CHINGUX 2014: the leftovers club (1/1) for bookishvice
Title: the leftovers club
Author: colorfunk
Recipient: bookishvice
Pairing/Focus: Baekhyun/Kyungsoo
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: sex pollen dubcon, kiiind of xenophilia that's also kiiind of catboys
Length: ~3,800w
Summary: Breaking Kyungsoo out of prison requires more from Baekhyun than he originally planned. Vaguely a Guardians of the Galaxy AU.
As far as backstories go, Baekhyun's is pretty standard. Murdered human mom. Absent alien dad. It happened, it sucked, he dealt with it. The consolation prize for being someone's leftovers was that nobody cared what he did next: if he wanted to explore the galaxy, planet-hop to his heart's content, get in all kinds of trouble. Some species might call that escapism in the most literal sense available. Baekhyun likes the words opportunity, or Han Solo.
He found himself a motley crew along the way, pretty much by accident. They come and go for the most part, driven by their own agendas. Chanyeol, a sweet, hulking tree humanoid. Jongdae, who got raised to kill but maintains a sense of humor about it. Yixing drops by to hang out when he isn't on the hunt. Yixing the Destroyer, as he's known around this corner of the universe. Ravager of titans, devourer of souls. Actually how that'd started was Baekhyun'd gotten drunk off Shi'ar liquor this one time and picked a fight with some assholes who'd been talking shit about all these half-breeds running around, stinking up the galaxy, if I was an Earthie I would've aborted the mutt when I had the chance--
"You're dead," Baekhyun said, while Kyungsoo held him back impatiently by the wrist. "I'm gonna fucking kill you--"
Asshole #1's third mouth curled into a sneer. "Is your little pet going to help?"
That made Kyungsoo bristle, his tail shooting up. Baekhyun looked back wildly towards their original table and found Yixing, flushed pink with alcohol, swaying in his seat. "You see my friend over there? That's Zhang Yixing. Heard of him? He's a fucking monster. A destroyer. He'll rip your lungs out, take a dump inside your gaping chest cavity and then write a song about it. He--he destroys women's realistic expectations for men, he's such a sensitive guy. He'll fuck you up."
At that exact moment Yixing finished his drink, threw the bottle at the wall and--alarmingly--whipped forward at a 90-degree angle until his forehead smashed against the table. (It was the courteous thing to do back on his home planet.)
Asshole #1 started to look unsure.
"We should leave," Kyungsoo muttered, but then Asshole #1's asshole friend waved and said, "You genetic punchlines run along now," and Kyungsoo turned back around and threw the first punch.
Kyungsoo met the minimum requirements for "being part of Baekhyun's crew," which were 1) spending a lot of time physically on Baekhyun's ship, the Suho, and 2) hitting people as a form of diplomatic action. He and Chanyeol came as their own unit, and often ran off to act as one, whether for some straight respectable jobs or some old-school unscrupulous ones. But in the end they always returned: two days later, four days, six. After all, everyone was accumulating more and more personal gear onboard. Kyungsoo tricked out the Suho with an upgraded arsenal. There was a series of clay pots like a staircase in the cargo hold, each one larger than the last, with a handmade sign above them: [34] DAYS WITHOUT CHANYEOL DYING.
What any of this is trying to say is just that when Baekhyun didn't hear from Kyungsoo for over a week, he had this gut feeling that something'd gone wrong. So he called in some favors and rooted out a name: Basement 6 Penitentiary.
Jongdae whistles lowly. "Kyungsoo really knows how to pick 'em."
"I am Chanyeol," says Chanyeol gloomily, looming over the prison's holographic blueprints.
Jongdae pats the thick bark of Chanyeol's shoulder. "So what's he in for?"
The funny thing is Baekhyun couldn't find any official record. Not only is there no documentation of an arrest, Kyungsoo doesn't exist in the books as an inmate. Backwater asteroid prisons are shady by default, but this whole thing reeks more than usual.
"I am Chanyeol," says Chanyeol, kind of mad now, Sounds more like kidnapping.
"I know, big guy," Baekhyun says, but then brightens. "So let's go steal our stuff back."
-
Basement 6 Penitentiary is one of those off-planet slammers with rotten security systems and staff. It's weird that Kyungsoo hasn't broken himself out yet. Kyungsoo could stage ten separate jailbreaks before Baekhyun gets the chance to finish breakfast. Without him, planning falls on Baekhyun's shoulders, and Baekhyun's plans aren't bad, they're just ("embarrassing," Kyungsoo would say) ("a cry for help," says Jongdae) ("I am Chanyeol," Chanyeol snickers) underdeveloped. There's usually a broad concept step 1--Sneak In As Plumbers--and then steps 2-10 are Fucking Wing It.
"I'm better if I make stuff up on the fly," Baekhyun says. "That's just my personal style."
"You gotta stop confusing personal style with character flaw," Jongdae replies, then shuts up as they stroll past a building-sized prison guard in the empty hallway, who pins them both with an odd expression.
"Morning, officer," Baekhyun says, instantly winsome as he hefts the toolkit in his hand. The employee nametag on his stolen uniform says WOOYEEFAHN. "Heard you folks have been having some plumbing issues."
Some of the wariness bleeds off the guard's face. "We just put that work order in yesterday."
"Well, we're all about fast service," Baekhyun says, but then the guard jerks a massive pink thumb towards the left.
"CO bathroom's that way."
"Boss told us to take a look at one of the cellblocks first," Baekhyun says, still friendly. "Said it's getting pretty gnarly in there, if you know what I mean."
"Which cellblock?" the guard asks.
"B?" Baekhyun says.
"You just walked past B."
Baekhyun glances over his shoulder at Jongdae (who shrugs back as if to say it's all you, buddy), then tries, "Which one's the cellblock with the mean little raccoon guy?"
The guard stiffens in realization and reaches for his belt. A second later Jongdae's vaulting himself through the air to lock his thighs around the guard's neck. Baekhyun doesn't even register the initial flash of movement until Jongdae's already whipping six feet of alien muscle towards the ground.
The guard drops without a struggle. Jongdae lands next to him, crouched like a jungle cat.
"How's that for personal style," he gloats.
After joining up with Baekhyun, Jongdae made a clean break from the violence-for-cash business. Still, there's the occasional glimmer that reminds Baekhyun: this guy's dangerous. Jongdae's rapsheet is longer than Baekhyun's dick. By the time Baekhyun collects these people, they've already gone through most of the experiences that'll come to define them, most of the baggage they'll ever come to carry. Yet Jongdae, despite his previous line of work, isn't really a duplicitous person. Kneecaps are fair game but he's never gone for the same kind of theft, bribery, or flat-out lying that used to be Baekhyun's bread and butter. So Baekhyun knows he can take Jongdae at face value each time he's told him, I'm done with all of that. Really? Baekhyun said. Yeah, Jongdae said, I'm taking this whole good guy transition seriously. Baekhyun grinned, Dude, you've been a sheep in wolf's clothing all along.
Baekhyun stoops next to the guard's unconscious form and steals the ID card off his chest. So much for stealth plumber mode. "What now?"
Jongdae cracks his neck. "Split up? I'll shut down the energy shield, you get Kyungsoo. Regroup in the hangar bay."
"Sounds good," Baekhyun says. He grabs his element gun from inside the toolkit before handing the rest over to Jongdae. "Don't get caught."
Jongdae knocks his fist against Baekhyun's shoulder in growing tradition: "Don't get shot."
-
He gets lucky and finds Kyungsoo in the first place he looks: down the solitary confinement wing, locked up behind the last metal-enforced door.
"Hey," Baekhyun calls through the viewing window, bypassing the lock with his borrowed ID. "Yo, Kyungsoo. Honey, I'm home."
In the far corner of the cell, Kyungsoo lifts his head. His ears twitch, a pair of half-moons the same shade of ruddy brown as his hair. There's minimal lighting but Baekhyun doesn't need much of it to gauge the rough shape Kyungsoo's in, wrists cuffed, ankles and tail shackled together, the fur along his arms matted with sweat. His knees are tucked up tight and defensive against his chest. His face, stubbornly expressionless.
"Hurray," Kyungsoo croaks.
"Vacation's over," Baekhyun says. "Ready to go?"
"You couldn't send Chanyeol instead?" Kyungsoo says.
"Prison's really changed you," Baekhyun jokes. He uses his element gun to melt through the chains. "You used to be such a pleasant person."
Kyungsoo has enough energy for a tired grin. His eyes are glazed. "Why are you dressed like a plumber?"
Baekhyun was hoping he'd ask. "Cause I'm saving you from a total shithole."
But when Baekhyun tries to haul Kyungsoo back up onto his feet, he meets five tons of resistance. Kyungsoo makes a strangled sound as his knees fail him, and Baekhyun's own balance buckles. "Shit," Baekhyun says in surprise, looping both arms around Kyungsoo's waist so he doesn't just drop him back onto the floor. Kyungsoo's head lolls forward for a moment, cracking against the hard bone of Baekhyun's shoulder before it tips back.
Close up, Baekhyun gets a better look at Kyungsoo's face. Then the multiple needlemarks clustered along the side of Kyungsoo's neck.
"Holy shit," Baekhyun says again. "What happened?"
Kyungsoo's voice crackles out of his mouth. "They dosed me with something."
Baekhyun gets a cold, uneasy feeling. "With what?"
"How should I know, don't ask stupid questions," Kyungsoo says. He's breathing in through his nose, out through his mouth, deep and heavy. "Different shit every day. Guess they wanted to find out what makes me tick."
The visual makes Baekhyun's skin crawl. Baekhyun's seen his share of disturbing things, but not much can compete with the first time he ever got a glimpse of the constellation of scar tissue and body modifications across Kyungsoo's back. Cybernetic implants followed the path of Kyungsoo's spine and glinted under the light when exposed. It'd given Baekhyun the same sick feeling as the gang of kids in grade school who used to torture homeless cats on the street. Poking at the poor half dead creatures with sticks. Holding their heads under water. Who knew if Kyungsoo'd started out like a cat or something entirely different. Either way he'd ended up this human-sized mass of dead weight in Baekhyun's arms, advanced product of genetic engineering, one-of-a-kind catnip for the kind of assholes who could see an extraordinary singular thing and want to rip it apart and look inside.
Baekhyun wants to puke. Then he wants to shoot the guy responsible. He strokes down Kyungsoo's back, the only soothing gesture he can think of--
--and in response, Kyungsoo's body goes tighter than glass.
Baekhyun quickly retracts his hand, misunderstanding. "Okay, no hugging. Tough it out. That's fine."
"Stop talking," Kyungsoo moans. Moans?
Baekhyun shifts, and suddenly feels it. "Whoa. Are you--"
"It's the drug, jackass," Kyungsoo says roughly.
Kyungsoo's hard. That's Kyungsoo's dick, trapped against Baekhyun's leg, not even that big but it feels big. It feels fucking gravitational.
Baekhyun starts to pull away but Kyungsoo shivers like he's been left out in the cold. His hips pump forward, grinding against Baekhyun's nearest body part. Jesus. This isn't how Baekhyun pictured their rescue mission going.
He swallows dryly. "We need to get out of here," he says. "Can you make it back to the ship?"
Kyungsoo nods sluggishly but you can't lie to a liar. Even as Kyungsoo tries to rein himself in, his dick won't come off Baekhyun's leg. He's feverish and slow and barely standing on his own. Baekhyun's lived with Kyungsoo in the same cramped flying home for months, witnessed Kyungsoo's best and worst but never this side of him. What the hell did they shoot him up with? And how long ago did they toss him in here to burn up alone?
Alright, Baekhyun thinks. Byun Baekhyun, hotshot improviser. Improvise something, you shithead. They have seven minutes at best before Jongdae makes it to the generator and disrupts the prison's energy shield for Chanyeol to fly the Suho within range. After that, another ten minutes before the back-up systems kick in.
Baekhyun can get Kyungsoo off before then, right?
Carefully, he shifts his thigh higher between Kyungsoo's legs.
Kyungsoo jerks back, growls. "What are you doing?"
"Helping, what does it feel like?" Baekhyun shoots back. Kyungsoo's cockhead is slick through his uniform. His whole body's so intensely hot that Baekhyun's scared for him.
Kyungsoo opens his mouth again, but this time all that comes out is a shallow breath. He looks pissed off, and defeated, and wild. Baekhyun keeps a solid grip around him, and presses up firmly against Kyungsoo's crotch a second time.
Kyungsoo's eyelids slam shut.
He pushes himself down, just to get a taste, but that taste wets something that's been planted deep inside of him and as much as Kyungsoo must hate it, the next rut of his cock is shameless and, shit, eager as hell. Kyungsoo whines in the back of his throat. Baekhyun tries to give him some privacy: he looks at the wall, pets the furred nape of Kyungsoo's neck, and stands there and lets Kyungsoo use him.
There's no way to be nice or polite about it and Kyungsoo doesn't even try. He holds onto the back of Baekhyun's shoulders and ruts against him like the world's ending. Trying to climb closer to Baekhyun than physically possible. The heat coming off of Kyungsoo is insane. At least two layers of clothes between them and Baekhyun swears he can still feel every tiny jerk of Kyungsoo's dick. It slides up against Baekhyun's hipbone so thick and heavy that Baekhyun may as well be jacking it off in his own hand. There's no way it feels that good--the way he's rubbing off on Baekhyun's leg fucking chafes--but Kyungsoo goes after that friction like the hungriest dog. Dampness smears across Baekhyun's thigh as Kyungsoo's dick grows stiffer, wetter.
"That's good," Baekhyun says. Man, he just can't shut up. "Hurry up."
"It's not like you're my--ideal person," Kyungsoo spits. His face is buried against Baekhyun's collarbone, and each hot puff of air makes Baekhyun's skin itch and boil.
"Yeah, yeah," Baekhyun breathes, "should've sent Chanyeol instead."
Kyungsoo ignores him, which Baekhyun is for once grateful for. He's not looking at Kyungsoo but he can hear. The soft, hurt noises out of Kyungsoo's mouth, ah, ah, make Baekhyun's head swim.
Lights flicker all the way down the corridor. That's gotta be Jongdae. They're running out of time. Baekhyun pets at Kyungsoo's neck again, urging him along. He grabs a handful of Kyungsoo's damp fur and gives it a sharp tug. It's the right move: Kyungsoo chokes like he's just been punched, and fucks desperately against Baekhyun's thigh.
"Baekhyun," he gasps.
Baekhyun rocks his thigh up for Kyungsoo's benefit. "It's okay. You're okay."
He doesn't know if Kyungsoo hears. Kyungsoo's moving faster, losing rhythm. Level-headed artillery geek Kyungsoo, turned raw for a good fuck, willing to roll over for scraps. Like he could come if Baekhyun so much as breathed on him. Baekhyun's heartbeat thuds with adrenaline. His own dick twitches guilty. He wonders if Kyungsoo can sense it. If he can smell it radiating off of Baekhyun, that fresh, reluctant arousal, and it's turning Kyungsoo on even more.
God this is so messed up.
"C'mon," Baekhyun rasps, because when he can't think he shoots his mouth off instead. "Are you almost there? Gonna come?"
"Shut up," Kyungsoo says thickly, humiliated.
Baekhyun finally looks at him. Kyungsoo's eyes are big and lost, shoulders hunched, and with each frantic grind of his cock against Baekhyun's thigh, Baekhyun can tell it's killing him inside, but that anger has nowhere to go. Kyungsoo couldn't stop if he wanted to. Maybe that was possible five minutes ago but now it's like he can't live without this. He's hyper-responsive and he'll settle for anything, even if it's just Baekhyun's passive leg for him to hump like he's some kind of untrained, dirty little animal--
Fuck, Baekhyun's such a fucking asshole. He can't treat Kyungsoo this way, do that kind of shit to his head. If Kyungsoo has to come, Baekhyun can at least make it good.
He nudges Kyungsoo away to make some extra room. Kyungsoo goes rigid in refusal, grabbing at Baekhyun's shirt to get him close again.
"Wait," Baekhyun says, frustrated, "hang on, just wait."
He works a hand between their bodies and cups the straining bulge of Kyungsoo's dick through his prison scrubs.
Kyungsoo whimpers and thrusts into Baekhyun's hand greedily. "Yeah. Please."
"No begging," Baekhyun mutters, "I got you."
He doesn't know enough about Kyungsoo's physiology to have a lot of ideas about what feels good for him. But he's got this one idea, and he milks it clean, scraping his nails down the back of Kyungsoo's neck, pulling at the short ragged fur. It's an incredible, bulletproof trick. Kyungsoo squirms against him and pushes his face into Baekhyun's neck, panting. This part--it's almost hot. The way Kyungsoo's dick practically drools all over Baekhyun's hand. His teeth scrape down the line of Baekhyun's throat until Baekhyun has to flinch away, breathless. He squeezes harder around Kyungsoo's clothed dick and Kyungsoo spreads his knees, opens up his legs, perfectly instinctive. Baekhyun takes the hint and shoves at the waistband of Kyungsoo's loose pants. He finally gets his hand around Kyungsoo's dick, gives it a couple wet, sloppy tugs; then Kyungsoo locks up against him, bites Baekhyun's neck, and comes like someone who's never been touched before in his life. His wounded little moan drowns out the entire prison. His spunk's thicker than Baekhyun is accustomed to, oozing down Baekhyun's wrist as his dick throbs weakly in Baekhyun's hand. Kyungsoo's narrow chest heaves. He hiccups into Baekhyun's shoulder, then sags violently against him. Baekhyun, dazed, repeats, "I got you," as he continues holding Kyungsoo steady.
-
"YOU'RE LATE," Jongdae complains from across the hangar bay, just before he roundhouse kicks some guy in the face.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Baekhyun yells back. Next to him, Kyungsoo is working out his aggression by shooting a clear path through an incursion of thirty prison personnel. With a weapon in his hands, he appears to be feeling a little better.
Jongdae and Chanyeol have held the Suho's airlock open for them. Chanyeol lights up when he sees Kyungsoo coming up the ramp.
"I am Chanyeol," he greets, sweeping Kyungsoo cleanly off the ground.
Kyungsoo grunts but otherwise just relaxes into the hug, his legs dangling a full meter in mid-air.
"Thanks for waiting," Baekhyun tells Jongdae as he boards the Suho last.
"What else was I gonna do," Jongdae says, covering Baekhyun's ass for him. "You guys okay?"
Baekhyun shoves a hand through his hair. "I need a nap."
The four of them cram inside the cockpit. Kyungsoo takes over the controls while Chanyeol hovers behind him and gives him a branchy shoulder massage. Baekhyun hovers too, chanting under his breath: "C'mon, c'mon." The hangar's going into lockdown. The Suho holds up under gunfire like a real champ but if they get trapped she's not going to last. "Just give me a goddamn second," Kyungsoo says scratchily, agitated. His hand shakes as it wraps around the throttle.
They get the hell out of dodge. Kyungsoo maneuvers the Suho through the hangar bay doors just before they slam down behind them. Once they're back in the air, it's smoother sailing. The prison's external security is pretty much crap (because who'd want to break into a prison?), and though the Suho has taken damage to one of her engines, it's survivable. They gain enough distance to get a good view of the entire asteroid, filling the cockpit window, gray and jagged and toxic. Kyungsoo slumps back in the pilot seat.
Chanyeol breaks the relieved tension, rumbling down into Kyungsoo's ear, "I am Chanyeol."
Kyungsoo glances up fondly. "No shit."
"I didn't catch that one," Jongdae interrupts.
"He said this place really sucks," Kyungsoo says.
The energy shield is programmed to stay down for another sixty seconds. Baekhyun doesn't know how to go around saying, Sorry about what they did to you, but he does know: "Do you wanna blow it up?"
Kyungsoo bares his sharp little teeth.
They leave Basement 6 Penitentiary cratered, burning and gutted while the asteroid trails smoke through black space like a distress fire, dead in the water. Kyungsoo's aim is immaculate as always. "It's good to have you back," Jongdae laughs.
-
Post-Credits Scene:
Baekhyun stumbles upon Kyungsoo later in the cargo hold, sitting on one of the empty crates and cleaning his guns. Someone has updated the [34] DAYS WITHOUT CHANYEOL DYING sign to read [35].
"Go to bed, dude," Baekhyun says.
Kyungsoo shakes his head, so the only choice Baekhyun has now is to take a seat on a neighboring crate and keep him company. The Suho occasionally creaks and whirs beneath them, alive. It's a good night for flying. They've set coordinates for a nearby repair station, and the trajectory from here to there is nice and effortless.
"Thanks for today," Kyungsoo finally says.
"No problem," Baekhyun says, too fast. "Friend in need."
"Not for that," Kyungsoo makes a repulsed face, though halfhearted. "Thanks for bailing me out."
Baekhyun scratches the back of his neck, a little bashful. "Yeah, sure. You'd do the same if it was me."
Kyungsoo gives him a careful look, then turns back to his dismantled gun parts.
"What?" Baekhyun asks.
Kyungsoo shrugs. "Nothing."
Baekhyun won't push it. Still, he leans closer. "Don't tell me you've fallen in love with me or something."
Kyungsoo reaches a hand out casually and shoves Baekhyun so hard he almost topples to the floor. Well, that feels more normal.
"I mean, no judgment," Baekhyun adds, rubbing his shoulder. "It happens a lot. I'm used to it."
Kyungsoo gets this grudging expression on his face like he actually thinks Baekhyun's pretty funny. Satisfied, Baekhyun lies back on his crate and peers up at the observation window, through to the stars speeding alongside the ship. What a shitty fucking day. Exhaustion poisons Baekhyun down to his bones. Being back onboard this floating heap of seven year old garbage has never felt more rewarding.
He glances back over at Kyungsoo. Nevermind, he's going to push it. "Hey."
Kyungsoo says, "Yeah?" disinterestedly.
"Whatever happened before, however many ways you got fucked over in the past, you have people to bail you out now," Baekhyun says. "Like at least three people. You know that, right? You belong somewhere."
"Wow," Kyungsoo says, after some time. "Are you sure you're not the one who's in love with me?"
Baekhyun huffs a laugh. They don't really talk after that, sitting together semi-comfortably in the cargo hold as the time passes. He's almost dozed off by the time Kyungsoo eventually responds, in a way that's meant to go unheard, "You belong somewhere too."
Author: colorfunk
Recipient: bookishvice
Pairing/Focus: Baekhyun/Kyungsoo
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: sex pollen dubcon, kiiind of xenophilia that's also kiiind of catboys
Length: ~3,800w
Summary: Breaking Kyungsoo out of prison requires more from Baekhyun than he originally planned. Vaguely a Guardians of the Galaxy AU.
As far as backstories go, Baekhyun's is pretty standard. Murdered human mom. Absent alien dad. It happened, it sucked, he dealt with it. The consolation prize for being someone's leftovers was that nobody cared what he did next: if he wanted to explore the galaxy, planet-hop to his heart's content, get in all kinds of trouble. Some species might call that escapism in the most literal sense available. Baekhyun likes the words opportunity, or Han Solo.
He found himself a motley crew along the way, pretty much by accident. They come and go for the most part, driven by their own agendas. Chanyeol, a sweet, hulking tree humanoid. Jongdae, who got raised to kill but maintains a sense of humor about it. Yixing drops by to hang out when he isn't on the hunt. Yixing the Destroyer, as he's known around this corner of the universe. Ravager of titans, devourer of souls. Actually how that'd started was Baekhyun'd gotten drunk off Shi'ar liquor this one time and picked a fight with some assholes who'd been talking shit about all these half-breeds running around, stinking up the galaxy, if I was an Earthie I would've aborted the mutt when I had the chance--
"You're dead," Baekhyun said, while Kyungsoo held him back impatiently by the wrist. "I'm gonna fucking kill you--"
Asshole #1's third mouth curled into a sneer. "Is your little pet going to help?"
That made Kyungsoo bristle, his tail shooting up. Baekhyun looked back wildly towards their original table and found Yixing, flushed pink with alcohol, swaying in his seat. "You see my friend over there? That's Zhang Yixing. Heard of him? He's a fucking monster. A destroyer. He'll rip your lungs out, take a dump inside your gaping chest cavity and then write a song about it. He--he destroys women's realistic expectations for men, he's such a sensitive guy. He'll fuck you up."
At that exact moment Yixing finished his drink, threw the bottle at the wall and--alarmingly--whipped forward at a 90-degree angle until his forehead smashed against the table. (It was the courteous thing to do back on his home planet.)
Asshole #1 started to look unsure.
"We should leave," Kyungsoo muttered, but then Asshole #1's asshole friend waved and said, "You genetic punchlines run along now," and Kyungsoo turned back around and threw the first punch.
Kyungsoo met the minimum requirements for "being part of Baekhyun's crew," which were 1) spending a lot of time physically on Baekhyun's ship, the Suho, and 2) hitting people as a form of diplomatic action. He and Chanyeol came as their own unit, and often ran off to act as one, whether for some straight respectable jobs or some old-school unscrupulous ones. But in the end they always returned: two days later, four days, six. After all, everyone was accumulating more and more personal gear onboard. Kyungsoo tricked out the Suho with an upgraded arsenal. There was a series of clay pots like a staircase in the cargo hold, each one larger than the last, with a handmade sign above them: [34] DAYS WITHOUT CHANYEOL DYING.
What any of this is trying to say is just that when Baekhyun didn't hear from Kyungsoo for over a week, he had this gut feeling that something'd gone wrong. So he called in some favors and rooted out a name: Basement 6 Penitentiary.
Jongdae whistles lowly. "Kyungsoo really knows how to pick 'em."
"I am Chanyeol," says Chanyeol gloomily, looming over the prison's holographic blueprints.
Jongdae pats the thick bark of Chanyeol's shoulder. "So what's he in for?"
The funny thing is Baekhyun couldn't find any official record. Not only is there no documentation of an arrest, Kyungsoo doesn't exist in the books as an inmate. Backwater asteroid prisons are shady by default, but this whole thing reeks more than usual.
"I am Chanyeol," says Chanyeol, kind of mad now, Sounds more like kidnapping.
"I know, big guy," Baekhyun says, but then brightens. "So let's go steal our stuff back."
-
Basement 6 Penitentiary is one of those off-planet slammers with rotten security systems and staff. It's weird that Kyungsoo hasn't broken himself out yet. Kyungsoo could stage ten separate jailbreaks before Baekhyun gets the chance to finish breakfast. Without him, planning falls on Baekhyun's shoulders, and Baekhyun's plans aren't bad, they're just ("embarrassing," Kyungsoo would say) ("a cry for help," says Jongdae) ("I am Chanyeol," Chanyeol snickers) underdeveloped. There's usually a broad concept step 1--Sneak In As Plumbers--and then steps 2-10 are Fucking Wing It.
"I'm better if I make stuff up on the fly," Baekhyun says. "That's just my personal style."
"You gotta stop confusing personal style with character flaw," Jongdae replies, then shuts up as they stroll past a building-sized prison guard in the empty hallway, who pins them both with an odd expression.
"Morning, officer," Baekhyun says, instantly winsome as he hefts the toolkit in his hand. The employee nametag on his stolen uniform says WOOYEEFAHN. "Heard you folks have been having some plumbing issues."
Some of the wariness bleeds off the guard's face. "We just put that work order in yesterday."
"Well, we're all about fast service," Baekhyun says, but then the guard jerks a massive pink thumb towards the left.
"CO bathroom's that way."
"Boss told us to take a look at one of the cellblocks first," Baekhyun says, still friendly. "Said it's getting pretty gnarly in there, if you know what I mean."
"Which cellblock?" the guard asks.
"B?" Baekhyun says.
"You just walked past B."
Baekhyun glances over his shoulder at Jongdae (who shrugs back as if to say it's all you, buddy), then tries, "Which one's the cellblock with the mean little raccoon guy?"
The guard stiffens in realization and reaches for his belt. A second later Jongdae's vaulting himself through the air to lock his thighs around the guard's neck. Baekhyun doesn't even register the initial flash of movement until Jongdae's already whipping six feet of alien muscle towards the ground.
The guard drops without a struggle. Jongdae lands next to him, crouched like a jungle cat.
"How's that for personal style," he gloats.
After joining up with Baekhyun, Jongdae made a clean break from the violence-for-cash business. Still, there's the occasional glimmer that reminds Baekhyun: this guy's dangerous. Jongdae's rapsheet is longer than Baekhyun's dick. By the time Baekhyun collects these people, they've already gone through most of the experiences that'll come to define them, most of the baggage they'll ever come to carry. Yet Jongdae, despite his previous line of work, isn't really a duplicitous person. Kneecaps are fair game but he's never gone for the same kind of theft, bribery, or flat-out lying that used to be Baekhyun's bread and butter. So Baekhyun knows he can take Jongdae at face value each time he's told him, I'm done with all of that. Really? Baekhyun said. Yeah, Jongdae said, I'm taking this whole good guy transition seriously. Baekhyun grinned, Dude, you've been a sheep in wolf's clothing all along.
Baekhyun stoops next to the guard's unconscious form and steals the ID card off his chest. So much for stealth plumber mode. "What now?"
Jongdae cracks his neck. "Split up? I'll shut down the energy shield, you get Kyungsoo. Regroup in the hangar bay."
"Sounds good," Baekhyun says. He grabs his element gun from inside the toolkit before handing the rest over to Jongdae. "Don't get caught."
Jongdae knocks his fist against Baekhyun's shoulder in growing tradition: "Don't get shot."
-
He gets lucky and finds Kyungsoo in the first place he looks: down the solitary confinement wing, locked up behind the last metal-enforced door.
"Hey," Baekhyun calls through the viewing window, bypassing the lock with his borrowed ID. "Yo, Kyungsoo. Honey, I'm home."
In the far corner of the cell, Kyungsoo lifts his head. His ears twitch, a pair of half-moons the same shade of ruddy brown as his hair. There's minimal lighting but Baekhyun doesn't need much of it to gauge the rough shape Kyungsoo's in, wrists cuffed, ankles and tail shackled together, the fur along his arms matted with sweat. His knees are tucked up tight and defensive against his chest. His face, stubbornly expressionless.
"Hurray," Kyungsoo croaks.
"Vacation's over," Baekhyun says. "Ready to go?"
"You couldn't send Chanyeol instead?" Kyungsoo says.
"Prison's really changed you," Baekhyun jokes. He uses his element gun to melt through the chains. "You used to be such a pleasant person."
Kyungsoo has enough energy for a tired grin. His eyes are glazed. "Why are you dressed like a plumber?"
Baekhyun was hoping he'd ask. "Cause I'm saving you from a total shithole."
But when Baekhyun tries to haul Kyungsoo back up onto his feet, he meets five tons of resistance. Kyungsoo makes a strangled sound as his knees fail him, and Baekhyun's own balance buckles. "Shit," Baekhyun says in surprise, looping both arms around Kyungsoo's waist so he doesn't just drop him back onto the floor. Kyungsoo's head lolls forward for a moment, cracking against the hard bone of Baekhyun's shoulder before it tips back.
Close up, Baekhyun gets a better look at Kyungsoo's face. Then the multiple needlemarks clustered along the side of Kyungsoo's neck.
"Holy shit," Baekhyun says again. "What happened?"
Kyungsoo's voice crackles out of his mouth. "They dosed me with something."
Baekhyun gets a cold, uneasy feeling. "With what?"
"How should I know, don't ask stupid questions," Kyungsoo says. He's breathing in through his nose, out through his mouth, deep and heavy. "Different shit every day. Guess they wanted to find out what makes me tick."
The visual makes Baekhyun's skin crawl. Baekhyun's seen his share of disturbing things, but not much can compete with the first time he ever got a glimpse of the constellation of scar tissue and body modifications across Kyungsoo's back. Cybernetic implants followed the path of Kyungsoo's spine and glinted under the light when exposed. It'd given Baekhyun the same sick feeling as the gang of kids in grade school who used to torture homeless cats on the street. Poking at the poor half dead creatures with sticks. Holding their heads under water. Who knew if Kyungsoo'd started out like a cat or something entirely different. Either way he'd ended up this human-sized mass of dead weight in Baekhyun's arms, advanced product of genetic engineering, one-of-a-kind catnip for the kind of assholes who could see an extraordinary singular thing and want to rip it apart and look inside.
Baekhyun wants to puke. Then he wants to shoot the guy responsible. He strokes down Kyungsoo's back, the only soothing gesture he can think of--
--and in response, Kyungsoo's body goes tighter than glass.
Baekhyun quickly retracts his hand, misunderstanding. "Okay, no hugging. Tough it out. That's fine."
"Stop talking," Kyungsoo moans. Moans?
Baekhyun shifts, and suddenly feels it. "Whoa. Are you--"
"It's the drug, jackass," Kyungsoo says roughly.
Kyungsoo's hard. That's Kyungsoo's dick, trapped against Baekhyun's leg, not even that big but it feels big. It feels fucking gravitational.
Baekhyun starts to pull away but Kyungsoo shivers like he's been left out in the cold. His hips pump forward, grinding against Baekhyun's nearest body part. Jesus. This isn't how Baekhyun pictured their rescue mission going.
He swallows dryly. "We need to get out of here," he says. "Can you make it back to the ship?"
Kyungsoo nods sluggishly but you can't lie to a liar. Even as Kyungsoo tries to rein himself in, his dick won't come off Baekhyun's leg. He's feverish and slow and barely standing on his own. Baekhyun's lived with Kyungsoo in the same cramped flying home for months, witnessed Kyungsoo's best and worst but never this side of him. What the hell did they shoot him up with? And how long ago did they toss him in here to burn up alone?
Alright, Baekhyun thinks. Byun Baekhyun, hotshot improviser. Improvise something, you shithead. They have seven minutes at best before Jongdae makes it to the generator and disrupts the prison's energy shield for Chanyeol to fly the Suho within range. After that, another ten minutes before the back-up systems kick in.
Baekhyun can get Kyungsoo off before then, right?
Carefully, he shifts his thigh higher between Kyungsoo's legs.
Kyungsoo jerks back, growls. "What are you doing?"
"Helping, what does it feel like?" Baekhyun shoots back. Kyungsoo's cockhead is slick through his uniform. His whole body's so intensely hot that Baekhyun's scared for him.
Kyungsoo opens his mouth again, but this time all that comes out is a shallow breath. He looks pissed off, and defeated, and wild. Baekhyun keeps a solid grip around him, and presses up firmly against Kyungsoo's crotch a second time.
Kyungsoo's eyelids slam shut.
He pushes himself down, just to get a taste, but that taste wets something that's been planted deep inside of him and as much as Kyungsoo must hate it, the next rut of his cock is shameless and, shit, eager as hell. Kyungsoo whines in the back of his throat. Baekhyun tries to give him some privacy: he looks at the wall, pets the furred nape of Kyungsoo's neck, and stands there and lets Kyungsoo use him.
There's no way to be nice or polite about it and Kyungsoo doesn't even try. He holds onto the back of Baekhyun's shoulders and ruts against him like the world's ending. Trying to climb closer to Baekhyun than physically possible. The heat coming off of Kyungsoo is insane. At least two layers of clothes between them and Baekhyun swears he can still feel every tiny jerk of Kyungsoo's dick. It slides up against Baekhyun's hipbone so thick and heavy that Baekhyun may as well be jacking it off in his own hand. There's no way it feels that good--the way he's rubbing off on Baekhyun's leg fucking chafes--but Kyungsoo goes after that friction like the hungriest dog. Dampness smears across Baekhyun's thigh as Kyungsoo's dick grows stiffer, wetter.
"That's good," Baekhyun says. Man, he just can't shut up. "Hurry up."
"It's not like you're my--ideal person," Kyungsoo spits. His face is buried against Baekhyun's collarbone, and each hot puff of air makes Baekhyun's skin itch and boil.
"Yeah, yeah," Baekhyun breathes, "should've sent Chanyeol instead."
Kyungsoo ignores him, which Baekhyun is for once grateful for. He's not looking at Kyungsoo but he can hear. The soft, hurt noises out of Kyungsoo's mouth, ah, ah, make Baekhyun's head swim.
Lights flicker all the way down the corridor. That's gotta be Jongdae. They're running out of time. Baekhyun pets at Kyungsoo's neck again, urging him along. He grabs a handful of Kyungsoo's damp fur and gives it a sharp tug. It's the right move: Kyungsoo chokes like he's just been punched, and fucks desperately against Baekhyun's thigh.
"Baekhyun," he gasps.
Baekhyun rocks his thigh up for Kyungsoo's benefit. "It's okay. You're okay."
He doesn't know if Kyungsoo hears. Kyungsoo's moving faster, losing rhythm. Level-headed artillery geek Kyungsoo, turned raw for a good fuck, willing to roll over for scraps. Like he could come if Baekhyun so much as breathed on him. Baekhyun's heartbeat thuds with adrenaline. His own dick twitches guilty. He wonders if Kyungsoo can sense it. If he can smell it radiating off of Baekhyun, that fresh, reluctant arousal, and it's turning Kyungsoo on even more.
God this is so messed up.
"C'mon," Baekhyun rasps, because when he can't think he shoots his mouth off instead. "Are you almost there? Gonna come?"
"Shut up," Kyungsoo says thickly, humiliated.
Baekhyun finally looks at him. Kyungsoo's eyes are big and lost, shoulders hunched, and with each frantic grind of his cock against Baekhyun's thigh, Baekhyun can tell it's killing him inside, but that anger has nowhere to go. Kyungsoo couldn't stop if he wanted to. Maybe that was possible five minutes ago but now it's like he can't live without this. He's hyper-responsive and he'll settle for anything, even if it's just Baekhyun's passive leg for him to hump like he's some kind of untrained, dirty little animal--
Fuck, Baekhyun's such a fucking asshole. He can't treat Kyungsoo this way, do that kind of shit to his head. If Kyungsoo has to come, Baekhyun can at least make it good.
He nudges Kyungsoo away to make some extra room. Kyungsoo goes rigid in refusal, grabbing at Baekhyun's shirt to get him close again.
"Wait," Baekhyun says, frustrated, "hang on, just wait."
He works a hand between their bodies and cups the straining bulge of Kyungsoo's dick through his prison scrubs.
Kyungsoo whimpers and thrusts into Baekhyun's hand greedily. "Yeah. Please."
"No begging," Baekhyun mutters, "I got you."
He doesn't know enough about Kyungsoo's physiology to have a lot of ideas about what feels good for him. But he's got this one idea, and he milks it clean, scraping his nails down the back of Kyungsoo's neck, pulling at the short ragged fur. It's an incredible, bulletproof trick. Kyungsoo squirms against him and pushes his face into Baekhyun's neck, panting. This part--it's almost hot. The way Kyungsoo's dick practically drools all over Baekhyun's hand. His teeth scrape down the line of Baekhyun's throat until Baekhyun has to flinch away, breathless. He squeezes harder around Kyungsoo's clothed dick and Kyungsoo spreads his knees, opens up his legs, perfectly instinctive. Baekhyun takes the hint and shoves at the waistband of Kyungsoo's loose pants. He finally gets his hand around Kyungsoo's dick, gives it a couple wet, sloppy tugs; then Kyungsoo locks up against him, bites Baekhyun's neck, and comes like someone who's never been touched before in his life. His wounded little moan drowns out the entire prison. His spunk's thicker than Baekhyun is accustomed to, oozing down Baekhyun's wrist as his dick throbs weakly in Baekhyun's hand. Kyungsoo's narrow chest heaves. He hiccups into Baekhyun's shoulder, then sags violently against him. Baekhyun, dazed, repeats, "I got you," as he continues holding Kyungsoo steady.
-
"YOU'RE LATE," Jongdae complains from across the hangar bay, just before he roundhouse kicks some guy in the face.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Baekhyun yells back. Next to him, Kyungsoo is working out his aggression by shooting a clear path through an incursion of thirty prison personnel. With a weapon in his hands, he appears to be feeling a little better.
Jongdae and Chanyeol have held the Suho's airlock open for them. Chanyeol lights up when he sees Kyungsoo coming up the ramp.
"I am Chanyeol," he greets, sweeping Kyungsoo cleanly off the ground.
Kyungsoo grunts but otherwise just relaxes into the hug, his legs dangling a full meter in mid-air.
"Thanks for waiting," Baekhyun tells Jongdae as he boards the Suho last.
"What else was I gonna do," Jongdae says, covering Baekhyun's ass for him. "You guys okay?"
Baekhyun shoves a hand through his hair. "I need a nap."
The four of them cram inside the cockpit. Kyungsoo takes over the controls while Chanyeol hovers behind him and gives him a branchy shoulder massage. Baekhyun hovers too, chanting under his breath: "C'mon, c'mon." The hangar's going into lockdown. The Suho holds up under gunfire like a real champ but if they get trapped she's not going to last. "Just give me a goddamn second," Kyungsoo says scratchily, agitated. His hand shakes as it wraps around the throttle.
They get the hell out of dodge. Kyungsoo maneuvers the Suho through the hangar bay doors just before they slam down behind them. Once they're back in the air, it's smoother sailing. The prison's external security is pretty much crap (because who'd want to break into a prison?), and though the Suho has taken damage to one of her engines, it's survivable. They gain enough distance to get a good view of the entire asteroid, filling the cockpit window, gray and jagged and toxic. Kyungsoo slumps back in the pilot seat.
Chanyeol breaks the relieved tension, rumbling down into Kyungsoo's ear, "I am Chanyeol."
Kyungsoo glances up fondly. "No shit."
"I didn't catch that one," Jongdae interrupts.
"He said this place really sucks," Kyungsoo says.
The energy shield is programmed to stay down for another sixty seconds. Baekhyun doesn't know how to go around saying, Sorry about what they did to you, but he does know: "Do you wanna blow it up?"
Kyungsoo bares his sharp little teeth.
They leave Basement 6 Penitentiary cratered, burning and gutted while the asteroid trails smoke through black space like a distress fire, dead in the water. Kyungsoo's aim is immaculate as always. "It's good to have you back," Jongdae laughs.
-
Post-Credits Scene:
Baekhyun stumbles upon Kyungsoo later in the cargo hold, sitting on one of the empty crates and cleaning his guns. Someone has updated the [34] DAYS WITHOUT CHANYEOL DYING sign to read [35].
"Go to bed, dude," Baekhyun says.
Kyungsoo shakes his head, so the only choice Baekhyun has now is to take a seat on a neighboring crate and keep him company. The Suho occasionally creaks and whirs beneath them, alive. It's a good night for flying. They've set coordinates for a nearby repair station, and the trajectory from here to there is nice and effortless.
"Thanks for today," Kyungsoo finally says.
"No problem," Baekhyun says, too fast. "Friend in need."
"Not for that," Kyungsoo makes a repulsed face, though halfhearted. "Thanks for bailing me out."
Baekhyun scratches the back of his neck, a little bashful. "Yeah, sure. You'd do the same if it was me."
Kyungsoo gives him a careful look, then turns back to his dismantled gun parts.
"What?" Baekhyun asks.
Kyungsoo shrugs. "Nothing."
Baekhyun won't push it. Still, he leans closer. "Don't tell me you've fallen in love with me or something."
Kyungsoo reaches a hand out casually and shoves Baekhyun so hard he almost topples to the floor. Well, that feels more normal.
"I mean, no judgment," Baekhyun adds, rubbing his shoulder. "It happens a lot. I'm used to it."
Kyungsoo gets this grudging expression on his face like he actually thinks Baekhyun's pretty funny. Satisfied, Baekhyun lies back on his crate and peers up at the observation window, through to the stars speeding alongside the ship. What a shitty fucking day. Exhaustion poisons Baekhyun down to his bones. Being back onboard this floating heap of seven year old garbage has never felt more rewarding.
He glances back over at Kyungsoo. Nevermind, he's going to push it. "Hey."
Kyungsoo says, "Yeah?" disinterestedly.
"Whatever happened before, however many ways you got fucked over in the past, you have people to bail you out now," Baekhyun says. "Like at least three people. You know that, right? You belong somewhere."
"Wow," Kyungsoo says, after some time. "Are you sure you're not the one who's in love with me?"
Baekhyun huffs a laugh. They don't really talk after that, sitting together semi-comfortably in the cargo hold as the time passes. He's almost dozed off by the time Kyungsoo eventually responds, in a way that's meant to go unheard, "You belong somewhere too."