SH 2014: Bulletproof Heart for dreamescape0522
For: dreamescape0522
From: ANONYMOUS until May 22, 2014
Title: Bulletproof Heart
Rating: R
Pairing(s)/Focus: Suho/Kris, side!Suho/OC
Length: 7700 words
Summary: It was supposed to be just a job.
Warning/s: Violence, language
Notes: I’m not really good at action fics, but the prompt just made my head spin because I love it so much. I took some cues from a foreign film that I love. I hope you get to enjoy reading this. There is an OC. Thanks also to my betas.
The tall man wiped the sweat off his brow, his long collar-length hair being whipped back. While the wind was strong, it was still a very humid day in the city, and he never did like the humidity much. There was nothing else he could do about though. News said it was global warming and all that bull. He had more important things to do anyway.
The underground called him "Kris" but no one knows his real name. Many would say he chose a bland name for an alias, but few would know the name’s association with a certain dagger, both weapon and spiritual object, that possessed the intrinsic elements of nature. No one would really care about the name though, certainly not his targets.
Kris was one of the best known and also the best kept secret of the underground. Some would merely label him as a hit man; others would simply say he was a random scum who appears out of nowhere and disappears just the same. Only one thing was certain; he was the only hit man to take jobs no one else would.
Kris grabbed onto the sling of the small pouch that he kept near him when he was out and about. Placing his hand inside, he searched around for the familiar touch of the metal in his fingertips. Giving off a wistful smile to no one in particular, he began to walk towards his target. The man in his sights seemed to be in his 50's, but Kris knew that the stress of running away from all those loan sharks had just merely caught up to him. Kris would have just let the job go by if his target had just had trouble with his finances; but if the man in question sells his own house and leaves his family in the streets to fend for themselves just so he could continue his gambling addiction, then all bets were off.
The day's mission was a simple hit-and-run. Literally, Kris did just that. As it was in the middle of the day, the side street had barely any other living thing out and about aside from Kris and his target. The older man was just about to enter his car, most probably just rented anyway, as Kris walked past him, putting on his shades. With his gun out and silencer already in place, the hit man took aim and fired two shots near point-blank range straight to the other man's heart. Kris's target had barely crumpled to the ground dead when he took off at a run. As he made his escape, Kris thought it would be at least half an hour before someone else would find the body if he was lucky.
Already some blocks away, Kris slipped into an empty alley. Slumping against the wall, he held the target's picture in his hand as he lit it up along with a stick of cigarette. It was just another day in the life of the hit man.
"You're late again," said the man, sitting down at a table in one of the more expensive outdoor cafes in the city. His voice tried to sound angry, but the grin plastered on his handsome face betrayed him.
"It's not my fault, I swear," said the woman who now stood near him. Before she could say another word, the other one grabbed her by the arm causing her to fall onto the man's lap. "Kim Junmyeon!"
The man laughed, his eyes turning into deep crescents that danced with his mirth. Planting a kiss on the woman's cheek, he said, "Don't blame the traffic again, Jade. I called your house an hour ago, and ahjumma said you were still in the bath."
"And you believe her?" said the other one. She combed her fingers through the man’s deep red locks and then suddenly swatted away the arm that was wrapped around her waist and holding her in place. "Let me up, oppa! I'm starving."
"And here I thought my fiancée was excited to meet me," Junmyeon pouted before helping Jade up. Being the gentleman that he was, Junmyeon also stood to assist the other woman as she took her seat.
"I have my priorities," said Jade.
It took some moments before Junmyeon thought about going back to his own seat. There was another person outside that had caught his eye. A very tall man with collar-length jet-black hair was sitting a few tables away from the couple. Junmyeon noticed him when the other one walked in front of him as he waited for his fiancée. To say that he was intrigued was an understatement, because it seemed like the other man was staring at him even though the other one had sunglasses on and Junmyeon clearly could not see his eyes. He felt like he was being watched and scrutinized, but it did not make him feel uncomfortable though. In fact, Junmyeon might say that his own interest was piqued.
"Oppa?" Jade looked up behind her at the other man, who was still standing there.
Junmyeon mentally shook himself and went back to attend to his fiancée. "Sorry, are you ready to order?"
It was another hour later when the couple finished their dinner. Jade wanted to do some window shopping since there was a row of boutiques nearby, and Junmyeon obliged. They were about to cross the street to the next block of boutiques, when the couple heard the loud skid of tires on the road. Only Junmyeon had stepped onto the lane and was able to stop his fiancée in time. He was about to mouth off some choice words at the reckless driver, when Junmyeon was rendered speechless. Somehow, even if the other one had a helmet on, he knew that the driver was the same man from the cafe earlier. What got him tongue-tied, though, was that the other one flipped the face shield up and Junmyeon could fully appreciate the eyes that were the color of honey and chocolate. He couldn't help but stare.
The other man too was staring back at Junmyeon. Without a word, he gestured for the couple to walk ahead.
"How rude!" mumbled Jade, as she walked ahead and tugged on her fiancé’s wrist. Junmyeon quickly followed, but it was all he could do not to look back at the stranger who almost ran them over.
It was another hour later when Jade wanted to go to the night market. It was a different environment as it was crowded with stalls and shops of various sizes and products. Vendors were everywhere peddling their wares, as buyers moved around. While the couple was from money, both appreciated the fun of the night market and similar places. Jade, in particular, has a good eye for picking out great pieces, and some people wouldn't even believe she got them at some bargain stall. Junmyeon, on the other hand, was amused at the intense look in his fiancée's eyes whenever she starts to haggle. Only the best of sellers could ever outwit the woman.
Junmyeon's fiancée was in the middle of negotiating the price of a tasteful centerpiece made of wood, when gunshots suddenly disturbed the peaceful hustle and bustle of the night market. Everyone ducked and tried to take cover, but, in the thickness of the crowd, no one could pinpoint who was firing the gun. Everything was in chaos as people ran in every direction. Jade was trying to pull Junmyeon away, but the man looked back, certain that the shots were fired near them.
Junmyeon felt the tug on his arm, but he still looked around for people who might need help. Little did he realize that someone was approaching them. A couple more shots were fired, adding even more panic to the chaos all around him. It was too late when he saw the person behind him. Junmyeon was struck from behind by the grip on the stranger's gun. He never even realized he had let go of Jade.
The pain was the last thing that Junmyeon remembered when he woke up. The young man was staring up against an unfamiliar ceiling and knew that he was lying down on a strange bed. As he sat up, he could feel the slight throb of pain in between his shoulders. He knew there was already some bruising going on there. He looked cautiously around and realized he was in some hotel room. It was of a decent size and did not look cramped, considering that there were twin beds.
Someone suddenly coughed out loud.
Junmyeon was startled, and he turned his head towards the sound. His eyes grew wide as he saw another man sitting on the couch opposite the bed he was in. Somehow, the other one looked familiar to him and he realized that it was the same man back at the cafe hours ago. Questions began running through Junmyeon's mind. Who was the man, really? Where were they? Why was he taken to this hotel room?
"Who are you?" Junmyeon asked, while surveying the room from his peripheral vision.
Without a word, a handcuff was thrown at Junmyeon's feet, startling the young man.
"Put it on."
The man had a deep, rough voice. If the situation were different, Junmyeon knew he would be reacting differently. But the reality that he was kidnapped did not really sit well with him. He watched as the other man, who did not even care to answer his question, wiped his handgun. There was an ashtray with a few butts of cigarettes in it, in front of the strange man. The pack of smokes and lighter were conveniently there beside it.
Junmyeon picked up the handcuffs, unable to decide whether to follow the stranger’s instructions or not. He looked around for a possible escape route. The windows were not even an option at all as they had metal grilles. He could make a mad dash to the bathroom and pray there was a manhole in the ceiling or something, but, judging from the other man’s size, the guy could just easily break down the door anyway before Junmyeon could do anything.
There was only one rational escape route left. Junmyeon tried to map out how he would be able to accomplish an almost impossible feat, considering that he didn’t even know the layout of the hotel he was in. He weighed the pros and cons, but decided ultimately that he’d rather want to be a free man. And so, Junmyeon went for the door.
There was a loud click of a gun being cocked. Of course, Junmyeon failed to consider another factor; his kidnapper had a gun. And he wasn’t even able to move more than five steps away from the bed.
“I said, put on the handcuffs.”
The stranger’s voice was still as rough as ever, but the neutral tone in his voice hid any emotion he might be having. If it were Junmyeon, he would be pissed to hell that his victim would try to escape, but then that wasn’t even in his own nature.
“Why should I even follow your orders?” Junmyeon asked, facing the other man, annoyance in his voice. “I am kept here under severe duress, kidnapped while I was unconscious, and not to mention the chaos you caused at that night market. I am assuming it was you who caused it since you have a gun, with the exact shape of its handle now a painful bruise on my back.”
Kris was taken aback. The short man had a mouth on him. A couple of weeks ago, his handler gave him a new target. He was a bit skeptical since he was specifically requested to make the hit. Seeing as he didn’t have anything lined up at the moment, Kris decided to take it.
The first thing that struck Kris though was the man’s beauty. Even the man’s name was beautiful, Junmyeon. He was almost sorry for having to take out such a pretty specimen of the human male, but the actual request was completely different from what he usually did. Kris was only to take the man hostage and deliver him to the designated place.
At first, Kris was more than half pissed. He was a hit man, not some lackey that one anonymous person could order around. But he was a man of his word though. He already took the job, and not seeing it through to the end would not only just be a stain on his reputation, but would also be a point against him personally.
His handler told him about Junmyeon’s usual whereabouts, but before completely agreeing, Kris asked what the man did wrong. He might be a hit man, but he chose his targets carefully and only the ones who did something heinous deserve to be at the other end of his gun.
Kris was told that his target had embezzled money out of his own family’s company just so he could go on spending sprees and personal whims. The reason wasn’t really a strong one, but for the hit man it was enough to pique his interest.
The hit man decided to do the deed one day before he was to deliver Junmyeon to his contact. Kris wasn’t that inhumane, and he didn’t want the other man to suffer more than necessary.
Over the next couple of weeks, Kris followed his target’s steps. The picture he was given when he first took the job did not do the other man justice. The man was truly beautiful, and the details that were given to the hit man did not connect in any way to what he observed in Junmyeon’s actions. Kris gave his handler the benefit of the doubt though. He knew that even the prettiest faces hid the worst of people, and he didn’t even have to give names for that. Of course, that did not stop Kris from enjoying the view.
For someone who was allegedly a lazy bum and a playboy, Kris could see Junmyeon going around helping homeless people, and the man only went out with one girl. Kris didn’t know how to define a real playboy, but the man would have at least gone on dates with a lot of other women even if he had a girlfriend, wouldn’t he?
Kris was lucky that his target was too occupied with whatever he would be doing during the times that Junmyeon would be out and about to notice that he was being stalked. Stalking was such a strong word though, but Kris realized that that was what he was really doing. With his other targets, the hit man would just observe them for a day or two before moving in to fulfill his job. But with this Junmyeon person, everything was different.
It even came to a point that Kris would look forward to another day of ‘observing’ his target. It was for the sake of finding a perfect timing to kidnap him, of course. The man, though, would go about visiting orphanages and volunteering in various organizations, which baffled Kris. But the job has to be done, even though the shorter man’s antics while hanging out with his friends would make the hard-hearted hit man smile from the vantage point as he ‘observed’ the other man.
On the day Kris was to kidnap Junmyeon, he broke one of his own rules. The hit man revealed himself to his target. It was both planned and unintentional at the same time.
Junmyeon was at the café waiting for someone. Kris had already planned on just luring the other man out somewhere, but when he heard the other man talking on the phone with his fiancée, Kris knew he had to change his game plan. During his past observations of the couple, Kris found out that they both liked to shop and not just at the expensive boutiques, but sometimes even at night markets and bargain shops all over the city.
Seeing as he would have to wait for a while, Kris had decided to take a table in the same café, thinking he wouldn’t want to lose the couple if he left and just came back at a later time. What the hit man did not count on was that Junmyeon would notice him. The shorter man kept sneaking glances at his direction, while trying to bide time waiting for his fiancée by fiddling around his cell phone. Kris didn’t want to sound arrogant, but it seemed like the man he was about to kidnap had somewhat taken an interest in him. It was a good thing he had kept his sunglasses on, or his eyes would betray the interest on his own end.
Kris had to wait a long while for Junmyeon’s fiancée to arrive and for them to finish their meal, forcing him to order something too. He cursed himself for not having the foresight to see that the café they were at was on the expensive side. The bit of chunk that was taken out of his wallet would have had better use somewhere else.
It would seem luck was on Kris’ side, as the couple did go for a bit of shopping. He followed them discreetly around the shopping center of the city, but Kris was unable to find a good timing. The hit man was doubly blessed when the couple went to the nearby night market. The setting was simply perfect for him.
Once Kris saw that the couple was immersed in their shopping, he fired off random shots in the air. The crowd was the perfect distraction, and kidnapping Junmyeon was as easy as pie.
“Don’t make me hurt you, Junmyeon,” Kris said icily, still aiming the gun at the shorter man. “Go back to the bed and put on those handcuffs.”
The other man reluctantly followed the order, mumbling, “Of course, he knows my name, and I don’t even have an inkling of who is.”
Kris was just lowering the gun, when suddenly the other man blurted out, “Oh, wait! I know! You’re a stripper, right? Is this another prank from my best friends? Shit! My wedding is months away. Is this supposed to be a one-man bachelor’s party? I mean I go for kinky at times, but this is just too much effort, don’t you think?”
Kris couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was the other man seriously thinking that he was a stripper after knocking him out cold in the middle of a panicked night market while his girlfriend was with him?
“Look,” Junmyeon continued. “Umm, whoever you are, I understand that my friends must have paid you a lot for a prank this elaborate. Just tell me how much they gave you, and I’ll double it for the hassle this must have caused you. I…”
“Shut your trap, Junmyeon,” Kris interrupted the other guy. “Let me get this clear, okay?”
Junmyeon was surprised at the coldness in the other man’s voice. He wanted to say something more, but the other man’s eyes might be saying that he really was to keep quiet.
“First of all, I am not a stripper nor is this even close to what you think is even happening right now. Secondly, this gun is real.” Kris smacked the weapon on his palm for emphasis. “If I have to say it out as plain as day, this is a kidnapping.”
Junmyeon’s eyes went wide, as he heard those words. His mouth was open and he was about to speak again when the other man aimed the gun once more at him.
“Let me finish. Now, what I want you to do right now is get up on that bed and handcuff yourself to the headboard. I have the only key in my pocket, and I do not want to risk you escaping before I could deliver you to where you have to be. I suggest you get a good night’s sleep, because we have an early day tomorrow. Understand?”
Junmyeon wanted to be stubborn. This wasn’t really what he pictured out a kidnapping would be, like in the movies. Then again, the barrel of a gun, a real one at that, staring down at you would make someone mull his life over. In the end, he resigned himself to compliance. That… person did not even have the decency to handcuff him himself. Junmyeon was supposed to be the victim here, wasn’t he?
In the meantime, Kris couldn’t stop himself from watching, no, staring at the shorter man. While carrying Junmyeon on the way to the hotel room he had rented earlier in the day, he was able to see the other man up close. And it was more than enough to almost make him regret his decision to pursue the job, even if it were just his groin talking instead of his head. Holding an unconscious Junmyeon was different from having to hold him awake, and he had to make the other man cuff his own self to the bed. The other man’s pouting as he struggled with the metal rings was not helping Kris keep himself calm. When he heard the click, the hit man sat himself back down.
“By the way, it’s Kris.”
Junmyeon turned when the taller man spoke once more. “Huh?”
“My name,” said the other one, nonchalantly, going back to wiping his gun just so he could not stare back at Junmyeon’s eyes. “You asked for it earlier, and I don’t want you to think I ignored that. I could at least give you that courtesy, since I don’t know what fate awaits you after I deliver you anyway.”
Junmyeon adjusted himself to sit on the bed, leaning back at the headboard. Scoffing, he said, “A kidnapper with morals, how original! How about you extend that courtesy and just let me go then?”
Kris did not know whether to be pissed off or turned on at the other man’s sass. He just had to take another look, but Kris did his best to keep his face and voice neutral. “How about you just go to sleep then, you little shit?”
“I am Kim Junmyeon, not little shit,” he answered back. “Oh wait, you already know that. Chris. I don’t know which is worse, being kidnapped or having to know that your own kidnapper has such a holy name.”
“It’s spelled with K, idiot.”
Junmyeon knitted his eyebrows at the way the verbal assaults the other man was giving him. “I don’t get where all this anger is coming from. Would you care to explain it to me?”
Kris let out an exasperated breath. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the family business? Not a shrink?”
“Oh, wow. I apparently also have been stalked beforehand,” muttered Junmyeon to himself. “You are half-right, Mr. Kris. I am a part of the family business, but I also minored in psychology back in college. So it would seem that you did not manage to dig up enough information about me.”
“Just go to sleep,” Kris ordered. He did not want to delve any deeper into this. He was still on the job, and no sass-mouthed victim was going to keep him from finishing it. If the situation were any different, the man’s personality made Kris want to know him more, but it wasn’t to be. “And my name is just Kris.”
“Whatever, dagger man,” Junmyeon muttered before he lay down on the bed and tried to force himself to sleep.
To say Kris was impressed that the other man knew about the reference was an understatement. Now, he couldn’t keep that nagging voice of regret away. It’s just a job, Kris thought to himself. And it might be the first he would actually be regretting.
The next day, Kris woke the other man up at the crack of dawn as they made their way to the meeting point. Junmyeon was silent all throughout the ride and even as Kris pushed him onto the open space of the mezzanine where the latter’s handler kept his office. This was the place where Junmyeon was supposed to be delivered. It was a metalwork factory, which fronted the underground and black market activities of its owner.
“Ahh, this must be dear little Junmyeon,” the middle-aged man behind the desk grinned as the other two went nearer. “Tsk! Tsk! Those pictures don’t do you justice.”
“Cut the crap, Yunbok,” Kris growled. “The target’s here, and you still haven’t told me why you want him alive.”
“Because I want you to kill him in front of me.”
Junmyeon froze at the sound of the voice. It came from the man who stepped outside of a door connected to the mezzanine. The sound was just out of his line of sight and he did not want to turn, in fear that it was who he was thinking of.
“Aren’t you going to greet your uncle, boy?” said the man, addressing the shorter one. “Tsk! Tsk! Oh well, there’s no use for such a disrespectful scum like you in this world. Kill him.”
Kris did not do as he was told, instead he turned the shorter man towards him and asked, “Junmyeon, do you know this man?”
The other one only kept quiet.
“It figures you would keep quiet now,” said Junmyeon’s uncle. “But you just couldn’t keep your mouth shut before, can you? You just had to go and tell your father.”
Kris looked from Junmyeon to the other man’s uncle and back again. Somehow, he knew there was something else going on behind all of this.
“Kris, right?” The older man addressed the hit man. “What are you doing just standing there? I already told you to kill him.”
Ignoring the orders, the raven-haired man continued to stare at his companion, silently willing the other one to speak to him. Kris’ instincts told him that there was a guilty person among them, but it wasn’t Junmyeon.
“My father deserves to know,” Junmyeon finally spoke softly.
“Glad to know this thug didn’t cut your tongue out when he kidnapped you,” Junmyeon’s uncle said derisively.
The younger one glared at his uncle. “My father deserves to know that his brother is a thief.”
“Oh, shut your mouth, kid,” the older one answered back. “You have no sense of family.”
“No, you have no sense of family, Uncle Junyoung” Junmyeon cut him off, spouting off words he had wanted to tell his uncle for the longest time. “Grandfather and father worked hard for the company, and there you were just siphoning off money; money that should have been given for the employees’ benefits. I’ve only managed to look at the most recent records, and you couldn’t hide your paper trail very well. Who knows how much more money has been wasted on your own caprice all these years?”
“Well, it seems Old Man Jun’s investment on you has paid off then,” Junyoung scoffed. “Too bad he won’t be able to see more dividends after today.”
The humor of the business language was not lost on Junmyeon, but he barely registered a reaction on his face. He wouldn’t allow his uncle the pleasure of seeing him squirm. Even if Kris did not do anything yet, it still wouldn’t mean that the hit man would disobey the orders given to him.
“It’s your fault you know,” Junyoung continued. “That the company lost such promising young employees. If you hadn’t had to stick your nose into someone else’ business, they’d still be alive.”
Junmyeon gasped. He knew the people his uncle meant. They were a couple of friends in the company, fellow employees, who helped him trace his uncle’s shady transactions. It angered him even more that his uncle was not just a thief, but a murderer as well.
“Well, I think I’ve already told you what you need to know,” Junmyeon’s uncle concluded. “Hey, street rat, kill him. I’m not taking any chances.”
“How about I kill you instead?” Kris suddenly pulled out his gun and aimed at the older man.
There were a couple of goons with them and they aimed their own guns at Kris and Junmyeon.
“What the-?” Junyoung took a step back in surprise. “Yunbok, what is the meaning of this? You said this guy sticks to his orders.”
“Your orders are worth nothing,” answered Kris, glaring at Junmyeon’s uncle and then his handler. “You lied to me, bastard. I told you I don’t kill innocent people.”
“Whoa! Ease up there, Kris,” Yunbok stood up from behind his deck. “Think about this for a second! This job has already been paid for. You just need to finish it the way it should be. How about I take half my usual cut from you, okay?”
Kris tightened his finger on the trigger.
“No?” Yunbok waved his hands. “How about you get all of the pay for this job, okay? I’ll waive my handler’s fee. Just finish the job.”
The hit man glanced at the other one with him. Junmyeon looked around and gave the other man a nod.
“I say this is bullshit,” Kris announced. “Junmyeon, let’s bounce.”
With those words, the shorter man reached for the nearby chair and slammed it against the goon nearest him. At the same time, Kris began firing his gun. The two of them ran back toward the stairs to make an escape.
In the meantime, the other goon and Yunbok had also begun firing at the pair. Junmyeon’s uncle had crouched down low to dodge the bullets from Kris’ gun.
Just as Kris and Junmyeon reached the landing, a lucky shot grazed the former’s arm causing him to let go of his gun. Before it slipped from Kris’ fingers, Junmyeon managed to hold on to it and continued firing as Kris led the way out of the factory. More shots were fired and the two dodged bullets ricocheting throughout the metal products.
Moments later and they somehow managed to get out of the factory in one piece, but with the shouts of the goons running after them, they were still far from safety. Junmyeon had managed to let Kris allow him to drive the motorcycle, seeing as the other man wasn’t fit to do it with his injury.
Junmyeon took the long way back to the heart of the city, making sure to take roads that were out of the way so they would be hard to follow. At the same time, he was careful not to cause further harm to the other man behind him. He felt Kris’ weight on his back, trying to balance himself while clutching into his bleeding arm.
“Stop,” Kris suddenly said once they had been going around for some time and sure that they had lost the goons chasing them.
“What?” the other man answered back, his voice almost drowned out by loud hum of the motorcycle.
“I said, stop!” Kris repeated, in a louder voice.
Junmyeon frowned at the other man’s command, but pulled over to a quiet side street anyway. Before he could even adjust the kickstand, Kris had jumped off the motorcycle. The other one soon followed, forehead still knitted in confusion. Without another word, Kris got back on and adjusted himself on the vehicle.
“In case, you haven’t noticed,” Kris began; his voice weak. “You’re free. I’m letting you go.”
“But your-,” Junmyeon was about to say something more but the other man glared at him.
“I can take care of myself,” Kris snapped, pulling out his gun and aiming at the shorter one. “Leave.”
Insolent bastard. Junmyeon thought to himself as he turned around to walk away. He had barely taken a couple of steps when he heard the other man groan out loud. Swiftly, he turned back and ran to help the other one just before the motorcycle could topple over. Clearly, Kris’ injured arm would make it difficult for him to do anything.
“Shit! You’re still bleeding heavily,” Junmyeon said, after helping the other man right himself on the motorcycle. “Wait.”
“What are you-,” Kris started to say but was struck silent when his companion began to take off his shirt.
“You should have told me that it was still bleeding sometime ago,” said the shorter one. “I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if you had gone into shock.”
Junmyeon remembered he had an undershirt. He took it off to serve as a makeshift bandage, just to staunch the bleeding. With deft hands, he had torn up his shirt and knotted it snugly over the bleeding wound.
Kris couldn’t help but swallow nervously, as his mouth had suddenly gone dry when the other man was half-naked in front of him out in the open. He did not realize how pale Junmyeon’s torso was, or how he had taut muscles that he kept hidden under those layers of clothes that he liked to wear. He tried his best, but Kris could not ignore how the muscles on the other man’s arms moved as Junmyeon bandaged him. Fuck this.
The hit man did not notice the silence for until a few more moments later. He saw that Junmyeon had put his shirt back on but kept a couple of buttons at the top open, revealing just a hint of the chest that Kris was unashamedly ogling some time before.
“What?” Kris growled out, hoping that the other man didn’t notice that his voice hitched when he spoke.
“Move back, Kris,” Junmyeon said, commandingly this time. “You’re not fit to drive. I’ll take you where you need to go. We need to have a better look at that wound anyway.”
“I told you I can take care of-,” Kris started to say.
“And I say you can’t,” Junmyeon cut him off. With some force, he took the handle from Kris and somehow managed to get on the motorcycle in front of the other man. “Just tell me where to go.”
Half an hour later, Junmyeon had somehow managed to half-support and half-drag the taller, definitely heavier, man into his hideout. It took quite some effort between the two of them, as they had to climb some flights of stairs to reach Kris’ room on the top floor of the decrepit building in the outskirts of the city. Junmyeon did not see any other person on their way up, but he heard some noises in the lower floors indicating that there were still some people living there.
Kris groaned out loud. Throbbing pain shot through his arm. The climb up to his room just made it worse. With the amount of blood he had lost, his skin had already become cold and clammy. Junmyeon helped him shrug out of his clothes, and laid Kris back on his bed half naked.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to a clinic?” Junmyeon asked.
“No,” Kris answered weakly. “No doctors. K-kit’s in cabinet.”
Junmyeon couldn’t believe what had just happened over past few hours. He woke up that morning still held captive by the wounded man on the bed. He had his freedom, but chose to help out his former kidnapper, the man who was supposed to kill him by the orders of his own uncle. Junmyeon shook his head. He’ll have to think about his uncle some other time, because at the moment, Kris badly needed help.
Opening the cabinet, he searched for the medicine kit that the other man told him about. His eyes homed in on a certain plushie that was sitting on top of the kit. Junmyeon didn’t know what kind of animal it was, looking like, but not almost quite, a camel since it didn’t have humps and it was just all fluffy. He guessed that at one time the plushie was white, but now had some dirt on it. The plushie was not at all congruent to what Junmyeon would expect Kris to have, so out of place in this small, dingy apartment. It brought a smile on his face.
Hearing Kris softly curse brought Junmyeon back, and he quickly got the medicine kit out. He sat beside the tall man and carefully undid the bandage. Inspecting the wound, Junmyeon declared, “This looks really nasty. I think the bullet went through, but this needs stitches. It’s a good thing your med kit’s got sutures, huh?”
Kris was on side when the other man removed the bandage, and he looked sideways at Junmyeon. “Are you sure you even know how to use that?”
Junmyeon rolled his eyes. “I volunteer at an animal rescue center. I hardly think it would be different from stitching up cats and dogs.”
The other man’s eyes almost widened in horror, but it was better than nothing at all.
“We usually have the poor things tranquilized,” Junmyeon continued, as he began to prepare the things he would need. “But I’m not expecting to have the same luxury here.”
He tried to look for an antiseptic, but the bottle was already empty. Junmyeon spied a bottle of vodka though, and decided that it would have to do. Despite the other one’s complaints, Junmyeon adjusted Kris’ position so the man’s arm was over the basin while he poured the drink over the wound. He noticed a tattoo on Kris’ arm just above the wound. The intricate design intrigued Junmyeon and he was somewhat glad that the bullet did not manage to mar it.
“Well, I’m not going to pander to you and say this won’t hurt,” Junmyeon looked the other one in the eye as he raised his hand ready to stick the needle in. “Because you damn well know it will.”
Kris nodded and closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. The vodka managed to numb some of the pain, but it still hurt like a bitch.
The man may have passed out somewhere in between the second and third stitch, but Junmyeon could see that Kris was already sound asleep. Carefully, he had managed to take off the other man’s socks and pants, and gave Kris a sponge bath after he cleaned off the wound.
Finding himself bored, Junmyeon continued on with cleaning the whole place, arranging most of Kris’ things, and doing the other man’s laundry. He somehow even got to wash the plushie, which was truly white and fluffy.
By late afternoon, Junmyeon felt pangs of hunger but had to make do with the instant ramen that he found. There were some food in stock at the small fridge but Junmyeon was too tired and too hungry to cook. He ate first and prepared another bowl for Kris, who was still soundly asleep.
Junmyeon was hovering over the man, checking on the other’s wound, when Kris came to. He didn’t really know how it came to be, but the way the light was behind Junmyeon made a halo form around the other man’s head just as Kris was opening his eyes. Still a bit out of it, Kris had muttered aloud, “S-suho cheon-…”
“Huh?” Junmyeon asked.
Realizing that he had said it aloud, Kris quickly shook his head and tried to sit up, but Junmyeon forcefully held him down.
“Whoa there, dagger man,” said the other. “Take it easy or you’ll open that wound again. I found some instant ramen and cooked it. Sit up for me.” Junmyeon straightened up and helped Kris sit up, as he put some pillows on the other’s back.
For the next couple of weeks, Junmyeon took care of the other man. It was a miracle that the wound was healing fine and that Kris did not get a fever. When he was awake, Kris would watch the little spitfire move about, seemingly able to find something to keep him busy, mostly cleaning and arranging things. Kris wanted to do something to help out, but when the smaller man would begin to squint his eyes and purse his lips, shutting up would be best.
For a few days now, Kris was able to walk around, the dressing over his wound gone. Junmyeon had taken out the stitches after a few days when he saw that it had closed over well. It was still going to leave a nasty scar though. Kris had just woken up from a nap and was wondering where Junmyeon was.
A few moments later and Kris saw the said person walk into the room, carrying a plastic big and dressed in ill-fitting clothes. He had to admit that seeing Junmyeon in his clothes, definitely oversized for the smaller man, was wreaking havoc on his sanity. But another thought had filled his mind completely.
“Where have you been?” said Kris, his voice tinged with anger.
“Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Junmyeon bit back, confused at the sudden scorch in the other man’s inquiry.
“Fuck it, Junmyeon,” the other one raised his voice. “I asked where you’ve been.”
“Calm down,” he answered. “I just bought some food, because we’ve run out and you live in the middle of frickin’ nowhere. I had to walk more than a couple of blocks just to find a convenience store.”
“Idiot,” Kris muttered aloud, as he suddenly went to the door. Slowly, he stuck his head out and looked around the empty hallway. Still unsatisfied, he quietly walked up and down the hallway.
When Kris returned, Junmyeon had already laid out a couple of ready-to-eat meals for them and was just about to place the rest of what he bought inside the small refrigerator.
“Do you realize the danger that you were in?” Kris suddenly spoke up, as he locked the door behind him.
Junmyeon just glared back at the other man.
“You’re right,” Kris continued. “I do live out in the middle of nowhere, and not everyone in this neighborhood is friendly. In fact, there are a lot of people here frowned at by the rest of society. You could have been mugged when you went out, or worse.”
“But I’m safe,” the shorter man replied. He would have said something more but the other one interrupted.
“You don’t get it. After what happened days ago and knowing my handler, I’m more than sure that the bastard has already sent out some of his goons to hunt us down. What if you’ve been found out? You don’t exactly blend into this kind of environment, even if you’re wearing my clothes.”
Kris’ face had become flush.
“What if you’ve been followed? You’re putting both of our lives in danger. How could you be so reckless? Well, ever since I got into this business, I already have one foot in the grave already so I wouldn’t care about my life just as much, but I do care about yours.”
The taller man suddenly clammed up, when he realized what he just said out loud.
“W-what did you just say?” Junmyeon asked, when his ears picked up Kris’ last line.
“I said you were reckless,” Kris mumbled.
“The one you said last, Kris,” Junmyeon pried.
“I-I said I,” Kris stopped and took a deep breath. “Fuck it! I care about your life, Junmyeon. You were supposed to be just a job, but Lord knows that’s not just what you are ever since I saw you. You can call me crazy but-”
While Kris rambling on, he failed to realize that Junmyeon was already standing before him. He stopped when the other man pressed a finger to his lips.
“I guess you can also call me crazy.”
Before any other word could be exchanged between them, the shorter man suddenly stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips hard on the other man. Moments already, Kris answered back with just as much heat and eagerness. The food would be forgotten for the next few hours, at least.
“Junmyeon, why do you stay?” said Kris. Both were on his bed and the taller one was gently stroking the other man’s hair, as he was lying on his chest. “Why won’t you go back? I don’t have anything to offer you.”
“You’re already enough, Kris,” the other one said in reply.
Kris scoffed. “This isn’t the time to be cheesy. I’m serious. You already live a normal life out there. You have a girlfriend, fiancée. You don’t need me to be in the way.”
Junmyeon raised his head and looked at his lover straight in the eye. “Don’t decide what I can and can’t do, Kris. To be honest, Jade is my best friend. Our parents arranged the marriage, but she and I decided that we can easily dissolve the arrangement if either of us could fall for someone else. Everything might be a whirlwind for the two of us, but I have never felt more alive ever since I saw you in that café a couple of weeks ago. I want to get to know you more, Kris, even if it means staying here.”
“Life in the underground is not for you,” Kris argued. “Trust me; it’s not as easy as it seems.”
Junmyeon became quiet for a bit. “Then come back with me,” the other man whispered.
“What?”
“I-I can help you integrate back into society,” Junmyeon continued. “You said so yourself that life in the underground is not easy.”
“I…” Kris hesitated, and then gave a loud sigh. “Okay.”
“Okay?” the other man raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s time anyway,” said the taller one. “I had been thinking about quitting this job for some time now. Just didn’t have a reason to.”
“You’re sure, right? I-I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you into this and that you’re going to regret it and-“ Junmyeon was rambling.
Kris pulled the other man’s face towards him to capture his lover’s lips in his. He deepened the kiss for a few more moments before he pulled back and said, “This is all new to me but, yes, I’m sure.”
Junmyeon could only answer with a grin.
The older man felt the coldness of the metal as his attacker pressed the dagger close to his throat.
“Wh-what the fuck is this?” said the man, as he struggled to free himself. “Wh-who are you?”
“Hello, uncle,” the masked assailant hissed at the other man’s ear. “Missed me?”
“Junmyeon?”
“No, it’s Suho.”
From: ANONYMOUS until May 22, 2014
Title: Bulletproof Heart
Rating: R
Pairing(s)/Focus: Suho/Kris, side!Suho/OC
Length: 7700 words
Summary: It was supposed to be just a job.
Warning/s: Violence, language
Notes: I’m not really good at action fics, but the prompt just made my head spin because I love it so much. I took some cues from a foreign film that I love. I hope you get to enjoy reading this. There is an OC. Thanks also to my betas.
The tall man wiped the sweat off his brow, his long collar-length hair being whipped back. While the wind was strong, it was still a very humid day in the city, and he never did like the humidity much. There was nothing else he could do about though. News said it was global warming and all that bull. He had more important things to do anyway.
The underground called him "Kris" but no one knows his real name. Many would say he chose a bland name for an alias, but few would know the name’s association with a certain dagger, both weapon and spiritual object, that possessed the intrinsic elements of nature. No one would really care about the name though, certainly not his targets.
Kris was one of the best known and also the best kept secret of the underground. Some would merely label him as a hit man; others would simply say he was a random scum who appears out of nowhere and disappears just the same. Only one thing was certain; he was the only hit man to take jobs no one else would.
Kris grabbed onto the sling of the small pouch that he kept near him when he was out and about. Placing his hand inside, he searched around for the familiar touch of the metal in his fingertips. Giving off a wistful smile to no one in particular, he began to walk towards his target. The man in his sights seemed to be in his 50's, but Kris knew that the stress of running away from all those loan sharks had just merely caught up to him. Kris would have just let the job go by if his target had just had trouble with his finances; but if the man in question sells his own house and leaves his family in the streets to fend for themselves just so he could continue his gambling addiction, then all bets were off.
The day's mission was a simple hit-and-run. Literally, Kris did just that. As it was in the middle of the day, the side street had barely any other living thing out and about aside from Kris and his target. The older man was just about to enter his car, most probably just rented anyway, as Kris walked past him, putting on his shades. With his gun out and silencer already in place, the hit man took aim and fired two shots near point-blank range straight to the other man's heart. Kris's target had barely crumpled to the ground dead when he took off at a run. As he made his escape, Kris thought it would be at least half an hour before someone else would find the body if he was lucky.
Already some blocks away, Kris slipped into an empty alley. Slumping against the wall, he held the target's picture in his hand as he lit it up along with a stick of cigarette. It was just another day in the life of the hit man.
"You're late again," said the man, sitting down at a table in one of the more expensive outdoor cafes in the city. His voice tried to sound angry, but the grin plastered on his handsome face betrayed him.
"It's not my fault, I swear," said the woman who now stood near him. Before she could say another word, the other one grabbed her by the arm causing her to fall onto the man's lap. "Kim Junmyeon!"
The man laughed, his eyes turning into deep crescents that danced with his mirth. Planting a kiss on the woman's cheek, he said, "Don't blame the traffic again, Jade. I called your house an hour ago, and ahjumma said you were still in the bath."
"And you believe her?" said the other one. She combed her fingers through the man’s deep red locks and then suddenly swatted away the arm that was wrapped around her waist and holding her in place. "Let me up, oppa! I'm starving."
"And here I thought my fiancée was excited to meet me," Junmyeon pouted before helping Jade up. Being the gentleman that he was, Junmyeon also stood to assist the other woman as she took her seat.
"I have my priorities," said Jade.
It took some moments before Junmyeon thought about going back to his own seat. There was another person outside that had caught his eye. A very tall man with collar-length jet-black hair was sitting a few tables away from the couple. Junmyeon noticed him when the other one walked in front of him as he waited for his fiancée. To say that he was intrigued was an understatement, because it seemed like the other man was staring at him even though the other one had sunglasses on and Junmyeon clearly could not see his eyes. He felt like he was being watched and scrutinized, but it did not make him feel uncomfortable though. In fact, Junmyeon might say that his own interest was piqued.
"Oppa?" Jade looked up behind her at the other man, who was still standing there.
Junmyeon mentally shook himself and went back to attend to his fiancée. "Sorry, are you ready to order?"
It was another hour later when the couple finished their dinner. Jade wanted to do some window shopping since there was a row of boutiques nearby, and Junmyeon obliged. They were about to cross the street to the next block of boutiques, when the couple heard the loud skid of tires on the road. Only Junmyeon had stepped onto the lane and was able to stop his fiancée in time. He was about to mouth off some choice words at the reckless driver, when Junmyeon was rendered speechless. Somehow, even if the other one had a helmet on, he knew that the driver was the same man from the cafe earlier. What got him tongue-tied, though, was that the other one flipped the face shield up and Junmyeon could fully appreciate the eyes that were the color of honey and chocolate. He couldn't help but stare.
The other man too was staring back at Junmyeon. Without a word, he gestured for the couple to walk ahead.
"How rude!" mumbled Jade, as she walked ahead and tugged on her fiancé’s wrist. Junmyeon quickly followed, but it was all he could do not to look back at the stranger who almost ran them over.
It was another hour later when Jade wanted to go to the night market. It was a different environment as it was crowded with stalls and shops of various sizes and products. Vendors were everywhere peddling their wares, as buyers moved around. While the couple was from money, both appreciated the fun of the night market and similar places. Jade, in particular, has a good eye for picking out great pieces, and some people wouldn't even believe she got them at some bargain stall. Junmyeon, on the other hand, was amused at the intense look in his fiancée's eyes whenever she starts to haggle. Only the best of sellers could ever outwit the woman.
Junmyeon's fiancée was in the middle of negotiating the price of a tasteful centerpiece made of wood, when gunshots suddenly disturbed the peaceful hustle and bustle of the night market. Everyone ducked and tried to take cover, but, in the thickness of the crowd, no one could pinpoint who was firing the gun. Everything was in chaos as people ran in every direction. Jade was trying to pull Junmyeon away, but the man looked back, certain that the shots were fired near them.
Junmyeon felt the tug on his arm, but he still looked around for people who might need help. Little did he realize that someone was approaching them. A couple more shots were fired, adding even more panic to the chaos all around him. It was too late when he saw the person behind him. Junmyeon was struck from behind by the grip on the stranger's gun. He never even realized he had let go of Jade.
The pain was the last thing that Junmyeon remembered when he woke up. The young man was staring up against an unfamiliar ceiling and knew that he was lying down on a strange bed. As he sat up, he could feel the slight throb of pain in between his shoulders. He knew there was already some bruising going on there. He looked cautiously around and realized he was in some hotel room. It was of a decent size and did not look cramped, considering that there were twin beds.
Someone suddenly coughed out loud.
Junmyeon was startled, and he turned his head towards the sound. His eyes grew wide as he saw another man sitting on the couch opposite the bed he was in. Somehow, the other one looked familiar to him and he realized that it was the same man back at the cafe hours ago. Questions began running through Junmyeon's mind. Who was the man, really? Where were they? Why was he taken to this hotel room?
"Who are you?" Junmyeon asked, while surveying the room from his peripheral vision.
Without a word, a handcuff was thrown at Junmyeon's feet, startling the young man.
"Put it on."
The man had a deep, rough voice. If the situation were different, Junmyeon knew he would be reacting differently. But the reality that he was kidnapped did not really sit well with him. He watched as the other man, who did not even care to answer his question, wiped his handgun. There was an ashtray with a few butts of cigarettes in it, in front of the strange man. The pack of smokes and lighter were conveniently there beside it.
Junmyeon picked up the handcuffs, unable to decide whether to follow the stranger’s instructions or not. He looked around for a possible escape route. The windows were not even an option at all as they had metal grilles. He could make a mad dash to the bathroom and pray there was a manhole in the ceiling or something, but, judging from the other man’s size, the guy could just easily break down the door anyway before Junmyeon could do anything.
There was only one rational escape route left. Junmyeon tried to map out how he would be able to accomplish an almost impossible feat, considering that he didn’t even know the layout of the hotel he was in. He weighed the pros and cons, but decided ultimately that he’d rather want to be a free man. And so, Junmyeon went for the door.
There was a loud click of a gun being cocked. Of course, Junmyeon failed to consider another factor; his kidnapper had a gun. And he wasn’t even able to move more than five steps away from the bed.
“I said, put on the handcuffs.”
The stranger’s voice was still as rough as ever, but the neutral tone in his voice hid any emotion he might be having. If it were Junmyeon, he would be pissed to hell that his victim would try to escape, but then that wasn’t even in his own nature.
“Why should I even follow your orders?” Junmyeon asked, facing the other man, annoyance in his voice. “I am kept here under severe duress, kidnapped while I was unconscious, and not to mention the chaos you caused at that night market. I am assuming it was you who caused it since you have a gun, with the exact shape of its handle now a painful bruise on my back.”
Kris was taken aback. The short man had a mouth on him. A couple of weeks ago, his handler gave him a new target. He was a bit skeptical since he was specifically requested to make the hit. Seeing as he didn’t have anything lined up at the moment, Kris decided to take it.
The first thing that struck Kris though was the man’s beauty. Even the man’s name was beautiful, Junmyeon. He was almost sorry for having to take out such a pretty specimen of the human male, but the actual request was completely different from what he usually did. Kris was only to take the man hostage and deliver him to the designated place.
At first, Kris was more than half pissed. He was a hit man, not some lackey that one anonymous person could order around. But he was a man of his word though. He already took the job, and not seeing it through to the end would not only just be a stain on his reputation, but would also be a point against him personally.
His handler told him about Junmyeon’s usual whereabouts, but before completely agreeing, Kris asked what the man did wrong. He might be a hit man, but he chose his targets carefully and only the ones who did something heinous deserve to be at the other end of his gun.
Kris was told that his target had embezzled money out of his own family’s company just so he could go on spending sprees and personal whims. The reason wasn’t really a strong one, but for the hit man it was enough to pique his interest.
The hit man decided to do the deed one day before he was to deliver Junmyeon to his contact. Kris wasn’t that inhumane, and he didn’t want the other man to suffer more than necessary.
Over the next couple of weeks, Kris followed his target’s steps. The picture he was given when he first took the job did not do the other man justice. The man was truly beautiful, and the details that were given to the hit man did not connect in any way to what he observed in Junmyeon’s actions. Kris gave his handler the benefit of the doubt though. He knew that even the prettiest faces hid the worst of people, and he didn’t even have to give names for that. Of course, that did not stop Kris from enjoying the view.
For someone who was allegedly a lazy bum and a playboy, Kris could see Junmyeon going around helping homeless people, and the man only went out with one girl. Kris didn’t know how to define a real playboy, but the man would have at least gone on dates with a lot of other women even if he had a girlfriend, wouldn’t he?
Kris was lucky that his target was too occupied with whatever he would be doing during the times that Junmyeon would be out and about to notice that he was being stalked. Stalking was such a strong word though, but Kris realized that that was what he was really doing. With his other targets, the hit man would just observe them for a day or two before moving in to fulfill his job. But with this Junmyeon person, everything was different.
It even came to a point that Kris would look forward to another day of ‘observing’ his target. It was for the sake of finding a perfect timing to kidnap him, of course. The man, though, would go about visiting orphanages and volunteering in various organizations, which baffled Kris. But the job has to be done, even though the shorter man’s antics while hanging out with his friends would make the hard-hearted hit man smile from the vantage point as he ‘observed’ the other man.
On the day Kris was to kidnap Junmyeon, he broke one of his own rules. The hit man revealed himself to his target. It was both planned and unintentional at the same time.
Junmyeon was at the café waiting for someone. Kris had already planned on just luring the other man out somewhere, but when he heard the other man talking on the phone with his fiancée, Kris knew he had to change his game plan. During his past observations of the couple, Kris found out that they both liked to shop and not just at the expensive boutiques, but sometimes even at night markets and bargain shops all over the city.
Seeing as he would have to wait for a while, Kris had decided to take a table in the same café, thinking he wouldn’t want to lose the couple if he left and just came back at a later time. What the hit man did not count on was that Junmyeon would notice him. The shorter man kept sneaking glances at his direction, while trying to bide time waiting for his fiancée by fiddling around his cell phone. Kris didn’t want to sound arrogant, but it seemed like the man he was about to kidnap had somewhat taken an interest in him. It was a good thing he had kept his sunglasses on, or his eyes would betray the interest on his own end.
Kris had to wait a long while for Junmyeon’s fiancée to arrive and for them to finish their meal, forcing him to order something too. He cursed himself for not having the foresight to see that the café they were at was on the expensive side. The bit of chunk that was taken out of his wallet would have had better use somewhere else.
It would seem luck was on Kris’ side, as the couple did go for a bit of shopping. He followed them discreetly around the shopping center of the city, but Kris was unable to find a good timing. The hit man was doubly blessed when the couple went to the nearby night market. The setting was simply perfect for him.
Once Kris saw that the couple was immersed in their shopping, he fired off random shots in the air. The crowd was the perfect distraction, and kidnapping Junmyeon was as easy as pie.
“Don’t make me hurt you, Junmyeon,” Kris said icily, still aiming the gun at the shorter man. “Go back to the bed and put on those handcuffs.”
The other man reluctantly followed the order, mumbling, “Of course, he knows my name, and I don’t even have an inkling of who is.”
Kris was just lowering the gun, when suddenly the other man blurted out, “Oh, wait! I know! You’re a stripper, right? Is this another prank from my best friends? Shit! My wedding is months away. Is this supposed to be a one-man bachelor’s party? I mean I go for kinky at times, but this is just too much effort, don’t you think?”
Kris couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was the other man seriously thinking that he was a stripper after knocking him out cold in the middle of a panicked night market while his girlfriend was with him?
“Look,” Junmyeon continued. “Umm, whoever you are, I understand that my friends must have paid you a lot for a prank this elaborate. Just tell me how much they gave you, and I’ll double it for the hassle this must have caused you. I…”
“Shut your trap, Junmyeon,” Kris interrupted the other guy. “Let me get this clear, okay?”
Junmyeon was surprised at the coldness in the other man’s voice. He wanted to say something more, but the other man’s eyes might be saying that he really was to keep quiet.
“First of all, I am not a stripper nor is this even close to what you think is even happening right now. Secondly, this gun is real.” Kris smacked the weapon on his palm for emphasis. “If I have to say it out as plain as day, this is a kidnapping.”
Junmyeon’s eyes went wide, as he heard those words. His mouth was open and he was about to speak again when the other man aimed the gun once more at him.
“Let me finish. Now, what I want you to do right now is get up on that bed and handcuff yourself to the headboard. I have the only key in my pocket, and I do not want to risk you escaping before I could deliver you to where you have to be. I suggest you get a good night’s sleep, because we have an early day tomorrow. Understand?”
Junmyeon wanted to be stubborn. This wasn’t really what he pictured out a kidnapping would be, like in the movies. Then again, the barrel of a gun, a real one at that, staring down at you would make someone mull his life over. In the end, he resigned himself to compliance. That… person did not even have the decency to handcuff him himself. Junmyeon was supposed to be the victim here, wasn’t he?
In the meantime, Kris couldn’t stop himself from watching, no, staring at the shorter man. While carrying Junmyeon on the way to the hotel room he had rented earlier in the day, he was able to see the other man up close. And it was more than enough to almost make him regret his decision to pursue the job, even if it were just his groin talking instead of his head. Holding an unconscious Junmyeon was different from having to hold him awake, and he had to make the other man cuff his own self to the bed. The other man’s pouting as he struggled with the metal rings was not helping Kris keep himself calm. When he heard the click, the hit man sat himself back down.
“By the way, it’s Kris.”
Junmyeon turned when the taller man spoke once more. “Huh?”
“My name,” said the other one, nonchalantly, going back to wiping his gun just so he could not stare back at Junmyeon’s eyes. “You asked for it earlier, and I don’t want you to think I ignored that. I could at least give you that courtesy, since I don’t know what fate awaits you after I deliver you anyway.”
Junmyeon adjusted himself to sit on the bed, leaning back at the headboard. Scoffing, he said, “A kidnapper with morals, how original! How about you extend that courtesy and just let me go then?”
Kris did not know whether to be pissed off or turned on at the other man’s sass. He just had to take another look, but Kris did his best to keep his face and voice neutral. “How about you just go to sleep then, you little shit?”
“I am Kim Junmyeon, not little shit,” he answered back. “Oh wait, you already know that. Chris. I don’t know which is worse, being kidnapped or having to know that your own kidnapper has such a holy name.”
“It’s spelled with K, idiot.”
Junmyeon knitted his eyebrows at the way the verbal assaults the other man was giving him. “I don’t get where all this anger is coming from. Would you care to explain it to me?”
Kris let out an exasperated breath. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the family business? Not a shrink?”
“Oh, wow. I apparently also have been stalked beforehand,” muttered Junmyeon to himself. “You are half-right, Mr. Kris. I am a part of the family business, but I also minored in psychology back in college. So it would seem that you did not manage to dig up enough information about me.”
“Just go to sleep,” Kris ordered. He did not want to delve any deeper into this. He was still on the job, and no sass-mouthed victim was going to keep him from finishing it. If the situation were any different, the man’s personality made Kris want to know him more, but it wasn’t to be. “And my name is just Kris.”
“Whatever, dagger man,” Junmyeon muttered before he lay down on the bed and tried to force himself to sleep.
To say Kris was impressed that the other man knew about the reference was an understatement. Now, he couldn’t keep that nagging voice of regret away. It’s just a job, Kris thought to himself. And it might be the first he would actually be regretting.
The next day, Kris woke the other man up at the crack of dawn as they made their way to the meeting point. Junmyeon was silent all throughout the ride and even as Kris pushed him onto the open space of the mezzanine where the latter’s handler kept his office. This was the place where Junmyeon was supposed to be delivered. It was a metalwork factory, which fronted the underground and black market activities of its owner.
“Ahh, this must be dear little Junmyeon,” the middle-aged man behind the desk grinned as the other two went nearer. “Tsk! Tsk! Those pictures don’t do you justice.”
“Cut the crap, Yunbok,” Kris growled. “The target’s here, and you still haven’t told me why you want him alive.”
“Because I want you to kill him in front of me.”
Junmyeon froze at the sound of the voice. It came from the man who stepped outside of a door connected to the mezzanine. The sound was just out of his line of sight and he did not want to turn, in fear that it was who he was thinking of.
“Aren’t you going to greet your uncle, boy?” said the man, addressing the shorter one. “Tsk! Tsk! Oh well, there’s no use for such a disrespectful scum like you in this world. Kill him.”
Kris did not do as he was told, instead he turned the shorter man towards him and asked, “Junmyeon, do you know this man?”
The other one only kept quiet.
“It figures you would keep quiet now,” said Junmyeon’s uncle. “But you just couldn’t keep your mouth shut before, can you? You just had to go and tell your father.”
Kris looked from Junmyeon to the other man’s uncle and back again. Somehow, he knew there was something else going on behind all of this.
“Kris, right?” The older man addressed the hit man. “What are you doing just standing there? I already told you to kill him.”
Ignoring the orders, the raven-haired man continued to stare at his companion, silently willing the other one to speak to him. Kris’ instincts told him that there was a guilty person among them, but it wasn’t Junmyeon.
“My father deserves to know,” Junmyeon finally spoke softly.
“Glad to know this thug didn’t cut your tongue out when he kidnapped you,” Junmyeon’s uncle said derisively.
The younger one glared at his uncle. “My father deserves to know that his brother is a thief.”
“Oh, shut your mouth, kid,” the older one answered back. “You have no sense of family.”
“No, you have no sense of family, Uncle Junyoung” Junmyeon cut him off, spouting off words he had wanted to tell his uncle for the longest time. “Grandfather and father worked hard for the company, and there you were just siphoning off money; money that should have been given for the employees’ benefits. I’ve only managed to look at the most recent records, and you couldn’t hide your paper trail very well. Who knows how much more money has been wasted on your own caprice all these years?”
“Well, it seems Old Man Jun’s investment on you has paid off then,” Junyoung scoffed. “Too bad he won’t be able to see more dividends after today.”
The humor of the business language was not lost on Junmyeon, but he barely registered a reaction on his face. He wouldn’t allow his uncle the pleasure of seeing him squirm. Even if Kris did not do anything yet, it still wouldn’t mean that the hit man would disobey the orders given to him.
“It’s your fault you know,” Junyoung continued. “That the company lost such promising young employees. If you hadn’t had to stick your nose into someone else’ business, they’d still be alive.”
Junmyeon gasped. He knew the people his uncle meant. They were a couple of friends in the company, fellow employees, who helped him trace his uncle’s shady transactions. It angered him even more that his uncle was not just a thief, but a murderer as well.
“Well, I think I’ve already told you what you need to know,” Junmyeon’s uncle concluded. “Hey, street rat, kill him. I’m not taking any chances.”
“How about I kill you instead?” Kris suddenly pulled out his gun and aimed at the older man.
There were a couple of goons with them and they aimed their own guns at Kris and Junmyeon.
“What the-?” Junyoung took a step back in surprise. “Yunbok, what is the meaning of this? You said this guy sticks to his orders.”
“Your orders are worth nothing,” answered Kris, glaring at Junmyeon’s uncle and then his handler. “You lied to me, bastard. I told you I don’t kill innocent people.”
“Whoa! Ease up there, Kris,” Yunbok stood up from behind his deck. “Think about this for a second! This job has already been paid for. You just need to finish it the way it should be. How about I take half my usual cut from you, okay?”
Kris tightened his finger on the trigger.
“No?” Yunbok waved his hands. “How about you get all of the pay for this job, okay? I’ll waive my handler’s fee. Just finish the job.”
The hit man glanced at the other one with him. Junmyeon looked around and gave the other man a nod.
“I say this is bullshit,” Kris announced. “Junmyeon, let’s bounce.”
With those words, the shorter man reached for the nearby chair and slammed it against the goon nearest him. At the same time, Kris began firing his gun. The two of them ran back toward the stairs to make an escape.
In the meantime, the other goon and Yunbok had also begun firing at the pair. Junmyeon’s uncle had crouched down low to dodge the bullets from Kris’ gun.
Just as Kris and Junmyeon reached the landing, a lucky shot grazed the former’s arm causing him to let go of his gun. Before it slipped from Kris’ fingers, Junmyeon managed to hold on to it and continued firing as Kris led the way out of the factory. More shots were fired and the two dodged bullets ricocheting throughout the metal products.
Moments later and they somehow managed to get out of the factory in one piece, but with the shouts of the goons running after them, they were still far from safety. Junmyeon had managed to let Kris allow him to drive the motorcycle, seeing as the other man wasn’t fit to do it with his injury.
Junmyeon took the long way back to the heart of the city, making sure to take roads that were out of the way so they would be hard to follow. At the same time, he was careful not to cause further harm to the other man behind him. He felt Kris’ weight on his back, trying to balance himself while clutching into his bleeding arm.
“Stop,” Kris suddenly said once they had been going around for some time and sure that they had lost the goons chasing them.
“What?” the other man answered back, his voice almost drowned out by loud hum of the motorcycle.
“I said, stop!” Kris repeated, in a louder voice.
Junmyeon frowned at the other man’s command, but pulled over to a quiet side street anyway. Before he could even adjust the kickstand, Kris had jumped off the motorcycle. The other one soon followed, forehead still knitted in confusion. Without another word, Kris got back on and adjusted himself on the vehicle.
“In case, you haven’t noticed,” Kris began; his voice weak. “You’re free. I’m letting you go.”
“But your-,” Junmyeon was about to say something more but the other man glared at him.
“I can take care of myself,” Kris snapped, pulling out his gun and aiming at the shorter one. “Leave.”
Insolent bastard. Junmyeon thought to himself as he turned around to walk away. He had barely taken a couple of steps when he heard the other man groan out loud. Swiftly, he turned back and ran to help the other one just before the motorcycle could topple over. Clearly, Kris’ injured arm would make it difficult for him to do anything.
“Shit! You’re still bleeding heavily,” Junmyeon said, after helping the other man right himself on the motorcycle. “Wait.”
“What are you-,” Kris started to say but was struck silent when his companion began to take off his shirt.
“You should have told me that it was still bleeding sometime ago,” said the shorter one. “I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if you had gone into shock.”
Junmyeon remembered he had an undershirt. He took it off to serve as a makeshift bandage, just to staunch the bleeding. With deft hands, he had torn up his shirt and knotted it snugly over the bleeding wound.
Kris couldn’t help but swallow nervously, as his mouth had suddenly gone dry when the other man was half-naked in front of him out in the open. He did not realize how pale Junmyeon’s torso was, or how he had taut muscles that he kept hidden under those layers of clothes that he liked to wear. He tried his best, but Kris could not ignore how the muscles on the other man’s arms moved as Junmyeon bandaged him. Fuck this.
The hit man did not notice the silence for until a few more moments later. He saw that Junmyeon had put his shirt back on but kept a couple of buttons at the top open, revealing just a hint of the chest that Kris was unashamedly ogling some time before.
“What?” Kris growled out, hoping that the other man didn’t notice that his voice hitched when he spoke.
“Move back, Kris,” Junmyeon said, commandingly this time. “You’re not fit to drive. I’ll take you where you need to go. We need to have a better look at that wound anyway.”
“I told you I can take care of-,” Kris started to say.
“And I say you can’t,” Junmyeon cut him off. With some force, he took the handle from Kris and somehow managed to get on the motorcycle in front of the other man. “Just tell me where to go.”
Half an hour later, Junmyeon had somehow managed to half-support and half-drag the taller, definitely heavier, man into his hideout. It took quite some effort between the two of them, as they had to climb some flights of stairs to reach Kris’ room on the top floor of the decrepit building in the outskirts of the city. Junmyeon did not see any other person on their way up, but he heard some noises in the lower floors indicating that there were still some people living there.
Kris groaned out loud. Throbbing pain shot through his arm. The climb up to his room just made it worse. With the amount of blood he had lost, his skin had already become cold and clammy. Junmyeon helped him shrug out of his clothes, and laid Kris back on his bed half naked.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to a clinic?” Junmyeon asked.
“No,” Kris answered weakly. “No doctors. K-kit’s in cabinet.”
Junmyeon couldn’t believe what had just happened over past few hours. He woke up that morning still held captive by the wounded man on the bed. He had his freedom, but chose to help out his former kidnapper, the man who was supposed to kill him by the orders of his own uncle. Junmyeon shook his head. He’ll have to think about his uncle some other time, because at the moment, Kris badly needed help.
Opening the cabinet, he searched for the medicine kit that the other man told him about. His eyes homed in on a certain plushie that was sitting on top of the kit. Junmyeon didn’t know what kind of animal it was, looking like, but not almost quite, a camel since it didn’t have humps and it was just all fluffy. He guessed that at one time the plushie was white, but now had some dirt on it. The plushie was not at all congruent to what Junmyeon would expect Kris to have, so out of place in this small, dingy apartment. It brought a smile on his face.
Hearing Kris softly curse brought Junmyeon back, and he quickly got the medicine kit out. He sat beside the tall man and carefully undid the bandage. Inspecting the wound, Junmyeon declared, “This looks really nasty. I think the bullet went through, but this needs stitches. It’s a good thing your med kit’s got sutures, huh?”
Kris was on side when the other man removed the bandage, and he looked sideways at Junmyeon. “Are you sure you even know how to use that?”
Junmyeon rolled his eyes. “I volunteer at an animal rescue center. I hardly think it would be different from stitching up cats and dogs.”
The other man’s eyes almost widened in horror, but it was better than nothing at all.
“We usually have the poor things tranquilized,” Junmyeon continued, as he began to prepare the things he would need. “But I’m not expecting to have the same luxury here.”
He tried to look for an antiseptic, but the bottle was already empty. Junmyeon spied a bottle of vodka though, and decided that it would have to do. Despite the other one’s complaints, Junmyeon adjusted Kris’ position so the man’s arm was over the basin while he poured the drink over the wound. He noticed a tattoo on Kris’ arm just above the wound. The intricate design intrigued Junmyeon and he was somewhat glad that the bullet did not manage to mar it.
“Well, I’m not going to pander to you and say this won’t hurt,” Junmyeon looked the other one in the eye as he raised his hand ready to stick the needle in. “Because you damn well know it will.”
Kris nodded and closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. The vodka managed to numb some of the pain, but it still hurt like a bitch.
The man may have passed out somewhere in between the second and third stitch, but Junmyeon could see that Kris was already sound asleep. Carefully, he had managed to take off the other man’s socks and pants, and gave Kris a sponge bath after he cleaned off the wound.
Finding himself bored, Junmyeon continued on with cleaning the whole place, arranging most of Kris’ things, and doing the other man’s laundry. He somehow even got to wash the plushie, which was truly white and fluffy.
By late afternoon, Junmyeon felt pangs of hunger but had to make do with the instant ramen that he found. There were some food in stock at the small fridge but Junmyeon was too tired and too hungry to cook. He ate first and prepared another bowl for Kris, who was still soundly asleep.
Junmyeon was hovering over the man, checking on the other’s wound, when Kris came to. He didn’t really know how it came to be, but the way the light was behind Junmyeon made a halo form around the other man’s head just as Kris was opening his eyes. Still a bit out of it, Kris had muttered aloud, “S-suho cheon-…”
“Huh?” Junmyeon asked.
Realizing that he had said it aloud, Kris quickly shook his head and tried to sit up, but Junmyeon forcefully held him down.
“Whoa there, dagger man,” said the other. “Take it easy or you’ll open that wound again. I found some instant ramen and cooked it. Sit up for me.” Junmyeon straightened up and helped Kris sit up, as he put some pillows on the other’s back.
For the next couple of weeks, Junmyeon took care of the other man. It was a miracle that the wound was healing fine and that Kris did not get a fever. When he was awake, Kris would watch the little spitfire move about, seemingly able to find something to keep him busy, mostly cleaning and arranging things. Kris wanted to do something to help out, but when the smaller man would begin to squint his eyes and purse his lips, shutting up would be best.
For a few days now, Kris was able to walk around, the dressing over his wound gone. Junmyeon had taken out the stitches after a few days when he saw that it had closed over well. It was still going to leave a nasty scar though. Kris had just woken up from a nap and was wondering where Junmyeon was.
A few moments later and Kris saw the said person walk into the room, carrying a plastic big and dressed in ill-fitting clothes. He had to admit that seeing Junmyeon in his clothes, definitely oversized for the smaller man, was wreaking havoc on his sanity. But another thought had filled his mind completely.
“Where have you been?” said Kris, his voice tinged with anger.
“Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Junmyeon bit back, confused at the sudden scorch in the other man’s inquiry.
“Fuck it, Junmyeon,” the other one raised his voice. “I asked where you’ve been.”
“Calm down,” he answered. “I just bought some food, because we’ve run out and you live in the middle of frickin’ nowhere. I had to walk more than a couple of blocks just to find a convenience store.”
“Idiot,” Kris muttered aloud, as he suddenly went to the door. Slowly, he stuck his head out and looked around the empty hallway. Still unsatisfied, he quietly walked up and down the hallway.
When Kris returned, Junmyeon had already laid out a couple of ready-to-eat meals for them and was just about to place the rest of what he bought inside the small refrigerator.
“Do you realize the danger that you were in?” Kris suddenly spoke up, as he locked the door behind him.
Junmyeon just glared back at the other man.
“You’re right,” Kris continued. “I do live out in the middle of nowhere, and not everyone in this neighborhood is friendly. In fact, there are a lot of people here frowned at by the rest of society. You could have been mugged when you went out, or worse.”
“But I’m safe,” the shorter man replied. He would have said something more but the other one interrupted.
“You don’t get it. After what happened days ago and knowing my handler, I’m more than sure that the bastard has already sent out some of his goons to hunt us down. What if you’ve been found out? You don’t exactly blend into this kind of environment, even if you’re wearing my clothes.”
Kris’ face had become flush.
“What if you’ve been followed? You’re putting both of our lives in danger. How could you be so reckless? Well, ever since I got into this business, I already have one foot in the grave already so I wouldn’t care about my life just as much, but I do care about yours.”
The taller man suddenly clammed up, when he realized what he just said out loud.
“W-what did you just say?” Junmyeon asked, when his ears picked up Kris’ last line.
“I said you were reckless,” Kris mumbled.
“The one you said last, Kris,” Junmyeon pried.
“I-I said I,” Kris stopped and took a deep breath. “Fuck it! I care about your life, Junmyeon. You were supposed to be just a job, but Lord knows that’s not just what you are ever since I saw you. You can call me crazy but-”
While Kris rambling on, he failed to realize that Junmyeon was already standing before him. He stopped when the other man pressed a finger to his lips.
“I guess you can also call me crazy.”
Before any other word could be exchanged between them, the shorter man suddenly stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips hard on the other man. Moments already, Kris answered back with just as much heat and eagerness. The food would be forgotten for the next few hours, at least.
“Junmyeon, why do you stay?” said Kris. Both were on his bed and the taller one was gently stroking the other man’s hair, as he was lying on his chest. “Why won’t you go back? I don’t have anything to offer you.”
“You’re already enough, Kris,” the other one said in reply.
Kris scoffed. “This isn’t the time to be cheesy. I’m serious. You already live a normal life out there. You have a girlfriend, fiancée. You don’t need me to be in the way.”
Junmyeon raised his head and looked at his lover straight in the eye. “Don’t decide what I can and can’t do, Kris. To be honest, Jade is my best friend. Our parents arranged the marriage, but she and I decided that we can easily dissolve the arrangement if either of us could fall for someone else. Everything might be a whirlwind for the two of us, but I have never felt more alive ever since I saw you in that café a couple of weeks ago. I want to get to know you more, Kris, even if it means staying here.”
“Life in the underground is not for you,” Kris argued. “Trust me; it’s not as easy as it seems.”
Junmyeon became quiet for a bit. “Then come back with me,” the other man whispered.
“What?”
“I-I can help you integrate back into society,” Junmyeon continued. “You said so yourself that life in the underground is not easy.”
“I…” Kris hesitated, and then gave a loud sigh. “Okay.”
“Okay?” the other man raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s time anyway,” said the taller one. “I had been thinking about quitting this job for some time now. Just didn’t have a reason to.”
“You’re sure, right? I-I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you into this and that you’re going to regret it and-“ Junmyeon was rambling.
Kris pulled the other man’s face towards him to capture his lover’s lips in his. He deepened the kiss for a few more moments before he pulled back and said, “This is all new to me but, yes, I’m sure.”
Junmyeon could only answer with a grin.
The older man felt the coldness of the metal as his attacker pressed the dagger close to his throat.
“Wh-what the fuck is this?” said the man, as he struggled to free himself. “Wh-who are you?”
“Hello, uncle,” the masked assailant hissed at the other man’s ear. “Missed me?”
“Junmyeon?”
“No, it’s Suho.”