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Chapter Text

The misadventures of brother Woo

The Lord was testing his patience when he held services that morning. Two of the prisoners had decided to defile his confessional, none too quietly, and it caused an unfortunate and wholly worrisome domino effect among the rest of the prison parishioners. 

He ended up having to call off services for the rest of the day, calling for the guards to break up this sinful display. 

He was left in silence as the last prisoner was carted away. He cleaned the pews and knelt at the front as he waited for the officer to pick him up so he could read last rites to a man on death row.

He had time.

He prayed softly, murmuring that he needed a change. 

He looked around before pulling out a string of beads. He wrapped it around his wrist before quietly whispering a sutra as well.

His very Buddhist parents were understandably confused when Wooyoung announced that he was going to theology school.

He was so naive and easily duped and somehow he ended up a Catholic priest instead of a Buddhist monk. It all happened so quickly.

One misstep led to another and he was suddenly the priest in charge of a prison church.

The sergeant who came to get him cleared his throat. Wooyoung looked terrified to have been caught whispering quietly with the beads around his wrist. 

He quickly stuffed them into his cassock and stood to face the other man with a wide eyed smile and a nervous scratch to the back of his ear.

"I-is it time, sergeant?" The sergeant looked at Wooyoung for a long while. Wooyoung waited patiently for the other man to finish looking him over. He was used to it. Usually the stares were followed up by a flirty question.

"Yeah. Let's go. We have a meeting after this that you need to attend." 

"Oh…" this was it. They figured he was a fake and were going to fire him, or have him go to another parish. He wasn't a particularly good priest anyway.

After speaking to the condemned man, and giving his last rites, he was guided to a meeting room.

He didn't understand what was happening. First he was being stared at and the next thing he knew was he was given a complete makeover, piercings, bleached hair, and basic firearms training. He was told to report at the station the next morning for his assignment. 

"This was not what I meant when I wanted things to be different." He said as he looked at himself in the mirror in his tiny apartment. His roommates looked at him in shock as he came out of their shared bathroom.

"... Are you a... friend of Wooyoung's?" Christopher asked.

"do I look that different?" Wooyoung asked, he looked as if he was expecting a painful blow.

"How many years have we known you and we didn't recognise you?" Doyoung answered, gently putting down the candlestick he was going to use to defend themselves with.

He took a vow of poverty, and he took it to heart. His apartment only contained the barest of necessities that he shared with his two roommates including the bathroom, kitchen, and phone. 

He showed up to the police station the next day in a pair of navy slacks, a sensible button down and a soft, blue cashmere sweater.

"What are you wearing, Mr. Rogers?" An investigator shrieked. 

"I'm a priest, I own cassocks and street clothes for when I go grocery shopping. This is all I own." Wooyoung insisted.

"Do we have anything we can snag from confiscations?" The investigator asked another officer.

They came back with several armloads of clothes.

"What- do I have a choice in this?" Wooyoung asked.

"Not really, no." The investigator replied before pulling down the blinds to the meeting room.

Ten minutes later, Wooyoung emerged with a leopard print shirt, black leather pants and a black denim jacket. Someone had slicked his hair back and to the side and he looked absolutely mortified.

"So you have to meet with our contact on the inside and you two come up with a story. Do you have a car?"

"No. I take the bus." The investigator seemed exasperated with him.

"Fine. Come with me." He pulled Wooyoung along none too gently, making him jog awkwardly behind.  

Wooyoung followed the investigator down corridors as he texted on his phone and they made it to an underground car park. 

He was driven to a dingy diner and kicked out of the car. He stumbled to a stop in front of a man in a pair of black slacks, a button up shirt and a tie. The remarkable thing about this man was when Wooyoung stood up, he could comfortably look him in the eye. 

"He must've liked you. He actually stopped the car. Come on."    

Wooyoung followed the slight man into the dinner and they sat in a round, corner booth.

"I'm Hongjoong." He said as he flipped open the menu, "pick something, you look conspicuous as hell just staring at me." He said, never looking up from the menu.

Wooyoung opened his menu and realised how hungry he was.

"You're lucky the new boss seems to like me or else i might not have been able to set this up so quickly. How are you at accounting?"

"Not so good." He mumbled.

"Bodyguard?" 

"I don't know the first thing."

Hongjoong sighed.

"Who dressed you? You look like a rent boy." finally looking at Wooyoung for more than a moment.

"A what now?" Wooyoung's eyes were wide, he really hoped he didn't look like whatever Hongjoong just said. It probably was exactly what Wooyoung thought a rent boy might have been.

"They might actually like your wide eyed naivety. How good are you at sucking Dick?"

Wooyoung replied with a scandalized squeak.

"Are you a virgin? They might hire you out for more money if you are?"

"Ok. I quit. I'm going back to the diocese and asking for a different placement- I don't even know how I got here." He looked as if he was genuinely going to leave.

"You're a priest?" Wooyoung nodded as Hongjoong grabbed his sleeve and held him in place.

They stopped to order their food. Wooyoung had no idea why he was even still there anymore.

"Just a warning. These new bosses are… weird to say the least." Hongjoong had lowered his voice and made sure that Wooyoung was the only one who heard him.

Wooyoung nodded dumbly. 

Seonghwa nudged his way into the booth next to Hongjoong.

"I'm glad you called me, Hongjoong darling. Have you reconsidered my offer? You'll be well cared for." Seonghwa had this unusual way of looking into a person's soul and Hongjoong wasn't terribly comfortable being near Seonghwa, lest his secrets be revealed.

"No, but I have come to vouch for my friend, Wooyoung. Do you know if there's any jobs for him?"

Seonghwa looked at Wooyoung. Wooyoung froze. It felt as if this man was tearing him apart with his gaze alone. He had to hold in a whimper. 

"Does he look good naked?" He glanced at Hongjoong but looked as if he was trying to see through Wooyoung's shirt.

"Dunno, he won't undress for me." Hongjoong stage whispered. Wooyoung bit the inside of his lip.

"Don't do that, love. It's bad for you." Seonghwa said matter of factly, pulling Wooyoung's lips from between his teeth with his thumb while grabbing his chin. 

"Are you just here because you want to lose your flower?" Seonghwa asked Wooyoung. He let go and leaned back, waiting for an answer.

"I need a job and I can't find one anywhere else." He sighed, "I just get passed from place to place and I'm tired of feeling like I'm an afterthought. 'It's a job nobody else wants to do? Send Wooyoung.' I'm- I'm sick of it. I want more control over my life." He huffed with a pout. 

Seonghwa smirked. Wooyoung was honest. That was refreshing. Their food came. Hongjoong had ordered an extra plate for Seonghwa.

"How are you at secretarial work? Front desk?" He dipped a sweet potato fry into some marshmallow fluff.

"Thank you for calling. How may I direct your call?" Wooyoung replied sweetly, forming his hand into a phone and putting it to his ear. 

"Tech savvy?"

"I can use appointment making software, accounting software, if you need an office stuff-"

"Do you play an instrument?"

"I used to play a danso in school."

"Sing?"

"I used to be in choir."

"Virgin?"

"I…" Wooyoung turned beet red and nodded.

"It's fine. I just need to see where your duties end."

"I'd rather not… that."

"Ok. How are you at cleaning?"

"I used to be a church janitor. Cleaned the pews, the… bathrooms. Someone once deficated in the confessional. It was bad enough that they had to take out the upholstery…" Wooyoung unintentionally made a face at the memory. 

"Gross." his face scrunched up, "Can you take a punch?" He stole a fry from Wooyoung's plate.

"Doubtful. I'm a pacifist."

"How do you feel about alcohol?"

"People can enjoy it in moderation. Too much of anything is bad."

"Drugs?" He raised an eyebrow.

"People use it as a crutch and I think they need help in other aspects of their lives so they can stop depending on... them." He saw Hongjoong cringe out of the corner of his eye. He realised his opinion might not have been what Seonghwa wanted to hear.

"That's refreshing." Seonghwa smiled, "usually the answer is 'yes, please' and I can't trust a person like that." Wooyoung sighed softly. At least these people had some morals.

"So you've never done drugs?" Seonghwa asked, propping his chin up on his fist.

"I've worked with enough addicts to know I never want to." Seonghwa nodded, "it's a sad existence, but some people just have poor coping mechanisms."

Seonghwa slapped a handful of bills onto the counter.

"Come with me. Do you need a ride back to the office, Hongjoong?"

"If you're heading that way, it would be great."

They got to the office and Seonghwa pulled Wooyoung to a large office door.

The secretary looked up from the sandwich he was eating at his desk.

"Who's this, sir?" Keonhee choked out before covering his mouth and coughing.

"Swallow your food, Keonhee, you're too good a secretary to have to replace."

"Thank you, sir." He coughed.

"Enjoy your lunch, I'm taking Wooyoung in." Seonghwa gently guided Wooyoung to the door with a hand on his lower back.

They stepped into the office and Wooyoung stopped walking. He watched the two men who were aggressively making out on the sofa roll off and barely miss a beat as their lips connected again. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Seonghwa with a tight lipped expression. He blinked rapidly and breathed loudly through his nose whenever one of the men groaned.

"Maybe we'll come back later." Seonghwa scratched at his eyebrow in irritation.

He quickly pushed Wooyoung out and looked over at Keonhee.

"Don't go in there for at least an hour." 

He sighed, "actually if you don't have a lot to do, take a longer lunch."

"Thanks." Keonhee smiled and put on some headphones.

Seonghwa pat Keonhee on the shoulder before taking Wooyoung to an elevator. 

They went up a few floors before the doors dinged and opened to an eerily quiet corridor with doors along either side.

It vaguely reminded him of a parking lot. There were lights over the doors. Some red, some green. They were heading toward one with a blinking green light.

Seonghwa pushed the door open and there was a nude man being made to kneel on an uncomfortable, wooden stool. He was holding his tied hands in front of himself to protect what little dignity he had left.

Wooyoung watched as Seonghwa read the chart just inside the door with a grim expression.

"Drugs…" Seonghwa walked up to the other man, circling slowly. Like a raptor looking for the best place to attack. "We have a zero tolerance drug policy in our territory." He was explaining to Wooyoung, but their captor could only look forward, pleading with his eyes to the priest.

Wooyoung imperceptibly shook his head to tell the man he couldn't help. Wooyoung's eyes snapped to the other man in the room when he chuckled.

"We could ask the new kid to pick." The interrogator smirked.

Wooyoung froze for a moment. This could be what gives him away.

"Proverbs 13:24." Wooyoung said softly while pointing at a bamboo rod hanging on the wall.

"I'm sorry, I'm not well versed in western mythology." Seonghwa said as the interrogator grabbed the rod.

"He that spareth the rod, hateth his son; he that loveth him chastens him betimes." He looked to the floor as the rod made a quick swoosh through the air. Wooyoung jumped whenever there was the crack of the cane making contact. The man growled between his teeth. 

Seonghwa grabbed the man's hair and pulled back harshly so he couldn't avert his eyes.

"What were you doing in our territory?" Seonghwa asked. His voice lowering in register, causing Wooyoung's hackles to rise. The interrogator hit him with the rod, causing him to wince.

"S-selling drugs."

"Switch with me, Mino. He won't learn anything like this." Mino handed Seonghwa the rod and Seonghwa gently tapped the bottoms of the man's feet with the rod. 

"What made you think it was ok to sell drugs here?" Seonghwa asked. 

The man didn't answer fast enough and the rod whooshed and cracked against the soles of the man's feet, making the man scream.

"Answer!." Another whoosh, crack, scream. Wooyoung kept flinching whenever the rod made contact.

"Old b-b-boss." Another hit. Wooyoung swore he heard the man scream for his mother.

"Do we look like we give a shit about how the old boss did things?" Seonghwa tapped the man on the butt with the rod.

"No!" The man answered immediately.

"Good! He's learning." Seonghwa said to Wooyoung. Wooyoung was still staring at the floor, biting the inside of his lip and nervously picking at the skin on the side of one of his thumbnails. Wooyoung jumped when the bamboo rod gently tapped the sleeve of his jacket. He looked up in terror. He was a dead man. He knew it.

"What did I tell you about biting your lip?" Wooyoung looked up, his mouth was open slightly.

"S-Sorry." He looked back at the other man, suddenly all business again.

"Next question. Who sent you?" Seonghwa watched the man argue with himself before bringing the rod down on the soles of the man's feet again. 

"I won't ask again." Seonghwa hit him once where his thighs met the curve of his ass and once across the rise of his butt. 

"One of- one of Sooman's boys!" The man wept.

"Good boy. Now I want you to remember this. Tell me what you did wrong." Seonghwa went back to the soles of the man's feet.

"S-s-selling d-d-drugs."

"What won't you do again?"

"S- sell d-"

"Good." Seonghwa wouldn't let him finish, "the reason why you're allowed to live, is because I want you to pass the word along that we do NOT tolerate drugs here. Do you understand?" The man nodded.

"Verbal answer." Seonghwa hit the balls of his feet. He screamed a broken 'yes' before Seonghwa handed the rod to Mino, and went to a nearby sink to wash tiny flecks of blood away. 

"Leave him somewhere he can walk to his junkie friends and warn them not to sell around here… we will not be as kind next time."

Wooyoung let out a shaky sigh as Seonghwa led him out.

Wooyoung and Seonghwa walked past the cubicles and Wooyoung deliberately made eye contact with Hongjoong.

Hongjoong's expression went serious. 'Are you ok?' Hongjoong mouthed. Wooyoung glanced over to Seonghwa to see if he was looking and then quickly shook his head to the negative. 

"You ok, Wooyoung?" Seonghwa interrupted his quick conversation with Hongjoong, "you look a little pale."

"Y- f… fine."

Wooyoung found himself twiddling his fingers nervously in the passenger seat of another car. It was the most expensive car Wooyoung had ever ridden in.

"It's not something that happens all the time, if you're wondering." He shifted gears and the car sped off.

Wooyoung's attention snapped to Seonghwa.

"It's just our 'no tolerance' policy as far as drugs go. We don't want them anywhere around, you know? He got off easy because we needed someone to warn off any future interlopers."

"Sure, I understand." Wooyoung nodded rapidly. He hoped his voice sounded steady.

They parked the car and Wooyoung tripped over his feet while trying to look at a huge traditional style hanok that they were approaching.

It was taller than any hanok he'd ever seen and the grounds were sprawling. There were three doors like most palaces used to have. One large central door and two smaller side doors. They walked in through the smaller side door on the left. The center door had a red and yellow rope tied in front of it. They had gone all out making it look authentic.

"Hey, Eve," Seonghwa greeted the girl in the lobby. 

It was definitely a lobby. The walls were a pristine white with dark wood supports that matched the highly polished floor. There were ornately carved wooden chairs with bold, blue cushions. 

The girl had been sitting at a low table surrounded by colorful floor mats, drinking some tea while nibbling daintily on a traditional looking snack.

Eve looked up, saw Seonghwa and stood daintily, quickly walking toward the two men. 

"Good afternoon, sir. Is your friend here to enjoy the boys or girls?" She tilted her head coquettishly as she too examined him.

Wooyoung's mouth fell open and he shook his head uncomfortably, looking between the two people, unable to do anything but make a strange guttural croaking noise.

"I'm here to introduce our lovely Wooyoung to Yeosang. I had heard that you needed someone to fill in for the morning shift."

Her eyebrows raised and her sinfully red lips pursed slightly as they formed a tiny o. 

"Yeosang is with a client right-"

"Get the Fuck out of here!"  A pink haired man with fine features stormed after a client who was hastily pulling his socks on.

"You signed the agreement! Don't act like you didn't know refusal to wear protection is an automatic banishment."

He pushed the man out of a side door and it locked behind him with a satisfying click. 

"Oh, hey, Hwa!" Yeosang chirped. Wooyoung was blinking rapidly, making sure only to look Yeosang in the face as his jeonbok was hanging open and he had nothing on underneath. 

"Who is this? Look how bright he blushes!" Yeosang grabbed Wooyoung's cheeks and smushed his face around. 

His eyes went wide as he gently tried to push Yeosang away. 

"He doesn't look like he wants to play, Hwa." Yeosang pouted and let go. Wooyoung rubbed at his cheeks. The space between his eyebrows crinkled. 

"That's why I brought Wooyoung here."

Yeosang cocked his head to the side, "I don't get it."

"The kid's practically a saint. He'll be a reliable secretary, unlike that one who kept wandering off to Fuck everyone."

Yeosang grinned, "oh, but he was fun though."

"I think this one's ace. Be nice to him." 

Wooyoung wasn't going to argue if it meant they would leave him alone. 

"Hang tight, I'm gonna get dressed and show you around.

"Ok. I'm going to head out," Seonghwa said, "you got a phone?" 

Wooyoung shook his head. He had lived simply with a shared house phone all these years. 

"Gotta order a phone for you. How about a place to stay?" If they found out where Wooyoung lived, how Wooyoung lived, it would be over for him. Wooyoung shook his head again.

"I'll have Yeo set you up with a place to live too."

Seonghwa walked through a set of double doors near a desk and came back a few minutes later.

"Yeosang is on his way out here. He's got you from here on out."

Seonghwa put his hand on the knob of the door that the man was kicked out a few moments before. 

"Isn't that guy going to be out there?" Wooyoung asked.

"We don't need to worry about him." Seonghwa smirked. Despite how cruel he had seemed, the priest still sounded genuinely worried for Seonghwa's safety.

"Be safe." Wooyoung waved. Seonghwa nodded at him with a soft smile.

"Ok!" Yeosang said as he came through the door. Wooyoung wasn't entirely sure Yeosang even opened it, but he couldn't have possibly walked through the door… could he?

"Let's get a look at you first." Yeosang handed Wooyoung a notepad and a mechanical pencil. 

"Write these down for me. Nice and orderly."

Yeosang started at the back, he slapped the back of Wooyoung's neck.

"No slouching." He read out a number. "I'm not trying to strangle you, so don't freak out," he said into Wooyoung's ear, making him shudder as Yeosang wrapped a string around his neck.

Yeosang was right, it was a jarring sensation and it took Wooyoung a moment to realise the string was gone and Yeosang was calling out a number. 

He called out a few more numbers before going to the front and wrapping the string around Wooyoung's chest and waist.

"You're broader than I thought you'd be."

"Ah." Wooyoung just wrote the numbers down. His breath caught again as Yeosang spread his hand wide, placing the thumb just at the waistband of Wooyoung's leather pants and down his centerline. He may have left his hand there a little longer than necessary before starting to measure from where his pinkie stopped. It was a few more measurements before he grabbed the notebook and took a picture to send on his phone.

"Ok, now that that's out of the way, what are your available hours?"

"Anytime you need me?" Wooyoung shrugged.

"Excellent. Are you available to rent out? Either to men, women or both?" Yeosang handed him the notebook again.

"No! Certainly not." Wooyoung shook his head.

"It's good to know your comfort zone. How about phone sex?"

"Err what?"

"We can train you to fulfill SoMeOnE's WiLdEsT fAnTaSiEs over the phone, and your voice is neutral enough that you could probably pose as a woman as well."

"Huh?" Wooyoung looked increasingly worried. 

"Come with me, I'll show you." Yeosang took Wooyoung to a door marked 'Employees Only'. 

He opened the door and it was remarkably quiet. There were booths along the walls and it looked like a call center. 

They got to a booth where a woman was playing solitaire. Yeosang opened the door a crack and a lewd moan came out. He closed the door and they went to another booth, this time with a man inside. He was playing some side scrolling game.

"Fuck- yes- yes I'm doing it- uh shit" he almost dropped off a cliff but he recovered, "yes! Oh Fuck- close!" Just missed a large boss, "ah-" 

Yeosang closed the door. 

"The joys of phone sex." Yeosang chuckled as he showed off the room.

"I think just… secretary might be alright." Wooyoung fidgeted. 

"On with the tour, then."

Yeosang guided him outside. They walked over a bridge that led to a pavilion surrounded by a koi pond. 

Yeosang reached into his sleeve before grabbing Wooyoung's hand and turning it palm side up. He gave Wooyoung a handful of little pellets before tossing a few off the bridge and watching the fish go to town. 

He observed as Wooyoung's face brightened as he threw a few off the opposite side of the bridge.

He threw the pellets farther and farther out until he ran out. 

"I hope you never have reason to stop smiling." Yeosang said softly, watching the joy light up his face. 

Wooyoung looked confused. 

"This is the musician's pavilion." They finally crossed the bridge and walked up to the brightly painted pavilion.

"The acoustics are finely tuned so the dancers and audience can hear the music anywhere in the courtyard. Can you play an instrument, Wooyoung?"

"I used to play danso as a kid, but I don't know how good I am anymore."

"Singing? Dancing? I promise this time it's entirely family friendly."

"I can learn if you need me to… if it's actually family friendly." 

Yeosang snatched the notebook from Wooyoung and started scribbling notes to himself. 

They walked over a matching bridge on the other side of the pavilion that led to the courtyard.

"This is the dancer's courtyard, sometimes guests sit down here," he pointed to rows of seats along the top of the wall, "but they get a better overall experience from up there. We put on various traditional performances. We like to keep as much of our business looking as legitimate as possible, which is why we're moving the menagerie from the office building as soon as we find an appropriate place and certified zoo keepers."

"How... kind." Wooyoung smiled.

They walked through a large set of gates and over the high threshold. Yeosang showed Wooyoung paths around a beautifully manicured garden lined with fruit trees. Wooyoung gasped as they came up to an ornately painted temple. 

Without asking, Wooyoung slipped his shoes off, knelt on a pillow, pulled a set of prayer beads out of his inner jacket pocket, and Yeosang could only call what Wooyoung was doing 'introducing himself' to the new temple that he would be visiting more often.

Yeosang could practically see the holiness radiating off of the young man. This kid didn't know it yet, but he could probably bend the will of the universe.

Wooyoung finished his tiny prayer and quickly returned to Yeosang's side.

"Sorry… habit."

"It's fine, if it brings you solace in this world that thrives on chaos and strong emotions, then do it." Wooyoung smiled in thanks.

"What's the name of this temple?" Wooyoung asked.

"You're going to laugh, it's called Seongsang two ho temple."

"That's… different."

"Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to get used to the grounds, now it's time to see what you're actually here for." 

Yeosang pulled open a side door that was practically invisible, blending perfectly with the side of the building. 

Inside was the unmistakable clatter of a kitchen. Plates hitting stainless steel countertops, food sizzling. Wooyoung could smell sesame oil and onions and he sighed.

"The kitchen is the heart of our guest house. One of the hubs of operation.

If anyone calls your desk for room service, you're going to have to redirect it to Sungjae or Kyungsoo down here."

He watched as Wooyoung stared longingly at the staff bustling about the spacious kitchen, managing to stay out of each other's way.

"Do you like cooking, Wooyoung?" He nodded forlornly, hardly giving Yeosang a look.

"You're free to use the kitchen when you're off the clock and not in anyone's way, but room service food is available to you at any time." 

"Oh… thanks."

"Maybe one day we can even set you up for a cooking certification if you prove yourself useful to us." 

"What?" Wooyoung's eyes lit up in hope, "seriously?"

"Of course, let's keep moving though. Busy day ahead." Wooyoung followed Yeosang through the back area of the building. 

"Utility elevator… for bigger things like furniture and body disposal."

"I'd like to think you're joking,"

"But you know I'm not." Yeosang cut in flatly. "This is the security office. Call in there if anyone looks like trouble, shouldn't be here, or any of my... children ask for help."

"Employee elevator," he pointed to his left, "laundry room," he pointed to his right, "when you feel you need to wash a hanbok, or any of your other clothes, there's gonna be a bag just inside your door, and a laundry chute that drops everything in here." He rest his hand on the door frame.

"Employee dining room… in case you want to eat outside your room but not be bothered by guests."

They continued to a hallway lined with doors. Wooyoung looked up, it was impossibly tall.

"We call this the tower. It's entirely guest rooms, but we're thinking of opening it up to families and tourists and blocking it off from the rest of the kisaeng house, because it would be a useful revenue stream."

"I mean if it's not too hard, I don't see why you shouldn't." Wooyoung replied with a shrug. 

They turned down another hallway and Wooyoung looked startled when they heard a voice of a man screaming.

"Is he ok?" Wooyoung looked around to see where the sound came from.

"That's Leo. If he wasn't ok, the house would have detected it, and thrown out his assailant."

"Ah…"

"He's enjoying himself."

The sound disappeared as they entered the guest lounge, people were wandering around, sitting at tables, chatting. 

Some were enjoying meals as if they were on a date. 

A girl was in the corner, lightly plucking at a gayageum while another girl danced for some men at a table.

Yeosang pointed up and Wooyoung saw that the upper floors that encircled the lounge were all guest rooms.

"So the floors are all named after scholarly ranks. Crane, pheasant, peacock, goose, egret, and oriole. The penthouse floor has rooms named lion, tiger, bear, panther.

Also you see the sunroof above us?"

Wooyoung nodded, "it's got its own automatic sensors, but if anyone thinks it's too bright or something, you have controls at your desk. Also at night, or for special functions where we completely black out the roof, we can make twinkly stars." He grinned, "I'll show you tonight. Hwa told me you needed a room. I'll show it to you after I show you your desk."

"Ok…"

They went through a pair of double doors that led through a hallway with a few doors along it and another set of double doors which opened up to the lobby.

Yeosang explained Wooyoung's duties and how to do specific tasks.

"I'm going to help you a lot the first few days, so is Eve." He pointed at the young woman and she waved flirtily, "oh right. This is most important."

Yeosang crawled under the table and pulled Wooyoung to join him.

It was surprisingly spacious.

"If there's any danger, if you think there's anything suspect, if anyone tries to break in, push this button." He flipped up a plastic tab and a blinking button popped out. "The whole building will go into lockdown, everyone will be safe from fire, flood, police raids, everything. You will be hidden and safe as well as long as you keep quiet."

Wooyoung nodded once.

"I trust you to be the gatekeeper. This is more important than you realise. If you push this button, the only people who can let everyone else out are me and Seonghwa" Wooyoung nodded again.

"So Seonghwa said we need to set you up with a room now."

"Yeah… right. Yes. A room I need a place to stay. Yes." Wooyoung babbled.

Yeosang looked on the computer before selecting a room and locking it so nobody else could have it.

"You're getting one of the nicer rooms. Don't tell Seonghwa."

"Ok…" 

Yeosang pulled him to the elevators by the hand and pushed the button with a peacock next to it. 

"Remember your door code. It's 1024, ok?" Yeosang said in the elevator. 

The door chimed and they turned right. 

There was a door in the center numbered 37. Yeosang hopped to it and said a little 'ta dah' while splaying his arms out like a girl in an advertisement. 

Wooyoung typed the code in and it beeped before it clicked. He pushed the door open and his jaw dropped.

"It's not much, but it's yours so long as we have you." Yeosang said as Wooyoung stepped in with a look of awe. 

"Not- not much? This is… wow." 

"You've got an ensuite in this room, a mini fridge… in case you want like your own food up here. Electric kettle…" he pointed to a flap next to the closet that looked like Japanese shoji doors, "this is your laundry chute, closet, tv gets all the channels and all the subscription platforms and I think you can figure out the rest." Wooyoung nodded as Yeosang put the remote control for the tv in his hands. 

"Call the front desk if you need anything, I'll come get you in the morning." 

Wooyoung took his boots off and placed them neatly by the door.

The phone by his bed rang and he scrambled across the massive piece of furniture to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"What size shoes do you wear?"

"270."

"Perfect. Thanks." And without a goodbye, Yeosang hung up.

"Who needs a bed this big?" Wooyoung asked, laying on his back and admiring the red paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling that diffused the light in his room. He supposed it could be romantic in the right scenario. Except for the bed and the bathroom that was behind a clear, glass window and the tv that hung on the wall like a painted scroll, complete with tassels, the room looked very traditional. 

There was a partition with shelves on it and upon seeing the objects displayed there, Wooyoung's eyes widened. 

He had never personally seen any before, but he basically knew what they were. His face turned red before he looked for something to carry everything in. He ended up taking a pillowcase off of his pillow and filling it with the toys before putting it in his closet and closing the door. 

After all of the day's excitement, he finally realised how uncomfortable his clothes were and decided on a shower. He hung his clothes on a coat hook and finally went into the bathroom. There was a switch by the large window and he flipped it. The large piece of glass became opaque.

"Woah…" Wooyoung whispered. He walked past the bathtub and turned on the shower. It had been a while since he'd been in a place this nice. The water was already hot by the time he took his underclothes off and if he stood under the stream for a little longer than normal, nobody would know. 

He used the sweet smelling shampoo and body wash before stopping with the realization that he didn't have a clean change of clothes. 

He wasn't going to sleep in those leather pants, that was for sure.

He rinsed off and wrapped himself in a warm, fluffy towel. There was a silk bathrobe hanging on the back of the bathroom door. 

He put that on, wrapped his hair with the towel and brushed his teeth with the complimentary bathroom set. 

He couldn't understand why anyone would need a bed this big, but the instant his head touched the pillow he was out like a light.

The door to the hotel room opened and the light switched on. 

"Ok, sweetheart. It's a big day. Wake up." Yeosang said sweetly.

He rounded the corner and saw that the silk bathrobe had come undone in the night. Wooyoung slept on his side, but the dark blue silk only managed to cover his upper half and the curve of his ass. There was still enough left to the imagination, but his legs appeared to go on forever.

"Wooyoung, you need to get dressed." Yeosang said.

"I dun have clean clothes." He mumbled with his face mushed into the pillow.

"I brought you clean clothes."

Wooyoung stretched. His eyes opened wide when the pops he expected his back to make didn't happen. He felt… rested and genuinely comfortable.

Wooyoung rolled to his back and sat up with a tiny whine.

"Please try to refrain from making such enticing noises while looking like that." Yeosang had a white knuckle grip on the garment bag in his hands

"Looking like what?" The robe had slipped off Wooyoung's shoulder and some of the material pooled at his waist.

"Like you need to be- y'know what? Never mind. Let's get you dressed." Yeosang held out a brown bag with handles. "Socks and underclothes first, so you don't have to wash your hanbok as often."

"Wooyoung looked inside to see several packs of traditional socks, a brand new pack of boxer briefs and a pack of tank tops at the bottom were more clothes he didn't recognise. 

Yeosang stared for a moment before uttering a small 'oh' and turning his back to Wooyoung.

Wooyoung got his underwear and socks on before making a confused noise.

"Here. I'll help you so you can learn what goes where. I got you three of each so you can launder a few while you wear one."

Yeosang helped Wooyoung into the underclothes before showing Wooyoung how to properly wear a hanbok. 

Yeosang made him do a spin before handing the smaller man a pair of traditional shoes.

"Which one's left and which one's right?"

"Pick one and stick with it. It'll mold to your feet. We have things to do before the big boss gets here to meet you today."

"I'm m-meeting the big boss? Wasn't Seonghwa the big boss?"

"No. There's four of us under San. He's an innocent like you so we don't like to let him get his hands dirty."

"How does someone like that end up in charge?" Wooyoung cocked his head to the side.

"From what i heard, he walked into the old boss's office got… upset and suddenly the walls were covered in a new color called hint of brain." At Wooyoung's terrified expression, Yeosang spoke up again, "don't make him angry." Wooyoung nodded slowly. 

Yeosang walked him to his desk and asked Wooyoung to run through his daily duties before sitting back and watching. Wooyoung stood when a side door opened and a man walked in. He looked around in awe, stopping at Wooyoung. 

"Hello, sir. Do you have an appointment today?" Wooyoung was naturally friendly, approachable. Yeosang was pleased.

"Uh… yes." The man pulled out a printed receipt.

Wooyoung took the folded piece of paper to his computer, typed in the confirmation number, and a room lit up in the little map of the hotel. 

Wooyoung gave him a small disk with a picture of a crane on it. 

"Ok, sir. You're going to go in through this hallway and show this to the hostess at the lounge." he walked out from behind the desk and formally guided the man, "When your room is ready, this will buzz and light up, then the hostess can show you to your room. Ok?" The man nodded and Wooyoung opened the door for him with a bow.

"Enjoy your stay, sir." Wooyoung smiled. 

Wooyoung sat at his desk and made an 'oh' noise before clicking 'confirm'.

He looked at Yeosang and Yeosang clapped happily. 

"Good job." 

A different door opened and Seonghwa walked in with three other men. 

"As you can see, we've completely done it up to look like a kisaeng house." Seonghwa said proudly. It's mostly through Yeosang's hard work that we're so organised. "and now our lovely Wooyoung has joined the family as well."

Wooyoung recognised Yunho and Jongho from the incident in the office the day before but he had never seen the last man in the middle before.

He pushed forward through the group and stopped in front of Wooyoung.

"Hi. I was wondering if um er wanna see a movie with me?" He said, scratching the back of his head.

"I… uh. Kinda busy. And uh… Interoffice dating sounds like… could end bad...ly?" Wooyoung hid under his desk leaving San standing there with a forlorn look on his face.

"Are there meeting rooms here?" San asked Yeosang. 

"Seonghwa can show you to them." Yeosang shrugged as he looked down at the table.

"I think we should start having our weekly meetings here," Jongho said with a smirk while looking pointedly at the desk.

San nodded with a determined smirk.

The next day seemed like it was going well. Wooyoung proved that he was capable of doing his job. He answered phones without help, showed guests through the doors, booked appointments for returning customers.

And then the other doors opened. They seemed to only be for San and the other three, because Yeosang never left and the guests came in through a different door. 

Wooyoung stood up to greet whoever it was, and his eyes grew wide when it was San.

"Hi. I only came to use you as a guinea pig." He handed Wooyoung a brown paper bag and a coffee cup.

"I wasn't sure if you liked hot or cold... or if you even drank coffee, so I just brought you a hot chocolate and a croissant. But I need- I need your preferences for next time."

"Preferences?"

"Do you like sweet? Bitter? Savoury? I'm using you for market research."

"Oh!" Wooyoung believed him, "I like sweet, but not too sweet. But what do you mean by market research?"

"My cafe. Didn't they tell you I own a cafe? I'm trying out new tastes." San leaned against the edge of the desk.

"I don't know if just my opinion would count as market research, but I like pastries." Wooyoung blushed.

That night was the first night Wooyoung wasn't so tired that he fell asleep as soon as he got off his shift. 

He went to the temple, meditated and cleaned around the temple a bit. He was still awake and thinking about San. 

He was about five minutes into a tai chi routine when he jumped at the feeling of hands on him. 

Yeosang was correcting his posture. He had been in this position on one foot for nearly a minute with the pink haired man bending his knee and pulling his leg and straightening his back and fingers before he allowed Wooyoung to move to the next position.

"Slower." Yeosang snapped. 

He pushed Wooyoung down into a deeper horse stance with his arms above his head.

"If you want, we can practice together whenever you want." Yeosang said when he noticed Wooyoung start to go wobbly.

"That would be nice." Wooyoung panted. 

"Let's go get some water." Yeosang smiled as they entered the mostly quiet kitchen.

Wooyoung said goodnight and went upstairs. He hung his hanbok neatly and found that he had been gifted a set of sweatpants, comfortable shoes, t-shirts, pajamas, two new hanbok, and a phone while he'd been gone that day. 

He went to take a shower, looking longingly at the tub but thinking it was unnecessary. He heard a slam against the wall as he turned the shower on, followed by a masculine moan. 

"Harder, Woongie." The voice begged. 

"I'm trying, you're too tall-woah!" Wooyoung could hear a sliding noise followed by the deep voice crying out, "there-Fffffuck perfect-don't stop-ah!"

Wooyoung was desperately trying not to imagine what was going on as he rinsed the day's grime off himself. He was a little confused when he heard the deep voiced one begging for 'Woongie' to touch the slit a split second before he started sobbing Hwanwoong over and over. 

"You squeeze me so good, Mingi- stay like that." The other voice purred.

"It's- it's too much- I can't- I'm gonna-"

"If you come once more for me, I'll fill you up. I know how you love that. I can keep going until you come for me like a good boy. You want to be good for me, don't you?"

"I'll be so good for you-" he choked out. "Please-please."

"Come for me-" 

Wooyoung had been listening for at least the last five minutes with his mouth open. He looked down and turned the knob on the shower as cold as it would go. 

Wooyoung toweled off and threw on his new pajamas, shivering slightly as cold water trailed down his back. 

The guests in the room by his bed were also having an eventful night but he managed to doze off to the sounds of someone begging to be allowed to come.

Wooyoung was face down, fingers tracing up the backs of his thighs. He whimpered softly as warm hands ran up his back and tickled down his sides. Soft kisses trailed across his shoulders and he gasped, rolling back for more contact. 

A loud wail pulled him slightly out of his dream and sleepily rocked his hips against the mattress. His eyes shot -open when he felt like a coil snapped suddenly and he realised what he had been doing. 

He looked at his phone and saw no point in going back to sleep. He took a thankfully quiet and quick shower, putting yesterday's clothes into the laundry chute. He got dressed and went to the temple. He swept the leaves off the path and lit some incense, saying good morning to everyone on the way back through the kitchen. 

San came by with a coffee and a pastry and this went on every day for a week. 

One morning, Yeosang pulled him aside, letting one of the other girls take over.

"We want you to sit in on our weekly meetings from now on."

"Do you want me to take minutes or what?" Wooyoung asked, rummaging through his desk for a notepad.

"I mean… if you want?" Yeosang shrugged. 

Wooyoung followed Yeosang into a meeting room where Hongjoong, San, a tall and lanky bodyguard, Seonghwa, and the two men who were... in the office on the day he was hired and a few older looking men who looked impressed with the kisaeng house. They had come in from the guest entrance.

San handed Wooyoung a mocha and pointed him to a box of pastries before patting on the seat next to himself. 

"This is my bodyguard, Mingi." Wooyoung choked on his coffee. And couldn't look at the tall man anymore without turning beet red.

"Are you alright?" San pat him on the back until he stopped coughing, but never moved his hand away. 

"Fine…" he leaned into the touch slightly as San gently ran his thumb back and forth across the back of his neck. He realized what he was doing and sat up straight, dislodging San's hand while going for his notebook. 

"First order of business," Yeosang said as Seonghwa pulled him into his lap, "I'd like to thank our newest employee, Wooyoung for taking such good care of the temple of his own volition." He blushed as the others clapped for him. He didn't feel right accepting a compliment. It was rare he ever got any.

The meeting continued with Hongjoong and Wooyoung exchanging awkward glances as Seonghwa not so subtly ran his hand up the front of Yeosang's shirt. 

Yunho continued talking and showing a PowerPoint presentation with cute puppies and fuzzy animals in the border as Jongho stormed up to Seonghwa and Yeosang squeezing a spray bottle.

"Either leave or sit separately. People are not comfortable." Jongho sprayed them once more for good measure.

"In a whorehouse?" Yeosang shrieked.

"Kisaeng house, my dearest." Seonghwa corrected.

"Business meeting. Now let Yunho talk or get out and read Wooyoung's minutes later." Jongho raised the spray bottle again.

Seonghwa grinned and dragged Yeosang out of the room.

"Sorry about that." Jongho said. "please continue, hyung."

Wooyoung put more effort into taking notes and Hongjoong joined in with making suggestions.

The meeting ended and Wooyoung went back to work, he typed out his notes and started tidying the front lobby. He was startled to find San sitting in a chair across from his desk. 

"Did you need something, sir?"

"Call me San. None of this 'sir' crap. Which pastry did you like?" He asked Wooyoung with his arms crossed.

"The one with the apple chunks and flaky crust was nice today." Wooyoung smiled as he continued to sweep the floor.

San reached out and grabbed Wooyoung's hand with a soft smile. "I'll make sure to bring you one next time." He looked up at Wooyoung's eyes as he grazed his knuckles with his lips. He let go as he stood up and grinned playfully. It was like a light switch. "See you around." 

Wooyoung stared at the door and his hand tingled where San had ran his lips across them. 

His shift ended and he ran to the temple to sweep leaves. 

He knelt on a cushion, lighting incense before whispering softly.

"I don't know what to do. He conjures new feelings and… and I made vows. I don't know what to do. I need guidance. I'm so lost. For the first time in my life I'm being allowed to make decisions and I don't know what to do. I'm so conflicted." He wiped his eyes and continued praying. A soft voice whispered in his ear.

"Love…" Wooyoung looked around. He was alone.

Another voice. Another whisper.

"Love him." Wooyoung prayed harder.

"What of my vows?" 

"Your heart knows what's important." The first voice said. 

"He will be kind to you." The other voice said. Wooyoung brought his hands to his face and sobbed. His mind was running a mile a minute so he decided he needed to exercise himself to exhaustion. 

He went outside and started practicing his tai chi. 

Without fail, Yeosang came to correct his posture. 

"I knew I could count on you." Wooyoung smiled weakly.

"I have a question for you." Yeosang asked, pushing down on Wooyoung's shoulders.

"Yes?"

"Why don't you accept San's offer for a date?" He lifted Wooyoung's knee higher.

"If I told you I took a vow of chastity, would you believe me?"

"Stupid vow, and I didn't say you had to Fuck him. It's just a date... or a few." 

"I have to think about it." Wooyoung wobbled as his concentration went elsewhere.

"Take all the time you like. He's nuts about you, so his attention isn't going to wane."

Wooyoung went to take his shower and this time it sounded like a woman in the next room while he was showering. She whimpered, screamed and moaned, but he realised it didn't conjure the same thoughts and feelings. 

It was about that point that he may have realised that women weren't what he liked. To be fair, he had been too busy to care. Now he had an abundance of time and he had a chance to rethink his life choices. 

He cried himself to exhaustion and washed his hair. By the time he got out and dressed, there was a gentle knocking at his door. 

Wooyoung opened it to see who was there and he was pushed aside. The door was slammed shut just as quickly.

"Who are you? What's-" Wooyoung was shushed.

"Shh. Tell Hyung what's wrong." The diminutive blond pushed him to sit on the edge of his bed. "I could hear you crying through the wall, now tell me. Don't make me guess." Wooyoung looked disturbed. 

"Was I crying that loudly? I'll be sure to keep it down next time." Wooyoung was worried. Who was this guy?

"Hmmm." He was making good on his threat. "You don't look injured…" he put his hand on Wooyoung's chest over his heart. "The old ticker is distressed. Conflicting feelings perhaps?" Wooyoung stared at him with his mouth open, "regretting this kind of life? I mean you don't have to sell your body. There's plenty of other jobs here."

"I… I don't sell my body." Wooyoung insisted, "I'm a- why am I even telling you this?"

"I'm your neighbour." He said as if it explained everything. "I'm sure you've jerked it enough to people screaming my name to feel close to me by now."

"I've never- I don't-" Wooyoung's face was so bright.

"Maybe you should. What kind of toys do you want? Uncle Woongie will get them for you."

"I… what… I'm terribly uncomfortable with where this conversation is going."

"You live in a whorehouse, sweetheart. You're going to have to get used to it." He smiled sweetly.

"I still don't know your name. You forced your way into my room, and now you're talking about my mmmm-"
he cut himself off, too embarrassed and flustered to try and pronounce the word masturbatory,
"habits and toys and I'm not exactly in the best mindframe to explain how my brain and my heart are fighting with each other over what I should do about my job and San and- why are you looking at me like that?"  His eyes went wide, realising he had told the other man exactly what he wanted to know.

The man looked as if he would be purring if he could.

"You want the boss." He sang.

"No! I don't want anyone-"

"You gotta admit, he's hot." He interrupted.

"I wasn't looking. He's the one that likes me. I'm- ace." The lie burning its way up his throat. The other man was touching his chest again.

"Try again, darling. What is the problem?" He shook his head seeing through the flimsy lie.

"I can't - I can't be with him. Not in the way he wants." 

"Did you talk to him? Ask him what he wants?" Wooyoung shook his head. "Maybe what you think he wants is completely different from what he actually wants."

"He keeps trying to ask me for dinner or coffee or a movie. He kissed my knuckles. What am I supposed to think he wants?" Wooyoung tried to plead.

"Sounds like he wants a fulfilling emotional connection. I don't know what you're so worried about. Most guys just want to bend you over and rail you until you can't scream anymore. Go for it."

"I'll have to sleep on it." Wooyoung sighed.

"Offer still stands on the toys." He stood, pulling Wooyoung to his feet and gave him a hug. 

"Talk to him." He said before kissing Wooyoung on the forehead and walking out the front door.

He had tomorrow off. He could sleep in the next day so he didn't actually need to go to bed early. He looked around, not sure why he was checking to see if other people were around, nor why anyone would care.

He started simply. He opened the browser on his phone. He really only wanted to learn what he had in his closet and one link led to another and so on and he was learning what to do with them until he could no longer keep his eyes open.

Over the course of the last week the dark figure in his dreams had become more concrete. The sharp eyes, the kitten smile. He dreamt of San laying on top of him, kissing his neck, kissing him everywhere. The toys were new though. 

He had a dildo in his closet that was clear silicone and San pressed it to Wooyoung's lips.

"Open." He whispered. Wooyoung opened his mouth and suckled at the end. "You need to practice for me." He was staring at Wooyoung's lips. 

"Don't you want to be my personal whore?" Wooyoung's eyes started to tear up.

No. He didn't want that… did he? 

" You don't have to Fuck him." Yeosang's words echoed through his dream.

He was so confused. 

The sun had barely come up and Wooyoung was in the temple, blearily tending to it.

" Go to sleep, idiot ." The voice in the temple said. Wooyoung nodded, realising he was still in his pajamas. 

He flopped face down into his bed and didn't move for another four hours.

Wooyoung's head popped off the pillow in a panic. 

"Oh shhhhhNO what time is it?"

He looked at his phone and tried to catch his breath. It was his day off. 

He stretched, ordered breakfast, ate it at the tiny table at the foot of his bed and finally made his way to the temple. 

Before he could grab his broom, Yeosang grabbed Wooyoung from behind.

"I've been looking for you everywhere."

"What? Why?"  Wooyoung looked at the frantic expression on the other man's face and felt that he must've been making a similar one.

"We need to do a quick run through and get you dressed. We need you."

"What?" Wooyoung squeaked.

Yeosang grabbed Wooyoung and put his arms in the first tai chi position.

"Actually I'll pull you out and put you like this. Soon as I'm in position, the music will start." He pushed a button on his phone and music started. "We'll be mirroring each other, so you do the normal thing we've been practicing, but a little faster. Along with the beat." The music began to speed up and Wooyoung followed, "excellent. Just watch me when we're up there, ok?" Wooyoung nodded. They finished with Wooyoung standing on his right foot and Yeosang on his left.

"Ok. Perfect. Now to makeup." Yeosang pulled Wooyoung to a room he'd never been to before. A gaggle of girls swarmed them and by the time he pulled away, he was in a woman's hanbok with a burgundy chima and a cream and burgundy jeogori. Another woman came at him with a wig and hair pins and yet another with makeup brushes.

Yeosang had just finished doing his eye makeup and gasped.

"Holy shit. I'm contemplating letting you keep keep that." Wooyoung looked in the mirror and didn't even recognise himself. His lips were bright red and his eyes were finely lined.

"It's a shame you're spoken for, but I do want San to see this."

"What? No!"

"Everyone's going to see you, what makes San different?" Yeosang smirked as Wooyoung grumbled and squirmed. He would have turned red, but the makeup was too good. "Don't bite your lip, love." Wooyoung obediently nodded. 

San was pulled up the stairs and into the end seats of some benches overlooking a courtyard. Mingi sat behind them, watching the people around.

"Yeosang told me he and Wooyoung are doing a special performance." Seonghwa said with a soft smile. 

"Oh?" San pondered, "I wonder what kind of performance."

"I think we're about to see." Seonghwa smirked as drums beat to signify the beginning of the show.

The audience went quiet except for Mingi who quietly hooted, "yeah! Woongie!"

Hwanwoong sounded like a traditional Pansori performer and he called two performers up. One woman in a burgundy chima was being posed by the one in a blue chima.

"They look great, don't they?" Seonghwa nudged San.

"Wait-" San points at them as they start dancing, "that's-" his jaw dropped as he tilted his head sideways while staring at the two graceful dancers. "holy..."

They finished and Seonghwa stood up. "Come on, Mingi." He said, pulling San along.

They went down the stairs and past a guarded door. 

A few people greeted Seonghwa, one or two greeted Mingi. They got to Yeosang and Wooyoung and before Yeosang got a chance to ask how they did, Seonghwa had him pinned to a wall, hungrily kissing him. 

"You did good, beautiful."

San grabbed Wooyoung's hand so he wouldn't run off. 

"Don't go. Please?" He said softly, "you- you look… wow. Um. Hello. I wanted to uh- pastry today but they told me you were off but this… is surprising."

"You're telling me." Wooyoung dug his toe into the floor. 

San gently held Wooyoung's hand in both of his. 

"You do look incredibly beautiful." San's ears started to turn red. 

"I'm a man. I'm not supposed to be beautiful." Wooyoung pouted.

"That's some toxic masculinity bullshit right there. You are beautiful… even- even without makeup. It's what drew me to you in the first place."

Wooyoung's eyes grew wide as San rest his hand on Wooyoung's cheek. 

San stared at the bright red lips and sighed as he stepped back.

"I thought you wanted to kiss me."

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

"I… maybe we should have a talk about what we want?" Wooyoung looked like he couldn't believe he actually said it. 

"How about we get you out of that first?" San's eyes widened, "I didn't mean-"

"Come with me." Wooyoung pulled San along by the hand through the kitchen and up the employee elevator. They went into Wooyoung's room and San noticed that the bathroom had a glass wall right away. 

"Doesn't leave much in the way of modesty… but then again, considering where we are." San shrugged.

"Yeah, but check this out." Wooyoung flipped the switch and the window fogged up.

"Fancy."

"Here. You can watch tv while I try to get all this," he gestured to his face, "off." He handed San the remote to his tv. 

San knew he shouldn't have, but he watched the silhouette on the other side of the glass. The silhouette dropped the red skirt and if San didn't know better, Wooyoung looked as if he was putting on a show for him. San bit his lip and whimpered when he saw the pale skin through the foggy glass. 

He turned up the tv when the shower turned on and about fifteen minutes later, Wooyoung called San. 

"What's up?" He turned off the tv.

"Can you grab my sweats out of the closet?"

"Sure thing."

San went into the dark closet and fondled the wall seductively until he found the light switch. He knocked something off a shelf. He bent to pick up after himself and realised what he had scattered on the floor. 

"Oh-OH!" San picked up the dildo that had fallen out of the pillow case. 

"Hey, did you find-" 

"It fell out when I was looking for a light switch." San quickly shoved it back into the pillowcase.

"It came with the room." His face was red and the colour creeped all the way down to his chest. San's eyes lingered on a birthmark just below his collarbone. He really wanted to taste it.

"Uh… right. Sweats…" San turned to look at the closet. He handed Wooyoung the clothes and didn't turn around until the other man told him to. Which gave him time to ponder the bag full of toys directly in front of himself. 

"You can turn around now." Wooyoung said.

San looked up and bit his lower lip as he looked up at Wooyoung in the grey sweats and t-shirt.

He offered his hand to help San up and San swallowed loudly as he stood.

"You said we had to talk?"

Wooyoung took a deep breath and nodded.

"I've- been thinking. And I've been fighting with myself. And I've prayed and someone brought up a very good point." He took a deep breath, "Before I completely shut you down out of a fear that you won't respect my boundaries, I should ask you what you want."

"I want what you're willing to give me. Not an inch more. If you're uncomfortable with the idea of having sex… or even kissing we don't have to- please say you're not uncomfortable with the idea of kissing. That's my favourite thing to do and I want to kiss you very badly." San babbled nervously, elated that they were even having this conversation. 

"I think kissing should- should be fine, no sex." San nodded enthusiastically. 

"Can I kiss you now?" San asked.

"I suppose so." Wooyoung smiled nervously.

"Have you ever kissed anyone before?"

"I used to give the girls the occasional peck on the cheek in grammar school." Wooyoung blushed. San smiled fondly.

"I'm going to kiss you now." He whispered. He cupped Wooyoung's cheeks and pulled him closer. His lips were still pink from being scrubbed. He leaned in to close the gap and pecked at his lips a few times. Wooyoung's lips parted and San moved on to open mouthed kisses.

Wooyoung wrapped his arms around San and made whimpering gasps. He licked the back of Wooyoung's upper teeth and Wooyoung's hips jerked forward.

San held Wooyoung's hips and tried to get him to copy him when he teased the tip of his tongue with his own. 

He had no idea how it happened, but San had been pinned to the wall by an enthusiastic Wooyoung. His thigh was between San's legs and he was rocking against San's thigh.

"Wait- wait wait." San pushed Wooyoung away gently. "Slow down, woo. Slow down."

San kept his hands on Wooyoung's hips, but allowed him to step back. 

"Should we go out for a late lunch?" Wooyoung asked, still trying to catch his breath.

"Sounds nice." San smiled.

A week went by and San still brought a coffee and a pastry every day, but this time it was punctuated with a kiss. And after his shift, San would go with him and watch with a fond smile, as Wooyoung tended to the temple. Occasionally he would practice the tai chi moves with him as Yeosang corrected both of their posture. 

Wooyoung's dreams grew more vivid and graphic as he grew curious about all of the things they might eventually do, but as of that moment, San wouldn't let them go past 'over the clothes stuff'.

Wooyoung found out quite quickly that San reacted almost violently to his stomach being touched. He initially thought San was extremely ticklish, but the expression on his face was fear and pain.

He spent the rest of that evening cradling San and kissing his forehead until he calmed down.

"I'll tell you one day, just… not now." San mumbled against Wooyoung's collarbone with his arms draped gently around his waist.

The next performance day came and Wooyoung wasn't needed, but Wooyoung got a text from Hongjoong to meet in the seating area.

They always saw each other at the weekly meetings, but they almost never spoke.

"I can't do it anymore." Hongjoong said without preamble, "these guys are too nice to me. They're so kind."

Wooyoung looked confused. The seats started to fill up.

"I only became an informant because the last boss was a cruel asshole who ruled with fear. But they have done nothing but try to make everything better and to stop them would make the world a shittier place. And I won't do it anymore."

Wooyoung looked at peace. 

"They've never done anything wrong, that I've noticed. They're a bit harsh sometimes, but their motives are noble-"

Their conversation was interrupted by a man sitting uncomfortably close.

"Well well, if it ain't the chief's snitches." A man in a tacky aloha shirt interrupted loud enough for Seonghwa, Mingi, and San (who they just noticed were sitting behind them, and probably witnessed the entire conversation) to hear.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Wooyoung insisted.

"I've never snitched on anyone." Wooyoung frowned.

"Should we go inside, rent a room, and have a chat?"

"The meeting rooms are unavailable today." Wooyoung replied.

"That's not the kind of room I mean." The man tried to touch Wooyoung's face and Wooyoung backed away long enough to take a picture. 

"Y-you have been banned from the premises. You have ten seconds before security escorts you out."  Wooyoung was terrified, but he was trying to put on a brave face.

"Lot of shit I can do to your pretty face in ten seconds." The man said, pulling out a switchblade.

"Time's up." Seonghwa said as he punched the man hard enough to fall back and drop his knife so he wouldn't fall from the seating area.

San could feel Wooyoung shaking.

"I'm gonna take him home," San frowned.

Wooyoung pulled San along and he was confused by the sudden change in mood.

As soon as the door closed, Wooyoung turned around and slammed his hand against the door by San's head.

"I… I think you should spend the night tonight." He blurted and kissed San before he could regret his words.

"You sure?" San asked. He kissed Wooyoung back.

"Positive." He smiled before nibbling on San's lip and tugging at his shirt.

San was wearing a tank top under his shirt, and Wooyoung reached for it, but San stopped him. 

"What's wrong?" Wooyoung let go and stepped back.

"Please don't take that off. I'll explain another time, but not now. Ok?" Wooyoung nodded. 

"You respect my boundaries, I respect yours." He stepped In again, "Can I kiss you again?" Wooyoung batted his eyes cutely.

"Please-" San looked down at Wooyoung's lips. San pulled Wooyoung's t-shirt off before capturing his lips and pulling him in by the hips. 

San swept Wooyoung off his feet and sat on the edge of the bed.

He perched Wooyoung on his thigh and grabbed his hips, showing him how to rock them.

Wooyoung gasped sharply as he pressed his forehead against San's shoulder.

He exerted a decent amount of force and pushed San down, pressing his thigh between San's legs. 

San shook as he rocked his hips up. His eyes fluttered open and Wooyoung was watching him with heavy eyelids and his lower lip between his teeth. 

San rocked harder, dragging his nails lightly down Wooyoung's back and over the curve of his ass. Once his nails dug into the flesh of Wooyoung's thighs, his hips jerked in surprise.

"Wooyoung…" San purred, "you need to stand up and get the rest of your clothes off, right now."

Wooyoung sat back. 

"Not sex, right?"

"I promised we wouldn't." Wooyoung nodded, he nervously, but quickly stepped out of his pants while watching San take his own pants off. 

"If you're uncomfortable with any of this, just tell me to stop and I'll back off. I promise." He guided Wooyoung to lay on the bed and San stared at him for almost a minute before Wooyoung nervously asked,

"what are you doing?"

"I was thinking how lucky I am that you let me kiss you." San knelt at Wooyoung's feet and bent Wooyoung's left leg. His hands went to cover himself but then he looked as if he thought better of it and gripped his bedding nervously. San rubbed a cheek against his thigh and Wooyoung arched. 

"Oh-" he made a choked sound as San began to press open mouthed kisses and began tasting him. He was fighting with himself whether to grab San's head and press it harder against the skin or not.

San pressed Wooyoung's legs apart and sucked a dark mark into the apex of his thigh. Wooyoung let out a truncated shout. He whimpered as San nipped at the skin before sinking his teeth in the skin just above his knee. 

"H- ha- harder." San bit a little harder. 

"HARDER-" Wooyoung pressed San's head against his inner thigh as hard as he could. 

Wooyoung arched as his eyes rolled into his head. 

San scratched harshly down the other thigh and lifted up to kiss Wooyoung sweetly.

"Be right back." Wooyoung sat up to watch San as soon as he hopped off of him. Wooyoung dug his thumb into the bite mark and gasped. San turned around in time to watch Wooyoung arch deliciously while whimpering San's name. 

"I'm back," San hopped between Wooyoung's legs and kissed Wooyoung softly. They both whined as San rocked their hips together.

"What did you get?" 

"I grabbed the pillowcase. I wanted to see what I could use."

"Use?"

San grinned mischievously as he leaned back and started taking things out of the pillowcase. Wooyoung went back to dragging his nails up his inner thighs as he whined at San to hurry up.

"You know what these are?" As he pulled things out of the pillowcase. Wooyoung nodded nervously. 

"I… looked them up." He blushed and hid his face with the crook of his elbow. 

"Here we go." San flipped a switch and Wooyoung heard a soft buzz.

"Wh- what are you doing?" He looked afraid, but his eyes shone with curiosity. 

"You can sit up and watch if you're nervous." San smiled as he pushed Wooyoung's legs apart and ran the small plastic device up the underside of Wooyoung's thigh. 

"OH- I I thought that was for- ah-" San went back to biting Wooyoung's thighs.

"Maybe another time, gorgeous, but not now."

San was surprised by Wooyoung pulling him up to straddle his thigh.

"Do that thing again…" Wooyoung tried to get San to rock his hips.

San made a show of it, rocking as he threw his head back. San whined at the friction and leaned forward when he heard Wooyoung whine.

He groaned into Wooyoung's ear.

"Do you want me to come like this, Woo?"

Wooyoung gasped. 

"Do nnh did you want me to tell you how much I want to make you come, Woo?" He slid from Wooyoung's knee to his thigh.

"Nnfuck I have an idea." There was a gallon jug of lube that Wooyoung had been ignoring in the corner of his room and San used the spout at the top giving it two decent sized pumps before running his hand up Wooyoung's thigh and up his own length with a sigh.

Wooyoung let out a shaky moan as San dragged himself up from his knee to the dip at the top of Wooyoung's thigh where he rocked a few times and slid back down, only to repeat the process.

San was losing rhythm as he rode Wooyoung's thigh and dug his thumb harder and harder into the flesh of the opposite thigh.

"Wooyoung- I want you to- Fuck Wooyoung-I'm so close," he dug his thumb into the bruised bite mark.

Wooyoung felt like he was coiling tighter and tighter. San was rutting desperately. Until finally Wooyoung clutched San to his chest with desperate heaving pants. Wooyoung's hips rocked up against his will and the desperate sob of San's name set him off as well.

San caught his breath and quickly slid down.

Wooyoung looked confused as he watched the other man look up with a smile and lick his stomach clean.

"I'm gonna get you a washcloth. Stay put." San kissed Wooyoung and trotted to the bathroom.

San came back with a warm washcloth and started from Wooyoung's knee and cleaned off his skin. He got between his legs and looked nervously at Wooyoung who nodded shyly back. He cleaned Wooyoung off all the way to his chest and left a soft kiss on his sternum.

"Is what we're doing… wrong?"

"Does it feel wrong?" San kissed Wooyoung's wrist. 

"It feels like I've finally been allowed to choose something for myself.

"That's good, right?" San asked. Wooyoung nodded. 

"I feel… light."

"Good."

San grabbed the remote.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm hungry, aren't you hungry? Let's order something to eat." He waved the remote at Wooyoung.

Wooyoung dozed lightly as they waited for their food. San covered Wooyoung with a throw blanket and he stirred when there was a light knock at the door. 

"Woo…" Wooyoung mewled cutely. 

"Aren't you hungry? I'll eat all this without you."

Wooyoung sat up looking as if he was pulled by a string in his chest with a high pitched groan.

"Mm don't make that noise. Just makes me want to ravish you."

"Will you feed me?" Wooyoung pouted cutely. 

"Are you going to keep teasing me?"

He looked up at San through his eyelashes and shook his head to the negative.

San tore off a bit of chicken with his fingers and pressed it to Wooyoung's lips. He moaned softly as his eyes fluttered shut. When he opened his eyes, San was biting his lip. Wooyoung leaned forward with his mouth open. 

"You're incorrigible." San sucked softly at the skin at the base of his jaw.

"Anything you want as long as you keep feeding me."

"Can I go down on you?" He put a sweet potato fry in Wooyoung's mouth.

"Go… down?"

"Suck your Dick. I want to suck your Dick."

Wooyoung gasped and blushed. He chewed on a strawberry and looked at San who seemed to be inching closer. He rest his warm palms on Wooyoung's thighs and leaned in for a slow kiss. 

Wooyoung surprised San by pouncing on him and wrapping his arms around his neck to kiss him.

San pressed Wooyoung down and started kissing his way down Wooyoung's throat. He cried out when San grazed his teeth across a nipple. He dug his nails into San's shoulders, wailing as San licked his way across to the other one and bit down a little harder than before. 

"San!" He gasped. 

San huffed before kissing his way down Wooyoung's stomach. He sucked a dark mark on Wooyoung's stomach just above his hip, making the other man squirm. 

He looked up to see Wooyoung's chest heaving before running his palm up the underside of Wooyoung's cock. 

"You're so hard already." San smirked before lowering his head and licking a stripe all the way up. He grabbed Wooyoung's hand and put it on his head. He looked up and slowly dragged his tongue through the slit before he sucked Wooyoung all the way down. His nose was pressed to Wooyoung's stomach before he bobbed his head slowly and swallowed around him.

"Oh- San-it's too much I'm-" San moved his head a little faster. Sucked a little harder and hummed softly. That was what broke him. He gasped San's name before his eyes rolled back into his head. He must've blacked out for a moment after he came. 

"You ok?" San ran his fingers through Wooyoung's hair. 

"Uh huh…" he looked at San and down at his black boxer briefs, "How… uh." He gestured down. 

"Let's go slow… hang on." He slid off the bed and pulled his underwear off as he pulled the giant bottle of lube closer.

"You don't need a lot…" he started. 

San sat cross legged on the bed, facing his lover.

"Is this going to be comfortable for you?" Wooyoung asked as he tried not to lose the slippery liquid in his hand.

"I guess I could-" he got up on his knees, "or I could lay down… ah!"

He spread Wooyoung's legs and leaned back.

"Is this ok for you?" San asked.

"Yeah… your skin feels nice on mine…" he sighed. He reached down and tentatively gave a stroke. His hand was slick and he lost his grip. 

"You can go slow, it's- oh Fuck that's-that's perfect just keep that- up." San's hand flailed until it landed on the vibrator he had pulled from the pillow case earlier. He turned it on and dragged it slowly across his own chest. He sucked air in through his teeth as he stopped it over his nipple. 

"Faster-" he panted as he switched sides. 

Wooyoung impulsively ducked his head and sucked a large mark where San's neck met his shoulder.

Wooyoung heard the vibrator get louder and he looked down to see San press it against the slit. His hips snapped up involuntarily and he cried out. He could feel San trembling, "slow- slow- slow," he pulled the vibrator away in time for Wooyoung to feel him erupt over his hand.

"No more- stop- Woo…"  

San met Wooyoung halfway for a kiss and slid bonelessly off the bed.

"You ok?" Wooyoung asked, sticking his tongue out to taste what was on his hand and immediately regretting it.

"Wanted a shower. No leg bones."

"I gotta wash my hands at least." Wooyoung ran ahead of his flailing boyfriend and came back with a washcloth. 

San whined when the towel touched his oversensitive skin and he cried out as if he was in pain when Wooyoung accidentally bumped his stomach when he went to clean just under the hem of his shirt. 

"San? What's wrong?" 

"Probably psychosomatic." San ground out. "Doesn't actually hurt. Body is still expecting it anyway."

Wooyoung pulled San into his lap and rubbed his lower back until the muscles relaxed. 

San hid his eyes with the palm of his hand and Wooyoung kissed the side of his head. He held the older man until he seemed to relax. 

Wooyoung had dozed off, not at all sure how long they had been there when San finally got up.

"Sorry…" 

"Nothing to be sorry for. Go take a shower. We can talk later if you want."

"Thanks…" 

The next day, Wooyoung woke up. He was a little warmer than normal and realised that San was wrapped around him.

"Sannie… I gotta go to work. You need to go to the cafe. Wooyoung went over his morning routine. 

He hissed as he cut himself shaving.

"Just looks worse than it actually is." Wooyoung told San.

They parted ways at the lobby with a sweet kiss and Wooyoung started to tidy up. The day seemed slow and the only thing that seemed different was the occasional person popping out from the back to ask if he was in pain, needed a massage or painkiller or one case handed him a donut pillow.

"I'm confused… why are people asking me if I'm in pain?" Wooyoung went over the day's appointments.

"You two got pretty loud last night." Yeosang said with a grin, "it's really surprising that you don't… oh...OH did YOU Fuck San?"

"Is this what all this is about?" Wooyoung finally understood, "none of that happened."

"What the Fuck were you doing? Playing smash brothers?"

"No?"

"I… never mind… I'm going back in." Yeosang disappeared behind the double doors.

It was toward the end of his shift when the door buzzed. A guest had arrived, but the door didn't click shut immediately like it should have. 

Wooyoung looked at the security feed before diving under the desk and slamming the emergency button. 

'Stay away from here, and call Seonghwa .' He texted San before putting his phone on mute.

He heard Yeosang screeching that they had no right to arrest him, and he was expecting to hear more voices protesting being arrested, but they never came. 

He heard footsteps slowly circling the room. Multiple footsteps.

"There's gotta be more than that small handful of rooms." One of the voices said.

They were searching.

Wooyoung slapped a hand over his mouth. Yeosang said stay quiet.

He was hiding in the dark corner behind the drawers under the large, oak desk. 

A face popped under the desk and looked right at him.

Actually right through him.

Wooyoung bit his lip hard enough to bleed. He chanted sutras in his head. Any he could remember. Meditative, calming, begging for help. 

The man sat at his desk. 

"I thought you were a computer genius. What's wrong?" Another voice said. Big boots stomping on Wooyoung's nice, clean floor.

"No matter what I do, all I get is that dinosaur game that comes with the browser when you have no internet."

Wooyoung could hear the man tapping the space bar and the boing boing of the little dinosaur hopping over cacti and pterodactyls and he lost the game.

"My turn." The other voice said. 

There was a voice on the radio. 

" There's no way to get through from the cultural center. This tip was bogus ."

"If we got everyone, let's pull out."

The leader ordered. 

Wooyoung sat there for another hour. His legs going numb, convinced that they weren't actually gone. 

He dare not move. He hardly dared to breathe. His stomach reminded him that he missed breakfast.

He remembered why. He looked at his phone and texted San again.

I don't think they're really gone. Please don't come. Stay safe.

Wooyoung could feel that terror coming back. Encroaching on his periphery. His darkest thoughts popping up. 

His friends were all captured. The men in boots were sitting in a chair, just waiting for him to pop out. 

The thoughts compounded until even his sutras couldn't keep the fear away and only the hand over his mouth could keep the sobs down. 

He didn't know how long he was under there, shaking, crying, when a hand pulled him out. 

He couldn't feel his legs and he could barely scream before he fainted. 

----------------------------------------------

He woke up coughing and sputtering. Splashed with ice water. It was cold enough to make him hyperventilate and pass out again.

He was splashed again and again until he managed to maintain consciousness. 

Something was over his head. Covering his eyes. 

He was chained with his hands together over his head. 

Judging by the breeze he'd been stripped of his hanbok and was only wearing his underwear.

The most troubling part was he could smell something like a gas stove. He could feel the heat behind himself. 

"You're awake." He didn't recognise the voice. At least it wasn't Seonghwa.

But this guy could be worse.

"Tell me your name." He said. Wooyoung could hear him rattling metallic things behind him.

"Jung Wooyoung."

"And you're a Catholic priest." He said it more of a statement than a question.

Wooyoung frowned, thinking about it.

"I don't know anymore…" he heard a strange noise. Like a salt shaker. 

"And you work as an informant for the police."

"That was the original plan. But there was nothing to inform. So I never said anything. Never called them. Never contacted them." He shook his head.

"The cops coming. The raid. Taking Yeosang. That wasn't your doing?" 

"I was caught by surprise just as anyone else." Wooyoung insisted.

"In this profession we don't take well to traitors."  He could hear the clank of metal.

"I promise. It's not me. I didn't call in a raid."

"Traitors. Even suspected traitors get branded."

"But I didn't- I haven't done anything but be obedient since I got here. I have done my job, cleaned places that weren't my duty. I just want to tend to that tiny temple and get stuck every night falling asleep to the sound of my neighbour having sex with various strangers. It's that too much to ask?"

"That's not how shit works around here. I'm going to explain to you how this is gonna go."

Wooyoung sobbed.

"This brand is so hot it overwhelms your senses." 

Wooyoung started murmuring sutras again. No matter what he said, this guy wouldn't believe him. 

"It feels cold to your brain." 

Wooyoung started chanting louder. 

The man behind him got closer. 

"Do you have any sins to confess?" He asked before Wooyoung felt something cold between his shoulder blades and the smell of barbecue.

He didn't remember fainting, but he woke up on his bed, staring at the ceiling while wearing his sweats. 

He pulled his t-shirt off and looked over his shoulder at a mirror. 

His back looked completely normal. 

He sat heavily on the edge of his bed. Then he stood up and paced angrily, ruffling his hair for a moment before repeating the process. 

He threw on his leather pants and leopard print shirt. Slicked his hair back and walked out. 

He messaged San, telling him he was going to step out for a moment and wandered off into the night.

He'd lost hours that day. He wandered. He ended up at a bar. Yeosang gave Wooyoung a credit card and Wooyoung decided he'd use that. 

He walked in and before he got a chance to order, a man asked if Wooyoung would like a drink.

"Sure." Wooyoung flashed an attractive smile. His smile was an act. Completely fake.

It was around the third sip that he raised that something was off.

His phone was already to his ear and San had picked up.

"Something is wrong with my drink." 

" Where are you, woo? " He could hear other voices and rattling.

"V- velvet lemon." His thoughts were getting… heavier? "Hyung… need you."

" I know, baby. I'm on my way ."

"Guy wans talk. Gots go." Wooyoung garbled before hanging up.

San, Yeosang, and Seonghwa showed up just as a man went flying out the front door of the Velvet Lemon. 

It was enough of a distraction to squeeze past the bouncer.

The scene they arrived to was carnage. Wooyoung had broken a beer bottle over a man's skull and there was blood everywhere. Wooyoung was attacking anyone who had gotten close until San suddenly showed up in front of him. 

As soon as he saw his lover, he became a hopeless, babbling, sobbing mess. 

"Hyung~~~~" he warbled. 

"Let's get you home."

Yeosang and Seonghwa told everyone that Wooyoung wasn't there and that there was just a bar brawl. 

"Hyung… I want you to ride my thigh in these." Wooyoung managed to say in a moment of near clarity as he patted his leather pants. 

"When you are clear headed, I will gladly GLADLY do that. Until then, let's work on getting you better." San pressed a chaste kiss to Wooyoung's forehead. 

Wooyoung pulled San down with unusual strength and latched onto his throat. 

"Woo- do you want to watch tv? Are you hungry? Should you sleep?"

"Fuck your brains out?" Wooyoung garbled.

"Since when have you used such language?" San asked, giving up on fighting him and sitting against the headboard with the remote. 

He sent a text to Seonghwa and pulled Wooyoung down to rest his head on his lap so he could run his fingers through Wooyoung's hair.

"Since I'm down here."

"NO, Wooyoung."

San's phone rang. 

"I'll be right back, woo."

"Nyuuhhuhh." He drawled, weakly reaching for San as he slipped out of Wooyoung's grip.

"How do I help him, Hwa?" San asked as soon as the door closed behind himself.

"You have three options."

"Yuh huh." There was some rustling from inside. "Please tell me quickly, I've left him unattended."

" Fuck him till it's out of his system ."

"Can't do that on moral grounds. Next?"

" Have him masturbate till it's out of his system."

"Slightly more viable. Third option?"

"Make him drink fuckloads of milk and take a cold bath."

"Is that really all I have to do?" San sounded hopeful. 

" The first two options are way faster, but yes. "

"Ok. Call me if there's anything else I need to know."

" Will do. "

San went back inside and Wooyoung wasn't on the bed.

"Woo? Wooyoung?" He followed the trail of clothes to the bathroom.

Wooyoung was in the tub and there was only a few inches of water. He looked like he wanted to draw a bath, but grew impatient.

He had one leg splayed over each side of the bathtub and had a dildo in his hand. 

San dove across the bathroom and grabbed it from him. 

"You can use your hands. This is too big for you to go unprepared." San warned.

"I'm gonna order you some milk. Do you want to sit in the tub while it fills?"

Wooyoung nodded enthusiastically. 

Inside the pillowcase, San found a vibrating rubber ducky.

"Play with that, ok? The on switch is at the bottom."

San was back within a few minutes and turned off the water. 

"How's your bath?" San asked.

"Ah- you need to show me how to use the other toys-" Wooyoung gasped. 

"Depends how willing you are to touch yourself when you're… back to normal. But that's another talk we have to save for later." San kissed Wooyoung on the top of the head before getting up again.

He came back with a glass of milk.

"Drink this."

Wooyoung drank the milk… Wooyoung poured the milk into his open mouth and managed to swallow half of it. 

"Should we try it again, but you actually drink the milk this time?" San asked. Wooyoung looked amused.

"Will you join me in the tub if I do?"

"Uhhhhh against my better judgement, yes?"

San came back with another glass of milk and Wooyoung drank it carefully. 

"Naked… completely." Wooyoung wasn't slurring his words anymore. 

"We spoke about this."

"Will you do it if I tell you why I didn't want to have sex."

"Because you're saving yourself for marriage, I'd assume."

Wooyoung chuckled. It was a puff of air. "Not even supposed to get married…" he mumbled under his breath.

"What?" San didn't hear him.

"Are you taking me up on my offer or no?" Wooyoung asked.

"Promise you won't run away screaming or try to touch?" Wooyoung nodded.

San poured Wooyoung another glass of milk before pulling his shirt over his head and quickly sinking into the water with a shriek.

"I'll warm you up." Wooyoung straddled San. 

"So tell me. Why don't you want to have sex mister 'it's bigger than saving yourself for marriage'."

"Long story short, I'm a priest. I haven't made a decision for myself in years, and then I got here and I CHOSE to disobey my orders. This is the most extravagant apartment I've had in years. And then there's you. I've chosen love over a life where I can't choose… anything really. It's not a decision I had come to lightly, if you're wondering."

"It really wasn't." Hwanwoong shouted through the wall. "I heard him crying for days."

"You heard me once." Wooyoung insisted.

"Tore you up pretty bad though."

"Shouldn't you be fucking Mingi?" Wooyoung's face was red and San wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or the drugs working their way through his system.

"He's fucking Mingi?" 

"I'm about to." They heard him shout as he ran out of his room.

Wooyoung rest his forehead on San's shoulder. He decided to trace the constellation of birthmarks on San's throat and shoulder with the tip of his nose. 

"Do you believe in ghosts?" San asked. 

"I believe in… spirits and energy. I mean it has to go somewhere, right? Why?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I died? Like I was dead for a whole year."

"...how?"

"Yunho and Jongho found my corpse floating in the koi pond of their temple where the old boss had me dumped. They told me they could feel how angry I was and said they decided to help me out… I bet they were bored."

"I'm glad." San looked at Wooyoung strangely, "not that you died, but I'm glad you came back."

San cradled Wooyoung's face and kissed his lips over and over. 

Wooyoung pressed forward and licked into San's mouth when he gasped as Wooyoung snagged the rubber duck while it floated by and dragged it slowly down San's throat and across his chest.

"Woo… we can...'t" San groaned. His eyes rolling back and his head following as it fell against the edge of the tub. Wooyoung ground his hips against San's, gasping at the new sensation. He leaned forward, pressing their chests together and slid against him. 

"Please, Sannie." He pouted.

"Please what?" San nipped at Wooyoung's birthmark on his lip.

"Teach me how to play with my toys without hurting myself." He wiggled cutely, still pouting."

"You're going to regret all of this when it's out of your system." San gently squeezed his hip and Wooyoung moaned softly, rocking his hips.

"I only had a little. And it's mostly gone because you take such good care of me." He bat his eyes. San looked around the bathroom and spotted another large tub of lube. 

"You'd think this was a whorehouse or something," San smirked.

Wooyoung wrinkled his nose cutely. Wooyoung stood and grabbed it when he saw that San couldn't quite reach, despite his long arms. 

"Like I said, you gotta be comfortable with touching yourself first."

Wooyoung poked himself in the cheek and winked playfully.

"Like that?" San raises an eyebrow at him, "maybe you can show me?" He backed away a little, resting his weight on his hands.

San looked critically at Wooyoung, taking in his blown pupils, his blush, his elevated breathing. 

"Sannie, I'm in my right mind… just a little less… inhibited. I promise you're not doing anything wrong."

San sighed and nodded before leaning back against the tub to get more comfortable. 

Normally he'd picture someone attractive to get in the mood, but he just had to open his eyes and he had someone. 

He scratched gently down his throat to his pectoral muscles and his hips twitched when he grazed a nipple.

Wooyoung leaned back against the other side of the tub with his eyes locked on San and his movements before spreading his own legs and scratching up his thighs. 

"Like that." San smirked. "You're so beautiful when you do that." 

Who was Wooyoung to argue? He scratched from his knees to his hips and a wave of pleasure rolled the rest of the way up to bubble out his mouth.

One hand continued up his body while the other palmed himself slowly.

"How do you know what to do?" San asked, gently running hands across his chest.

"This part, I would assume, is practically instinctual." He bit his lower lip.

"Don't do that. I want to hear you." Wooyoung shot across the tub and captured San's lips.

"Sorry. Needed to kiss you."

San got to his knees and kissed Wooyoung before pumping more lube than necessary into his hand. He gave half to his lover before reaching behind himself with a sigh. 

Wooyoung watched as San's eyes rolled shut and he huffed out a breath. He heard the gentle splashing of San's arm moving in the water before he worked up the nerve to try it himself.

He grazed the ring of muscle and giggled. It tickled.

"Try- try to relax the muscles and never force anything." San advised. "It shouldn't actually hurt. Maybe a tiny sting if you're rushing- nnh maybe pressure. Stop if it hurts-ah" San gasped loudly and Wooyoung leaned forward to kiss him before adding some pressure and nudging a finger past his entrance.

"You need to be able to stretch so you can f-fit whatever you wanna have in mmmh."

Wooyoung still wasn't sure what to make of it. He tried moving his finger around until a second and eventually a third fit. 

"I don't really understand the appeal…"

"How many fingers?"

"Three." San poured more lube onto his fingers and pushed Wooyoung's hand out of the way. He pressed two fingers as far into Wooyoung as he could and crooked them before pulling them out.

Wooyoung yowled.

"What-do it again- oh- OH-San again!"

"I told you it was nice." He nibbled at Wooyoung's neck as he leisurely stretched his lover.

"Did you want to try a toy?" Wooyoung nodded. He blushed to his chest but bent over the edge of the tub to get a toy. 

"We're eventually gonna try all of them but- ah!" San had a hand pressed to Wooyoung's lower back, pinning him down. The other hand spread Wooyoung open as he licked a stripe all the way to his tailbone.

He continued licking his way up Wooyoung's spine and molded himself to the other man's back.

"Even with the strawberry lube, still tastes like ass. Sorry. Not doing that again."

"Understandable."

"What did you grab?" San held out his hand. 

Wooyoung had to twist his arm to hand it to San because he was still pinned to the edge of the tub. 

"Rule one with toys. Try to put more lube than you think is necessary." He only let go of Wooyoung long enough to make sure the toy was slick. He reached around the front to pinch one of Wooyoung's nipples before pushing the whining man down again. 

"Ready?" San asked. 

"Uh huh."

"Try to relax." San started pushing the toy in only to pull it back out again. The rhythmic in and out got Wooyoung starting to rock his hips in time with the toy until San turned the knob at the bottom. 

Wooyoung let out a startled scream which turned into a desperate moan of San's name when he angled it toward his prostate. 

"It's too much-no m-" there was a truncated noise as Wooyoung came harder than he had in his entire life. 

San swore he saw Wooyoung glowing.

"Let's get to bed, ok, woo?" San struggled a tiny bit to pick up the wet man, but finally managed to wrap him in a towel and carry him to bed. 

"What about you?" He murmured.

"You underestimate how much I enjoy watching you get off." San pulled the covers back and climbed in behind Wooyoung.

Wooyoung dropped into a dreamless sleep, rolling to his back and pulling San partially on top of himself. 

Wooyoung hummed softly the next morning as San nuzzled at his neck. Wooyoung held him down against his thigh and kept pulling his hips down until San continued rocking against him. 

San lifted his head enough to share a sweet kiss before nestling his head below Wooyoung's chin and continuing to rock. San's breath began to stutter and Wooyoung lifted his leg to press a little harder against San while digging his nails into his other thigh. 

"San-" Wooyoung gasped softly as he left welts on his own thigh. 

San nodded and rocked his hips harder, gulping air before sounding almost surprised when he came. He lifted Wooyoung's opposite leg and bit his thigh hard, leaving teeth marks up the insides and back of his thighs. He dug his thumb into the apex of Wooyoung's thigh and the blond let out a tiny broken cry as he came completely untouched. 

"How do you feel?" San asked, kissing him and getting up to grab a washcloth. 

"Like I got hit by a truck." The door flew open and Yeosang waltzed in. Wooyoung froze as Yeosang trotted toward the bathroom.

"You look like you had fun." He tapped San's bruised neck, "Why isn't Wooyoung up?"

"Because he's in bed and was drugged yesterday? Why are you here?" San sounded unphased by the fact that Yeosang came in.

"I came to check on Wooyoung and ask if he knew why I had to break out of jail yesterday."

"So did… whoever it was that tortured me yesterday." Wooyoung sat up, protecting his modesty with his blanket and reached his hand out for the washcloth in San's hand.

"Need help?" San asked.

"Pain killer." Wooyoung grumbled.

"I'll find some for you."

"Medicine cabinet by the sink." Yeosang said.

"There's no medicine c- are you like Yunho and Jongho?" Wooyoung squinted at Yeosang.

"Depends what you mean…" he squinted back.

"San said they brought him back from the dead. Can you do that?" Wooyoung asked. His voice flat.

"Technically, San's insurmountable rage brought him back. Two ho, just helped him along."

San sat next to Wooyoung on the bed to hand him some pills and a glass of water.

San nuzzled behind Wooyoung's ear. 

"There's a few of us…" Yeosang finally said, "I tell you in the strictest of confidentiality. How good are you at keeping secrets? I don't want to have to erase you from existence." 

"I used to take confession and give last rites, I've never told another soul a single one of someone else's confessions. I didn't even want to be a police informant."

"So you never told anyone anything?"

"No. Never. If I think about it, maybe it was the guy at the performance. He probably didn't like that I wouldn't sleep with him… or snitch."

"I was gonna yell at you until you came back to work, but you look pretty awful. Take the rest of the week off. Ok?" Yeosang insisted.

San decided that Wooyoung needed to come to his apartment and meet Byeol. And it would make Wooyoung feel a million times better.

Wooyoung had no idea who Byeol was but agreed anyway. 

As soon as they walked up the stairs and entered the apartment, Wooyoung screeched in terror. This giant THING just came at them. San just chuckled as the cream coloured Siamese cat landed perfectly on San's shoulder. 

"I missed you too, baby." San kissed the cat. The cat looked at San then at Wooyoung. "This is Wooyoung. Give him a chance, ok?"

The cat grumbled for a moment.

"I did not abandon you with them. I came back, didn't I?"

"Is… talking to cats a superpower you have?" Wooyoung watched them in confusion.

"We have a special connection." San smiled proudly. "Go on, say hello." He told the cat.

She hopped to Wooyoung's shoulder and licked Wooyoung's cheek. She made a noise at San.

"We have not." He exclaimed. "We haven't even talked about it." San pouted at the cat.

"About what?" Wooyoung looked less curious and more amused.

"She thinks we're mates or married or something and we were away because we were on a honeymoon."

Wooyoung giggled. 

"She said we smell like each other only the way mates do." The cat hopped down. 

"Just from sleeping next to each other?" Wooyoung leaned into San and kissed his jaw.

One of the doors in the hall opened and the sounds of skin slapping skin while one deep voice growled something filthy and another voice went up sharply ending in a broken moan crept out only long enough for Jongho to step out and close the door again. He was in a long shirt and a pair of boxers. 

"Oh hey." Jongho smiled at the two. "How are you?" He asked Wooyoung. 

"Have a headache I can't seem to shake, but San took care of me yesterday."

Jongho pet San's hair with a soft smile. "Good job." He said before he waddled to the kitchen.

He grabbed some apples and a knife.

He looked at them and smiled sadly.

"Love each other well." He looked as if he was about to say something more but stopped himself. He sighed and went back into the room he shared with Yunho.

Wooyoung looked at San and pulled him closer by his waist. San made a surprised eep. Wooyoung kissed San's chin with a happy smile.

"What?" San smirked as he tilted his head down and continued pecking kisses against Wooyoung's lips. 

Wooyoung's hands trailed down and pulled him even closer. 

San whimpered as Wooyoung bit down just under his jaw. 

"Is… is it normal for the noises you make to make me…" Wooyoung ground his hips forward.

"Hard?" San supplied. Wooyoung nodded.

"Should your little noises make me wanna… uh…"

"Pin me to the wall? Beg for you? Fuck me to tears and spank me for crying?" San sank his teeth into Wooyoung's lower lip.

"Maybe not that last one." Wooyoung blushed and hid his face against San's shoulder.

"The spanking thing or the fucking me thing?"

"The spanking part." He mumbled into San's shoulder.

"So… feasibly, if I-" San nuzzled Wooyoung's ear and let out a harsh breath, "make enough of these kinds of noises...nnnh you'd," a shrill gasp, "you'd probably Fuck me?" San grabbed Wooyoung by the hips and leaned heavily into him against the sofa with a tiny desperate voice whispered, "Do you really want to Fuck me?" Wooyoung responded by dragging his teeth against San's throat. 

"Do you make noises like this?" Wooyoung responded with another question. 

"Actually he's louder." Seonghwa said from next to them. 

"He's so whiny." Yunho smirked. "So sweet when he begs."

Wooyoung looked nervously at the other men before looking with a raised eyebrow at San. 

San shrugged. 

"Is there a problem?" San asked. He didn't sound ashamed, but he was nervous about how Wooyoung would react.

"Should there be?" Wooyoung asked.

Jongho joined them, wrapping his arms around both Wooyoung and Yunho's waist. 

"What did I miss and why does this look strained?" Jongho asked. 

"We were waiting to see what Wooyoung thought about the fact that we were fucking San."

"He likes being overpowered and has a thing for sturdy thighs like yours." Jongho whispered with his lips against Wooyoung's ear.

Wooyoung lifted his thigh to grind against San and pulled him a little harder, forcing an involuntary moan to bubble out of San's throat. 

"Look at this little shit, acting like he knows- oh Fuck, woo-" he dug his fingers harshly into the curve of San's ass.

"Probably even better because you're smaller than-" Jongho stopped talking when Wooyoung pinned San to the counter. 

San made a noise in his throat.

"Don't be shy. Let them hear you." Wooyoung slotted his thigh between San's legs and lifted it slightly.

San gasped, it was high and an airy moan followed. 

"You know what I like." Wooyoung purred, pressing his thigh harder against San. 

San reached down and a lewd moan came out his mouth.

"Leather pants?" San squeaked.

"You just noticed?"

"I was trying- oh Fuck- respectful- hnnn." San rocked his hips, clutching desperately to the back of Wooyoung's t-shirt. 

"Those do look good on him." Wooyoung heard Yunho mumble. 

"Wooyoung looks good on San too." Jongho whispered.

"You hear that? I look good on you. But I thought you wanted to see how I looked in you." 

San sobbed. 

"Do you think he deserves it?" Wooyoung looked over his shoulder at the three men."

"Depends. Do you want to Fuck him yet?" Jongho asked.

"I don't know…" Wooyoung drawled. "I was told he'd make noises that make me want to-" San did a body roll and begged softly.

"Wooyoungie… I need you." Wooyoung kissed him and turned them around.

"I don't know what to do. Can someone get him ready for me?" Wooyoung pouted cutely. Seonghwa ran to the bedroom while Yunho and Jongho pulled San's clothes off. 

Wooyoung dropped to the floor, sitting on his feet, watching the expressions on San's face and biting his lip at the noise. 

"You're going to bite your lip raw." Seonghwa said. Wooyoung didn't even notice him come back. He was too busy watching as the other two spread San open. 

Seonghwa pressed his palm against the front of Wooyoung's pants and kissed the corner of his mouth. 

He let out a surprised "ah" and Seonghwa deepened the kiss. 

He pulled away and Wooyoung gasped at the cool air when Seonghwa undid his pants and pulled them down far enough to free him from the stifling confines.

"If you're going to Fuck our Sannie, you're going to be nice and slick for him." Wooyoung sucked air between his teeth when Seonghwa drizzled cold lube down his length and made sure it was spread all over. 

Wooyoung's hands covered his face and he mewled helplessly at the sensation. 

"He's so cute when you give him lube." San smirked as he climbed into Wooyoung's lap. 

"You still want to Fuck me?" San asked, rocking along Wooyoung's length. 

"Put on a good show for them." Wooyoung kissed San. 

San turned his back to Wooyoung and braced his hands on leather clad thighs as he sank down Wooyoung's entire length. 

"Perfect." San groaned as he wiggled a bit to get comfortable. "Watch us." He said over his shoulder as he raised up slowly, rotated his hips when he had just the head inside and dropped hard with a cry of Wooyoung's name.

He dug his nails into the leather pants and Wooyoung keened. He had no idea what to do with his hands.

Grab San's hips and pull him down harder? Scratch down his back? Pull San's hair? Pull his own? 

Wooyoung leaned forward and blindly kissed and licked at freckled skin, wrapping his arms around San and bucking up hard. 

He had no idea who was being louder but he could feel himself growing closer. Coiling coiling coiling-

"Sannie-" Wooyoung sobbed the name over and over. "My Sannie-" San was trembling and trying to catch his breath as he leaned back. 

The other three were back in the bedroom and San very slowly rolled off.

"Let's go… clean pajamas… nap." San mumbled.

"Uh huh." Wooyoung replied. 

Meanwhile

"Hostage seems to have moved to a new location. Avoid engaging until subject looks to be endangered."

Back with the action

San sat next to Mingi at the cafe. They sat opposite of Wooyoung and Hwanwoong.

"Who's your friend, Mingi?" San asked.

"This is my neighbour Hwanwoong." Wooyoung answered.

"I thought it would look less awkward if we looked like we were on a double date. I got Intel that people are watching you a little closer and I don't like it." Mingi frowned.

"Today is farmers market day, so I'm gonna be doing a bunch of business today."

Wooyoung gave him a look.

"You didn't see the sign to my store that said everything was organic?"

Everyone looked at each other, shaking their heads. 

"Well, we're gonna need to get bags and the list of stuff Yongseok needs."

They made it to the farmers market and decided to go up one side and back down the other.

San went from one booth to another. He would press a berry to Wooyoung's lips or taste things himself. 

"Hyung! Hyung!" Mingi shouted excitedly. 

"Yes, Mingi?" San and Hwanwoong asked.

"Do you think these farm fresh eggs are better than normal ones?" He pointed at a booth advertising grass fed beef and free range chicken.

"You could always try." Hwanwoong said. 

"Do you need honey for anything?" Wooyoung asked. 

They spent the day buying and ordering food, trying samples and eating kettle corn, cotton candy, and shaved ice.

" You just need to follow them to see if he's mistreating the hostage ." A voice over an earpiece of a man following the group. 

"I really don't think brother Wooyoung is a hostage." The undercover officer watched as the former priest placed his hands on the hips of the local mob boss and allowed the man to feed him a piece of bread with honey on it.

Wooyoung lagged behind the group and bought a small jar of honey. 

"Is that you, brother Wooyoung?" The man asked Wooyoung.

"Maybe once." Wooyoung smiled sadly, "I think that ship might have sailed when the sergeant sent me out." 

Arms wrapped around Wooyoung's waist and a chin rest on his shoulder. 

"Friend of yours, woo?" 

"We used to work together. At the station." Wooyoung sounded as if he was nervous about San seeing him talking to a cop.

"Hi, I'm San," he held his hand out to shake, "and you are?"

"Youngjo." He shook San's hand, "he treating you well?" The question was aimed at Wooyoung but San answered.

"He's surprisingly gentle." San replied.

Wooyoung playfully slapped at San's arm a few times with a bright blush. 

San shrieked playfully as he cringed.

"Ok! Ok! Fine! You're big and tough and super dominant-" 

"That's even worse!" Wooyoung chased him around Mingi and Hwanwoong. 

Wooyoung caught San, pulling him into a kiss by the front of his shirt.

Youngjo watched as San smiled like he couldn't be more in love. 

"Something seems off." Youngjo said. 

"Why?" Wooyoung was suddenly serious. 

Youngjo removed his earpiece and covered it with his hand. 

"We were told you're being held hostage. Either you have the weirdest case of Stockholm syndrome, or we're being lied to."

"Your chief is corrupt." Hwanwoong said.

"What do you mean?" Youngjo looked at the diminutive man."

"The old boss used to pay bribes to the chief. Yunho and Jongho aren't doing that. They're trying to legitimize everything."

Youngjo laughed disbelievingly.

"We're even trying to turn the menagerie into a proper educational institution." San smiled. 

"It's true," Wooyoung nodded.

He didn't know why, but he seemed satisfied. He said his goodbyes and put his earpiece on. 

"Geonhak, I need to talk to you."  Youngjo said after the other men were out of earshot.

"Have you seen my office?" San asked a few days later. Wooyoung was wrapped around San, kissing his bare shoulder, his hand was resting on San's stomach. San had one hand over the hand on his stomach and was petting Byeol with the other.

"The day I was hired. Two ho were dry humping on the sofa."

"Not surprised."

Wooyoung nuzzled behind San's ear, leaving kisses along the skin. He climbed on top of San, kissing his way to San's chest. 

San whined and rocked his hips up, hoping for some sort of friction. Wooyoung slid down San's torso, leaving love bites across San's hips before licking a stripe up the length of San's cock. 

His eyes snapped open as Wooyoung's slick hand stroked him. 

"That's so nice- what are-" Wooyoung climbed over him. "No! Babe- you're gonna hurt your-" the words stuck in San's throat as he watched Wooyoung's face for pain as he sank down San's length. Wooyoung leaned back and breathed harshly. 

"Are you ok?" San rest his hands on Wooyoung's hips and rubbed circles with his thumbs. 

"Do I just-" Wooyoung leaned forward and lifted up a little. "Why do I always keep missing-" Wooyoung stopped talking and gasped shrilly. 

San rocked his hips up just as Wooyoung rocked his hips back. He sat up, snapping his hips as he pulled Wooyoung down by the waist.

"San- Sannie- this feels so good- even better than- oh-Sannie- so-" Wooyoung bit his lip as he arched back. Wooyoung was so loud and was breathing so hard, "fucking- San-oh god- don't stop- don't-ever-" he made a choking nose as he bit San's shoulder hard. 

San dragged his nails down Wooyoung's back. Wooyoung wailed and dug his nails into San's shoulders. 

San continued snapping his hips and Wooyoung's gasps became harsher.

"San- I'm gonna- again- SAN- too much-" Wooyoung whimpered and San held him down. Once again, San swore he saw Wooyoung glowing.

Wooyoung shook as he felt San twitching inside of him. 

"You like it when I fill you?" San growled against Wooyoung's throat.

"I think…" he panted, "you're topping- from now on." 

"That good?" San sucked at the underside of Wooyoung's chin.

"I've never felt anything as amazing."

"Let's get cleaned up and go to bed." San picked Wooyoung up and carried him to the shower. 

The next morning, Wooyoung woke up and stretched. He smiled softly as he ran his fingers through San's hair. The other man looked up from under eyelashes.

"How do you feel?" San mumbled. 

"I don't feel any less holy if that's what you're asking."

"Do you hurt?" he raised up onto his stomach.

"Nah. I feel really good." He leaned down and kissed San. 

They went downstairs, had a coffee and a pastry and San pulled Wooyoung to his office. 

"What are we doing here?" Wooyoung asked.

"I wanted to show you the zoo before we moved it to the new location." 

He showed the tigers and various other animals off to his lover.

"They're so cute." Wooyoung smiled, kissing San on the cheek.

They went to the office and Wooyoung pressed San against the window, kissing him hungrily. 

"Hey…" Wooyoung whispered against San's lips. 

"Hey yourself."

"We need to talk." 

"Uh oh." San said, pulling Wooyoung to the overstuffed sofa. "Talk to me."

They sat, facing each other. 

"It might feel sudden… but I think I'm making the right decision when I say this, I… I love you."

San stared at Wooyoung.

"Say something, Sannie. You're scaring me." Wooyoung pouted, "I mean if it's too soon, we can pretend I never said-"

"Say it again." San finally said.

"Huh? I love you?"

San looked like he was about to cry. 

"You know how they say love at first sight?" Wooyoung nodded but waited for San to continue, "I have loved you since the first time I met you, but hearing you say it back, my heart feels full to bursting!" He stretched his arms out and fell backward onto the sofa giggling. "I'm so happy!" 

Wooyoung pulled him closer for a kiss that was hard to execute because they were both smiling. 

"You don't suppose two ho left any lube in here, do you?"

San pointed to the bookshelf behind Wooyoung.

The blond chuckled, "of course."

"Can I bend you over that desk?"

"I… ok?" Wooyoung was confused, but San never gave him a reason to complain before. 

San sank to his knees and nuzzled the front of Wooyoung's pants. 

Wooyoung whined, already gasping softly. 

 He pulled open the jeans and brought them down to Wooyoung's knees. 

San wrapped an arm around Wooyoung's waist and sucked him all the way down, bobbing his head quickly as he pressed two slick fingers against the tight ring of muscles. 

Wooyoung panted desperately as San opened him up, finally coming with a soft wheeze. 

San was about to turn him around and bend him over the desk when the tinkle of glass breaking and Wooyoung making a surprised noise hit his ears. 

San looked down to see blood following out of Wooyoung's side. 

The first thing he did was pull Wooyoung's pants up then he called 119 then he shouted for Mingi while making Wooyoung put pressure on the wound.

Hello what's your emergency?

"Someone shot at us. My boyfriend is bleeding. We need an ambulance…" the call went by in a blur

"Help me get him to the door." He shouted at Mingi. 

Mingi pushed people away and helped load him into the ambulance that was already waiting outside. 

"You'll be ok, baby." San whispered.

"I love you, Sannie."

"I love you too, Woo." Wooyoung could hear him mumbling a sutra to himself. 

"Can you teach it to me too? I'll try anything if it might help."

"What do you believe in?" Wooyoung asked San while shaking his head with a small smile.

"I believe in us."

"That's what's most important. Keep believing. We'll be ok…" he sobbed as the medic did something. 

San held Wooyoung's hand and chanted 'I love you' over and over. 

He leaned down and kissed Wooyoung as the ambulance slowed down. He followed the gurney as far as he was allowed with Wooyoung weakly holding his hands and whispering one last I love you to each other before the swinging doors snapped shut. 

San stood there, sobbing and covered in blood before he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed. 

He was frog marched through the police station when a realization hit San. 

"Oh good, you got my message." The police chief smirked at San.

"Did you send a sniper?" San asked with little intonation. 

He had gone past rage. Far past it. And when the chief's head became a fine, red mist San also realised that the only thing keeping him tethered to this existence was gone.

He wished he could be there for Wooyoung when he woke up, but he felt himself slipping away. 

Six men ran in and he only had enough hope that his last wish for them to take care of Wooyoung was heard as he slumped in the chair.

San woke up to Byeol pawing at him crying for breakfast.

"Sorry baby girl." His voice was scratchy. 

He felt like he was hungover. He fed the cat and drank a glass of water, scratching his stomach. 

He felt like something happened in his dream involving his stomach. 

He'd been awake too long to remember and it faded into an uneasy feeling in the back of his head.

He lumbered downstairs and heard Yongseok's voice.

"Oh, look who's awake. I'm so glad Sangmin was here to keep me company."

"Sorry. I have no idea why I slept in. I had a weird dream and now I feel like shit, but I'll cope." San made himself an iced coffee. 

The tinkle of the bell over the door rang and San's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. 

"Hi- what can I get you?" San said. If it was a cartoon, his eyes would be giant hearts. This was literally the man of his dreams.

"Uh… iced Americano. Five sugars." He looked at the pastry shelf, "and an apfelstrudel."

"Can I get a name?" San asked.

"Wooyoung."

"Ok. Have a seat, your order will be up shortly."

Wooyoung sat at the table and San put everything on a tray before sitting across from Wooyoung. 

He looked around, grasping for straws and grabbed a flyer.

"I know I just met you, but would you care to join me at this… Pansori performance at this… historic kisaeng house?"