[Super Junior] Definitions of Success 2/4, NC-17, corporate AU, various
Definitions of Success - 2/4
Kibum/Donghae, Kyuhyun/Sungmin, others | corporate!AU/drama | 33,495 words
PART II
July 2009
"The codes have been passed on," Sungmin reported, and sighed.
"You don't sound happy," Shindong observed. "What's the matter?"
Sungmin crossed his legs and looked down at the papers in his hands with a sinking heart. "I just feel bad," he admitted. He thought back to Kyuhyun's face at the meeting, serious and diligent, a slight crease between his brows as he leaned forward to speak with Sungmin's CLO. He thought about the members of XS, deceptively close, but still trapped in hidden power-plays. He felt suddenly uncomfortable in his pressed shirt and suit jacket, as if his tie was choking him.
"You aren't even that close, you know. You do what you have to do."
Shindong's tone was sympathetic but his words were blunt. Sungmin knew he was right. They could never fully remove themselves from the corporate world - they had been born to privilege and they had to pay the prices for it. It was expected. "I know," he said, hooking a finger into his tie and loosening it minutely. "I'm not changing my mind. I just feel bad that he won't know what hit him."
"I think he might suspect, actually. You know how smart he is." Shindong's chuckled trailed off. "Donghae's the one I'm worried about. If he finds out, he's going to be out for blood."
Sungmin's heart twinged again. Or maybe that was his conscience. "And even if he doesn't, he's going to be hurt."
But such was their world. He couldn't afford a bleeding heart. Sungmin took a deep breath and loosened his tie another fraction.
***
December 2008
They were in Han Geng's apartment with the lights dimmed and the television at a low murmur in the background, flashing color images across the screen. None of them paid it any heed. The blinds across the glass doors leading to the balcony were pulled back, and glimmers of Seoul's night lights were visible from fifteen floors up. Heechul was sprawled across the long couch, taking up every inch of space the way he liked to. Han Geng sat at the kitchen table, sleeves rolled up as he shuffled through various documents, making the occasional mark on them. Siwon, who had gotten a glimpse of the papers, had noticed they were all in Chinese.
Siwon was moving around in Han Geng's kitchen with familiarity, washing up the remains of dinner. Han Geng had given up telling him not to bother long ago. The gentle clink of glasses and dishes under the soapy water was the only accompaniment to the muted noises from the television.
Then Heechul rolled over on the couch, stretched out an arm, and snagged the silver lighter off the coffee table. "Well, Bumsoo is taken care of," he drawled, flicking the lighter cap back as a flame wavered into existence.
"Yeah," Siwon said agreeably after it became obvious that Han Geng wasn't going to say anything. His head remained bent over his work.
"Yah, are you ignoring me?" Heechul demanded.
Han Geng tapped something out on his laptop and wrote something in the margin of one document. "Yes."
Heechul flicked the lighter closed, then back open. "Fine," he said irritably. "I'll just talk to Siwonnie. Did you know, this X-ing people out is really such a hassle."
It certainly wasn't easy, Siwon had to agree. It took the combined efforts of all the members of XS to protect their secret against someone who knew too much. "It has to be done, though," he said out loud as he rinsed off a dish and placed it on the drying rack. "We should be grateful that it works." At least XS had the power to make their threats promises. Each member was individually powerful already, but together - they were quite a force to be reckoned with. Bumsoo hadn't stood a chance, and he'd known it. He had acquiesced almost embarrassingly quickly for someone who had turned on them in the eleventh hour.
"You know, I thought we were going to have to X Kibum once." Heechul dropped the statement into the conversation casually, but both Siwon and Han Geng stopped and looked at him.
He had levered himself up so he was sitting upright on the couch, legs still stretched out in front of him. The silver lighter remained in his hand, closed.
"When he was fooling around with Donghae?" Siwon asked. He quickly amended, at Han Geng's amused glance, "I mean, with Donghae's company?" Kibum was, technically, still fooling around with Donghae.
Heechul snorted too. "Yeah. What an ass. I'm glad that worked out though. Trying to X out Kibum would've been ten times the hassle, what with his genius and all." His eyes narrowed. "But I would've gutted him if that's what Donghae wanted," he added airily, his tone at odds with his words.
"I told you not to get involved." Siwon rested a hip against the counter, pulling his hands out of the sudsy water. Heechul didn't meet his gaze and Siwon sighed internally. Heechul and his soft spot for Donghae... Siwon hoped it would never be a problem. In that way, he supposed he was grateful that Kibum and Donghae had worked out their differences and precluded any opportunity for Heechul to get his hands dirty. Eeteuk wouldn't have liked that.
"By the way," Heechul told Han Geng cheerfully, "I win the bet. He lasted more than ten months."
Han Geng sat back in his chair, setting his pen down for the moment. He grinned, but it had an edge. "It's been a year and a half," he observed. "He's made it past ten months, but do you think that means he'll be around forever?"
"A year and a half is a damned long time." Heechul scowled. "What are you trying to say? You weren't even a member for a year and a half before we got Yesung and Shindong and Siwon."
Siwon smirked to himself, remembering Han Geng in the earlier days, still fumbling with his accent. You could hardly even tell nowadays. He turned back to the dishes as Heechul and Han Geng traded words, sharp and rapid. It was their thing, the teasing insults, and Siwon was perfectly content to observe.
He was finishing up the last bowl when he tuned back into the conversation. Han Geng's voice had dropped, losing its joking inflection. "Eeteuk thinks thirteen is an unlucky number."
"So?"
"Kibum's a ruthless bastard."
Siwon rinsed his hands and dried them with a towel. He frowned as turned, catching Heechul's troubled, challenging expression and Han Geng... Han Geng was tense as he said slowly, "He's ruthless, ambitious, and smart."
"What's your point? We all are."
"No, we aren't. We follow Eeteuk's lead." Han Geng paused and let that sink in. Siwon started feeling a little uneasy as he made his way to Han Geng's side. He put a hand on the older man's shoulder and nearly flinched at how tightly he was wound, sitting stiffly in his chair. Unconsciously, he kneaded at the muscle.
"Kibum's been following Eeteuk so far, too," he said quietly.
Han Geng leaned into his touch. "No," he said. "He's been investing in China."
Heechul pushed himself off the couch, stalking towards the table. "What does that even mean?" he demanded. "We can invest wherever the fuck we like, Geng, it's not like Eeteuk approves of our business practices. We all run our own companies."
Han Geng waited until Heechul stopped in front of him, then reached out and took his hand. "He's investing in MX Factory. It stands for Ming Xing Factory, and it's direct competition for SM Enterprises." Siwon's hands stilled on Han Geng’s shoulders and he drew in a sharp breath, eyes meeting Heechul's over Han Geng's head. "He's moving in on Eeteuk's territory."
"You think..." Siwon tried to find the words. "You think Eeteuk knows?"
"If he doesn't already," Han Geng said grimly, "he will soon. And he won't be happy. Kibum is going to have to watch out."
***
August 2009
Saturday night in Seoul brought out the young, wild, and passionate in droves. They piled into bars and clubs and noraebangs, spilling out onto the well-lit streets arm-in-arm. Saturday nights saw drunkenness and laughter, off-key singing and people holding each other up as they stumbled towards their next destination. Donghae wondered how many of his managers and corporate officers were in those crowds, drinking with partners and clients, or drinking with friends. He wondered how many of those partners, clients, or friends included people from the other members' companies.
"I asked Sungmin if he wanted to come," Donghae remarked, winding his way through the undulating bodies, "but he said he was going out with Kyuhyun." He half-turned to flash Kibum, who was behind him, a wicked look. "What a stud, moving in on the newbie already!"
Kibum looked amused. "Moving on to different prey, is he? The women must be devastated."
Someone wedged between them and Kibum neatly sidestepped her, ignoring the smoldering look she shot at him. "Where are you going?" he asked into Donghae's ear, close enough to be heard over the loud beat of the bass.
The club was new, and because it was new, it was packed to the brim with curious party-goers assessing its worth. The newest hit song of Korea's top boy band was blasting out at deafening levels, bass ramped up to echo in the bones. And Donghae loved this scene, trapped between nameless, writhing bodies lost to the music and the one body he loved to get his hands on. A sideways turn and slide brought him up to Kibum's front, hips aligned and already moving to the beat.
"Here," he said, eyes shining. "Let's dance."
Kibum didn't need any more encouragement. Dancing was far from his favorite activity, Donghae knew, but he never complained when Donghae dragged him out - at least, not anymore. Not since Donghae had decided to make it worth his while.
He wasn't blatant about it, really, because they couldn't afford that kind of tabloid publicity. But he certainly teased.
Mischief tugging at the corners of his mouth, Donghae took a step back, putting space between his body and Kibum's. His arms went up in the air as he rocked his body to the rhythm. Every time he rolled his hips, he brushed briefly against Kibum before undulating away again. The lights flashed, bright, dark, bright again and Donghae's pulse jumped at the glimpse of Kibum's expression, possessive and wanting. Ah, illicit thrills.
Donghae risked a hand on Kibum's hip in the dark, thumb digging in right under his belt, along the crease of thigh. Kibum bit his lip, eyes boring into his.
Donghae grinned as heat flashed through him and dropped his hand, dragging it along Kibum's thigh as he pulled away.
Sometimes it was nice to be young, utterly freeing to pretend he had no other obligations except losing himself in the faceless crowd. Donghae tilted his chin back and closed his eyes, dancing. Saturday nights were not for business. Saturday nights were for him, and Kibum, when he was willing.
And Kibum was willing that night, more so than usual. He endured Donghae's teasing with a smile, and only left the floor twice for a drink. Donghae caught up to him at the bar the second time, and leaned forward to rest a chin on Kibum’s shoulder. "What're you having?" he panted, sweat trickling down his neck and collarbone.
"Rum and coke," said Kibum, and offered him the glass.
The cold drink felt good sliding down his throat. Kibum watched him swallow, a familiar glint in his gaze. Donghae made sure to lean against him again when he reached across to place the glass back on the bar top.
"Donghae." Kibum's voice was low and he'd hooked a finger through Donghae's belt loop.
The bottom of Donghae's stomach dropped with familiar lust. Kibum looked so far from the corporate executive he was right then, hair tousled and sweaty, a black leather choker around his throat. His mouth was glistening and red from his drink, inviting.
"Do you want to go?" that mouth asked him, and Donghae watched it move, shaping words he couldn't hear over the music.
Donghae nodded.
Half an hour later found him gasping. "You're-" His breath hitched, voice breaking mid-sentence as Kibum pressed him against the door of Kibum’s apartment, mouth hot on his jaw and hands running desperately over his torso. He tugged at Donghae's belt and Donghae shuddered, fingers closing on Kibum's shoulders. "You're hot for it tonight," he panted with a trace of breathless laughter.
Kibum pushed his hips into Donghae's and ground, hard. "You look more fuckable than usual."
Donghae grabbed his chin and brought it up. "Aw, Kibummie, you're so sweet," he said into the kiss, chuckling. He felt Kibum smile against his lips and for a moment, it was just their heartbeats against each other, the sound of their breathing in the dark empty air of Kibum's condo. Kibum's hand, warm on Donghae's face, stilled. His thumb brushed over Donghae's cheek, texture slightly rough but the touch gentle. Donghae felt a sudden rush of is this what it's like? overwhelm him, choking words in his throat and stifling him.
And then the moment was over. He canted his head to one side and fit his mouth more closely to Kibum's, sealing the space between them.
Kibum's tongue thrust suggestively into his mouth, hands moving down Donghae's sides and tugging him away from the door. They didn't speak as they struggled out of their jackets and toed off their shoes, stumbling down a dark hallway into Kibum's bedroom.
Fingers skimmed the sensitive skin above Donghae's waistband and Donghae bucked into the touch, whimpering. Kibum knew all his weak spots. His hands frantically worked at his belt buckle and unbuttoned his tight jeans, eager to feel the touch of Kibum's skin on his and - oh, oh God. Donghae shuddered to a halt when Kibum mouthed at his neck, wet and hungry, his hands covering Donghae's and willing them to slow.
His body felt like it was burning up from the inside as Kibum dragged his teeth along Donghae's skin with just enough pressure to drive him crazy. "Kibum," he whined as those fingers pulled down his zip, maddeningly slow. "Please..."
Kibum took pity on him, and they tumbled to the bed, frantic for each other's touch. Kibum kissed him like every one was their last, losing himself as he rocked against Donghae, teeth nipping a little too hard and tongue sloppy as Donghae's hand stole between them.
"Fuck, fuck, Donghae," he all but sobbed later when he thrust one last time and came inside Donghae.
Donghae moaned, nails scraping along Kibum's back as Kibum fisted his hand around Donghae's aching, leaking cock and pulled. Three rough strokes later and Donghae spilled into his palm with a cry that Kibum swallowed.
Still panting, they sought each other blindly, Kibum collapsing onto his side next to Donghae and winding an arm around him. They kissed, slow and sweet, unhurried now that their pressing desires had been sated. Donghae threaded his fingers through Kibum's hair, something like tenderness welling in his chest. It was strange to think it had been over two years since Kibum's induction. He couldn't have imagined back then that Kibum would've become so...important to him.
The thought was as startling as it was comforting.
In the shadows of the darkened room, Donghae sought to identify Kibum's silhouette beside him. "Hey," he whispered, still stroking Kibum's hair.
Kibum blinked at him drowsily from the pillow beside him. "Hey," he returned, smile soft at the edges. There was something Donghae couldn't immediately identify in his eyes, almost sad. Kibum was usually cool and collected, ever the corporate executive, and Donghae had always felt a little bit smug that he was special in being allowed to see beneath that veneer. But he never liked to see that look in Kibum’s eyes.
"You okay?"
Kibum's expression was open, vulnerable. "Yeah," he murmured as he tucked his head against Donghae's cheek, eyes falling closed. He didn't say anything more, but Donghae understood.
He wished he could remember that moment for eternity. Looking back, it had been right after that when everything had begun falling apart.
***
December 2008
She smelled like smoke and tasted like ashes, bitter and unmistakable even under the cover of the margarita on her breath. Sungmin didn't mind. His knuckles grazed her dangling earrings as he cupped her face and drew her closer, slanting his lips to deepen the kiss.
"Sungminnie," she breathed huskily when she pulled back. Her lipstick was smeared, her eyes rimmed with kohl and shimmering shadow. Sungmin rubbed his thumb over her lips and felt her breathing grow shallow. "Sungmin, you're such a tease."
A popular love song, sans words, filled the room from hidden speakers. The light from the television and the overhead disco ball flashed across her body, turning her multi-colored as she slid into his lap. Her long legs were bare, her short skirt bunched up around her waist as she straddled him. She leaned into him, pinning him to the back of the noraebang's seat, her hair spilling over her shoulders and onto him.
"I thought noona liked it," he whispered, widening his eyes a fraction.
She kissed him, slow and wet, long nails digging into his arms through his black shirt. "Noona likes it," she said, moving her hips against his. He kissed her back, running his hands through her hair, privately amused at how easy it was. How easy it always was.
Girls had never been a challenge to Sungmin growing up, not with his family's wealth and his good looks. For a while, older women had been his challenge, but they were proving easy now too, practically falling into his lap like Haeyoung. It wasn't as much fun as it used to be - didn't even hold his attention the way it used to, back when everything about sex was giddy and incredible.
Haeyoung's hands sneaked toward his belt, and Sungmin allowed it even as his mind drifted. He had a meeting with Eeteuk and Shindong tomorrow. Something about Cho Kyuhyun. Sungmin suspected he was going to be their newest inductee, considering his recent promotion in SM Enterprises. Eeteuk had been as cheerful and vague as ever in the phone call, but Sungmin knew how their leader operated. He'd gotten a good and familiar taste of it over the past few months.
Suddenly, Sungmin didn't much feel like sex, as his mood took a downturn. He shifted Haeyoung off his lap, soothing away her pout with another kiss. "I can't," he murmured apologetically, assuming his best sweet and helpless expression. "I have an early morning meeting at the company tomorrow."
She looked put out. "You don't have to be at your company's beck and call, Sungminnie," she cajoled, sliding toward him again, angling so he had a perfect view down her skimpy top. She ran a finger over his crotch suggestively. "Have a little fun. Noona will show you a good time."
"I'm sorry," he said again.
She bit her lip and pulled away. "Fine." Her voice had turned abruptly cold.
Sungmin sighed, knowing he'd have to make it up to her. Or maybe he wouldn't, he was tiring of her anyway. She was right: he didn't need to be at his company's beck and call, but neither did he have to be at hers. He paid off the room and saw her into a taxi, ignoring the way she gave him the silent treatment, sulky like the teenager she definitely wasn't.
Sungmin stood on the street outside the building housing the noraebang and pulled out a cigarette. People milled past him, strangers in the dark as he blew a cloud of smoke into the night air, jaded.
No, the only person who now had Sungmin at his beck and call was Eeteuk.
***
August 2009
"There's something fishy going on with Kyuhyun's initiation."
Eunhyuk tapped his pen, fidgeting. His eyes swept from Shindong, across the table, to the window. The streets were crowded with people on a Sunday afternoon, and the office buildings were nearly deserted. It was better that way, since he, Shindong, and Donghae had scheduled a meeting to go over the finer points of XS interrelationships. What that really meant was gossiping about Sungmin's sex life, Eeteuk's fiancée, and whether or not Eeteuk's affair with Kangin was impairing his judgment. It was a weekly thing, but today Eunhyuk had something more serious in mind.
Something about Kyuhyun's initiation wasn't sitting right with him, though he couldn't pin down what it was. There was something in the way Kibum had doled out the assignment, maybe - something about his expression or attitude. Or maybe it had been something in the way Sungmin had looked at Kyuhyun, eyes sad.
Tap tap tap went the pen as Eunhyuk worried his lip.
"Don't overthink, man," Shindong tried to joke, "you'll hurt yourself."
Eunhyuk made a face. "Thanks a lot." The pen paused. Maybe he was overthinking things. It would help if Donghae showed up, he thought, a little irritated. Donghae was close with Kibum. He would at least be able to tell Eunhyuk if there was anything was suspicious or strange going on at that end.
Almost as if guided by his thoughts, the door to his office opened and Donghae stalked inside. Eunhyuk's insulting greeting died on his lips as he took in Donghae's wild expression, eyes too wide and frantic.
"What's wrong?" Shindong asked. Eunhyuk's pen paused.
Donghae shut the door and leaned back against it heavily. He visibly had to pull himself together and Eunhyuk stood behind his desk, worried. "Donghae?"
"Kibum's being transferred to America," he said, dazed.
"What?"
The pen fell onto his desktop.
Donghae stared at him, eyes too-bright. "He's being transferred to America."
Eunhyuk rounded the edge of his desk in a heartbeat, at Donghae's side almost instantly. He put an arm around his best friend instinctively, not quite sure why he felt so panicked. Something in Donghae's expression... "What happened? Why? This is out of nowhere!"
"I don't know. I...don't know." Donghae rubbed at his face. "He only told me this morning. God, fuck," he burst out, suddenly angry, "he only told me this morning and he had to have known for at least a fucking week now. At least." Eunhyuk's hold on him tightened and Donghae's anger drained out of him just as quickly as it had appeared. Eunhyuk made a helpless noise of confusion.
"He's just... He's being transferred? Who's transferring him? His father? Why?"
Shindong looked at them worriedly from his seat. "Sit down. You might as well."
Eunhyuk guided Donghae to the seat opposite Shindong and Donghae collapsed into his chair, seemingly going numb as his frantic energy left him. He had clearly left...wherever he had come from in a hurry. His shirt was untucked and only half-buttoned, a peek of a black t-shirt underneath. He was wearing jeans with no belt, and his hair was a mess. It was obvious his appearance had been the last thing on his mind. Eunhyuk fetched him coffee from the pot at the other end of his office and, upon returning to Donghae's side, noticed the hickeys on his neck, half-hidden by the curl of his hair.
He frowned. "You were with Kibum last night?" he asked, sitting down.
Donghae took the coffee absently. "Yeah." He bit his lip, eyes faraway in his memories.
"He told you this morning he was being transferred to America. Did he say why? Or when?"
Donghae refocused, briefly. "He said it was a senior management decision. He couldn't touch it, couldn't question it."
Eunhyuk's face blanked. "He is senior management."
Donghae stared down at his coffee. "His father told him, and the whole Board of Directors is behind the decision, apparently. They think their American branch needs his leadership. It's technically a promotion."
"Well..." Eunhyuk didn't know much about the status of Kim and Walker Enterprises in the United States, but it could legitimately need Kim Kibum's genius touch. "That sounds reasonable, I guess." Not that that would comfort Donghae, because America was still an entire Pacific Ocean away. "Why now, though? Who was in charge of their U.S. branch before?"
Donghae shrugged. He seemed to have lost interest in saying much else, sinking into his own brooding thoughts as he stared at the coffee cup in his hands. Eunhyuk sent a worried look over his head at Shindong.
Shindong glanced at Donghae. "What is he planning on doing? Kibum."
"He said he was going to leave," Donghae said softly. He still wouldn't look up. "He said...he wanted to tell me first."
The silence was heavy. Eunhyuk didn't know what to say, and his fingers tapped restlessly on his thigh. He felt helpless in the face of Donghae's obvious misery - but there wasn't anything to be done. Kibum had his marching orders from his superiors. What could he do but accede gracefully, as a proper son and company officer would? And what could XS do but to let him go? They didn't interfere with each other's businesses. A strict, tacit, hands-off policy.
"I should let Eeteuk know," Shindong said at last. He gave Donghae a concerned look. "Unless you wanted to?"
Donghae shook his head slightly and Shindong pushed back his chair, heading out of the room to make his call.
Eunhyuk reached over and removed the untouched cup of coffee from Donghae's hands. He put it on the table and asked, quietly, "Are you okay?"
Donghae had always been the one to feel too much when it came to his friends. He was as ruthless as the rest of them when it came to business, but on a personal level, he had always been the most affectionate out of all of them. He laughed the most, teasing and happy, endearing himself to every member with his smiles and his flirtation. He was the most lonely out of all them, missing his father in a way none of them could truly understand; the death had left a gaping hole none of them could ever fill. Donghae grew attached easily, deeply. Eunhyuk had worried over Kibum, but it had been over a year, and they had seemed happy.
His gaze flitted to the hickeys still visible on Donghae's neck. More than happy.
But this sudden transfer, the shock of Kibum leaving him... Donghae wasn't going to take it well, that was clear. There was something fishy about this too: the transfer and its timing. It sat as well with Eunhyuk as Kyuhyun's induction had - that is, poorly - but he still couldn't single out what in particular was making him uneasy. Instead, he held Donghae's hand and let his best friend lean on him for the remainder of the incongruously sunny Sunday afternoon.
***
July 2009
"We're going to induct him, and you're going to initiate him." Eeteuk looked at Sungmin coolly. "And, after the welcome party, you are going to initiate him. Let him know where he stands in XS, and in SME, and make sure he knows where his loyalties lie." The to me was implied.
Sungmin crossed his arms, stomach turning. "I understand," he said simply.
"Tomorrow, Shindong will leave him our calling card."
Sungmin nodded curtly. You couldn't afford a bleeding heart in this business, Shindong had told him before. The corporate world was shark-eat-shark, and leaving open weaknesses meant being taken over by those more powerful than you.
Sungmin knew it painfully well.
***
August 2009
Kyuhyun turned off his computer and sat back with a sigh. He was done. He had completed his initiation - had carefully moved Jongwoon's money around. Into Kyuhyun's personal funds.
He would let Kibum know tomorrow.
At least he had finished with his duties for the day. With this wrapped up as well, Kyuhyun was truly well and free for the evening. Twilight had passed already outside his bedroom window, sinking into the blue-blacks of evening. Kyuhyun could see his reflection in the glass, back lit by the lights of his room. He pulled the blinds shut and headed downstairs.
The Cho house was not a mansion, but a spacious, expensive house in an upscale neighborhood. It was designed Western-style, from the windows to the gilded faucet taps, save the floor, which was still hardwood and raised above the front entryway. The kitchen was wide and open, with counterspace that Kyuhyun privately thought was a waste: he had never seen his father cook, and his mother did so rarely. They had an ahjumma who took care of the meals, since clearly the head of the Cho household and his only son had far more important things on their minds.
Kyuhyun reached for a pear from the fruit bowl and wondered where his father was. Out drinking with friends, probably, or "business associates". Again. He had changed in this last year. He had gone from a driven man with a vision for his company to a driven man with a will to drink. It wasn't as though he had turned alcoholic - but something about the way he sought after every potential client, every meeting inside and outside of a boardroom, seemed...desperate.
Kyuhyun didn't like it, but he and his father had never been close. He didn't know how to ask. All he knew was to live up to his father's expectations, joining SM Enterprises and getting promoted to CBDO and, now, initiating into XS.
A trickle of juice escaped the corner of Kyuhyun's mouth. He wiped at it as his phone vibrated gently along his thigh. "Damn it," he swore, slapping at it with his free hand, and fumbled as he pulled it out of his pocket and got it to his ear, thumb over the Talk button. "Hello?"
"Hi Kyuhyun!" It was Sungmin, relentlessly cheerful.
"Yes?"
"Are you busy? Let's go out."
Kyuhyun didn't know what possessed him to say "yes" before thinking better of it, but, looking back, he didn't regret it. He found himself at an arcade an hour later, dressed down in a t-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap with Sungmin peering over his shoulder and shouting encouragement in his ear.
"Shoot it, shoot it, yes!" Sungmin cheered and Kyuhyun winced, trying to keep his attention focused on the zombies lurching into his field of vision on the screen. He aimed the plastic gun at one after the other, surprising even himself with his accuracy. He couldn't help but be pleased as the body count rose steadily and his character darted through the dark, dismal halls of the abandoned hospital.
"You're really good," Sungmin laughed when Kyuhyun's character finally died, running out of ammo. "Did you want to try again?"
Kyuhyun shrugged and replaced the gun. "No. It'd just be the same thing over again." He looked around the arcade, a little excited despite himself. "Is there anything you want to do?"
Sungmin grinned at him. "Let's walk around and see what looks good."
It felt strange, but incredible, to mill around the arcade as if he were any other eighteen-year-old with too much time on his hands. They took on another shooter game, a racing game, and one that was fashioned suspiciously like whack-a-mole. Sungmin swung his mallet enthusiastically, a manic gleam in his eye that made Kyuhyun laugh despite himself. It was a shade off the predatory glint he'd seen Sungmin get when he talked business, and more enjoyable for that. There was no business here, tonight, only Kyuhyun snatching his hand away, narrowly avoiding being smacked with Sungmin's mallet.
"Watch where you put that thing," he said.
"Watch where you put your hand," Sungmin retorted.
Kyuhyun elbowed him and that started a miniature shoving match before they yielded their mallets, laughing, to the people next in line.
"I didn't know you had this in you, Kyuhyun," Sungmin said, arm back around him as they wandered in another direction. "It's like you're a kid."
Kyuhyun hadn't known he'd had it in him either. He had enjoyed games as kid, and had been an avid fan of Starcraft until his father had decided playing it was wasting too much time that could be spent learning about the business or another language. Kyuhyun's voice lessons had stopped when he was young, because they weren't useful. His Mandarin lessons had continued. Starcraft, however, had been denied. Instead, he'd learned about stocks and dividends until he could recite facts and figures in his sleep.
"Didn't know you had it in you either, noona-killer." Kyuhyun shook off his melancholy thoughts. His father had always meant well, even if he'd gone about it somewhat heavy-handedly. Kyuhyun smiled as Sungmin affected a lecherous look.
"What? Jealous of the way I have with the ladies?" He shook his head and the expression dropped. "It's really just tabloid fodder. I have a lot of good friends who happen to be female and older but...not like that." His smile was subdued. It inexplicably made Kyuhyun want to smooth a hand down his back, comforting.
He chastised himself. Just because he was finding out that Lee Sungmin was more human, more approachable, than he'd once thought... That didn't give him the right to cross these personal boundaries. Kyuhyun reminded himself to be cautious, but the warning to himself was repeated more out of habit than any true mistrust. He still didn't know for sure why Sungmin was helping him with his initiation. Perhaps Sungmin was really just being generous, looking out for the newest inductee. Kyuhyun had yet to see any evidence of an ulterior motive, but he had seen more than enough to convince him of the genuineness of Sungmin's smile.
And it was a nice smile.
"Do you want something to drink?" Sungmin changed the topic, seeming pleased that Kyuhyun wasn't going to pursue further. "I'll get us some bubble tea. There's a good place just down the street."
Walking side-by-side down the crowded streets, Kyuhyun sucked at his honeydew-flavored drink and tried to remember the last time he'd done something so frivolous - so fun. He darted a look to the side and found Sungmin staring off into the distance, lost in contemplation. His bangs ruffled soft-looking over his forehead, which was slightly creased in thought. Kyuhyun felt that strange itch again to reach out and brush aside those bangs, to trail his fingers down Sungmin's cheek...
Kyuhyun pulled his gaze back and wondered at his increasing heart rate.
"I did it," he said conversationally, pitching his voice low. "I moved Jongwoon's...assets."
Sungmin's gaze sharpened on him. "You're done?"
"Yeah. I finished right before you called me. I was going to let Kibum know tomorrow."
A sigh. "Well." Sungmin's smile seemed more forced than before. "Congratulations. Eeteuk will be happy to hear that."
Kyuhyun felt like he had said something wrong, but he didn't know what. Should he not have brought up the initiation at all? It seemed to have been a mistake, considering Sungmin's reaction. Kyuhyun hesitated, unsure as to how he should proceed. He wasn't good at non-corporate social situations anymore. Had never been, really.
"Let's leave that until tomorrow." Sungmin's expression had cleared and he was looking at Kyuhyun with warmth. It was as if he'd understood Kyuhyun's discomfort without Kyuhyun having to say anything at all. "Do you want to go see a movie?"
"I-" said Kyuhyun. He sucked out the last bit of his drink, sweet and faintly tart on his tongue, then tossed it in a nearby trash bin. He smiled at Sungmin. "I'd like that."
***
Kibum stilled when Yesung dragged a hand up his arm and over his shoulder. It wasn't a casual touch but a deliberate one, suggestive, and he knew it.
Yesung smiled at him, not bothering to hide his intent. Kibum wasn't stupid and Yesung wasn't here to play games. Well. Not of the sort Kibum expected, at least.
"Is your office secure?"
Kibum scowled, slightly. Yesung acknowledged that it was probably a stupid question, but he was just covering all his bases here. No need to take stupid risks. He paused as he spun Kibum's chair around. No, XS did not look kindly on taking stupid risks.
Yesung stopped the chair when Kibum faced him, the chair back facing the office door. Kibum sat lazily, his legs spread and the slightest slouch to his spine. His arms were crossed, stretching his gray shirt across his chest and shoulders. There was no mistaking the belligerence in his body language; he had always been a bit of a bastard in confrontations. Yesung decided it was best to be direct.
"I'm sure you're aware that Eeteuk is displeased with you," he said, and swung his leg over Kibum's hip, sliding into his lap in a smooth motion. "I'm sure you know what it is you've done to piss him off. You're a smart kid."
Kibum didn't move as Yesung straddled his thighs and settled his weight. One hand reached out to stroke Kibum's navy blue tie. No reaction. A challenge. It made the blood rush a little faster in Yesung's ears as he cocked his head and stared at Kibum through half-lidded eyes. "This whole MX Factory business, pretty unpleasant. Pretty...stupid, you might even say. And I didn't think you were one of the stupid ones, Kibummie."
"Don't call me that."
One point for Yesung.
"Aww, why not?" Smirking, Yesung moved his head so that his lips grazed Kibum's cheek as he positioned his mouth next to Kibum's ear. He enjoyed the involuntarily flinch away from him. "I thought you liked it." His tongue flickered out, tracing the shell of Kibum's ear.
"What do you want, Yesung?"
The tone was icy, brittle - but there was a hint of resignation under that. Another point.
"You know what."
Kibum pushed him back slightly, enough to meet his eyes with a hard look. "I know Eeteuk's pissed. What is he going to do about it?"
Instead of answering, Yesung kissed him. He managed to get his teeth on Kibum's lower lip and his tongue in Kibum's mouth before the hand on his hip tightened in warning. Laughing a little, Yesung pulled back, conceding. He studied Kibum's expression for a heartbeat and then rolled his hips, rubbing slowly against the younger man.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kibum asked flatly, anger rising in his expression.
Yesung had to admit he was rather enjoying this - fucking with Kibum's head was thrilling, if a bit reckless. Eeteuk had certainly given him an entertaining assignment for once. Usually they were petty, headache-inducing things. This, though - this was fun. Yesung thrived on risks. Not stupid ones, just reckless ones. Kibum was smart enough to guess what Eeteuk wanted, probably, but throw in enough physical distraction, his body would betray him. Even higher thinking faculties fell prey to the weaknesses of the body.
Yesung flattened his palms against Kibum's chest, creasing the fabric beneath his touch. He could feel Kibum's heartbeat, steady and rapid, under his hands.
"You let Donghae call you Kibummie, don't you?" he asked, seemingly incongruously. A hint of teeth in his quicksilver smile. "And you let him kiss you too."
Kibum didn't respond, but he didn't need to. Everyone in XS knew about Donghae and Kibum's relationship. It was as common knowledge as Kangin and Eeteuk's affair, and Yesung's fondness for Ryeowook. These things happened, and none of them were really in the position to judge the others. The members kept out of each others' businesses, literally and figuratively.
Or so it was believed. That was the unspoken rule, and Eeteuk had been breaking it quietly since the beginning, like every other rule.
Respect no boundaries when it comes to achieving your ends. That had been his mode of operation for years now, and Yesung was so good at carrying that idea to effect.
Relationships made for weaknesses. Weaknesses were exploited.
Yesung could see Kibum's thoughts winding that way, so he lunged forward and kissed Kibum again, catching him off-guard. He ground his hips down into Kibum's, fingers coming up to clutch at Kibum's shoulders as he sucked roughly on Kibum's tongue.
He could feel Kibum's body reacting, hot under his touch. Yesung's inner laughter was a little manic, tinged with triumph.
"Eeteuk wants your cooperation," he whispered into Kibum's neck, tracing the clauses of their agreement into damp skin. "At the threat of Donghae's destruction." He chuckled darkly as Kibum's hands clenched at his hips, bruising with their force. Ryeowook might ask about those... "You wouldn't want to see the downfall of Lee Metal Industries, would you?" He sucked a love mark near the hollow of Kibum's throat, a little harder than necessary. "You wouldn't want to see Donghae cry, would you?"
It helped that he'd had this little...conversation recorded, as insurance.
Let the genius - the flushed, furious, deliciously trapped genius - find his way out of this maze.
There was only one exit. They had made sure of it. Eeteuk alone couldn't bring down Donghae, but he had others at his disposal. Together they could do enough damage to Donghae that Kibum would never risk it.
"You're being transferred to the U.S.?" Eeteuk said with no surprise whatsoever. When Kibum nodded stiffly, Eeteuk's gaze darted to Yesung, who only grinned. Eeteuk looked again at Kibum, standing before him with his shoulders tight and his arms straight at his sides. A small smile appeared on his face, and he nodded briskly. "I see. Congratulations on the promotion. Enjoy America, Kibum."
Thanks for your cooperation.
PART III
Kibum/Donghae, Kyuhyun/Sungmin, others | corporate!AU/drama | 33,495 words
PART II
July 2009
"The codes have been passed on," Sungmin reported, and sighed.
"You don't sound happy," Shindong observed. "What's the matter?"
Sungmin crossed his legs and looked down at the papers in his hands with a sinking heart. "I just feel bad," he admitted. He thought back to Kyuhyun's face at the meeting, serious and diligent, a slight crease between his brows as he leaned forward to speak with Sungmin's CLO. He thought about the members of XS, deceptively close, but still trapped in hidden power-plays. He felt suddenly uncomfortable in his pressed shirt and suit jacket, as if his tie was choking him.
"You aren't even that close, you know. You do what you have to do."
Shindong's tone was sympathetic but his words were blunt. Sungmin knew he was right. They could never fully remove themselves from the corporate world - they had been born to privilege and they had to pay the prices for it. It was expected. "I know," he said, hooking a finger into his tie and loosening it minutely. "I'm not changing my mind. I just feel bad that he won't know what hit him."
"I think he might suspect, actually. You know how smart he is." Shindong's chuckled trailed off. "Donghae's the one I'm worried about. If he finds out, he's going to be out for blood."
Sungmin's heart twinged again. Or maybe that was his conscience. "And even if he doesn't, he's going to be hurt."
But such was their world. He couldn't afford a bleeding heart. Sungmin took a deep breath and loosened his tie another fraction.
***
December 2008
They were in Han Geng's apartment with the lights dimmed and the television at a low murmur in the background, flashing color images across the screen. None of them paid it any heed. The blinds across the glass doors leading to the balcony were pulled back, and glimmers of Seoul's night lights were visible from fifteen floors up. Heechul was sprawled across the long couch, taking up every inch of space the way he liked to. Han Geng sat at the kitchen table, sleeves rolled up as he shuffled through various documents, making the occasional mark on them. Siwon, who had gotten a glimpse of the papers, had noticed they were all in Chinese.
Siwon was moving around in Han Geng's kitchen with familiarity, washing up the remains of dinner. Han Geng had given up telling him not to bother long ago. The gentle clink of glasses and dishes under the soapy water was the only accompaniment to the muted noises from the television.
Then Heechul rolled over on the couch, stretched out an arm, and snagged the silver lighter off the coffee table. "Well, Bumsoo is taken care of," he drawled, flicking the lighter cap back as a flame wavered into existence.
"Yeah," Siwon said agreeably after it became obvious that Han Geng wasn't going to say anything. His head remained bent over his work.
"Yah, are you ignoring me?" Heechul demanded.
Han Geng tapped something out on his laptop and wrote something in the margin of one document. "Yes."
Heechul flicked the lighter closed, then back open. "Fine," he said irritably. "I'll just talk to Siwonnie. Did you know, this X-ing people out is really such a hassle."
It certainly wasn't easy, Siwon had to agree. It took the combined efforts of all the members of XS to protect their secret against someone who knew too much. "It has to be done, though," he said out loud as he rinsed off a dish and placed it on the drying rack. "We should be grateful that it works." At least XS had the power to make their threats promises. Each member was individually powerful already, but together - they were quite a force to be reckoned with. Bumsoo hadn't stood a chance, and he'd known it. He had acquiesced almost embarrassingly quickly for someone who had turned on them in the eleventh hour.
"You know, I thought we were going to have to X Kibum once." Heechul dropped the statement into the conversation casually, but both Siwon and Han Geng stopped and looked at him.
He had levered himself up so he was sitting upright on the couch, legs still stretched out in front of him. The silver lighter remained in his hand, closed.
"When he was fooling around with Donghae?" Siwon asked. He quickly amended, at Han Geng's amused glance, "I mean, with Donghae's company?" Kibum was, technically, still fooling around with Donghae.
Heechul snorted too. "Yeah. What an ass. I'm glad that worked out though. Trying to X out Kibum would've been ten times the hassle, what with his genius and all." His eyes narrowed. "But I would've gutted him if that's what Donghae wanted," he added airily, his tone at odds with his words.
"I told you not to get involved." Siwon rested a hip against the counter, pulling his hands out of the sudsy water. Heechul didn't meet his gaze and Siwon sighed internally. Heechul and his soft spot for Donghae... Siwon hoped it would never be a problem. In that way, he supposed he was grateful that Kibum and Donghae had worked out their differences and precluded any opportunity for Heechul to get his hands dirty. Eeteuk wouldn't have liked that.
"By the way," Heechul told Han Geng cheerfully, "I win the bet. He lasted more than ten months."
Han Geng sat back in his chair, setting his pen down for the moment. He grinned, but it had an edge. "It's been a year and a half," he observed. "He's made it past ten months, but do you think that means he'll be around forever?"
"A year and a half is a damned long time." Heechul scowled. "What are you trying to say? You weren't even a member for a year and a half before we got Yesung and Shindong and Siwon."
Siwon smirked to himself, remembering Han Geng in the earlier days, still fumbling with his accent. You could hardly even tell nowadays. He turned back to the dishes as Heechul and Han Geng traded words, sharp and rapid. It was their thing, the teasing insults, and Siwon was perfectly content to observe.
He was finishing up the last bowl when he tuned back into the conversation. Han Geng's voice had dropped, losing its joking inflection. "Eeteuk thinks thirteen is an unlucky number."
"So?"
"Kibum's a ruthless bastard."
Siwon rinsed his hands and dried them with a towel. He frowned as turned, catching Heechul's troubled, challenging expression and Han Geng... Han Geng was tense as he said slowly, "He's ruthless, ambitious, and smart."
"What's your point? We all are."
"No, we aren't. We follow Eeteuk's lead." Han Geng paused and let that sink in. Siwon started feeling a little uneasy as he made his way to Han Geng's side. He put a hand on the older man's shoulder and nearly flinched at how tightly he was wound, sitting stiffly in his chair. Unconsciously, he kneaded at the muscle.
"Kibum's been following Eeteuk so far, too," he said quietly.
Han Geng leaned into his touch. "No," he said. "He's been investing in China."
Heechul pushed himself off the couch, stalking towards the table. "What does that even mean?" he demanded. "We can invest wherever the fuck we like, Geng, it's not like Eeteuk approves of our business practices. We all run our own companies."
Han Geng waited until Heechul stopped in front of him, then reached out and took his hand. "He's investing in MX Factory. It stands for Ming Xing Factory, and it's direct competition for SM Enterprises." Siwon's hands stilled on Han Geng’s shoulders and he drew in a sharp breath, eyes meeting Heechul's over Han Geng's head. "He's moving in on Eeteuk's territory."
"You think..." Siwon tried to find the words. "You think Eeteuk knows?"
"If he doesn't already," Han Geng said grimly, "he will soon. And he won't be happy. Kibum is going to have to watch out."
***
August 2009
Saturday night in Seoul brought out the young, wild, and passionate in droves. They piled into bars and clubs and noraebangs, spilling out onto the well-lit streets arm-in-arm. Saturday nights saw drunkenness and laughter, off-key singing and people holding each other up as they stumbled towards their next destination. Donghae wondered how many of his managers and corporate officers were in those crowds, drinking with partners and clients, or drinking with friends. He wondered how many of those partners, clients, or friends included people from the other members' companies.
"I asked Sungmin if he wanted to come," Donghae remarked, winding his way through the undulating bodies, "but he said he was going out with Kyuhyun." He half-turned to flash Kibum, who was behind him, a wicked look. "What a stud, moving in on the newbie already!"
Kibum looked amused. "Moving on to different prey, is he? The women must be devastated."
Someone wedged between them and Kibum neatly sidestepped her, ignoring the smoldering look she shot at him. "Where are you going?" he asked into Donghae's ear, close enough to be heard over the loud beat of the bass.
The club was new, and because it was new, it was packed to the brim with curious party-goers assessing its worth. The newest hit song of Korea's top boy band was blasting out at deafening levels, bass ramped up to echo in the bones. And Donghae loved this scene, trapped between nameless, writhing bodies lost to the music and the one body he loved to get his hands on. A sideways turn and slide brought him up to Kibum's front, hips aligned and already moving to the beat.
"Here," he said, eyes shining. "Let's dance."
Kibum didn't need any more encouragement. Dancing was far from his favorite activity, Donghae knew, but he never complained when Donghae dragged him out - at least, not anymore. Not since Donghae had decided to make it worth his while.
He wasn't blatant about it, really, because they couldn't afford that kind of tabloid publicity. But he certainly teased.
Mischief tugging at the corners of his mouth, Donghae took a step back, putting space between his body and Kibum's. His arms went up in the air as he rocked his body to the rhythm. Every time he rolled his hips, he brushed briefly against Kibum before undulating away again. The lights flashed, bright, dark, bright again and Donghae's pulse jumped at the glimpse of Kibum's expression, possessive and wanting. Ah, illicit thrills.
Donghae risked a hand on Kibum's hip in the dark, thumb digging in right under his belt, along the crease of thigh. Kibum bit his lip, eyes boring into his.
Donghae grinned as heat flashed through him and dropped his hand, dragging it along Kibum's thigh as he pulled away.
Sometimes it was nice to be young, utterly freeing to pretend he had no other obligations except losing himself in the faceless crowd. Donghae tilted his chin back and closed his eyes, dancing. Saturday nights were not for business. Saturday nights were for him, and Kibum, when he was willing.
And Kibum was willing that night, more so than usual. He endured Donghae's teasing with a smile, and only left the floor twice for a drink. Donghae caught up to him at the bar the second time, and leaned forward to rest a chin on Kibum’s shoulder. "What're you having?" he panted, sweat trickling down his neck and collarbone.
"Rum and coke," said Kibum, and offered him the glass.
The cold drink felt good sliding down his throat. Kibum watched him swallow, a familiar glint in his gaze. Donghae made sure to lean against him again when he reached across to place the glass back on the bar top.
"Donghae." Kibum's voice was low and he'd hooked a finger through Donghae's belt loop.
The bottom of Donghae's stomach dropped with familiar lust. Kibum looked so far from the corporate executive he was right then, hair tousled and sweaty, a black leather choker around his throat. His mouth was glistening and red from his drink, inviting.
"Do you want to go?" that mouth asked him, and Donghae watched it move, shaping words he couldn't hear over the music.
Donghae nodded.
Half an hour later found him gasping. "You're-" His breath hitched, voice breaking mid-sentence as Kibum pressed him against the door of Kibum’s apartment, mouth hot on his jaw and hands running desperately over his torso. He tugged at Donghae's belt and Donghae shuddered, fingers closing on Kibum's shoulders. "You're hot for it tonight," he panted with a trace of breathless laughter.
Kibum pushed his hips into Donghae's and ground, hard. "You look more fuckable than usual."
Donghae grabbed his chin and brought it up. "Aw, Kibummie, you're so sweet," he said into the kiss, chuckling. He felt Kibum smile against his lips and for a moment, it was just their heartbeats against each other, the sound of their breathing in the dark empty air of Kibum's condo. Kibum's hand, warm on Donghae's face, stilled. His thumb brushed over Donghae's cheek, texture slightly rough but the touch gentle. Donghae felt a sudden rush of is this what it's like? overwhelm him, choking words in his throat and stifling him.
And then the moment was over. He canted his head to one side and fit his mouth more closely to Kibum's, sealing the space between them.
Kibum's tongue thrust suggestively into his mouth, hands moving down Donghae's sides and tugging him away from the door. They didn't speak as they struggled out of their jackets and toed off their shoes, stumbling down a dark hallway into Kibum's bedroom.
Fingers skimmed the sensitive skin above Donghae's waistband and Donghae bucked into the touch, whimpering. Kibum knew all his weak spots. His hands frantically worked at his belt buckle and unbuttoned his tight jeans, eager to feel the touch of Kibum's skin on his and - oh, oh God. Donghae shuddered to a halt when Kibum mouthed at his neck, wet and hungry, his hands covering Donghae's and willing them to slow.
His body felt like it was burning up from the inside as Kibum dragged his teeth along Donghae's skin with just enough pressure to drive him crazy. "Kibum," he whined as those fingers pulled down his zip, maddeningly slow. "Please..."
Kibum took pity on him, and they tumbled to the bed, frantic for each other's touch. Kibum kissed him like every one was their last, losing himself as he rocked against Donghae, teeth nipping a little too hard and tongue sloppy as Donghae's hand stole between them.
"Fuck, fuck, Donghae," he all but sobbed later when he thrust one last time and came inside Donghae.
Donghae moaned, nails scraping along Kibum's back as Kibum fisted his hand around Donghae's aching, leaking cock and pulled. Three rough strokes later and Donghae spilled into his palm with a cry that Kibum swallowed.
Still panting, they sought each other blindly, Kibum collapsing onto his side next to Donghae and winding an arm around him. They kissed, slow and sweet, unhurried now that their pressing desires had been sated. Donghae threaded his fingers through Kibum's hair, something like tenderness welling in his chest. It was strange to think it had been over two years since Kibum's induction. He couldn't have imagined back then that Kibum would've become so...important to him.
The thought was as startling as it was comforting.
In the shadows of the darkened room, Donghae sought to identify Kibum's silhouette beside him. "Hey," he whispered, still stroking Kibum's hair.
Kibum blinked at him drowsily from the pillow beside him. "Hey," he returned, smile soft at the edges. There was something Donghae couldn't immediately identify in his eyes, almost sad. Kibum was usually cool and collected, ever the corporate executive, and Donghae had always felt a little bit smug that he was special in being allowed to see beneath that veneer. But he never liked to see that look in Kibum’s eyes.
"You okay?"
Kibum's expression was open, vulnerable. "Yeah," he murmured as he tucked his head against Donghae's cheek, eyes falling closed. He didn't say anything more, but Donghae understood.
He wished he could remember that moment for eternity. Looking back, it had been right after that when everything had begun falling apart.
***
December 2008
She smelled like smoke and tasted like ashes, bitter and unmistakable even under the cover of the margarita on her breath. Sungmin didn't mind. His knuckles grazed her dangling earrings as he cupped her face and drew her closer, slanting his lips to deepen the kiss.
"Sungminnie," she breathed huskily when she pulled back. Her lipstick was smeared, her eyes rimmed with kohl and shimmering shadow. Sungmin rubbed his thumb over her lips and felt her breathing grow shallow. "Sungmin, you're such a tease."
A popular love song, sans words, filled the room from hidden speakers. The light from the television and the overhead disco ball flashed across her body, turning her multi-colored as she slid into his lap. Her long legs were bare, her short skirt bunched up around her waist as she straddled him. She leaned into him, pinning him to the back of the noraebang's seat, her hair spilling over her shoulders and onto him.
"I thought noona liked it," he whispered, widening his eyes a fraction.
She kissed him, slow and wet, long nails digging into his arms through his black shirt. "Noona likes it," she said, moving her hips against his. He kissed her back, running his hands through her hair, privately amused at how easy it was. How easy it always was.
Girls had never been a challenge to Sungmin growing up, not with his family's wealth and his good looks. For a while, older women had been his challenge, but they were proving easy now too, practically falling into his lap like Haeyoung. It wasn't as much fun as it used to be - didn't even hold his attention the way it used to, back when everything about sex was giddy and incredible.
Haeyoung's hands sneaked toward his belt, and Sungmin allowed it even as his mind drifted. He had a meeting with Eeteuk and Shindong tomorrow. Something about Cho Kyuhyun. Sungmin suspected he was going to be their newest inductee, considering his recent promotion in SM Enterprises. Eeteuk had been as cheerful and vague as ever in the phone call, but Sungmin knew how their leader operated. He'd gotten a good and familiar taste of it over the past few months.
Suddenly, Sungmin didn't much feel like sex, as his mood took a downturn. He shifted Haeyoung off his lap, soothing away her pout with another kiss. "I can't," he murmured apologetically, assuming his best sweet and helpless expression. "I have an early morning meeting at the company tomorrow."
She looked put out. "You don't have to be at your company's beck and call, Sungminnie," she cajoled, sliding toward him again, angling so he had a perfect view down her skimpy top. She ran a finger over his crotch suggestively. "Have a little fun. Noona will show you a good time."
"I'm sorry," he said again.
She bit her lip and pulled away. "Fine." Her voice had turned abruptly cold.
Sungmin sighed, knowing he'd have to make it up to her. Or maybe he wouldn't, he was tiring of her anyway. She was right: he didn't need to be at his company's beck and call, but neither did he have to be at hers. He paid off the room and saw her into a taxi, ignoring the way she gave him the silent treatment, sulky like the teenager she definitely wasn't.
Sungmin stood on the street outside the building housing the noraebang and pulled out a cigarette. People milled past him, strangers in the dark as he blew a cloud of smoke into the night air, jaded.
No, the only person who now had Sungmin at his beck and call was Eeteuk.
***
August 2009
"There's something fishy going on with Kyuhyun's initiation."
Eunhyuk tapped his pen, fidgeting. His eyes swept from Shindong, across the table, to the window. The streets were crowded with people on a Sunday afternoon, and the office buildings were nearly deserted. It was better that way, since he, Shindong, and Donghae had scheduled a meeting to go over the finer points of XS interrelationships. What that really meant was gossiping about Sungmin's sex life, Eeteuk's fiancée, and whether or not Eeteuk's affair with Kangin was impairing his judgment. It was a weekly thing, but today Eunhyuk had something more serious in mind.
Something about Kyuhyun's initiation wasn't sitting right with him, though he couldn't pin down what it was. There was something in the way Kibum had doled out the assignment, maybe - something about his expression or attitude. Or maybe it had been something in the way Sungmin had looked at Kyuhyun, eyes sad.
Tap tap tap went the pen as Eunhyuk worried his lip.
"Don't overthink, man," Shindong tried to joke, "you'll hurt yourself."
Eunhyuk made a face. "Thanks a lot." The pen paused. Maybe he was overthinking things. It would help if Donghae showed up, he thought, a little irritated. Donghae was close with Kibum. He would at least be able to tell Eunhyuk if there was anything was suspicious or strange going on at that end.
Almost as if guided by his thoughts, the door to his office opened and Donghae stalked inside. Eunhyuk's insulting greeting died on his lips as he took in Donghae's wild expression, eyes too wide and frantic.
"What's wrong?" Shindong asked. Eunhyuk's pen paused.
Donghae shut the door and leaned back against it heavily. He visibly had to pull himself together and Eunhyuk stood behind his desk, worried. "Donghae?"
"Kibum's being transferred to America," he said, dazed.
"What?"
The pen fell onto his desktop.
Donghae stared at him, eyes too-bright. "He's being transferred to America."
Eunhyuk rounded the edge of his desk in a heartbeat, at Donghae's side almost instantly. He put an arm around his best friend instinctively, not quite sure why he felt so panicked. Something in Donghae's expression... "What happened? Why? This is out of nowhere!"
"I don't know. I...don't know." Donghae rubbed at his face. "He only told me this morning. God, fuck," he burst out, suddenly angry, "he only told me this morning and he had to have known for at least a fucking week now. At least." Eunhyuk's hold on him tightened and Donghae's anger drained out of him just as quickly as it had appeared. Eunhyuk made a helpless noise of confusion.
"He's just... He's being transferred? Who's transferring him? His father? Why?"
Shindong looked at them worriedly from his seat. "Sit down. You might as well."
Eunhyuk guided Donghae to the seat opposite Shindong and Donghae collapsed into his chair, seemingly going numb as his frantic energy left him. He had clearly left...wherever he had come from in a hurry. His shirt was untucked and only half-buttoned, a peek of a black t-shirt underneath. He was wearing jeans with no belt, and his hair was a mess. It was obvious his appearance had been the last thing on his mind. Eunhyuk fetched him coffee from the pot at the other end of his office and, upon returning to Donghae's side, noticed the hickeys on his neck, half-hidden by the curl of his hair.
He frowned. "You were with Kibum last night?" he asked, sitting down.
Donghae took the coffee absently. "Yeah." He bit his lip, eyes faraway in his memories.
"He told you this morning he was being transferred to America. Did he say why? Or when?"
Donghae refocused, briefly. "He said it was a senior management decision. He couldn't touch it, couldn't question it."
Eunhyuk's face blanked. "He is senior management."
Donghae stared down at his coffee. "His father told him, and the whole Board of Directors is behind the decision, apparently. They think their American branch needs his leadership. It's technically a promotion."
"Well..." Eunhyuk didn't know much about the status of Kim and Walker Enterprises in the United States, but it could legitimately need Kim Kibum's genius touch. "That sounds reasonable, I guess." Not that that would comfort Donghae, because America was still an entire Pacific Ocean away. "Why now, though? Who was in charge of their U.S. branch before?"
Donghae shrugged. He seemed to have lost interest in saying much else, sinking into his own brooding thoughts as he stared at the coffee cup in his hands. Eunhyuk sent a worried look over his head at Shindong.
Shindong glanced at Donghae. "What is he planning on doing? Kibum."
"He said he was going to leave," Donghae said softly. He still wouldn't look up. "He said...he wanted to tell me first."
The silence was heavy. Eunhyuk didn't know what to say, and his fingers tapped restlessly on his thigh. He felt helpless in the face of Donghae's obvious misery - but there wasn't anything to be done. Kibum had his marching orders from his superiors. What could he do but accede gracefully, as a proper son and company officer would? And what could XS do but to let him go? They didn't interfere with each other's businesses. A strict, tacit, hands-off policy.
"I should let Eeteuk know," Shindong said at last. He gave Donghae a concerned look. "Unless you wanted to?"
Donghae shook his head slightly and Shindong pushed back his chair, heading out of the room to make his call.
Eunhyuk reached over and removed the untouched cup of coffee from Donghae's hands. He put it on the table and asked, quietly, "Are you okay?"
Donghae had always been the one to feel too much when it came to his friends. He was as ruthless as the rest of them when it came to business, but on a personal level, he had always been the most affectionate out of all of them. He laughed the most, teasing and happy, endearing himself to every member with his smiles and his flirtation. He was the most lonely out of all them, missing his father in a way none of them could truly understand; the death had left a gaping hole none of them could ever fill. Donghae grew attached easily, deeply. Eunhyuk had worried over Kibum, but it had been over a year, and they had seemed happy.
His gaze flitted to the hickeys still visible on Donghae's neck. More than happy.
But this sudden transfer, the shock of Kibum leaving him... Donghae wasn't going to take it well, that was clear. There was something fishy about this too: the transfer and its timing. It sat as well with Eunhyuk as Kyuhyun's induction had - that is, poorly - but he still couldn't single out what in particular was making him uneasy. Instead, he held Donghae's hand and let his best friend lean on him for the remainder of the incongruously sunny Sunday afternoon.
***
July 2009
"We're going to induct him, and you're going to initiate him." Eeteuk looked at Sungmin coolly. "And, after the welcome party, you are going to initiate him. Let him know where he stands in XS, and in SME, and make sure he knows where his loyalties lie." The to me was implied.
Sungmin crossed his arms, stomach turning. "I understand," he said simply.
"Tomorrow, Shindong will leave him our calling card."
Sungmin nodded curtly. You couldn't afford a bleeding heart in this business, Shindong had told him before. The corporate world was shark-eat-shark, and leaving open weaknesses meant being taken over by those more powerful than you.
Sungmin knew it painfully well.
***
August 2009
Kyuhyun turned off his computer and sat back with a sigh. He was done. He had completed his initiation - had carefully moved Jongwoon's money around. Into Kyuhyun's personal funds.
He would let Kibum know tomorrow.
At least he had finished with his duties for the day. With this wrapped up as well, Kyuhyun was truly well and free for the evening. Twilight had passed already outside his bedroom window, sinking into the blue-blacks of evening. Kyuhyun could see his reflection in the glass, back lit by the lights of his room. He pulled the blinds shut and headed downstairs.
The Cho house was not a mansion, but a spacious, expensive house in an upscale neighborhood. It was designed Western-style, from the windows to the gilded faucet taps, save the floor, which was still hardwood and raised above the front entryway. The kitchen was wide and open, with counterspace that Kyuhyun privately thought was a waste: he had never seen his father cook, and his mother did so rarely. They had an ahjumma who took care of the meals, since clearly the head of the Cho household and his only son had far more important things on their minds.
Kyuhyun reached for a pear from the fruit bowl and wondered where his father was. Out drinking with friends, probably, or "business associates". Again. He had changed in this last year. He had gone from a driven man with a vision for his company to a driven man with a will to drink. It wasn't as though he had turned alcoholic - but something about the way he sought after every potential client, every meeting inside and outside of a boardroom, seemed...desperate.
Kyuhyun didn't like it, but he and his father had never been close. He didn't know how to ask. All he knew was to live up to his father's expectations, joining SM Enterprises and getting promoted to CBDO and, now, initiating into XS.
A trickle of juice escaped the corner of Kyuhyun's mouth. He wiped at it as his phone vibrated gently along his thigh. "Damn it," he swore, slapping at it with his free hand, and fumbled as he pulled it out of his pocket and got it to his ear, thumb over the Talk button. "Hello?"
"Hi Kyuhyun!" It was Sungmin, relentlessly cheerful.
"Yes?"
"Are you busy? Let's go out."
Kyuhyun didn't know what possessed him to say "yes" before thinking better of it, but, looking back, he didn't regret it. He found himself at an arcade an hour later, dressed down in a t-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap with Sungmin peering over his shoulder and shouting encouragement in his ear.
"Shoot it, shoot it, yes!" Sungmin cheered and Kyuhyun winced, trying to keep his attention focused on the zombies lurching into his field of vision on the screen. He aimed the plastic gun at one after the other, surprising even himself with his accuracy. He couldn't help but be pleased as the body count rose steadily and his character darted through the dark, dismal halls of the abandoned hospital.
"You're really good," Sungmin laughed when Kyuhyun's character finally died, running out of ammo. "Did you want to try again?"
Kyuhyun shrugged and replaced the gun. "No. It'd just be the same thing over again." He looked around the arcade, a little excited despite himself. "Is there anything you want to do?"
Sungmin grinned at him. "Let's walk around and see what looks good."
It felt strange, but incredible, to mill around the arcade as if he were any other eighteen-year-old with too much time on his hands. They took on another shooter game, a racing game, and one that was fashioned suspiciously like whack-a-mole. Sungmin swung his mallet enthusiastically, a manic gleam in his eye that made Kyuhyun laugh despite himself. It was a shade off the predatory glint he'd seen Sungmin get when he talked business, and more enjoyable for that. There was no business here, tonight, only Kyuhyun snatching his hand away, narrowly avoiding being smacked with Sungmin's mallet.
"Watch where you put that thing," he said.
"Watch where you put your hand," Sungmin retorted.
Kyuhyun elbowed him and that started a miniature shoving match before they yielded their mallets, laughing, to the people next in line.
"I didn't know you had this in you, Kyuhyun," Sungmin said, arm back around him as they wandered in another direction. "It's like you're a kid."
Kyuhyun hadn't known he'd had it in him either. He had enjoyed games as kid, and had been an avid fan of Starcraft until his father had decided playing it was wasting too much time that could be spent learning about the business or another language. Kyuhyun's voice lessons had stopped when he was young, because they weren't useful. His Mandarin lessons had continued. Starcraft, however, had been denied. Instead, he'd learned about stocks and dividends until he could recite facts and figures in his sleep.
"Didn't know you had it in you either, noona-killer." Kyuhyun shook off his melancholy thoughts. His father had always meant well, even if he'd gone about it somewhat heavy-handedly. Kyuhyun smiled as Sungmin affected a lecherous look.
"What? Jealous of the way I have with the ladies?" He shook his head and the expression dropped. "It's really just tabloid fodder. I have a lot of good friends who happen to be female and older but...not like that." His smile was subdued. It inexplicably made Kyuhyun want to smooth a hand down his back, comforting.
He chastised himself. Just because he was finding out that Lee Sungmin was more human, more approachable, than he'd once thought... That didn't give him the right to cross these personal boundaries. Kyuhyun reminded himself to be cautious, but the warning to himself was repeated more out of habit than any true mistrust. He still didn't know for sure why Sungmin was helping him with his initiation. Perhaps Sungmin was really just being generous, looking out for the newest inductee. Kyuhyun had yet to see any evidence of an ulterior motive, but he had seen more than enough to convince him of the genuineness of Sungmin's smile.
And it was a nice smile.
"Do you want something to drink?" Sungmin changed the topic, seeming pleased that Kyuhyun wasn't going to pursue further. "I'll get us some bubble tea. There's a good place just down the street."
Walking side-by-side down the crowded streets, Kyuhyun sucked at his honeydew-flavored drink and tried to remember the last time he'd done something so frivolous - so fun. He darted a look to the side and found Sungmin staring off into the distance, lost in contemplation. His bangs ruffled soft-looking over his forehead, which was slightly creased in thought. Kyuhyun felt that strange itch again to reach out and brush aside those bangs, to trail his fingers down Sungmin's cheek...
Kyuhyun pulled his gaze back and wondered at his increasing heart rate.
"I did it," he said conversationally, pitching his voice low. "I moved Jongwoon's...assets."
Sungmin's gaze sharpened on him. "You're done?"
"Yeah. I finished right before you called me. I was going to let Kibum know tomorrow."
A sigh. "Well." Sungmin's smile seemed more forced than before. "Congratulations. Eeteuk will be happy to hear that."
Kyuhyun felt like he had said something wrong, but he didn't know what. Should he not have brought up the initiation at all? It seemed to have been a mistake, considering Sungmin's reaction. Kyuhyun hesitated, unsure as to how he should proceed. He wasn't good at non-corporate social situations anymore. Had never been, really.
"Let's leave that until tomorrow." Sungmin's expression had cleared and he was looking at Kyuhyun with warmth. It was as if he'd understood Kyuhyun's discomfort without Kyuhyun having to say anything at all. "Do you want to go see a movie?"
"I-" said Kyuhyun. He sucked out the last bit of his drink, sweet and faintly tart on his tongue, then tossed it in a nearby trash bin. He smiled at Sungmin. "I'd like that."
***
Kibum stilled when Yesung dragged a hand up his arm and over his shoulder. It wasn't a casual touch but a deliberate one, suggestive, and he knew it.
Yesung smiled at him, not bothering to hide his intent. Kibum wasn't stupid and Yesung wasn't here to play games. Well. Not of the sort Kibum expected, at least.
"Is your office secure?"
Kibum scowled, slightly. Yesung acknowledged that it was probably a stupid question, but he was just covering all his bases here. No need to take stupid risks. He paused as he spun Kibum's chair around. No, XS did not look kindly on taking stupid risks.
Yesung stopped the chair when Kibum faced him, the chair back facing the office door. Kibum sat lazily, his legs spread and the slightest slouch to his spine. His arms were crossed, stretching his gray shirt across his chest and shoulders. There was no mistaking the belligerence in his body language; he had always been a bit of a bastard in confrontations. Yesung decided it was best to be direct.
"I'm sure you're aware that Eeteuk is displeased with you," he said, and swung his leg over Kibum's hip, sliding into his lap in a smooth motion. "I'm sure you know what it is you've done to piss him off. You're a smart kid."
Kibum didn't move as Yesung straddled his thighs and settled his weight. One hand reached out to stroke Kibum's navy blue tie. No reaction. A challenge. It made the blood rush a little faster in Yesung's ears as he cocked his head and stared at Kibum through half-lidded eyes. "This whole MX Factory business, pretty unpleasant. Pretty...stupid, you might even say. And I didn't think you were one of the stupid ones, Kibummie."
"Don't call me that."
One point for Yesung.
"Aww, why not?" Smirking, Yesung moved his head so that his lips grazed Kibum's cheek as he positioned his mouth next to Kibum's ear. He enjoyed the involuntarily flinch away from him. "I thought you liked it." His tongue flickered out, tracing the shell of Kibum's ear.
"What do you want, Yesung?"
The tone was icy, brittle - but there was a hint of resignation under that. Another point.
"You know what."
Kibum pushed him back slightly, enough to meet his eyes with a hard look. "I know Eeteuk's pissed. What is he going to do about it?"
Instead of answering, Yesung kissed him. He managed to get his teeth on Kibum's lower lip and his tongue in Kibum's mouth before the hand on his hip tightened in warning. Laughing a little, Yesung pulled back, conceding. He studied Kibum's expression for a heartbeat and then rolled his hips, rubbing slowly against the younger man.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kibum asked flatly, anger rising in his expression.
Yesung had to admit he was rather enjoying this - fucking with Kibum's head was thrilling, if a bit reckless. Eeteuk had certainly given him an entertaining assignment for once. Usually they were petty, headache-inducing things. This, though - this was fun. Yesung thrived on risks. Not stupid ones, just reckless ones. Kibum was smart enough to guess what Eeteuk wanted, probably, but throw in enough physical distraction, his body would betray him. Even higher thinking faculties fell prey to the weaknesses of the body.
Yesung flattened his palms against Kibum's chest, creasing the fabric beneath his touch. He could feel Kibum's heartbeat, steady and rapid, under his hands.
"You let Donghae call you Kibummie, don't you?" he asked, seemingly incongruously. A hint of teeth in his quicksilver smile. "And you let him kiss you too."
Kibum didn't respond, but he didn't need to. Everyone in XS knew about Donghae and Kibum's relationship. It was as common knowledge as Kangin and Eeteuk's affair, and Yesung's fondness for Ryeowook. These things happened, and none of them were really in the position to judge the others. The members kept out of each others' businesses, literally and figuratively.
Or so it was believed. That was the unspoken rule, and Eeteuk had been breaking it quietly since the beginning, like every other rule.
Respect no boundaries when it comes to achieving your ends. That had been his mode of operation for years now, and Yesung was so good at carrying that idea to effect.
Relationships made for weaknesses. Weaknesses were exploited.
Yesung could see Kibum's thoughts winding that way, so he lunged forward and kissed Kibum again, catching him off-guard. He ground his hips down into Kibum's, fingers coming up to clutch at Kibum's shoulders as he sucked roughly on Kibum's tongue.
He could feel Kibum's body reacting, hot under his touch. Yesung's inner laughter was a little manic, tinged with triumph.
"Eeteuk wants your cooperation," he whispered into Kibum's neck, tracing the clauses of their agreement into damp skin. "At the threat of Donghae's destruction." He chuckled darkly as Kibum's hands clenched at his hips, bruising with their force. Ryeowook might ask about those... "You wouldn't want to see the downfall of Lee Metal Industries, would you?" He sucked a love mark near the hollow of Kibum's throat, a little harder than necessary. "You wouldn't want to see Donghae cry, would you?"
It helped that he'd had this little...conversation recorded, as insurance.
Let the genius - the flushed, furious, deliciously trapped genius - find his way out of this maze.
There was only one exit. They had made sure of it. Eeteuk alone couldn't bring down Donghae, but he had others at his disposal. Together they could do enough damage to Donghae that Kibum would never risk it.
"You're being transferred to the U.S.?" Eeteuk said with no surprise whatsoever. When Kibum nodded stiffly, Eeteuk's gaze darted to Yesung, who only grinned. Eeteuk looked again at Kibum, standing before him with his shoulders tight and his arms straight at his sides. A small smile appeared on his face, and he nodded briskly. "I see. Congratulations on the promotion. Enjoy America, Kibum."
Thanks for your cooperation.
PART III