* 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖙𝖊𝖗 / 𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕝𝕥𝕖𝕣.

    BAEK WASN’T SURE what haeil was saying, most of it sounded like ringing in his ears because he was just so out of focus, like the world was spinning too fast and he couldn’t stop it. everything comes back to him when he feels the other kiss his forehead and cheek, like all of a sudden he had found his weight to reality. “ can you just hide my phone ?? ” it’s a simple request — stupid at that, but he knows he has too much power at the tip of his fingers. dealers he can call in a second, mistakes that could be made in a moment — it was easier just to hide it until the feelings passed. he pulls away from the embrace, eyes red as an indicator of the tears that were starting to form but he wouldn’t let break. his hands shake as they pull out his phone from his pocket, handing it to haeil as he uses the back of his sleeve to wipe his eyes. “ sorry, it’s stupid, it’s just easier for me. i’ll meet you on the couch, okay ?? ”

           the   first   thing   he   absorbed   from   the   younger   male   was   his   eye   contact.   as   his   eyes   scanned   his   features   ,   nixon   did   the   same.   his   eyes   followed   the   bridge   of   his   nose   ;   where   his   cupids   bow   had   met   his   lips   even   the   sharp   slope   of   his   jaw.   he  didn’t   hide   what   he   was   looking   at   but   his   thoughts   were   kept   imprisoned   by   his   poker   face.   nixon’s   chuckle   is   soft   at   his   acquaintance’s   words   ,   ❝   you   must   have   some   stories   then.   i’d   love   to   hear   them.   ❞   his   reply   ended   with   a   smile   ,   warm   and   inviting.   he   shook   his   head   in   agreement.    ❝   something   like   that.   most   of   it   is   unadulterated   ass   kissing.   it’s   good   to   have   friends   in   my   kind   of   work   ,   i   get   that.   but   their   definition   of   friend   and   mine   are   different   ,   very   different.    ❞   his   head   titled   to   emphasize   his   words.   nixon’s   elbow   arched   upon   the   table   and   a   hand   fit   underneath   his   chin.    ❝   i’m   flattered   that   you   think   so   —   ❞   he   caught   himself   before   he   could   finish.    ❝   i   apologize   but   i   don’t   think   i   got   your   name   .   ❞

    HOW PATHETIC COULD he be ?? truly, he was standing in haeil’s apartment freaking out about things he couldn’t control, with someone who probably didn’t want that burden on his shoulder. someone who was kissing his forehead and baek was sure his heart was going to beat out of his chest. when he pulls him closer, baek takes a moment to breathe in his scent, to remember to calm himself down because he was in the moment and nothing bad was happening. “ y-yeah, that sounds nice. ” truthfully though, he wasn’t sure if he was ever going to get these thoughts out of his head. they were screaming at him, telling him that he was a fuck up and didn’t deserve any of this. he leans into the others touch and shuts his eyes for a moment. “ c-can you just do me a favor first? ”

    IT WAS MOMENTS LIKE these that makes baek wish that he smoked, but needing his lungs for more important things ( those olympic sized swimming pools ) kind of put a damper on that dream. he could use a cigarette, especially with how badly he’s shaking. but when haeil puts his hand on his arm, it’s like the rush that he needs to help him even out his breathing. it’s the moment that haeil wraps his arms around him that he feels small like he could just crawl into a ball and lay his head in haeil’s lap for hours. his arms wrap around him and he nuzzles his face into his neck, not sure how he got so lucky to have someone who cared about him. “ r-right. ” he whimpers, nodding his head a bit. “ sorry, i didn’t … mean to be so weird, it’s just been a shit day. ”

    DOYUN LETS OUT a laugh at haeil’s words, shaking his head a bit as the other seems to enjoy teasing him. “ it’s cute to watch you get all excited and handsy only to be left angry and frustrated. the look on your face is magnificent, to say the least. ” and that wasn’t a lie, dohyun loved to tease and tease, get the other so frustrated just to make him wait — it was almost like their own little game. he sends the other a wink before taking a sip of his new drink that had just been delivered. “ i’m a business man, haeil, i know what the population wants. and they want to seem important, so i give them that chance to believe. ”

he lets out a hum as he takes another sip of his drink, whiskey making his body feel all sorts of warm and relaxed. “ none of the other employees venture to where they shouldn’t be. ” he explains, eyes moving towards the door that led to the basement, a place that haeil was familiar with. his attention snaps back when the other fixes the collar of his shirt, eyebrows raising slightly. “ you don’t believe me, huh ?? ” his hand moves up underneath the others chin, tilting his head up so that their eyes connect, dohyuns gaze is filled with lust and longing as he stared at the other. “ you know that i’m a man of my word though. ”

*: ･ﾟ∙ * ⁕ there's  a  raise  of  haeil's  brows  at  dohyun's  words,  a  small  &  almost  DEVILISH  smirk  starting  to  pull  on  the  edges  of  his  lips  as  he  leans  forward  so  that  he  was  closer  to  the  other  —  making  sure  no  one  else  could  hear  him  when  he  whispers  into  the  other's  ear.  "you  could  always  tease  mercilessly,  or  you  could  give  in  and  have  actual  pleasure  for  a  whole  lot  longer  than  it  lasts  when  you  don't  get  to  touch  me  and  i  don't  get  to  touch  you."  he  retorts,  eyes  focusing  on  his  drink  before  he  takes  a  sip  of  it.  this  was  a  game  they  CONSTANTLY  played  but  right  now  ?  haeil  was  impatient.. he  wanted  what  he  wanted  &  he  didn't  want  to  have  to  wait.  "if  you  knew  what  we  all  wanted,  you  and  i  wouldn't  be  sitting  here  having  a  boring  conversation."

haeil’s  voice  echoed  through  his  ears  and  akira’s  gaze  never  left.  his  hand  remained  on  his  cheek  ;  the  feeling  of  haeil  leaning  into  him  assured  akira  comfort  and  and  hope  that  an  AT  LEAST  an  ounce  of  trust  remained  in  their  relationship.  the  reassuring  thoughts  allowed  akira  to  look  past  haeil’s  DRUNKEN  nature  —-  alcohol  does  reveal  the  truth  ,  right  ?  ❝  then  at  least  take  a  seat.  ❞  the  request  was  REMINISCENT  of  a  demand  rather  than  a  request.  akira’s  hand  fell  from  haeil’s  cheek  to  place  a  tuxedo  resting  on  the  couch  behind  them  upon  a  rack  alongside  the  array  of  suits.  after  doing  so  he  sat  UPON  the  couch  ,  one  leg  resting  on  his  knee  while  his  hand  patted  the  space  beside  him.  a  brief  moment  of  silence  ACQUAINTED  the  two.  it  was  all  necessary  as  akira  processed  his  thoughts  —  he  wanted  to  be  careful.  hurting  haeil  wasn’t  his  intention  though  his  ACTIONS  over  the  course  of  a  few  days  would  beg  to  differ.  a  surprise  albeit  ,  forced  engagement  was  the  root  of  the  couple’s  TURMOIL.  yet  akira  couldn’t  decide  if  he  should  feel  guilt  over  the  engagement  or  falling  in  love  with  eunji  ,  the  woman  he  was  scheduled  to  marry  in  months  time.  where  was  he  supposed  to  begin  with  his  side  of  the  story  ?

akira’s  face  fell  into  his  hands  shortly  after  his  chin  lifted.  but  his  eyes  didn’t  meet  haeil’s  —  they  looked  elsewhere.  the  sigh  that  left  his  dry  lips  was  HEAVY  ;  how  could  a  simple  sigh  reveal  so  much  ?  clearing  his  throat  akira  turned  to  haeil.  he  reached  his  hands  outward  to  INTERTWINE  them  with  haeil’s  ;  petite  in  comparison  —  akira  always  admired  the  size  difference.   ❝  my  father  —  adoptive  father.  ❞  he  was  quick  to  correct  himself.  the  DISCOMFORT  at  the  mention  of  his  father  was  prevalent  on  his  features.  it  was  rare  to  catch  a  man  like  akira  in  moments  of  weakness  yet  here  he  was  —  completely  vulnerable.   ❝  it  was  his  idea.  he’s  expanding  his  company  in  seoul  and  he  wants  me  to  be  ceo.  but  ceo’s  have  a  certain  image  that  i  have  to  ADHERE  to.  ❞  he  swallowed  harshly.  akira  let  go  of  one  of  haeil’s  hands  to  reach  for  a  glass  of  water.  although  akira  swallowed  the  water  whole  his  throat  still  felt  DRY  ,  uncomfortable.  his  expression  was  a  reflection  of  that.  

his  eyes  are  glossy  and  the  rims  of  them  are  beginning  to  water.  he  inhales  SHARPLY  and  cursed  in  his  mind.   ❝  i  haven’t  —-  i  haven’t  seen  my  family  in  years  ,  let  alone  talked  to  them.  my  birth  mother  has  her  own  shit.  i  don’t  know.  ❞  he  closed  his  eyes  and  shook  his  head  ,  he  NEVER  talked  about  this.  to  anyone.  this  was  new.   ❝  i  just  wanted  to  have  my  family  back  —-  and  this  seemed  like  the  only  option.  ❞  he  bit  down  on  his  lower  lip  so  HARSHLY  he  was  surprised  it  didn’t  draw  blood.   ❝  he  introduced  me  to  eunji  and  i  don’t  know  ,  i  got  to  know  her.  i  really  like  her  ,  i  really  do.  ❞  her  name  fell  from  his  lips  with  such  ease  and  there  was  even  A  GLIMMER  of  happiness  that  swept  over  his  complexion  at  the  thought  of  her.   ❝  but  that  doesn’t  mean  i  don’t  love  you  anymore  or  any  less.  ❞  akira  looked  at  haeil  on  THE  BRINK  of  tears.   ❝  i  love  you  ,  i  care  about  you.  i–i  can’t  even  describe  how  much  i  do  haeil.  and  i’m  so  ,   so  sorry  for  putting  you  through  this.  ❞  he  muffled  a  sob  while  a  tear  fell  down  his  cheek  ;  another  shortly  followed.   ❝  if  i  could  have  you  both  ,  you  know  i  wouldn’t  hesitate.  ❞

*: ･ﾟ∙ * ⁕ god,  the  sliver-haired  male  wants  NOTHING  more  than  to  just  cave  —  to  let  his  body  fall  into  the  other's  and  stay  there,  pretending  none  of  what  has  happened  actually  has.  he  wants  nothing  more  than  to  just  be  held,  to  be  told  that  he  was  okay,  that  THEY  were  okay.  but  he's  far  too  scared  to  actually  ask  that  question,  far  too  scared  that  the  other  would  reject  him,  tell  him  that  there  was  no  more  'them'.  it's  what's  kept  him  up  at  night,  what  caused  haeil  to  cry  himself  to  sleep  over  &  over  again.  "please  don't  —  please."  haeil  practically  begs,  voice  shaky  and  wavering  though  he  doesn't  even  know  what  he's  asking  the  other  FOR  at  this  point.  perhaps  he's  begging  for  it  all  to  be  a  dream,  hoping  that  akira  would  take  him  by  the  shoulders  &  give  him  a  light  shake,  waking  him  up.  his  legs  do  betray  him  once  more,  though,  taking  a  seat  next  to  the  other  as  the  tears  start  to  well  up  in  his  eyes  again..  the  sting  all  to  familiar  to  him  as  of  late.  he  wants  to  ask  the  other  so  many  things,  wants  to  ask  if  any  of  this  had  all  been  real  in  the  first  place  ?  or  had  haeil  fallen  for  someone  so  foolishly  &  BLINDLY  that  he  had  been  imagining  it  this  entire  time.  the  dancer  doesn't  know  what  to  believe,  thoughts  eating  away  at  his  soul  as  they  tell  him  that  it  was  because  he  just  wasn't  good  enough  to  continue  to  be  in  the  other's  life.  telling  him  that  he  wasn't  WORTH  the  time,  the  effort.  he  truly  just  doesn't  know  what  to  do,  what  to  think,  what  to  feel.  he  just  feels  so  EMPTY,  broken  &  sad.

there's  a  moment  of  silence  that  causes  haeil's  head  to  go  into  CHAOS,  wanting  to  run  —  to  escape  from  all  of  this,  from  everything  he's  been  forced  to  feel  all  within  a  few  days  time.  but  just  like  always,  akira  has  had  a  way  of  drawing  him  in,  making  him  feel  safe,  welcome,  wanted  &  loved  in  ways  that  he  never  expected  to  be.  which  is  why  when  akira  takes  his  hands,  haeil  doesn't  stop  it,  doesn't  try  to  pull  away  or  tell  him  no..  the  comfort  of  the  action  flooding  back  into  his  mind.  the  other  starts  to  speak  &  honestly  ?  it  wasn't  something  that  haeil  expected  to  hear,  didn't  think  the  other  would  instantly  start  to  be  so  open  and  honest  with  him  about  the  situation  that's  caused  haeil's  heart  to  SHATTER.  "i  don't..."  haeil  starts,  trying  to  take  in  every  bit  of  information  that  he'd  just  been  given.  "i  don't  understand."  he  breathes  out,  eyes  never  leaving  the  floor  as  he  speaks  —  hands  shaking  at  his  sides  as  he  waits  for  a  response.  "you  —  no  you  don't."  it  comes  out  forced,  haeil's  voice  cracking  in  the  process.  "there  is  no  'rules'  on  being  a  ceo,  if  it's  YOUR  company,  it  doesn't  fucking  matter  what  you  do  or  who  you  love."  the  younger  continues,  the  bitterness starting  to  well  up  in  his  chest,  it  showing  in  his  tone  and  his  body  language.

    “ YOU KNOW THAT my dancers are my number one money makers, i like to reward you in my own way. ” he can’t help but send him a wink before letting the other continue speaking, nodding his head a bit. “ some people might think it’s mean, but i’m not forcing people to spend their money here, they’re willingly doing that. don’t know if it’s mean or just smart. but then again, i’m always trying to boost my own ego. ”

“ i can’t help what you might see here, haeil. you already know the dangers of being in this place. ” he hums, nodding his head at the other. dohyun cares about haeil, he knows for a fact that if something ever happened, he would make sure that the other was safe. he finds himself turning towards the bar, nodding his head towards him to let him know that the two would be having their usual. dohyun hand finds his way over to the others side, moving to run along his back and pull him in closer. “ i’m a man of my word, haeil, i promise i’ll make sure you leave here satisfied. ”

*: ･ﾟ∙ * ⁕ "oh  so  you  mean  by  flirting  with  me  endlessly  and  then  leaving  me  high  and  dry?  what  a  'REWARD'  that  is.  i'll  start  believing  that  when  you  actually  bite  as  much  as  you  love  to  bark."  haeil  quips  back  almost  instantly,  no  regret  found  in  his  tone,  smirk  dancing  across his  lips  as  he  speaks.  "no,  you  aren't  forcing  them  to  be  here.  you  give  them  the  chance  they  never  thought  they'd  have  so  they  take  it  as  much  as  it's  offered."  he  shrugs  lightly,  eyes  fixated  on  the  other's  figure.  "as  if  you  need  that."

                   '   i hope you know … you’re so fucking annoying .   ’   arden almost makes it seem as though she truly means the slight jab of character , yet she’s sure he won’t see it as such . especially considering the soft laugh she offers only moments later to soften the statement .   ‘   yeah , that’s the exact reason why i should be questioning this whole thing . for all i know , you could be planning on killing me tonight … not that i’m complaining , though .   ’   she teases , nodding at the reassurance he came to offer her . arden isn’t one to be insecure , with an ego spoon - fed from such a young age , it made it nearly impossible for her to believe that she wasn’t simply better than most of the people she came to meet . but somehow , the simplest element of surprise is enough to give her even the slightest sense of humility . & rather than questioning him again , she follows suit , pace quickened by the pull of his grip .  –  ‘   okay , you can tell me more about these kinds of parties later , but i don’t consider wanting e to be materialistic … considering it makes everything a good time & you know how much i hate being bored .   ’   she begins , crossing her legs as she leans back into the leather seating of the car .   ’   but i do appreciate you putting my name on it , too .   ’   it only takes her a moment to act , shifting her posture once more to lean in his direction . she’s aware she’s far too close for comfort , but the smile perched atop red - painted lips only widens as she places a soft kiss against haeil’s cheek - just enough to leave a faded imprint of the now blotted lipstick .   ’   you needed an accessory ,   ’   she smiles once more before leaning back into her seat , tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear with nonchalance .   '   getting fucked is a sport . the stamina ? unreal .   '   no matter how serious she attempts to keep her tone , she’s sure he sees the edges of her lips upturn ,   ’   actually , yes . why am i not blindfolded ? it seems like one of those situations . also , will i hate you after this ?   ’

    DOHYUN ROLLS HIS EYES at the other as he joins him, leaning against the counter. “ do you want the superficial reason or the real reason ?? ” he asks, raising his eyebrows a bit. “ basically, idiots will spend a lot of money on cheap booze and terrible music if they know it’s an exclusive club. ” he nods his head towards the vip section where some celebrity was celebrating with their friends, bottles of champagne flowing. “ they find out they can be 10 feet away from an a-lister by only paying a $10 cover charge and suddenly this is the best place they’ve ever been. basically, it’s the easiest way to scam the average person. you make them feel important. ” 

he brings his glass up to his lips and finishes off his drink after the other asks. “ real reason ?? it’s a better cover for what actually goes on then anything else. what sounds better in the press — club owner has illicit activities going on in basement or some celebrity found to have connections to the mafia. i think we both know. ” he hums, his eyes scanning over the boy. “ i’ll take a new drink only if you’ll be joining me. ” he doesn’t like getting shit faced on the nights that he’s supposed to be supervising, but one more drink wouldn’t hurt. 

*: ･ﾟ∙ * ⁕ "oh  god,  please  let  me  hear  the  speech  you  tell  every  customer  that  comes  in  here  who  asks  you  what  i  just  did  —  it'll  be  so  hot."  haeil  retorts,  rolling  his  eyes  in  return,  though  there's  a  small  smirk  that  pulls  on  his  lips  as  he  speaks.  "i'm  slightly  offended  that  you  decided  to  leave  out  your  AMAZING  dancers  from  that  list  of  reasons,  but  i  do  see  your  point.  people  will  pay  anything  just  to  feel  special."  the  dancer  nods  lightly,  eyes  following  the  others  towards  the  vip  section  with  a  slight  chuckle.  "it's  almost  kind  of  mean  when  you  think  about  it.  but  hey,  it's  paying  the  bills."

smile   unevenly   settles  onto  his  countenance   ,   shifting  in  his  seat  some  as  he  attempts  to   focus   on  the  movie  despite  the  way  his  face  is   heating   up  at  the  callout    —–    he’s   not   sure  how  to  explain  himself   ,   but  mouth  parts  like  he’s  ready  to   ,   but   thankfully   haeil  speaks  instead   .    ‘    sorry   ..    ’    jae  finally  murmurs   ,   hand  raising  to  scratch  at  the  back  of  his  head   .   it  takes  him  a  moment  to  collect  himself   ,   only  for  it  to  come   crumbling   down  when  haeil  decides  to   close   the  space  between  them    —–   jaehwan  doesn’t  know   why   he  feels  so  nervous   ,   but  then  again   ,   this  happens   more   often  than  not   :   riddled  with  anxiety  underneath  seemingly  calm  exterior  .   nevertheless   ,   haeil’s  head  on  his  shoulder  is   welcome    —–    despite  how  awkward  he  may  be  behaving   ,   he  is  indeed  overall  comfortable  with  haeil   .   enough  to   willingly   accept  embraces  he’d  normally  avoid   ,   and  yes   ,   he’s  accepting  the  portion  of  the  blanket  offered  to  him   ,   but  in  truth   ,   he  has  all  the  warmth  he  needs  with  haeil  beside  him   .    ‘    you  know   ,   that’s  kind  of  offensive   .   i  don’t  think  this  movie  really   has   boring  parts   .   it’s  actually  really  well  written   —–    ’     film  enthusiast  stops  his  ramble  there   ,   pressing  his  lips  into  a  firm  line  before  ghost  of  a  chuckle  emits  from  them   .    ‘    sorry   ,   i’ll  be  quiet   .    ’

*: ･ﾟ∙ * ⁕  “well…..  if  this  isn’t  awkward.  i’m  going  to  have  to  go  with  fuck  xiaosi  because  well,  we  have  before.  what’s  one  more  time?  marry..  shit  this  is,  yeah  okay  fuck  it.  marry  akira,  for  obvious  reasons  and  kill  haneul.  sorry  really  tall  tree  man,  you  scare  me  sometimes.”