PART 1:ย Of Invisible Threats and Piercing Gazes
SUMMARY: Your life has always been aย simple one, and you were kinda content with thatโฆwork, friends, family, house chores occupied your dull daily routine. But that was until one fateful Monday night, when you hung out late from the safety of your apartment to take the trash outโฆ After that nightโs surprising encounter with a couple of โunconventionalโ men in an alley, your life took an unexpected turn, leaving you questioning if your beloved comfort and caution towards the unknown had always prevented you from discovering a brand new face of the world you lived inโฆand wanting to know more about the mysterious, elegant man who had irreparably caught your attentionโฆ
โ ๏ธTrigger Warning: mentions of blood, injuries and suggestive language; swearing.
A/N: this is my first proper written work...Sorry in advance for the mistakes (English is not my first language)...not smut in here but this is just the beginning (from part 2 on things will get way more spicier๐) I hope you'll enjoy the reading!
It was a usual Monday night and you fell asleep on your couch while watching your favorite TV show. Monday evenings have always been the loneliest since you moved out on your ownโฆno family around, no friends because you all have just got home tired from the first working day of the week. You had soon learnt that the only company for those nights were the ones offered by your comfortable pjs, ice-cream and the characters of the series.
You woke up at the end of the episode to an awfully loud commercial song from a spot on the TV. You sighed heavily and lazily reached for your phone, the same phone you had previously thrown somewhere across the room in a gesture of annoyance towards your inexorable boredom. You checked the hour: almost 1am. You suddenly remember you forgot to take the trash out, so with a frustrated groan you reluctantly dragged yourself off the couch and reached for your long night robe, as you didn't want to hang out alone in the dangerous streets around your block at night in nothing but the little cropped shirt and shorts of your PJ's.
You grabbed the trash from your small balcony, and descended the quiet stairs of your building. As soon as you set foot out of the building, the cool night air sent a shiver down your spine.ย You approached the usual trash deposit at the corner of the dark alley next to your block, but before you could even reach it,ย you froze midstep with your trash in your hands at the scene unfolding in front of you: a tall, black-haired, muscular man was stabbing an invisible target with an incredible rhythm, as if in a state of unexplainable frenzy. Just a few steps away from the ongoing surreal battle, stood a man with his hands buried deep in his suit pockets and a cigarette between his teeth. He looked calm and collected, studying coldly the scene in front of him, his shoulders relaxed, as if he was totally unbothered by the nonsense happening in front of his eyes.
They hadn't even noticed you arriving, not yetโฆย In a matter of seconds, the situation escalated quickly and irreversibly in front of your eyes: a sudden gust of energy shifted the air around you and another invisible being seemed to be jumping off one of the metallic emergency staircases without warning and landing on the muscular manโs back, tearing a terribly deep scar openโฆ
โ Fuck itโฆI was right, that motherfucker wasn't the only one in hereโ. The elegant man hissed under his breath, throwing his cigarette to the rough ground, barely centimeters away from your slippersโฆ It was then that everything happened, a matter of seconds made your whole world to trembleโฆ
In the precise moment the man in a suit turned and met your widened eyes, while in the background, an animal-like grunt came from the other fighting man: the invisible 'thing'ย injured him once more, this time tearing his abdomen open right in a delicate, vital zone.
โFuckโฆtonight's definitely cursedโ the man exclaimed while rushing forward, where the injured guy was now laying on the groundโฆ you shivered, silently questioning yourself whether those invisible entities were still aroundโฆand why you seemed to be the one who could not see themโฆ
โ Damage Assessment Tojiโฆyouโre strong, big guyโฆheyโฆshit..itโs deepโ he hissed at the deep scar.
โThat motherfucker hid from us in that block..nghโฆfuck.. it stings. Is it that bad,Shiu? The deal..will they liquidate us the same?โ The injured man asked him, finding the strength to lift his tight bloodstained shirt to him while wearing a wicked grin, revealing the entity of the ripped skin.
โShut the fuck up, big headโฆwe have companyโฆโ the man in a suit tilted his head in your direction, announcing your presence to the injured guy. You couldn't move a limb, too shocked by the whole situation. โDonโt speakโฆ Youโre losing a lot of bloodโฆshit, Toji weโre fucked this timeโ The man in a suit bent downwards and lifted his mateโs arm over his shoulder.
โFuckโฆbe careful, Shiu..it hurts as hell. What is the plan?โ the latter asked, barely containing a whimper.
โThereโs no plan at all this time, Tojiโฆ the only plan now is that youโd better survive until we reach the headquartersโ The man stated with a hint of concern in his small,sharp, slanting eyes.
Just when he turned in your direction you could see his appearance clearly: he was a toned, average built man with short black hair, neatly styled upwardsย in a longer front tuft and shorter on the sides. His piercing gaze was topped by thin eyebrows and his even thinner lips, now contorted in a fatigued expression as he lifted his muscular friend from the ground, were topped by a sparse mustache. He looked overall peculiar at least, and his Korean-like features made him look even more appealing to your curiosity.
His eyes landed on you and a another thrill crossed your bones: there was something about himโฆ you immediately found him attractive,yet he held an allure of mystery you couldn't shake off.
โ What are you looking at, doll? Ditch the trash and get back to your comfy houseโฆthe showโs overโ the injured guy scoffed with its signature wicked grin. You noticed the visible scar on the corner of his lips and you soon understood that the strange couple's business wasn't a peaceful oneโฆ
โHeโs rightโฆ this place is not suited for a good one like youโฆโ The elegant man addressed you directly, his unreadable gaze scrutinizing the depth of your intentions.
You knew you should have turned on your heels and got back to your boring normal Monday night, but you simply couldn't help wondering what would have happened to that manโฆ and what kind of things were the invisible ones in the alley? Were they still around?ย
Throwing caution to the cool night breeze, you took a decision and finally spoke:
โYou are definitely taking him to the hospital,will you right? Will he be fine? He needs to see a doctor..Nowโ You asked the elegant man, receiving a low, grunty chuckle from the other, bleeding one.
โNo, dollโฆ" the man in a suit shoot a curious glance at you "People like us are invisible.. weโll get through this on our ownโฆwhat happened tonight stays in this alley, understood?โย
You nodded: โ You have my word I will keep the secret, but pleaseโฆโ you inhaled deeply to conceal the crack in your trembling voice โlet me take care of himโฆ Iโve attended a first aid course years ago, I can help himโฆhe needs healingโฆmy apartment is right in the next blockโ You finally locked your eyes with the elegant manโs one, feigning a fierce stare. His eyes landed on his aching, semi-conscious friend once more before turning back to you: โ fineโฆlead the wayโฆโ
โฆ
That night you let two strangers, two mysterious men into the safe nest of your apartment. The three of you rushed inside avoiding your neighbors noticing their unusual presence.
Once you opened the door, you ran into your living room and pressed your stuff off the table to the ground with a rapid sleight of hand, creating an improvised operating table.
โLay him hereโฆIโll get back in a sec with the necessaryโฆwe need to sanitize and stitch his woundsโฆthey look deep.. in the kitchen counter over there there's a pack of painkillers.. find itโ you announced to the man, whose suit was turning crimson red from the blood spilling out his mate's abdomen.
He eyed you down silently, his thin brows furrowing slightly as trying to convey a silent doubt, avoiding saying something you soon understood: "And yesโฆyou can trust meโฆ" You bowed your head to him, locking gazes with his surprised, slightly widened eyes.ย
"No questions,doll" He reminded sharply and coldly, yet conveying a silent wave of gratitude in his softening stare. You answered disappearing in the bathroom and coming back with the necessaryโฆ
โฆ
The process had been long and painful. You had to try your best and carry on your ministrations, ignoring the frequent whimpers and grunts of the injured man,lying in front of you. He was strong, his body reacted very well to the deep woundsโฆ Surprisingly well, you had indeed never imagined someoneโs body could endure all of that pain while keeping the last brink of composureโฆthe man in front of you was incredibly and otherworldly strongโฆevery now and then your suspicious eyes flashed from him to the other man standing in your apartment, looking for some kind of hint to make sense of that unbelievable situation, but finding none.
"I think I got him through the night, for nowโฆlet's just hope no other complications will ariseโฆ" You finally announced with a soft smile after an hour of stitching skin and swabbing blood. You could finally wipe a stray drop of sweat trickling down your forehead and exhale deeply, releasing the breath you didn't realize you had been holding.
You looked up to the corner of the room, where the man in the suit had stood still all along, watching you closely and following your every movement from afar. In that moment your eyes locked once again and this time you felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins, as a subtle smirk appeared on the corner of his thin lips, framed by his even thinner mustache.
He was eyeing you down from head to toe once more, taking in your cozy yet revealing mise and smirking at how childish it might have seemed if compared to the entity of that night's events, the kind of events he was used to . He stared blatantly at the soft swell of your breasts, enhanced by the thin fabric of your top, his eyes subtly scanning the glimpse of your exposed legs from under your grey robe.
You stood there with your hands still covered in blood, feeling vulnerable under the cunning man's stare. No man had ever made you feel like this: so lectured yet so willing to be at his sharp eyes' mercy. You blushed slightly at his shamelessness and he quickly looked away, careful not to embarrass you further, yet looking completely unbothered by being caught stealing inappropriate glances at you. He appeared like a strong, self-confident man and his behavior matched his appearance perfectly.
"I guess we owe you a favor,dollโฆ You've been a real blessing tonight". He finally spoke, daring to address you with that even more inappropriate pet name. You felt heat setting your cheeks on fire and you turned your back at him to hide your state, heading to the bathroom sink to wash the copious blood away from your hands.
To your great surprise, he followed you suit this time. He leaned against your bathroom door, silently studying the way your small, delicate, soapy hands slipped on each other under the water spray.. Before you could turn the water off,he moved into the bathroom and handed you the towel hanging above the sink.
"Such graceful hands shouldn't be covered in bloodโฆespecially...in this kind of blood" he murmured with an enigmatic expression.
"Please let me" without even waiting for your answer, he took your hands in his bigger ones through the towel, and started dabbing them with the soft fabric. His touch was gentle yet firm and you silently looked up at him, studying his peculiar features once againโฆ
Aware of your gaze on him, he finally spoke: "My name's Shiu by the way, and he is Toji, a colleague of mineโฆbut I can't tell you anything moreโฆ As you might have guessed alreadyโฆ" he continued with a heavy sigh "we are notโฆ a good kind of peopleโฆ I would say our businessย isโฆunconventional at leastโฆ But enough about us now...Can I ask the name of this beautiful young woman, instead?" He finally looked up to you with a sly grin, catching you staring at him.
"Ohโฆmy name's Y/Nโฆ" was all that you could say, too intimidated as you were by his presence. There was something in the way he looked at you that made your insides trembleโฆย you knew you should be cautious and keep your guard high, he was nothing but a stranger after allโฆ On top of that, you were now sure he was involved in some kind of dirty, dangerous, almost certainly illegal business โฆbut even in that precarious situation you still felt a magnetic pull towards himโฆย
He looked like no one you had met before: he was a mist of danger, adventure and mysteryโฆ and that mix had a way of making your knees weak right in that moment, as one of his strong, calloused hands was firmly holding your wrist through the fabric of the towel, the fingers of his other hand brushing across your wet palm, and indulging on your the insides of your fingers for a second longer than expected.
Sensing your soft shiver, he looked up from your intertwined hands and let his piercing eyes land on your slightly parted mouth, tracing the swelling plumpness of your bottom lip. He suddenly let go of your hands and hung the towel back in place.ย
โApologies for interrupting yourโฆnighttime routine tonightโฆโ he said with a deep, low chuckle. You chuckled along: "Nothing special actuallyโฆjust a boring Monday evening...I guess I should be the one thanking you for... spicing things up..." You commented, finally finding the bravery to keep up with the conversation.
His cunning smirk appeared at the corner of his lips once again: โFinally... I was starting to fear cat got your tongue... Or maybeโฆ" his tone lowered of an octave now "I imagined that our presence here got you all shy and embarassed... " He dared and teased you openly this time, grinning at your confused expression.ย
โNot at allโฆ" you cleared your throat to hide the effect his confident remark had on you, marvelling at how quickly he managed to get under your skin "Iโm actually glad I could helpโฆeven ifโฆโ you had to bite your lip to prevent the flow of questions in your mind to escape your mouth โNo questions allowed, right?โ you sighed deeply, hoping that your newly found playfulness could lead the way to further revelations.
โNo, dollโฆ" he sighed deeply, the subtle spark of mischief suddenly dying in his eyesย "Trust me, itโs way better for you not to know the whole storyโฆโย
You nodded, sensing that it was better not to push his bottons further, and you both headed back to the living room, where Toji was now sleeping soundly on your couch.
โHis body is unbelievably strongโฆanyone else wouldn't have survived such woundsโฆbut I guess thisโฆis included in the things I cannot know, right?โย
Shiu sighed once again, taking out a pack of Marlboro Lights from his pocket: โ I like you doll, you are a quick learnerโฆyou know, it is surprisingly difficult to find people willing to accept you without asking further about your job these daysโ he chuckles, a bittersweet smile forming on the corner of his lips, framed by his signature thin mustache.
โWould you mind me smoking in here?โ Shiu asked politely, his piercing eyes searching for consent in yours.
โYeah..itโs totally fine for meโฆwait a secโฆโ. At your words, he pulled out a stray cigarette from the small pack and lit it while you stood up and headed to the kitchen, searching for the ashtray you spared for the Friday nights, when your smoker friends came over, and placing it on the table next to him.ย
โThank youโ he murmured with a cigarette between his teeth and extended the pack to youย in a gesture of offer โdo you smoke,too?โ
"No I don't, but thank you anywayโฆI am the only non-smoker in my friends groupโฆ" you stated, trying to engage in small talk while taking a seat next to him, your robe shifting slightly while you moved, revealing the soft flesh of your legs.ย
Shiu stopped mid-puff, exhaling slowly as wisps of smoke curled lazily in the air cracking with a newly found tension around you. He regarded you with an unreadable expression, but you could read a certain turmoil brewing inside of him behind his mask of indifference.
" Your home is veryโฆwelcoming,y/nโฆit kinda matches your personalityโฆ"ย he finally commented, before taking in another drag, visibly forcing himself to scan around your living room, instead of staring down at your thighs once again. You couldn't help but smirk slightly at his reaction.ย
"My own home actually needs restyling,tooโฆ" he remarked absent-mindly "it grew colder and colder every passing dayโฆand all of a sudden, I came home from work one night and felt like I said belong there anymore" he continued, stealing a subtle glance at you "Maybe it just needs a woman's touchโฆ" he added while lost in his thoughts, his voice deep and hoarse from smoking, sending a jolt of surprise in your whole being.ย
You chuckled in response, rubbing your tired eyes.
" Had a long day, haven't you doll? You look tired, you should get some sleepโฆI'll be here, watchingย over Toji...Don't worry for us, we'll leave before the sun comes up.. You already did enough"
Sensing the hesitance in your eyes, he reassured you with an honest look on his face:"Listenโฆyou can lock yourself in your room if you don't trust usโฆwellโฆme,at leastโฆToji's way too numb tonight to care about a beautiful woman sleeping in the room next to him,anyway " he suggested chuckling hoarsely. "And as for me, I would never do you harm, especially after everything you did for usโฆ deep down, I am still a gentlemanโฆ"
You felt your cheeks on fire at his blunt suggestion and you rushed your apologies "Noโฆnoโฆ it's not thatโฆ I don't trust youโฆ" you reassured him "it justโฆfeels strange..the whole situation,I meanโฆ"
" Don't be embarrassed. I didn't expect you would trust people like us, dollโฆ and yet, you did" he whispered back at you, a flash of self- disdain in his slanting eyes.ย
He took one last drag of his cigarette before flicking it into the ashtray, exhaling slowly. You could sense he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, the weight of all of his secrets and regrets consuming himโฆ but you could also see the good nature of his eyes, behind his cold demeanor.
"You seem like the kind of man who hasn't had a proper conversation with someone in a whileโฆ" you finally spoke, unafraid of consequences "What's weighing you down? If you want to, I'm all ears tonight, I wouldn't sleep anywayโฆnot after... everything happened tonight" you smiled softly, trying to ease the tension.
"Oh doll, I don't wanna talk about myโฆtroubles tonightโฆI feel like we've already put you through enough with our intrusion hereโฆAnyways, yesโฆ I can't deny I haven't actually talked to someone in a while... Usually it's just me and that giant sleepy baboon snoring on your couch... At least we have each other's back in the wreckages of our lives" he admitted curling his lips in a sad smirk. You nodded sympathetically at him with a warm and understanding gaze.
It was in that moment that the tension between you got heavier and heavier as seconds went by. He unexpectedly leaned forward to rest his warm, strong hand on your exposed knee. Your eyes locked for a moment, sending a shiver down both ofย your spines. He stared at your full lips and leaned slightly towards them, letting his signature scent of cigarettes and woody cologne invade your senses. A silent exchange of common, forbidden unexpected intents flashed between you two. You surprised yourself feeling your heart drumming in anticipation but tried to play it cool.
Then, all of a sudden, the mood in his eyes changed and he forced himself to look away.
"Go get some deserved sleep, doll. Goodnight" he finally stated, announcing the end of your intimate conversation. He sighed deeply while retreating his hand and leaning back slightly into his seat. His eyes searched for yours once again, in a silent plea for forgiveness for crossing boundaries.
You stood up reluctantly and headed to your room, mentally kicking yourself for letting a heated moment like that happen between you and a complete, and potentially dangerous, stranger.
"Goodnight, Shiuโฆdon't hesitate to wake me if anythingโฆ" unable to complete the sentence, your eyes landed on Toji's asleep figure, hinting at possible unlucky complications of his delicate state.
"I willโฆthank youโฆyou're too good to people like us" he commented right before you closed your door, staring deep into each other's eyes through the crack of the door until it closed shut.
โฆ
You passed that night tossing in your sheets, nervousness and curiosity stealing the sleep out of your tired body. You found yourself listening attentively as you heard footsteps approaching your corridor, stopping right before your bedroom door. You couldn't deny the spark of attraction that had litten between you and Shiu that night, even in the midst of chaos. But you soon shook off that twisted idea, still acknowledging his respectful behavior towards you and your boundaries. You grew restless by the hour and ended up collapsing in a deep, dreamless sleep right before the first signs of dawn could break into your room.ย
You woke up after barely an hour of sleep, your tired, heavy eyelids opened slowly to take in the first morning light. You checked your phone and noticed the hour: you rushed out of bed as you realized you fell asleep and had probably missed their departure.
Putting your robe back on, you slammed your bedroom door open and broke into the living room, only to find an empty couch and everything you had scattered across the room in the previous night's chaos now back into place, as if the events you clearly recalled had just been the product of your nightly dreaming.
You sighed and collapsed on the couch, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss: indeed, you felt like missing out , letting a chance on something you couldn't even express in thoughts escape right throat your fingersโฆ you inhaled deeply, trying to calm your racing mind, but as you did, your nostrils took in the lingering scent of his cologne, mixed with the acre one of his extinguished cigarettes, now laying abandoned in the ashtrail on your table. You shoot a look at it, thankful for that silent presence, witnessing the tangibility of the previous night's encounter.ย
You couldn't help feeling a hint of sadness taking hold of you, while you stared at the room around you. It was as if the stranger who instantly caught your attention was still there with you, his presence floating in the air surrounding you.
You shook your head and got up from the couch, ready to start a new day and leaving behind the thought of him and what could have happened that night.
โฆ
During the following days you focused on moving on with your life, getting back to your usual routine: you woke up early for work and came back at sunset, you enjoyed your nights out with your friends, and visited your family on Sundays. You would never admit it to yourself, but something has changed inside of you: even if you tried to avoid it, you couldn't prevent your mind from shifting back to that fateful night every now and then. Deep down, you hoped you would have the chance to see them once again, to understand what those invisible beings really were, but you knew it was all useless at that point.
Little did you know that the lingering memories of that night would have come back for more, reclaiming a special place and attention in the midst of your monotonous lifeโฆ
My ๐ฅJJK MATERIALIST๐ฅhere!
Thank you if you've arrived this far!
PART 2 HERE !
