrel and takes out two more men, watching them fall off the dock and into the water.
Wufan’s got Lee. He pistol whips him across the face and shoots him once he’s down. Tao comes running in after abandoning his building.
There’s a pile of bricks near once of the storage units. Wufan pulls a roll of duct tape from inside his coat. “Start wrapping their feet, we’ll put them in the river. Xiumin and Chanyeol, move the cargo up to our car.”
They work quickly. Chen finishes wrapping a man’s feet when something from the ground moves in the corner of his eye.
It’s one of Lee’s men, bursting from his hiding spot and trying to escape up the hill. When he runs past Chanyeol, Chanyeol tosses aside the items in his arms and starts after him.
“Let him go!” Xiumin’s yelling after Chanyeol. “Chanyeol! Park Chanyeol, come back here!”
“He’s fine.” Wufan rises from kneeling and starts to kick the bodies in front of him into the water.
A gunshot makes them all freeze. None of them have been shot. Xiumin drops the packets in his hands and sprints up the road in Chanyeol’s footsteps. Chen follows despite Wufan shouting after him.
They see it before they can get around the corner. One of Lee’s men standing over Chanyeol, who’s slumped on the ground.
“Chanyeol!” Xiumin stops and screams. The man above him is tying bricks to Chanyeol’s feet. Before Xiumin can reach him, he kicks the body into the deep.
Chen can barely think as he follows Xiumin, chasing the man. Xiumin’s thrown his gun to the ground. They trail him up the slight incline to the road, where a black car is waiting.
“No!” Xiumin’s screaming but no one’s listening. “No! You fuck, you god damn coward!”
Chen stops and unloads every bullet in his gun in the direction of the vehicle. He blows out the back window but the man speeds away, leaving them standing there, desperate and hollow.
*
Wufan brings the intercepted drugs to the SMPA that night, and returns with two briefcases, both with 150 million won inside. “They paid us Chanyeol’s share anyway.” Chen takes his sixty million and nothing more. So do Tao and Xiumin, before silently going back to their room together. By the next morning, it’s gone from the kitchen table.
Wufan calls Chanyeol’s boyfriend to tell him the news. Chen can hear him sobbing through the receiver from across the room. When he gets off the phone, Wufan takes a deep breath and doesn’t look at him.
The atmosphere in the apartment is so dismal that Chen doesn’t even consider trying to go to XO. He figures Kai must be worried, and hopes that instead he’s come to terms with the fact that Chen might as well be dead. He considers not even going back at all.
Tao is almost inconsolable for the first few days. Chen almost wishes he was like Tao and could see the point in being upset, but he can’t. Chanyeol was reckless and thus faced the consequences. No amount of frustration will bring him back.
It’s a few days later when Xiumin knocks on Chen’s door.
“I found him,” he says when Chen opens it. “The guy who killed Chanyeol. I tracked him down through a few tattoo parlors. His name is Oh Sehun, he’s a college dropout who lives in Seoul, alone.” Xiumin holds up a slip of paper. “I have his address.”
Chen used to have reservations about killing in cold blood, but seeing the cold determination on Xiumin’s face makes him dress and follow Xiumin into the car.
Oh Sehun lives in an apartment in the Guro district. It takes a little circling before Xiumin finds the place, which looks small and cramped. Chen realizes that Xiumin isn’t carrying a gun as they enter and find Sehun’s floor, which isn’t like him. But he is wearing gloves.
Xiumin is charming as he knocks on doors, saying he’s Sehun’s friend from school, but he can’t for the life of him remember his apartment number. It only takes a few knocks before a short, pale, young-looking man with rosebud lips and heavy bangs answers the door.
“Can I help you?”
In the mirror that’s close to the door, Chen sees a tattoo spread over kid’s shoulders. Xiumin must notice it too.
“Hi, Sehun, remember me?” Sehun shakes his head.
In response, Xiumin shoves him bodily back through the door. “Stand guard outside,” he growls to Chen before slamming the door behind him.
Chen leans against it casually. He hears some scuffling inside the apartment and what sounds like glass or porcelain breaking. There’s only one human sounding squawk, but none of Sehun’s neighbors even poke their heads out to see.
Xiumin pulls the door open from the inside after not very long. He slams it shut and Chen follows him down and out of the building.
The ride home is silent. Xiumin seems more at peace than he was on the way here but he still grips the steering wheel.
Tao’s waiting on the couch when they reenter the apartment. He follows Xiumin into their room. Chen expects to hear something, but there’s nothing. He goes into the bathroom and starts the shower. As he steps inside, Chen wonders if revenge is supposed to feel better than this.
*
Sixteen days have passed without Chen going back to XO. Tonight, Xiumin is taking Tao out for the first time since Chanyeol’s death, and Wufan is going out on business.
Chen makes his way across the entire dance floor, looking for Kai. When he doesn’t find him, he sits at the bar, trying not to stare at the side door. His stomach twists up in excitement whenever the door opens from the inside and the disappointment gets worse each time it isn’t Kai. He makes himself promise he’ll leave after 45 minutes, after an hour, after an hour and a half.
Finally, when he’s been waiting for almost two hours, the door swings open, and Kai comes out. Chen barely recognizes him with his bangs combed down, almost falling into his eyes. He almost jumps from the barstool and weaves through the crowded club until he closes in on Kai, who’s leaning against the wall and being eyed by a group of men clustered around a table.
Chen reaches out to tap Kai and get his attention, but Kai makes eye contact with him before he gets the chance. He doesn’t say a word. Grabbing Chen’s wrist and not looking back, he leads Chen to the side door and yanks him through it.
“I’m sorry” is the first thing Chen says when they’re in Kai’s room.
“I thought you were dead.” Kai is standing rigid in front of the closed door, jaw locked but trying not to look angry. “After a few days I thought you were busy, then a week and you hadn’t even stopped by, then two weeks and I saw Wufan here but not you, and I thought - “
“Chanyeol’s dead.” Chen says it without much emotion; it’s been consuming his life for weeks and the passion and remorse have been replaced with a cold want for revenge. “We were looking for the guy who killed him.” He starts to move closer, hemming Kai in against the door. “I dreamt about you, I really did, and I thought about you so much I could barely concentrate, Kai I would have come if I could have but things were such a mess that they would have lost if it I had tried to leave. But it’s ok now, we’re done, things are figured out, and I’m not dead.”
They’re almost touching. Chen leans in a little bit, and when Kai doesn’t turn away, he kisses him. Kai tastes fresh, like toothpaste, and after a few seconds he kisses Chen back. They go slow. Chen thought he’d be tearing Kai’s clothes off but something else takes over and now he wants every touch to last a long time.
Kai nudges him forward until Chen can sit down on the bed and loop his arms around Kai’s waist. When he moves to kiss down Kai’s neck he feels him tremble a bit. Kai seems so sensitive, like a virgin, gasping a little as Chen rubs up from his hip to his ribs and back down.
He takes Kai against the wall, both of them gasping and scrambling against each other. Kai comes more than once and can hardly stand when they’re done. Chen carries him to the bed and he pulls Chen down with him, kissing him until he can’t breathe.
“You’re such an ass,” Kai mumbles, “I hate you, I really do, you’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“I feel the same about you,” Chen spits and kisses him back, again and again.
part 2