왕관을 쓰려는자

ten would never admit that he chose this costume for kun’s benefit. to suggest as much would be ridiculous, of course. sure, he likes when kun’s eyes linger on his neck, as if he wants to leave marks there, or when his eyes travel over ten like he’s drinking in his figure - he likes when kun looks at him, of course he does, but the outfit? for kun’s benefit alone? no way. 

“i’m your cat.” he states simply, as if it’s common knowledge. it makes something hum in him that he tries to shove back, out of sight and out of mind. as they walk, ten’s body gravitates closer to kun, as if they’re opposite poles of a magnet, until their shoulders bump. kun’s compliment, the way perfect sounds on his lips sends something vibrating louder in ten’s chest, almost like he’s about to erupt into a loud purr. 

“i know.” he responds with a cheeky smile, though the flush on his cheeks gives him away. his voice softens as he continues. “so are you.”

even when they say nothing, when the air around them sits still and silent, it’s comfortable, the mere presence of kun there beside him is enough to make the atmosphere feel pleasant, safe. sometimes ten wonders what it would be like to live with kun, to feel him around him all the time. the thought of it, of waking up to hearing kun humming to himself in the kitchen, accompanied by the sound of kitchenware being moved around makes the very marrow of his bones ache with a desire he won’t allow to burn for more than a second before he extinguishes it, knowing the feeling isn’t just a cry for an affectionate environment where he can ask for a hug without feeling like a burden. 

“yup! i’m all yours until 10 tomorrow morning. do with me what you will, sir.” there’s a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he glances at kun, though his expression, for the most part, stays serious. he’s excited, and he’s pretty sure kun can tell - he knows him well enough to read past all ten’s facades by now. 

“you’re a very adorable kitty,” he replies with a light laugh, nose scrunching before he looks away shaking his head. and while it seems natural for him to be so free of worry, to be free of the constraints of time, kun is pretty much tied down to just one thing -- his… feelings. he nursed it for so long, made excuses that it was nothing but a harmless crush (until it wasn’t) and now it was taking a strong hold of him, threatening to ruin all the years of friendship that he had built with ten.

a small smile clings on his lips at the compliment. it’s always tempting to give in, to act the way he always does with the others, to speak of words that he knew would make ten fall for him too. kun was confident he could if he wanted to, but ten wasn’t like the others; he will never be, he never was. in kun’s eyes, he will always be that one thing he will always want but can never have. he’s too… good, and real. kun didn’t trust himself with ten like that. in all honesty, he’s more scared to find out if whatever this is… is actually real, that because of some twist of fate, ten likes back.

from the outside, he seems calm and collected, the way he’s always been. all smirks and teasing, but inside of him, a storm brews. a chaotic mesh of doubt, anxiety, and desperation swirls. a strong need to just… ask what it was they were doing, what’s going to happen later, and not just the fact that this is going to end up with both of them lying comfortably under his sheets. it was more than the physical for kun, he had long admitted to himself that it was not carnal.

heeyeon was really starstruck when it came to younghyun, she thinks it was obvious, and there was something in his eyes as well which made her think it was the same on his end. however, their relations did have a lot of question marks. they were still an item, she is aware that kun i also aware of that, but the fact that he kept trying to get in the way between them was cute. it always managed to make her smile and laugh. would she say it outloud?

however, they have already have more than enough alcohol split between them and it would be a lie if heeyeon said she was as level headed as she normally is. would she say she was tipsy? never, not in a million years. she had no idea how much they have drank, the bottles and glasses kept coming and going, she had lost count after the fourth glass of whiskey. yet, it doesn’t stop her from taking a sip from her’s with a grin on her lips, elbow pressed on the counter top, cheek pressed into the palm of her hand as she raises a brow at him.

“so, you keep reminding me that, you sounds really jealous, kun.“ rebecca says. leaning forward ever so slightly. there were a few questions on her mind, and she kind of wanted to know what answers she could get from the guy. what if… “how about this,“ she starts, grin pulling widely on her lips as she tugs a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning forward just enough so only kun could hear her words.

“wanna have a threesome with me and younghyun then? since you’re so needy to have him, i can offer you that?“

it was all a way to get a reaction, even if she was aware that younghyun probably wouldn’t have anything against it. she wanted to know what could happen after those words.

his whole body feels warm and lose, and he doesn't even bother to stop himself from nodding profusedly, pouting even when heeyeon accused him of being jealous. but a smirk breaks on his lips as she leans forward, and making a dangerous offer. heeyeon was playing along and he liked it that she wasn't being coy like the others. he doesn't pass up on the chance to retaliate and reaches out to the tips of her hair hanging close to her neck, feeling the softness between the his fingers as he pushed them off her shoulders. "now, who's really jealous huh?"

kun leans back, laughing out loud this time, shaking his head as he reaches for another half empty glass. the fact it could be someone else' didn't hit him until he's drank a mouthful. grimacing he sets the glass down and rubs at his bottom lip, "was that yours?" he mumbles, before turning to heeyeon once again. "look, not only do you sound more jealous, it seems like you may have a little crush on me too." he teases, nose wrinkling as he reaches out to pinch one of her cheeks. "besides, you shouldn't make offers like that, darling."

he’s practically bouncing on the balls of his feet out of impatient eagerness by the time the door opens. the scent of popcorn strokes at his nostrils, drawing him in over the threshold, as if he needed any persuasion to enter the apartment to begin with. an easy smile adorns his lips, one that had eluded him for the past few days, training having taken its heavy toll. 

“wouldn’t miss it for anything.” he replies, truthfully, kicking his shoes off by the front door and slipping his jacket off to hang up. the apartment smells so familiar and comforting that ten’s almost fooled into feeling as if he’s somewhere he could call him. with a slight shakes of his head to himself he follows kun along into the living room, sliding his socked feet along the wooden floor, rather than pick them up; it would take too much effort. 

the little wink has ten chuckling, his smile, which had fallen a little purely from relaxation, brightens once more. once the popcorn bowl is set down, and kun’s on the couch, ten invites himself over to his lap, sitting himself down on his lap sideways and curling his arms round his neck. he buries his face into kun’s shoulder and heaves a great sigh. “i missed you…” he admits softly, relaxing completely as kun’s familiar scent curls around him like a warm, gentle cloud. 

for a moment, he forgets about boundaries, about all the things he should and shouldn't do because they weren't really... together. he was never the type to be so fixated about labels, not even monogamy. but here he is agonizing about all of it when it comes to ten. he couldn't remember when it was that he started feeling this way, but he'll never forget how strong and what he feels about the other. he grew up with the whole world for his taking -- as his parents always put it, and yet all he wants is the one in his arms.

ten reminds him of all the good things tucked in his uncomfortable childhood and adolescence. he made traveling with his parents to some other country worth it, because at the end of their philanthropic commitments, kun knows he'll be able to see him again. he's the silver lining in the suffocating way of life that he grown accustomed to. if it weren't for his parents fixations and greed, he would not have met ten. "i missed you too..." he says softly, holding him close.

jennie’s been around the block a few times when it comes to cute guys asking her out. most often than not, though, it ends really badly for her and is so short lived it isn’t even worth it. why? she didn’t know. she must have had a bullseye on her butt or something. it was just so hard to tell the bad boys from the nice boys, and so she just said no these days. she could’ve been missing out, but at this point she would rather just never love at all. 

all she can think is ‘here we go again!’ when this boy approaches her. he’s cute… another model, if she’s correct, and he seems nice… but she’s apprensible. apprehensing? apprehen–hensive! apprehensive about it. 

“hi!” she chirps, still being her usual cheery self. “did we meet before? i think so, you look so familiar!” she gives a deep bow then bounces right back up, flashing him a bright smile. “i’m jennie~ or wait– did i already tell you that earlier? i can’t remember.. but yeah! jennie.”

@lmxkun

perhaps it was a bad habit that he had developed after being coerced to attending several hundred functions in his years of existence, but a major social event wouldn't be complete without kun approaching the belle of the ball. it wasn't mean to be a game of sorts, but he sincerely appreciates art in all forms. they can label him however they pleased, but he knows beauty when he sees it. and the young man raised by the esteemed qians would be damned if he didn't share his thoughts on it.

he's caught a little off guard though by her cheerfulness. the models he usually approached go for the mysterious and quiet type of persona -- before they eventually open up. he'd have to admit it was very refreshing. and so, kun smiles and greets her back with a smile and an equally bright, "hello there." he shakes his head, seeing it as a fitting response. "no, you haven't. believe me, i don't think i'll forget if you had told me." he replies, "but nevertheless, it's nice to meet you, jennie."

there’s always butterflies whenever he’s around, the good sort, she guesses. it had been a good while since the two of them broke things off, in fact over a year had passed them by, but rose is still caught up on the fact that things ended so suddenly between the two of them. she couldn’t help but wonder where they would be now if things hadn’t gone the way they had. it was one of the easier break-ups she had gone through, for sure. but by now, it was one too many. she shifts between keeping her eyes on the ground, watching her feet because she’s bound to trip on something or someone, and around her, trying desperately to not run into anything, or anyone. that, and she wants to make sure she spots kun. that she doesn’t miss him.

she stops in a clearing, a little way out of the crowd. she glances down at her phone nervously, her long blonde hair billows around her face. she brushes it back anxiously, lips pursed as she looks up and around at the masses who surround her. and then out of nowhere, kun makes his appearance. a small smile pulls at rose’s lips as he makes his arrival apparent to her. and so came the butterflies. she laces her hands together in front of her, rocking back and forth.

“right!” she chimes with a curt nod. “it’s pretty crowded out here, hey?” rose hums with a smile. she looks around her at the costume clad people, some taking it very seriously and others, not so much. she watches kun curiously only for his comment to send her cheeks red. “ah well,” she looks down at her outfit. “i was a hogwarts student, but i folded my robe up. it’s expensive, you know? so now, uh…” she chuckles, running a hand through her hair. “i guess i sort of look like a random school student now.” rose shrugs. “and what about you, other than being effortlessly handsome, as always?”

in another place and time, they would still be together. kun had thought about it over and over, and he found himself smiling at the idea of them living happily ever after. it wouldn't be perfect, but it would be easy. they would be... happy. there was always this split second right after he thought about that he wanted to call rose, tell her that he was an idiot and that maybe, just maybe, there was really something different here. but then again, there's always hesitation... because in another place in time, qian kun would be a different person. he'd be someone who deserved rose, someone who kept promises, and someone who was sincere.

still he could indulge himself these little moments, of seeing her up close, smiling so beautifully like she always had. it would leave him breathless, a response quite difficult to elicit from someone who has seen all the beauty the world has to offer because of his upbringing. or so he thought, because only when he laid his eyes on rose did he truly understand what it mean to have seen every beautiful thing. he lets his thoughts fall away and hums, arms still crossed as he nods his head when she began to speak. he shakes his head, holding back a laugh as he looks at her costume as a 'random school student'.

tonight was definitely proving itself to not be younghyun’s scene. he had quickly come to realise that he preferred his scantily-clad women fawning over him in a mosh pit at one of his gigs than subtle glances at a lame ass halloween festival in the middle of the fucking city. younghyun has spent the night dodging people in their cringy costumes, not biting when they attempt to scare the shit out of him. he didn’t get the whole halloween being scary memo. halloween wasn’t scary, it was just a night of gimmicks. he honestly would of preferred staying in with rebecca with some wine and calling it a night. all hope isn’t lost though, or so the text on his phone says.

just when younghyun was starting to believe the night had gone to shit for good and couldn’t get any better, he gets a text from kun. kun is sort of younghyun’s best mate, despite the exterior of their friendship, which the two of them have coined as a business partnership; they are close. he wanders through the festival, weaving in and around costume clad couples and youngsters, holding his arms over his head as he makes his way across to the pop-up theatre, which is due to start rolling out some horror film of sorts, or so younghyun presumes. and kun wants to meet younghyun there, to which he’s agreed to. anything is better than this.

younghyun nears the theatre area, keeping his eyes peeled for the older male, which isn’t as easy as he had thought, considering the area is more filled than he had hoped for. he rounds the side to try and catch the participants faces, hoping to catch a glimpse of kun’s pretty face. and he does, and younghyun doesn’t hesitate to stalk through the theatre, hand tucked in the pockets of his leather jacket. he doesn’t say anything as he plops himself down beside kun, merely sighing, leaning back in his chair, obviously happy with his choice. 

"that took you forever, kang younghyun..." kun says with a smirk, eyes still fixed on the screen as he took a sip from the cold blue concoction that was apparently that lemonade stall's best seller. his nose wrinkles at the sweetness and he hands it over to younghyun, "can't have my favorite guy parched now, can i? that's your drink now." he says as leaned forward to get a more familiar looking yellow drink with lemon slices mixed with ice. he looks over to his friend as he took another sip, the slightly sour but predominantly sweet taste now dancing in his mouth making him hum. "i'll take this awful tasting, sad-excuse for a lemonade drink they sell." except it really wasn't as bad as he described, in fact, if anything it was better and the triumphant smile on his face must be giving him away.

that was the thing about his friendship with younghyun, it was always fun to tease him about the little things. he never seems to get mad enough to throw a punch, and kun is just desperately tempted to see how far he can nudge and probe until younghyun does him a solid. "i also got popcorn," his hand reaches down for an empty popcorn bag and waves it in front of younghyun's face as he snickered -- clearly, being childish as ever. "but i was famished and devoured the whole thing." he says with a sigh, "i could have devoured something else that would be more satisfying," he says, giving the other a once-over, smirk pulling at the corner of his lips, "but it was taking forever."

the night air makes ten feel free. when he’s cooped up inside apollo’s practise rooms it can get a bit suffocating, so being able to escape into the fray and experience the excitement of halloween once again had brightened ten’s whole week. he’d not bothered to try too hard with his costume, so had resorted to his default sexy cat outfit. he’d donned tight black leggings and a black sweater that hugged his figure, along with a leather collar, some fluffy black ears atop his head, and a long black tail pinned to the back of his sweater. 

he was going to make the most of tonight, and the man he was spending it with. he’d not seen him in a while, and it had been bothering ten; he missed kun and his soft, warm hands. calls and texts just didn’t suffice, he needed to see him to feel his body heat radiating off him, so close that ten could feel it enveloping him. stop, he tells himself, they’re just friends.

yet ten can’t stop his lips quirking up in to a smile when his eyes lay on kun exiting a cafe up ahead. “what’s wrong with my costume?” ten asks with a pout that’s subtley laced with a smirk. “you don’t like it?” his head tilts to the side, exposing the leather collar as he meets kun’s eyes. reaching out, he takes kun’s hand, falling into step beside him and letting kun lead. “i like yours.” his pout is exaggerated by this point, eyes peering up through his lashes at kun with feigned innocence. 

kun lets the other take his hand and starts walking, taking quick sips off his cup. a smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he listened but also trying not to look too excited about finally being with ten. "let me guess..." he trails off, sighing a bit as he continued with his feigned disinterest, not quite ready to submit to ten's spell just yet. "you're someone's cat? classic." he takes a sip off his cup, eyes taking quick peeks at ten to see his response. but he looks away, ten's outfit of choice for the evening being perfect a little too much.

it didn't matter what ten wore tonight, tje youg man would see past all of it anyway. he'd be distracted by his eyes and his smile, and the way the other makes him feel whenever he was close. especially the way ten held his hand... it always felt so... good. unknowingly, he gives it a light squeeze, pulling him closer as he walked. "you look great..." he lets out, smiling softly as he turned to look at ten. "you're perfect." he mumbles as he looks straight ahead.

starter for @lmxkun· !

it’s nights like these when ten feels the freest. when the night air is chilly, biting at the apples of his cheeks till they turn rosy, and the stars twinkle overhead like they’re winking at him. his footsteps on the pavement echo in the mostly deserted side street, following him as he makes his way towards the all too familiar apartment building up ahead. ten thinks of the warmth that’ll envelope him once he’s inside, and the gentle hands he’s itching to hold, especially now, as his own are nipped at by the cold autumn air. 

his thighs, aching from a long days training, protest as he makes his way up the building’s front steps, so he heads for the lift, eager to give his body a break from the strenuousness of the day he’s had. he lifts his hands from his pockets as the lift doors close and it begins its ascent. rubbing them together, he watches as the numbers above the doors climb higher with each floor that’s passed, and when finally it reaches its destination, ten smiles. 

standing outside kun’s door ten loses the tension in his shoulders he didn’t know he was holding onto, and he presses the buzzer beside the door. he’s ready for their movie night - a tradition of theirs that comes around every fortnight. ten always makes his way over to kun’s place to collapse on his couch, eat his food, and watch movies with someone who makes him feel a lot more human than the halls of apollo ever could. 

kun had no idea how he made it through the week. students hadn't been easy to deal with, the second quarter of the fall semester is about to come to an end. practice recitals are happening almost every other day, and papers need to be graded on time, otherwise the professors will be calling him during weekends too. thankfully, he loved music enough to finish everything he had to. that and because he didn't wany disturbances or interruptions during date movie night.

the doorbells rings just as soon as he's finished transferring the popcorn to a large bowl. he takes it with him, popping a few pieces into his mouth as he makes his way to the door. no one else comes over his place, he'd never bring anyone of his dates here so he was sure as heck that it was none other than ten who's at the door. just the thought of him being outside made kun hurry his steps. he fixes his hair and takes a deep breath before before he unlocks the door. "glad you can make it..." he says with a smirk, as he steps back at makes for him.

A starter for @lmxkun TW drug/alochol mention

Yoorim is God only knows where, probably making out with some choding, or snorting something illicit in a bathroom somewhere, and Soojin is suddenly very warm—probably the small army of cocktails that now dances the mamba in her belly, and she starts to think that if she doesn’t cool off pronto, she’s likely to spontaneously combust. 

So it is that she finds herself outside; Yoorim had dragged her along to some gala for some charity thing, and the building it was held in was needlessly beautiful, equipped with a wrap around balcony on the level the event was on that was lit by fairy lights, and dotted with pretty plants. It is currently rather desolate, not surprising considering how the sunset and sudden kick of wind had dropped the temperature, but the cool night air is a relief to Soojin as she stomps to the barrier to light a cigarette. 

It isn’t until she’s leaned against it that she notices a figure in her periphery, glancing at it ready to spout off an apology before she catches sight of a familiar smile, and a familiar set of dimples. 

“Oh god, it’s you.” she mutters with a wry chortle, “Do you attend like, every rich person party in this city? Is that your job?”

this is the catch for being allowed to live overseas independently. he knew for sure that his parents wouldn't just let him go off to chase his dreams, not even for a quoted line in editorials or headline news, or start conversations with prominent political figures in soirees. they needed someone to hold the fort in this country to stay visible. the family name ticked in the guest list as attended, the name popping up in the lifestyle section of the local paper or an event coverage in a cable show. his dreams remain a tool for the benefit of his parents' careers, he couldn't call it his own at this point.

but that's not to say he didn't enjoy most of it, it had its moments and qian kun simply told himself not too overthink when he attends these parties. it always feels like an out-of-body experience, knowing what to say and how to act, like he was an autopilot during social events. his performance in these gatherings, whether public or private, was one his parents' friends and constituents aspire for their children. he played the role of the perfect son well, and the only consolation is doing what he wants when the show is done.