dvcadent

“ No thank you! Honestly, there’s no need. It won’t be too long now! ” Somin likes her food. She may not possesses the largest of appetites ( in fact, often is she teased about how little she can consume before the top button of her jean pops open and she’s groaning whilst rubbing her stomach — nice image , right? ) But she liked her food. More importantly, she enjoyed cooking and took pride in preparation; perhaps it was her own mother’s habits which had rubbed off on her ( the same way many of her traits had been picked up ) that refused her to accept help. It had to be done a certain way, her way and no matter how much she may appreciate the offer, it’s just something she cannot accept. 

Mopping her brow with the back of her hand, she stirs with the quick twirl of the wrist. How odd — she muses to herself, admiring how the rice cakes dance around in the sauce — it is to create something without the conscious decisions. When baking, there was a constant uncertainty with each step; she spent more time checking the instructions than she did anything else. But now, as she recreates a dish she has too often cooked, each act is fulfilled as though it’s a natural reflex. Somin looses herself to these thoughts, to the aroma of her own cooking. And she feels so at ease. 

It’s time to add the fish cakes now, she does so with a professional hand before resuming the robotic act of stirring. Another few minutes and the sauce will be thickened beautifully, her dish almost ready to be presented — just before, she’ll add the vegetables , timing is of the utmost importance at this moment. “ Just another two minutes! ” She chirps, taking a cheeky taste of the sauce. Perfect. 

So the presentation isn’t the best , it’s dished up a tad bit sloppily , but it’s a hell of a lot more appetising than earlier’s endeavours. With two plates in her hand, she manages to push open the door with her hip, almost hopping out of the kitchen with a large smile.  “ Finally, the proof is here. Oh— what do you want to drink? You said you like spicy right? I didn’t make it too spicy, but still, fair warning! Ah, it smells good right? ”

If the wide grin plastered on her face wasn’t evidence enough of her pride , the flurry of words surely proves a point. 

The response he received wasn’t entirely unexpected. Most women in this country, it seemed, prided themselves on their meals and the prep it took them and them alone. Still, he felt uncharacteristically restless left alone. Nonetheless, he tries to make himself comfortable in the meantime, alternating between checking texts on his phone and flipping through different television genres on the set before him.

Hearing the countdown has him perking up in no time. The more he’d thought about the dish to be, the hungrier he’d become. Now that he was living under the same roof with his cousin, home cooked meals were far and few between. Especially since his cousin always seemed to tear into anything Jin tucked away into the fridge or cabinets. Regardless though, he was already jonesing for leftovers to take home and hoard in his bedroom’s mini fridge.

“burritos exist here?” kiel offers a dry laugh before bringing the bottle up to his lips and gulping half the thing down, an audible hiss of satisfaction coming through when he caps it. “haven’t had one in four years.” not that he misses it, necessarily. there’s been better food both back at home and here. though by now, he’s not entirely sure which one’s which.

home, that is.

that one’s not particularly a drunk thought.

“anyway,” he continues, sniffing as he runs his hand through his hair and leans back into the seat, arms crossing over his chest after taking his wallet and stuffing it back in his jacket. “inebriation.” he doesn’t really know what he’s saying, tongue swiping over his teeth as a habit as he closes his eyes. “’sa funny word, that one.” his ankles cross together down below, head leaning onto the window. “een-ehb-ree-ay-shun.” kiel takes one arm and props it under his ear before he can say anything else, free hand dragging jinhwan by the wrist and pulling him in closer before he slings that arm over his friend’s shoulders. “tell me, jinny jan jam,” he slurs - coos, almost. “do you prefer english? or korean.” he switches tongues in the middle of that question, mouth curving up into a tight smirk at how pleasant that actually sounds. sure.

The dry laugh leaves room for error with whether or not it’s an indication to reply or leave it as is -- hanging in the air. Still, Jin bobs his head anyway. “If you know where to look,” and boy has he looked. While he preferred the finer dining his dad usually requested from their family cooks, it wasn’t a secret that burritos were always one of his favorite cheat foods. They were just so easy -- to eat, to make, to carry around. He made a conscious effort to scour the city for them when he’d been sent away. Sadly, the wraps here didn’t compare to the ones back home but he’d concluded long ago that if he was stuck here, he was going to be stuck with his cheat food dammit.

“I’ll take you to one of my secret spots next time you’re sober.” He didn’t particularly mind a drunk Kiel, but it’d be easier for both of them if neither of the two were intoxicated.

The slurred nonsense the other emits causes Jin’s eyes to slide over to survey his drunken state. He glances up just in time to receive a disapproving look from the driver and it’s one he returns with a shrug. They’re still sitting there, un-moving. The Sudden movement that draws him into his friend is one he’s not expecting and he’s not sure of the driver is ready to kick them out for the aggressive cuddling or for the fact that a request for where they want to be dropped off at has yet to be verbalized. Either way, he hopes the dude doesn’t pop that vein in his forehead.

“maybe.” 

he ignores the way the other looks at him, top to bottom like he’s searching for something under the surface of his skin. try again, he muses, but it’s only a background thought. 

he puts down his half eaten slice only to pick up the untouched one and folds it the way his guest does. he takes a bite, chewing slowly through a slight smile. he swallows audibly. “step one, lure them in. step two, learn their habits.” he sets the slice down and thumbs the corner of his mouth, swiping off a bit of grease. “step three, attack. it’ll come when you least expect it.” 

he knocks back the small glass of chilsung before pulling himself up, hands bracing his legs like he’s worn out just from a half-finished meal. he takes his dishes to the kitchen, nibbled slices discarded in the trash and cup and plate forgotten in the sink (it’ll be days before they’re washed, but he’s not counting).

“choi minki,” he offers as he slumps down next to the other. “my name.” he lifts his hands, folding them together in the shape of a gun, index fingers pointing between the other’s eyes like a barrel locked on its target. “sometimes killers reveal themselves right before a kill. it’s liberating.” he cocks his makeshift finger fun. “bang.” 

It’s not that he’s so naive to think that the other’s statement couldn’t be a possibility, but to him in that moment it’s just that -- a possibility. He nods anyway, head bobbing along noncommittally as he tears another piece off. The sauce escapes out one side and onto his fingers and he doesn’t hesitate even for a moment as he sucks his digits clean and aims to finish the slice in hand. He does, however, turn when the other speaks up again.

The demonstration and guide the stranger lays out is one he can’t help but laugh at. “Habits? I was hungry enough to walk right into your place. Who says this isn’t just for convenience sake to get full faster?” He was bluffing, of course, but his foodmate didn’t have to know that.

He follows the other’s lead, taking a few sips of the soda with one slice remaining on the plate perched on his lap. As the other stands, Jin peers over the lid of his chilsung and stares mournfully at the trash bin where the half-eaten pizza is tossed out. He grimaces at the thought of going as far as digging through the rubbish. He may be hungry but he’s not that hungry. He’s more resourceful than that after all.  

“hey, bitch!”

kiel stumbles clumsily on his way to jin, only just now remembering how (conveniently) short this guy is when he throws his arm around his shoulders. “how’s that for a greeting, huh?” an extroverted nature comes clear when he’s inebriated, another reminder when he’s in certain company. he figures jin’s one of the only people who can take it – not like there’s really a choice for him either way, though.

a wad of cash comes in view sooner or later once they’re finally settled in the taxi cab (took a whopping two minutes just to get there as a result of incessant periods of deliberately slowing down in their tracks on the way, What’s New). the sight of water’s more important, however, kiel’s hand lazily grabbing for it only to miss the first time. and the next. and the fifth time after. could you pass that to me please comes in the form of a repetitive hand wave, head resting on his free arm against the back of the driver’s seat.

and then, money. right. his wallet remains unattended just in the space beside him, tongue swiping over his teeth as he hangs idly against the leather seat. “take 30,000. i’ll be counting later,” kiel slurs, expectantly like that’ll stay in his mind for the hours to come.

he’s already forgotten.

The greeting he receives upon approaching his friend is one he can only return with a snort. It figures Kiel is overtly expressive when he’s wasted. Jinhwan, on the other hand, typically becomes more sultry -- all bedroom eyes and slow, enticing smiles.

“It’s something alright,” is all he says as he helps to guide the other along. He doesn’t mind the unreserved air accompanying the taller of the two. In fact, he’s fairly certain if he’d joined the other earlier that night -- he would have found it infectious. As of now though, he’s tolerant and willing to play along. Albeit, he’s not so much board with fully immersing himself into the unreserved waters.

He watches Kiel struggle -- once, twice, three times and again. It’s like a bad movie he can’t tear his eyes away from. Eventually, the signal for assistance snaps him out of it and he grabs the bottle from the taxi’s floor. With a twist of the cap, he offers the beverage over in exchange for the wallet.

If Kiel had been anyone else, a stranger more specifically, he probably would have swiped more than the allotted amount. He’s not too proud to admit it. As it stands, he’s not the type to do so with his friends so with a murmured, “Got it,” of acknowledgement he withdraws the cash and returns the billfold to where it had been formerly perched.

　　　　　　　　The mint haired boy let out a small groan with a small shake of his hand as if to say ‘yeah, yeah’. His head turns to the side, Ears still listening even if he wasn’t looking at the male. Only for his nose to scrunch up and his lips to form a tight line that his cheeks became more define, he did hear each and every little rhyme that the other had said but still ― Yoongi wasn’t the type. ❝Alright, What do you want? An award?❞ His chocolate hues find their way back to another pair, Raising his brow as if his sarcastic was a real question.

His brows lift with the snark the other throws at him. Tracing his lower lip with his tongue, he shakes his head. The other sure knew how to irk a guy. “Nope, just proving my point. It’s only as difficult as you make it and you, my friend, are making it awfully difficult.”

“either,” he admits with a soft laugh, craning his head to look at his friend with a grin. “was supposed to be a waiter, but oh boy, the money –” he whistles, shaking his head at the thought. “super fucking tempting, let me tell you. but i figured my sister would flip the fuck out if she knew i was grinding old people dicks. like, not worth the money.” a pause as he stares ahead again, the neon lights of the bar getting brighter as they approach. “i’ll admit, though. i’ll probably have fun.”

but then terry sighs audibly at jin’s confession, hand placed dramatically on his chest. “jealous, really,” he says, a half-truth. he never had much freedom to experience such… fun. “didn’t have the time to sneak into bars back in santa barbara.” a sudden gasp, more a playful one than an actual eureka moment. he pulls an arm out of the confines of his hoodie to link their arms together. he tugs jinhwan close to him, shoulders touching. “maybe you can show me the ropes.”

they’re by the entrance now. the bouncers give them a once-over, and then proceeds to let them in. “let’s celebrate then,” he says, grin almost triumphant. “to fate.” his hand lowers, grabs jin’s hand to make their way across the bar and through friday night crowd until they reach the bar. a light squeeze of his hand, nodding toward the bartender who approached them. “what’ll it be, dude? on me.” literally, he wants to add, but as previously stated, that’s a given if jin wants it to be.

A laugh of his own chimes in with the other’s. So both were at least considered. Interesting. “I’d do it.” He admits, bold and without an ounce of shame. At the mere thought of the amount of bills he’d ring in every night, he figures he could easily get an old guy hot under the collar without a worry in the world.

Terry’s declaration of the pleasurable night ahead is one Jinhwan meets with a wily grin. “I know I will.” And he does too. Down time to party and licking shots off the his friend’s skin are two things he’s undoubtedly looking forward to.

He doesn’t comment on the words previously spoken. Not yet at least. He waits until they’re hovering by the entrance -- people on either side of them and faces the other with only half-serious judgemental brows and a flippant response of, “What kind of ropes are we talking exactly?”

As they enter, arms looped together where the taller locked them, Jin wonders whether or not Terry misses California as much as he does. Jin himself longs for the beaches, the shopping -- even things as menial as the palm trees. He doesn’t bother to ask though, preoccupied instead with the pledge to celebrate fate bringing them together.

“homo hill,” he repeats with a breathless chuckle. good choice, really. there’s a lot more freedom in gay bars to… do whatever they want. well, to do whatever terry wants. the arm around jinhwan’s shoulder moves so terry can playfully ruffle his hair - just because he can.

“man, it’s been awhile since i’ve actually gone to a gay bar.” even just the two words weigh heavily on his tongue, foreign but welcome. although, terry figures he should get used to it considering the options he had been weighing before he applied for the restaurant. he retracts his arm, shoves both his arms into the warm confines of his gray hoodie. “hey, you wanna know something?” a quick pause, for suspense. “of course you do.”

terry cranes his head to look at his friend as they walk the few blocks to their destination. he continues, “before i saw the help wanted sign at the diner, i… applied for work at that bar.” the gay bar. actually, he’s still weighing his options. it’s fairly easy to quit. “don’t you dare laugh.” but he contradicts himself as the words slip from between his lips, throwing his head back in bouts of laughter.

“chances are, we’ll probably still meet. can you imagine?”

He laughs along, good-natured and thrilled at the ocean of possibilities the night ahead carries. Well, that and the reality that they get to spend a stretch of time together that doesn’t involved irritable customers and greasy, grimy dishes. The hand in his hair isn’t one he fights seriously but he does swat once at Terry’s hand. It’s aimless though, no real intent to shoo the lighthearted gesture away.

“Me too actually.” He’d frequented a few when he’d initially moved but lately, the mood just hadn’t called for it. Tonight, of course, was a different story. As they began to pick up their previous pace, Jin flashed a smile. With each step they took, the more peppy he became and the more alive he, the stronger his sexual energy grew. He was nearly vibrating with it at the taller’s side.

The question is one he responds to with lifted brows. Of course he wants to know is right. Jin’s gaze follows where the other motions. Unexpected? No. Unsurprising? Yes. He is curious, however, about what kind of work the other had planned to do at said bar. “Were you going to mix and serve drinks or dance?”

He smiles, feeling reminiscent of the clubs he visited back in LA. “I remember sneaking into this gay bar back home when I was about sixteen or so with friends and there were guys who’d practically hump their dancing poles and gyrate in cages that were suspended from the ceiling while wearing nothing but these crazy tight thongs. It was a huge shock but we went back the next night anyway.”

“fuck if i know,” he retaliates with a light shake of his head. once the other starts striding toward him, terry finally shrugs on his overused gray hoodie, keeping the zipper open. he wraps a welcoming arm around the other’s shoulder as they head out the door. “all i know is that i have a hot fucking date tonight, too.” he spares the other a glance, a distinct glint in his eyes that could be mistaken as mischief. or just excitement. anticipation. or just a reflection of the city lights.

there are two different routes they can choose to follow. the outcome - who knows? but the night’s only just began, and their tense, exhausted bodies need to loosen up. “so…” terry starts, his pace slowing down as he thinks. “which bar?” he asks. “there’s a gay bar like two blocks away, if you’re into that kind of thing.” liberating things, he wants to add. “there’s also, like, a normal one a few streets ahead. take your pick - either way, there’ll be alcohol. of course.”

the insinuation is subtle - where do you want this night to go? how adventurous are you feeling? how do you want it to end? but terry’s finally got more than a few bucks to spare, and by the time the sun is up, he probably won’t remember where it all went, anyway. but the smile on his face gives nothing away, except for the possibility of things - dumb, reckless, drunken escapades - to happen in a span of a few hours.

Tired eyes droop as he hovers near the door while Terry puts the final touches to readying himself for their night out on the town. The comment the taller makes as they head out the door has Jin laughing, full-bellied and infectious. The day may have dragged and sucked a vast majority of his energy, it certainly didn’t do so with his spirit. “I see. I’m your sexy little side-piece for the night, huh?” He teases easily as they walk. It’s unintentional but his eyes mirror just as much fervor -- deviant, playful and ready for the evening ahead.

His legs carry him along, a tad slower than his friend and he almost slows to a stop at the question. On one hand, it could be fun to see the looks on people’s faces in a straight bar because, one way or another, Jin has every intention of getting revenge for Terry’s earlier taunts. The odds of people looking down on them though, are hardly appealing. At least at a gay bar he can multitask with showing off and showing Terry off. The decision isn’t hard to make. “Lead the way to Homo Hill.” 

stars aren’t exactly visible around here, han notices when he’s staring straight at the store across. that’s probably why. but he doesn’t know that. doesn’t have enough sobriety by now to know that he doesn’t.

and so it goes.

what’s the address? “fuck if i know.” another nasty retort, eyes too tired to make an effort to scope out for street names and intersections. would walking a few blocks to a place with people hurt? probably. he had wanted to escape the crowd in the first place. it wouldn’t make it any easier for the driver nor jinhwan to spot him in that midst, either. decisions, decisions.

“i’ll… be somewhere around the corner. you know that place?” probably not. “yeah, there.” han makes his way south of the street, ruckus and livelihood of the night scene not as far as it seems - if his head and overall lethargy weren’t proving otherwise. “i’m pretty fucking handsome compared to the rest of them.” a snort, followed by jagged steps. “you can’t miss me.”

Jin doesn’t know what he expected. An actual address for one would have been nice but a landmark or two could have sufficed. Instead he got more nonsensical babble. He’s as tolerant as he can be as he lets out a resigned sigh at Kiel’s description. “Just stay put then, I’ll be there soon.”

He hangs up without another word, thumbs swiping and tapping away at his phone as he contacts an old friend from LA. They’d gone to high school together and though his friend had been backstage to many of their juvenile pursuits, he’d still been involved -- pulling the strings when and where they needed to be, well, pulled. The request for a quick tracking to be done to require an address doesn’t take long, not that he’s all that surprised. His buddy did owe him after all and this seemed like as good of a time as any to cash in on a favor.

With another deep exhale, he steadies himself onto his feet and heads to his room to collect a few bills for the taxi ride. He grabs his jacket off the couch and, as a last minute thought, a bottled water from the fridge. He figures Kiel will need the help of the beverage to sober up and from the way he’d spoken over the phone, Jin decided -- the sooner the better.