Points of Authority
Title: Points of Authority
Length: One-Shot
Fandom: SS501 (mentioned SuJu, KARA and SHINee)
Pairing: KyuMin, side!HyunSaeng, past!KyuSung (SuJu), slight!HyungJoon/JiYong
Genre: Action, Romance, Suspence
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Violence
Summary: People aren't always how they appear on the outside. Sometimes there are deeper secrets, darker secrets. With the whole world against you, can one person's love really give back the freedom you lost?
A/N: Very loosely based off the song Points of Authority by Linkin Park. VERY loosely. This is for mochi_501x , whom I promised a KyuMin fic way back when...then forgot. LOL I fail, I know. Self-betaed, so probably ton of mistakes.
JungMin supposed he should be afraid, with the cold metal of a gun pressed to his temple, but he couldn't be. Call it foolishness, or naivety, or whatever else you wanted to call it, but he knew the man holding the gun that could end his life would never pull the trigger.
"Why don't you do it?" He asked, lips curling into a smirk despite himself as the metal shook slightly. "It's what you came to do, isn't it?"
The other man didn't respond, but the pain in his eyes was answer enough.
*****
Unlocking the door, JungMin stepped into the dorm room to find it empty. He had been told he would be rooming with an upperclassman, someone in the year above him in the university. That person, however, didn't seem to be here at the moment.
Glancing around the room, the redhead placed his bag on the bed of the unoccupied half of the room, the other side plainly decorated with warm colors and stacks of novels. JungMin pursed his lips with an inward sigh. He'd hoped to land an interested roommate. Looks like he caught a complete bookworm instead.
The other man didn't show up while JungMin was getting ready for his first class. Giving a slight shrug, JungMin stood and shouldered his bag, leaving the room.
When he returned that afternoon, joking around with his friend about one of the teachers who could have been sleep talking instead of teaching for all they knew, JungMin opened the door and collided headfirst into someone leaving the room. Both men fell backwards, HyungJoon bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
"Shut up," JungMin rolled his eyes, kicking his friend before turning to the one he'd ran into, the other man sitting on the ground rubbing his head with a wince. Bookworm was right; those glasses looked a bit too thick for today's fashion.
"Sorry," the other man apologized, blinking at JungMin. "I should have looked before leaving."
JungMin shrugged, standing and dusting himself off. The other man did the same, grabbing the textbooks he'd dropped. "You're my new roommate then?" The guy asked.
"Right," JungMin grinned. "Park JungMin."
"Kim KyuJong," his new roommate replied. "I'm sorry, I'm running late. Excuse me." He bowed politely and squeezed out past them.
"What's with those glasses?" HyungJoon blinked after him. "They magnify his eyes."
"Maybe his vision sucks," JungMin shrugged, walking into the room KyuJong had just vacated. "Who cares? Hey, did you hear about that party that HeeChul guy is throwing? Apparently he does it every first day of school."
"I heard. You going?"
"Of course! You?"
"I have the feeling I'm going whether I want to or not," HyungJoon gave a long-suffering sigh.
"Damn right." JungMin's grin widened. "No moping around in your room."
"I don't mope," HyungJoon grumbled. "I study. Like you should be doing. I hope they dump a ton of pop quizzes on you and you flunk out in the first week."
"Studying can wait, it's the first day! Relax a little. Besides," JungMin leaned over to whisper. "That senior girl who you've been staring at all day will be there too, I heard."
As expected, HyungJoon flushed red. "I have not been!"
"You are so see-through," JungMin scoffed. "Do you even know her name?
"Of course I do!" HyungJoon started, and then trailed off. JungMin burst into loud laughter, and then yelped as HyungJoon kicked him off his perch on his bed. "Jerk."
*****
The party lasted well into the morning. Reluctant to leave, JungMin talked with everyone and wandered with groups of friends long after the party had ended and everyone else had returned to the dorms. He didn't spot his roommate, KyuJong, but he hadn't expected to.
Unlocking the dorm door as quietly as he could, JungMin slipped inside and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness so that he wouldn't wake up his roommate. When shapes started to form, he blinked in surprise at seeing KyuJong's bed empty and untouched. Maybe he had been at the party after all.
Flipping on the light, he changed into pajamas and pulled out his panda eye patch and earplugs. JungMin had just turned off the lights and laid down when the door opened, admitting his missing roommate.
"...Oh." KyuJong blinked at him. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"
JungMin shook his head, grinning. "I was at the party," he explained. "Just got in. Were you there too? I didn't see you."
KyuJong blinked at him for a moment, then smiled. "Yeah...I normally stay in the back." He came the rest of the way into the room and closed the door behind him, locking it.
"Why?" JungMin snorted. "It's a party."
"Just not that much of a socializer," KyuJong murmured. He padded over to his bed and sat down, taking off those weird glasses.
JungMin blinked and squinted at the other man's face. When his eyes weren't being magnified to an extreme, he actually looked pretty good. Good being an understatement. "Why? You're pretty cute without the goggle effect."
KyuJong stared at him, and he thought he saw a tinge of pink in the darkness before the other man turned away quickly. "And also blind as a bat," he remarked, before grabbing a pair of clothes and walking towards the bathroom to change. "Good night, JungMin sshi."
Finding it a little odd to be referred to so formally, and from someone older than him no less, JungMin shrugged and laid down. "Night." He pulled on his eye patch and stuffed the earplugs on as the bathroom door closed. He was out before KyuJong returned.
*****
There was something nudging him. Swatting at it, JungMin turned and buried his face in his pillow, uneager to move. There were voices but he couldn't make out what they were saying past his earplugs, nor did he want to.
Then there were arms around him instead, shaking gently, and JungMin jumped in surprise, rotating his lower body so he could kick whomever it was. The yelp was audible even through his earplugs, as was the familiar laughter that overrode it.
Pulling off his eye patch and earplugs, JungMin blinked blearily at KyuJong, who was now on the floor and wincing. "Err...good morning?"
"I warned him not to!" HyungJoon choked, gasping for breath as he laughed.
JungMin tossed his pillow at this friend. "Obviously you didn't try hard enough to warn him. How the hell did you get in, anyways?"
"I let him in," KyuJong coughed from the floor. "You're friends, aren't you?"
"Some days," JungMin replied, eyeing the boy who was in hysterics.
KyuJong picked himself up off the floor, having recovered his breath, and adjusted his glasses. "You weren't waking up, and class is in 15 minutes."
"15 minutes?!" JungMin jumped up, swearing, and grabbed a pair of clothes.
"Hurry up!" HyungJoon called after him as he ran into the bathroom.
"Is he always like this?" JungMin heard KyuJong ask.
"Ever since kindergarten," HyungJoon laughed. "Next time you want to wake him up, try a long pole. Or water."
"Or offer him up instead!" JungMin yelled through the door. "A few more missing brain cells won't make a difference."
Hearing KyuJong laugh as HyungJoon squawked, the redhead grinned and hurried to get ready.
*****
The days following took on a routine. KyuJong would attempt to wake JungMin up, and after being dumped on the floor a few days in a row decided to take HyungJoon's advice. Only he used books instead.
Classes were boring, except for his acting classes, but he had expected it to be so. The highlights of JungMin's days were after class hours, where he and HyungJoon would wander around the school and chat with friends and strangers alike. After realizing KyuJong was prone to hiding in the library with what appeared to be his only friend, a quiet man named YoungSaeng, JungMin took to towing them along as well.
While KyuJong eventually warmed up to them, YoungSaeng did not, and often disappeared and took hours to find. JungMin and HyungJoon were quick to make it into a sort of game of who could find YoungSaeng first. KyuJong usually stayed out of it, mostly because he always knew exactly where YoungSaeng was and HyungJoon deeming him an 'unfair advantage' because KyuJong always chose to help JungMin rather than him.
JungMin never quite understood why KyuJong and YoungSaeng didn't have more friends. They were both very good-looking, when KyuJong could be coaxed into taking off his glasses, and friendly (YoungSaeng was friendly too, KyuJong argued. He just needed time to get used to people. A long time.) So he decided to ask the senior who worked in the same cafe as him part-time.
*****
"You mean you haven't noticed?" HyunJoong raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm surprised, considering you're his roommate."
"Noticed what?" JungMin asked, blinking. "Don't let the glasses fool you, you know, he's actually pretty hot."
HyunJoong whacked him over the head. "I'm not talking about the glasses. I'm talking about that attitude of theirs. Don't they seem a little distant to you?"
JungMin thought about it. It was true that KyuJong always gravitated towards the back of the rooms, and talked to few people other than JungMin, HyungJoon and YoungSaeng, but he'd already decided his bookworm hyung was shy. YoungSaeng even more so. "So they're not that social. What about it? Plenty of people around here are too shy for their own good."
"It's not just that," HyunJoong sighed. "I've been in the same grade as YoungSaeng throughout high school, and now. There's something off about them. Trust me on that."
"You're just paranoid," JungMin rolled his eyes. "Try hanging out with them for a day. They're pretty cool."
"I'll take your word for it."
JungMin huffed. What was up with him?
*****
It was late. JungMin had woken up in the middle of the night, only to find out that KyuJong wasn't in the room with him. The other man's bed was untouched and still made neatly, which confused him. Right before he'd dozed off, he'd seen KyuJong studying at his desk as usual. Now he was nowhere to be found.
Sitting up and pulling his earplugs out, JungMin looked at the clock. 2am. What was he doing out at this time?
The door clicked and opened, KyuJong reappearing. When he saw JungMin sitting up and awake, he blinked. "Hey. What are you doing up?"
"I could say the same for you," JungMin replied. KyuJong was dressed for outside. "Odd time for a walk?"
"I couldn't sleep," KyuJong replied sheepishly, taking off his shoes and walking to the bed, sitting down. "I miss home."
"Right, you're from the country," JungMin remembered. "Where exactly?"
"Jeonju."
"That's far," the redhead murmured. "It'll be break soon though, so you can go home then."
"Yeah." KyuJong's smile was a little sad.
Not awake enough to decipher his roommate, JungMin rubbed his eyes. "Don't you have a test tomorrow?"
"Right," KyuJong remembered. "Fine, fine, I'll sleep."
"You better, you party animal," JungMin teased, and received a pillow to the face.
Within seconds there was a massive pillow fight, both of them forgetting all about sleeping.
*****
"You guys don't seem that popular around here."
KyuJong looked over at JungMin at the statement, the older man studying on his bed. "You just noticed?" It was well over three months since they'd become roommates, JungMin well used to KyuJong's presence by now.
"Shut up," JungMin threw his pillow at the other man. "I'm asking why, not asking for your on-and-off snark to pop up."
KyuJong tossed the pillow back and shrugged. "We just never got along with anyone else. I moved here from the country, and YoungSaeng's just a bit too..." There was a pause. "...quiet."
"You were going to say something else," JungMin accused.
"I have no idea what you mean," KyuJong smiled at him.
"...Okay, that's it, the bug eyes are going. They're creeping me out." JungMin jumped up and practically tackled the other man back, KyuJong yelping in surprise as his glasses were snatched off his nose.
"H-hey! I can't see!"
"No one can't see that badly." JungMin set the glasses aside, looking down at KyuJong who was blinking up at him, hair in his eyes. The older man's cheeks were flushed from JungMin practically sitting on him to get to the glasses, a fact the redhead hadn't noticed nor corrected.
"See? You're much hotter when your eyes don't look twice their size. You're not a cartoon character."
KyuJong smiled sheepishly, pinkening a little more. "I suppose...but I really can't see you that well..."
JungMin leaned in more, not noticing how KyuJong's eyes widened at the proximity. "How about now? How blind are you?"
"...still can't see," KyuJong murmured, lips curling slightly. "You're all blurry."
The redhead leaned in a little more. "Now?"
"...no."
"Now?"
"A little better..."
"N-"
JungMin was cut off when KyuJong leaned forward ever so slightly, pressing their lips firmly together as his hands came up to twine into red hair. JungMin's eyes widened for a moment, before deciding 'screw it' and kissing him back.
When they separated for air, JungMin remarked, "You don't kiss like a nerd."
"You need to stop talking," KyuJong murmured, bright red.
"Make me."
That was exactly what KyuJong did.
*****
HyungJoon choked on his food when KyuJong kissed JungMin in front of them the next day.
"Oh my god, when did this happen?" he asked when he was able to breathe again, face beet red. YoungSaeng blinked at them both with wide eyes.
"Last night," JungMin quipped as KyuJong blushed.
"This totally isn't fair!" HyungJoon whined. "You're an idiot, you're not supposed to catch someone before I do!"
"Who's an idiot, you turtle?!" JungMin tackled HyungJoon over, the youngest of the group shrieking for his life.
Without a word, YoungSaeng got up and stalked away. KyuJong looked from JungMin and HyungJoon to his friend before excusing himself and running after YoungSaeng, leaving the other two blinking after them.
"What's up with Saeng?" JungMin asked, pouting as he let go of his friend and sat down on the grass next to him.
"Not sure," HyungJoon shrugged. "Does he have a crush on KyuJong or something? He certainly follows him around everywhere.."
"I have no idea," JungMin frowned. After a moment, he got up to go find them. HyungJoon started to follow, but then was quickly sidetracked by a group of classmates.
Walking along down the hallways, JungMin was beginning to think he would need some sort of collar for them both when YoungSaeng's voice, lowered into an uncharacteristic hiss, caught his attention.
"Are you insane?"
He paused, and peeked around a corner. YoungSaeng and KyuJong were the only ones in the hallway, their voices lowered to whispers. Curious, JungMin didn't make his presence known, instead hiding around the corner.
It didn't sound like YoungSaeng was having a jealous fit. He sounded worried. And maybe a bit...scared?
"Relax," KyuJong replied, voice calm. "I know what I'm doing."
"Do you? I really wonder, Kyu yah." YoungSaeng ran one hand through his hair in frustration. "Not only is it against the rules..."
"I'm tired of playing by their rules. Their rules are the reason why we've never had friends, Saeng."
JungMin perked up, wondering what they were talking about. He recalled HyunJoong's words about something being off about KyuJong and YoungSaeng.
"Maybe they've had the right of it, if having friends puts such crazy ideas into your head!" YoungSaeng snapped.
"Don't tell me you don't like them either, Saeng ah," KyuJong said quietly. "You like their company, even if you try to hide it."
"I shouldn't." YoungSaeng's eyes were pained. "You shouldn't either. I don't want to lose you too."
KyuJong drew the older man into a hug, and JungMin nearly couldn't make out his reply. "JongWoon hyung made his decision, and he was prepared for the consequences. As am I. Don't write us off just yet, alright?"
"Be careful, Kyu yah," YoungSaeng whispered.
"I always am." KyuJong held him for a moment before letting go. "We should head back." YoungSaeng nodded.
Seeing them both coming his way, JungMin quickly made himself scarce. He was confused, and more curious than ever. Just what had they been talking about?
*****
"Oh, you're getting it now!"
JungMin leapt up from his spot beside KyuJong, and was only stopped from attacking HyungJoon by his boyfriend's arm around his waist. "I am not a girl!"
"You PMS like one," HyungJoon remarked, and hid behind an amused YoungSaeng when JungMin tried to escape from KyuJong again.
"Kim HyungJoon you are so dea-MPH!" JungMin flailed as KyuJong figured out the perfect way to distract the redhead before he tied HyungJoon in a knot was to kiss him.
"Thanks KyuJong hyung...HEY, no making out!" HyungJoon cried when JungMin decided he liked the kiss a bit too much. YoungSaeng laughed quietly as the youngest hid his face against his back.
When the other man's laughter cut out, JungMin broke the kiss long enough to glance back at YoungSaeng. Seeing a blank look on the older man's face, the redhead followed his gaze to the school entrance, catching HyunJoong's back as the man walked away.
*****
"Did you know YoungSaeng and I used to date?"
JungMin nearly dropped the coffee pot at the sudden admission, blinking owlishly at HyunJoong. "What?"
The other man was busy cleaning up the counter at the end of their shift at the cafe. "We dated for a few months in high school," HyunJoong shrugged.
"You never said anything before," JungMin accused.
"Yeah, and I have no obligation to say anything now. I'm talking about it because you're dating KyuJong, and quite frankly I'm a little worried."
"About?" JungMin asked.
"I'm not quite sure what. Only that since those two are such close friends, you might want a warning."
"Can you speak plain Korean and not 4D?"
"There used to be a third person with them," HyunJoong continued. "A kid in our grade named JongWoon."
That name was familiar.
JongWoon hyung made his decision, and he was prepared for the consequences.
"What about him?" JungMin asked, listening now.
"The three of them always used to hang out," HyunJoong replied. "Even though KyuJong is a year younger than us, they were practically joined at the hip. Then JongWoon introduced them to a guy named KyuHyun, and they started dating."
"JongWoon and KyuHyun? What does this have to do with anything?"
"Stop asking questions and listen. I started dating YoungSaeng around the same time," HyunJoong explained. "We were pretty happy, actually. We all got along well. Then, about 3 months in, JongWoon and KyuHyun stopped coming to school."
"Did they drop out together?"
"That's the weird part. No one heard from them to say they were going to drop out. The school said they moved away. They never told us anything about it beforehand though..." HyunJoong looked down at the counter, tapping one hand against it. "And we never heard from them again."
JungMin's eyes widened. "Not at all?"
"Not a word. No letter, no call, no email, no IM." The older man's eyes turned pained. "And the day after they left, YoungSaeng broke up with me and refused to talk to me again. He and KyuJong separated themselves from everyone, and became school outcasts."
"...Woah," JungMin murmured. "That...doesn't sound right."
"That's what's so strange," HyunJoong replied. "Something doesn't fit in. I've been trying to figure it out since then, but I can't. It doesn't help that YoungSaeng still won't so much as look at me," he sighed quietly.
JungMin chewed on his lower lip, thinking. "Hey, why don't you join us for lunch tomorrow?" he asked, brightening. "YoungSaeng talks with us at least, maybe if you hang out with us he'll start talking to you again?"
Despite his doubtful expression, HyunJoong nodded. "I guess it can't hurt. They have been more social than I've seen them be in a while."
The redhead grinned and clapped him off the shoulder. He was determined to find out what KyuJong and YoungSaeng were hiding if it was the last thing he did.
*****
When HyunJoong sat down beside HyungJoon the following day, YoungSaeng's expression became like stone. KyuJong looked at his friend uneasily, but welcomed HyunJoong with a small smile nonetheless.
YoungSaeng didn't speak at all throughout the meal, and left hurriedly when he was done. KyuJong kissed JungMin and hurried after the older man.
"Well, at least he didn't leave right away like usual," HyunJoong murmured.
"Hm?" HyungJoon blinked at them both with noodles hanging out of his mouth. "Whaff goi o?"
"Ew, that's gross." JungMin whacked HyungJoon off the head. "Swallow." He looked back at HyunJoong as HyungJoon sputtered and choked. "Maybe he'll get better with time?"
"Who knows," HyunJoong mused. "Nothing to do but keep on trying."
JungMin eyed him. "You're still in love with him," he accused.
HyunJoong's smile was pained. "Very much so."
"Does everyone have someone but me?" HyungJoon whined.
*****
KyuJong was missing again. It had become habit to wake up and find his boyfriend's bed empty a few times a month. JungMin rubbed his eyes and looked at the door, pursing his lips.
It was just so strange. Where was he going? Was it really just homesickness causing him to take walks at crazy times of the morning?
JungMin wasn't so sure. And no matter how much he thought about the party he'd been at the first day of school, going over the different faces in his mind, he couldn't remember ever seeing KyuJong there.
It was time he did a little snooping around.
*****
Three weeks later, JungMin walked down the hallway as quietly as he could, following the shadow of his boyfriend. He'd pretended to sleep each night, waiting to see if KyuJong was going to leave again. Now that he had, the redhead was quick to follow.
KyuJong didn't notice his presence as he walked out of the dorms and through the school grounds towards the exit. JungMin pulled his hoodie over his head and followed along silently, hiding as best as he could in the open grounds. Thankfully KyuJong didn't turn around, even as he left the school grounds and headed down the street.
JungMin didn't hesitate to follow, all the while thinking that the other man's stride was a little too purposeful for a homesick stroll.
Suddenly KyuJong stopped in a dark corner, JungMin freezing and darting into a concealed doorway when his boyfriend looked around.
When he peeked out again, KyuJong was gone.
Cursing, JungMin hurried down the street, looking around. He couldn't have lost him already? The other man was nowhere to be found...
Searching, JungMin was about to give up and head back when movement in one of the alleys caught his attention. Blinking, he walked down the alley curiously.
It was KyuJong. Sighing quietly in relief, JungMin started forward then stopped.
KyuJong wasn't wearing his glasses. But that wasn't what made JungMin's blood run cold.
KyuJong was leveling a gun at a strange man's head.
JungMin could only watch, frozen, as the man panicked. "Wh-what are they paying you?" The old businessman shook. "Whatever it is, I can double it!"
There was the echoing click of the safety being released.
"T-triple it!"
KyuJong didn't reply. His watch beeped once. Twice.
BANG!
The man fell to the ground, unmoving and surrounded in a rapidly growing pool of red.
JungMin only realized he'd released a startled shout when KyuJong whirled around, eyes locking on to him in the darkness. The gun came up again, and JungMin collapsed as there was another echoing bang, clutching his arm.
He could hear KyuJong approaching before the redhead was gripped by the front of his hoodie, the cold barrel of the gun pressing harshly against the underside of his jaw as KyuJong tore the hood back off his head.
Just as quickly as he'd grabbed him, KyuJong released him.
"J...JungMin?!"
JungMin continued to hold on to his arm, wetness soaking into his sleeve and spilling over his fingers as he looked up at the shocked expression on KyuJong's face as the man backed up.
"So you can see fine without those magnifying glasses," the redhead mumbled, then winced.
Seeing the pain flash across JungMin's face, KyuJong dropped the gun and hurried forward, crouching beside him and taking his arm with shaking hands. "Oh god...I'm sorry, I-I..."
There was the flash of metal before the older man tore a piece of his shirt off with a switchblade hidden in one sleeve. JungMin watched as KyuJong rolled his sleeve up as gently as he could and bound the graze left by the bullet.
"Who was he?" JungMin asked, looking at the dead man then back at KyuJong.
KyuJong looked at him with wide eyes. "You shouldn't be here," he whispered. "You shouldn't know about this."
"Well, I am and I do, so are you going to tell me or are you going to kill me too?" JungMin asked bluntly.
He felt a stab of guilt when KyuJong flinched away as if he'd been struck. "No," KyuJong shook his head hard. "No, I can't kill you," he choked.
"Then who was he?" JungMin asked again. "Or, better yet...who are you?"
KyuJong looked down, finishing binding up JungMin's wound before becoming still. For a long moment JungMin thought he wasn't going to answer.
"I'm an assassin for hire," KyuJong murmured. "I have been for years."
JungMin blinked at him. He supposed around now was when he should run away screaming. It wasn't every day you found out your boyfriend was an assassin. But he didn't run away, and he knew exactly why.
Assassins were killers, meaning KyuJong was a killer (and he'd seen that for himself) but the pain in the older man's eyes was too human to be made of evil.
"Why?" He asked instead.
"...we shouldn't talk here," KyuJong murmured. "It's not safe." He stood, looking uncertainly at JungMin. "Do you...hate me now?"
JungMin stood and thwacked KyuJong off the head, drawing a surprised yelp from the other man. "Quit making assumptions. Let's go."
KyuJong blinked at him, then gave a nervous smile, before bending down to pick up his gun. JungMin gave no comment as he stowed it in one pocket before they left, leaving the dead body alone in the dark alley.
*****
"My parents had no money," KyuJong explained quietly. "A strange man came to the door once when I was little, and offered to pay for all the debts and living expenses for all of us if they enrolled one of their children into a specialized training program called Child's Play."
They were sitting on their own beds, KyuJong looking at the wall across from him rather than meet JungMin's gaze.
"Never heard of that before," JungMin frowned. "What's Child's Play?"
"They're supposed to be a group for training children in how to be successful in society from an early age," KyuJong started, then took in a deep breath. "In reality, they train children to be assassins."
JungMin's eyes widened. "You're kidding."
"I'm not."
"How old were you?"
"Six."
"Fuck...that's crazy," JungMin whispered. "And YoungSaeng?" He rolled his eyes when KyuJong looked at him sharply. "I know how to put two and two together, no matter what HyungJoon says."
"...YoungSaeng hyung was seven," KyuJong murmured. "We started at the same time."
"And JongWoon?"
KyuJong jerked back with wide eyes. "How did you know about JongWoon hyung?" he asked, shocked.
"HyunJoong told me about him," JungMin replied. "And how he...disappeared. KyuHyun too."
"...HyunJoong, of course," KyuJong murmured, then sighed. "Yeah, JongWoon was with us. He started with YoungSaeng at seven as well."
"The three of you were close," JungMin stated.
"Very. There were a few others in the same...I guess you could call it 'grade'...as us, but we mostly kept to ourselves."
"And you were all trained to be assassins."
"Right...we were trained for years. Child's Play trains children, then hires them out to people who need assassins. Mostly top government associations...the mob have their own assassins more often than not." He hesitated. "I received my first hit when I was 14."
14. The age most kids would be worried about getting zits and how to score the perfect date, KyuJong had blood on his hands already.
"That's crazy," JungMin murmured, at a loss.
"I hate it," KyuJong said bitterly.
"Then why are you still with them? Surely your family isn't that desperate for money?"
"I can't leave." KyuJong lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "The rules are strict. Once you enter the 'industry', you can't get out. The only way you can leave is to die."
"JongWoon is dead, isn't he?" JungMin asked, and watched as KyuJong's eyes filled with tears.
"Yes," the older man whispered. "He and KyuHyun broke another one of our rules...never to let anyone know what you are."
He turned his head to look at JungMin. "They were dating, which was as good to the head as if he'd told KyuHyun straight out. They were found out, and paid the consequences."
"They're both dead."
"Yeah..."
"And that's why YoungSaeng broke up with HyunJoong. To protect him."
"That's the reason...and he loves him still."
"And what about us?"
KyuJong swallowed thickly. "I-If you...if you want to break up, I understand," he whispered.
"Oh for Gods sake, stop jumping to conclusions!" JungMin got up and jumped onto KyuJong's bed, straddling him. "Did I say I'm going anywhere?"
"But you're in danger," KyuJong protested up at him. "And I...I shot at you!"
"Yeah, well, spooking the guy with the gun wasn't one of my better ideas." He leaned down and crushed his lips against KyuJong's, to which the assassin responded desperately, pulling the redhead down on top of him.
"We're not dead yet, so stop it with the gloom and doom," JungMin murmured against the older man's lips. His answer was a watery, muffled chuckle. After that, they were much too preoccupied to even think about talking.
*****
"JungMin ah, give me my glasses back!"
HyunJoong and HyungJoon rolled around on the floor in laughter as KyuJong stumbled over thin air running after his boyfriend. "No way!" JungMin laughed. "They're going into the dumpster where they belong!"
"JungMin~!"
JungMin caught a glimpse of HyunJoong rolling into YoungSaeng, and YoungSaeng rolling him back the other way with one foot, before they took a corner and went out of sight of their friends. Instantly KyuJong stopped staggering around and put on a burst of speed, catching JungMin and pinning him up against the wall.
"Seriously, I need those!" The older man protested, trying to snatch the glasses back. "It's part of my cover!"
"Well, it's a lousy cover," JungMin retorted, holding the glasses above their head and standing up on his toes. Damn it, if only they weren't the same height. "Try wigs. Or a false nose."
"That's even worse!"
"I don't care, you're not getting them ba-MPF!" KyuJong kissed him, and while JungMin was distracted, yanked the glasses out of his hands.
"...you suck," JungMin grumbled as KyuJong pulled back.
"It works as a distraction though," KyuJong smiled at him, kissing him again before pulling the glasses back on.
"You're not getting any more kisses until your eyes aren't buggified," JungMin stated, folding his arms over his chest with a huff.
"The question is who will last longer, you or me?" KyuJong teased.
"...I hate you."
"Love you too," KyuJong chuckled, taking his hand and walking back towards their friends.
A young man watched them leave, then turned around and walked away, raising a cell phone to his ear.
*****
JungMin watched as KyuJong took off his glasses and placed them on the nightstand. "Do you really have to?"
"I have no choice," KyuJong said bitterly, looking up at his boyfriend. "I can't refuse a hit, or it'll be suspicious, and I don't want the head looking at us too closely..."
The logic was sound, but JungMin still wasn't happy. "And YoungSaeng's going with you?"
"Yeah. It's a group hit, so we have to go in pairs."
"I'm coming too," JungMin said firmly.
"No!" KyuJong stared at JungMin. "You'll get yourself killed! You're not trained like we are, JungMin."
"I'll be careful!" JungMin protested. "And you know if you leave me here I'll just follow you anyways."
"Not if I tie you to the bed."
"Do that, and I promise neither of us will be leaving anytime soon." JungMin smirked at him and KyuJong flushed, throwing a pillow at the younger man.
"Either way, you're not coming. Besides, YoungSaeng doesn't know that you know about us yet."
"You're just worried about him chewing you out."
"That's a little minor compared to you getting a bullet between your eyes."
"Then watch where you aim," JungMin chuckled, standing and wrapping his arms around KyuJong's neck, kissing him.
KyuJong was successfully distracted, and didn't notice JungMin's hand going to his sleeve and removing the switchblade that he knew was hidden there until it was in the redhead's hand, JungMin dancing away with a laugh.
"Come and get it~," he teased, darting out of the room.
"JungMin!" Whining in the back of his throat, KyuJong gave chase.
By the time he caught up, JungMin was at the school gates, YoungSaeng staring at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Offering himself as target practice," KyuJong grumbled, snatching his switchblade back."
"He knows?!"
"Yes, and please refrain from killing me until after you help me convince him to stay here."
"I'm going with you," JungMin protested.
"No you're not," both assassins stated at the same time.
"..." JungMin puffed his cheeks out. "...If you don't let me come along...I'll tell HyunJoong."
"That's a low blow, Min," KyuJong protested as panic flared in YoungSaeng's eyes.
JungMin rather thought from the patch of moving shadow out of the assassins' field of vision that HyunJoong already knew, but he wasn't going to tell them that. "So I'm going too then, right?" He asked cheerfully.
"I hope you fall out of the fifth story window," YoungSaeng muttered before turning away and starting to walk. KyuJong gave a long-suffering sigh before pulling JungMin along, starting to tell him about what the hit was and how to get through it without getting himself shot.
Seeing HyunJoong follow out of the corner of his eyes, JungMin smiled to himself and listened to his boyfriend's explanation.
*****
When KyuJong finally unlocked the door to the closet he'd shoved JungMin in, the redhead tried to ignore the four unmoving bodies in the room in favor of glaring at the assassin. "I resent that."
"Would you rather have been impaled on one of those blades? They aren't stage props, you know." KyuJong sighed and helped him out of the mess of brooms he'd fallen into.
"At least don't lock me in next time!"
"Would you have stayed put if I didn't?"
"..."
"There's your answer."
YoungSaeng watched them both, wiping the blood off his knife. "You should be freaking out right now," he pointed out.
"About getting blood all over my shoes?" JungMin made a face at the floor. KyuJong smiled faintly, wrapping his arms around the redhead's waist and hiding his face against the other man's shoulder.
JungMin opened his mouth to ask how they were going to get out without being caught when YoungSaeng lifted a hand for quiet, listening. Eyes hardening, the older assassin marched over to the closed door to the hallway, blade in hand.
Opening the door quickly, he dragged HyunJoong in and slammed him up against the wall, pressing his blade against the man's throat.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
KyuJong stared at them both with wide eyes, then disentangled himself from JungMin so that he could close the door.
HyunJoong's eyes took in the bloodstained room and the bodies before returning to YoungSaeng. "Finding out the truth," he replied with a smile.
YoungSaeng stared at him before letting the older man go with a harsh shove, HyunJoong falling to the floor. "We're all dead," he whispered, turning away and hiding his face in his hands.
"Not if we play our cards right," KyuJong replied quietly.
"Kyu yah!" YoungSaeng whirled around to face him, eyes filled with panic. "JongWoon died thinking the same thing, and KyuHyun along with him. If we're found, we'll all die too."
"I think I missed something," HyunJoong murmured as JungMin came over to help him back to his feet. YoungSaeng shot him a teary glare before turning away and heading to the window, opening it and climbing out onto the balcony outside.
"So that's how we're doing it," JungMin remarked. KyuJong gave a strained smile and reached for his boyfriend's hand. The redhead took it, and let KyuJong pull him towards the window.
HyunJoong looked around the room one last time, before following as well.
*****
"When do you think they'll get back together?" JungMin asked as he and KyuJong watched YoungSaeng purposely ignore HyunJoong's advances.
"When YoungSaeng realizes it will help HyunJoong more to know what to expect than to leave him in the dark as JongWoon hyung left KyuHyun," KyuJong replied, chin perched on JungMin's shoulder and arms wrapped around the younger man's waist.
"That may take forever and a half," JungMin chuckled, looking back at him. KyuJong smiled in return.
"WOAH!" HyungJoon's sudden exclamation caught both their attention. YoungSaeng had tried shoving HyunJoong away, only to trip and land on top of him.
"...One of the top Child's Play assassins, and he trips over his own feet," KyuJong murmured in amusement as the two blinked at each other. "He's never living this down."
Then HyunJoong and YoungSaeng were kissing, and JungMin wondered if 'never' was really so far away after all.
*****
The slam of the dorm door made JungMin jump, looking up. The distraught expression on KyuJong's face made him stand. "KyuJong, what-"
Suddenly insistent lips were on his, JungMin flailing and falling backwards onto his bed. KyuJong landed on top of him, kissing him desperately.
JungMin was all for the sudden make-out, but when drops of wetness fell onto his face he pushed his boyfriend off of him. "What's wrong?" he demanded, meeting glassy eyes as tears continued to fall.
"They know," was the whimpered answer, and JungMin felt his heart stop.
"How did you find out?"
"I...I got a call," KyuJong replied, drawing in a shuddering breath. "YoungSaeng did too." He stared down at JungMin in utter despair.
"And?"
"Either we kill you and HyunJoong, tonight...or we all die tomorrow."
JungMin stared up at him. "An ultimatum."
KyuJong nodded tearfully. "I don't know what to do..."
"...we'll figure something out," JungMin murmured, reaching out and twining his hand into the other man's hair. "It'll be fine."
"JungMin...I can't kill you. But even if I don't, you'll die anyways."
"We'll think of something," JungMin repeated, voice firm. "Don't think about that right now." He pulled KyuJong down into another kiss, trying to ease the tension out of his boyfriend's body. He felt it work as the kiss was gradually returned, then deepened.
KyuJong's hands wandered, and slipped under his shirt. Moaning, JungMin wrapped one leg around the other man, and only protested when he felt his pants being undone. "Hey!"
The assassin looked at him, biting his lower lip. "...Sorry."
JungMin puffed his cheeks out when he felt the hands leaving. "Not that. Who said I'd be the one on bottom?!"
"..." KyuJong blinked at him, then smiled. "Well, HyungJoon always said you act like a girl..."
"That brat, I'm going to turn him into a pretzel when I-" the redhead shrieked at cold hands tickling him, bucking underneath the older man.
"See? You scream like one too."
"You assho-" Once again he was cut off, and JungMin forgot all about protesting.
*****
The insistent banging on the door woke KyuJong and JungMin from their sleep. Rubbing his eyes, KyuJong glanced at the time, eyes widening. He quickly jumped to his feet, JungMin admiring the other man's body for a moment before a pair of clothes were shot at him.
Once they were both dressed, KyuJong opened the door to a frantic YoungSaeng with HyunJoong and HyungJoon behind him. All three were pale; HyungJoon had clearly been informed of what was going on.
"It's time," YoungSaeng whispered, eyes bleak.
KyuJong looked between them all, feeling JungMin step up behind him, before pressing his lips firmly together.
"This isn't over yet."
*****
JungMin supposed he should be afraid, with the cold metal of a gun pressed to his temple, but he couldn't be. Call it foolishness, or naivety, or whatever else you wanted to call it, but he knew the man holding the gun that could end his life would never pull the trigger.
"Why don't you do it?" He asked, lips curling into a smirk despite himself as the metal shook slightly. "It's what you came to do, isn't it?"
The other man didn't respond, but the pain in his eyes was answer enough.
HyunJoong shifted behind him, back to back with JungMin with the barrel of YoungSaeng's gun over his heart. They weren't alone. Five other men stood against the walls, watching. Waiting to take the word back to the head that the two troublemakers had been dealt with...killed.
"Come on, Saeng," HyunJoong goaded. "Bet you always wanted to do this."
"Finish it," JungMin challenged.
"Shut up," YoungSaeng hissed.
KyuJong just continued to watch JungMin.
Or at least appear to be looking at him. His gaze was focused on a point just beyond him, the same point HyunJoong was watching. JungMin's attention was focused on a mirror against the wall reflecting that exact same point, YoungSaeng's eyes trained on the same spot.
The five against the wall shifted, growing impatient.
There was the click of KyuJong's safety being released. A second later, there was a similar click from YoungSaeng as his finger curled around the trigger.
Three...
There was a flash of light moving along the wall where their attention was focused, the reflection off metal.
Two...
Straps gradually being loosened, freeing hidden blades.
One...
KyuJong's watch beeped once. Twice.
BANG!
Twin gunshots rang out, followed by the flash of blades in the air. Four of the men watching slid to the ground, two with holes in their head and the other pair with blades embedded in their throats.
The fifth man darted forward, only to be caught by a trip wire. Staggering, he had no time to recover before HyungJoon appeared from the other side of the door, slitting his throat.
"Hurry!" YoungSaeng whispered, HyunJoong and JungMin grabbing their blades from their target's bodies before the five of them ran from the dark basement room. The man guarding the door was dead already, testament to HyungJoon's speed.
They didn't stop running until they reached the parking lot, HyunJoong starting the car and hitting the gas pedal. They flew out into the street and away from the school.
JungMin only realized he was holding his breath when KyuJong wrapped his arms around him, releasing the breath with a sigh and burying his face against his boyfriend's neck.
"What now?" HyungJoon asked, eyes wide.
"Now we run," YoungSaeng replied quietly.
"For how long?"
"However long it takes to make this right," KyuJong replied, twining his fingers into JungMin's hair. "Do you regret agreeing to come with us?"
"No," the three other men replied, JungMin's reply muffled against KyuJong's neck.
"We will be running for a long time," YoungSaeng warned. "Maybe years."
"Definitely years," KyuJong agreed.
"You're not scaring me away again," HyunJoong informed YoungSaeng, who smiled faintly in return.
"You're not scaring me away at all," JungMin snorted.
"This is much more exciting than memorizing equations in school," HyungJoon announced.
"This is what happens when you have friends," KyuJong told YoungSaeng.
The older assassins laughter filled the car as they ran for their lives and their freedom.
*****
Five years later
"We're back!"
KyuJong's voice echoed through the large house before a young girl barely ten popped her head out of the kitchen. Spotting KyuJong and JungMin in the doorway, her eyes lit up and she vanished. "Oppa, oppa, they're home!"
YoungSaeng, covered in flour and looking like a baking mess, stepped out of the kitchen. "How did it go?" He asked.
"Pulled it off without a hitch," JungMin replied, eyeing him. "What did you blow up?"
"He can't bake," A woman their age announced, appearing beside him. There were giggles from the young girl in the kitchen.
"We knew that already," KyuJong teased. "JiYong ah, where's HyungJoon? We have some new leads for him to look at."
"He's...somewhere." She wandered off, calling for HyungJoon.
YoungSaeng, trying without effect to get the flour out of his hair, paused and smiled when he noticed the young boy fast asleep in JungMin's arms. "He's the one?"
JungMin nodded, and the older man padded towards them. A frown replaced the smile when YoungSaeng noticed the cuts across the boy's arms. "He can't be older than five..."
"They're starting younger and younger," KyuJong sighed, kicking off his shoes and turning to JungMin, kissing the younger man and taking the boy from him gently. "I'll get those bandaged up." He went upstairs.
JungMin took off his shoes and locked the door behind them, setting up the alarms. Once they were all fully functional, he went towards the kitchen with YoungSaeng.
"Dinner is ready," the young girl in the kitchen informed them both with a toothy smile.
"Good work SungHee yah," YoungSaeng smiled, ruffling her hair. "Why don't you call the boys? Get them to help you wake up sleepy HyunJoong."
She brightened, nodding before running off.
YoungSaeng disappeared to finish preparing, JungMin wandering around the main hallway. The picture set up in the doorway caught his attention. Looking up at it, he smiled at the photograph of JongWoon and KyuHyun, both young men smiling with their arms around each other without a care in the world.
"Do you regret any of it?"
JungMin looked back at KyuJong as the older man's arms went around him. "Hardly," he remarked, turning around so he could wrap his arms around KyuJong's neck. "Do you?"
"No," was the honest reply, complete with a smile.
There was a shout, then loud, ringing laughter before SungHee ran back down the stairs, two boys following her. One could have been 15, the other around 8. "We woke HyunJoong oppa up!" She announced as she ran back into the kitchen.
"Good job," YoungSaeng laughed as HyunJoong groaned loudly from the floor above them.
"What did they do?" JiYong asked as she returned with HyungJoon.
"Not quite..." KyuJong trailed off as HyunJoong appeared, soaking wet, before all the three men burst out into laughter.
"Quiet, you'll wake up the new child," Scolded JiYong, though she smiled.
"Are you guys coming, or are these three young hooligans going to eat all the food themselves?" YoungSaeng asked, leaning against the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. HyunJoong came downstairs, and they both blinked at each other (YoungSaeng covered in flour, HyunJoong half-drowned) before laughing.
"What a pair," JiYong sighed affectionately.
KyuJong started to head to the kitchen when one of the alarms beeped. All noise ceased as he looked at the security screens set up against the wall.
"There's someone sneaking around back. Again."
"They just don't give up, do they?" HyungJoon groaned.
"They're just pissed we keep stealing back all their kids," JungMin smirked.
"Hyung?" The 15-year-old boy poked his head out of the kitchen. "Want me to help?"
"No, JungMin and I will be fine," KyuJong said reassuringly. "Stay here and protect the others, TaeMin." The young boy nodded.
"So I'm actually allowed to come along now?" JungMin asked as they both pulled on their shoes again.
"You keep sneaking out whether I ask you to stay or not, might as well have you not jump out of the second story window this time," KyuJong replied, straightening.
"Takes all the fun out of it," the redhead laughed before he was pulled into a kiss.
"Save some dinner for us," KyuJong called into the kitchen before unlocking the hidden door in the wall beside them. JungMin removed the safety on his gun with a click before both men walked out into the night and disappeared.
Length: One-Shot
Fandom: SS501 (mentioned SuJu, KARA and SHINee)
Pairing: KyuMin, side!HyunSaeng, past!KyuSung (SuJu), slight!HyungJoon/JiYong
Genre: Action, Romance, Suspence
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Violence
Summary: People aren't always how they appear on the outside. Sometimes there are deeper secrets, darker secrets. With the whole world against you, can one person's love really give back the freedom you lost?
A/N: Very loosely based off the song Points of Authority by Linkin Park. VERY loosely. This is for mochi_501x , whom I promised a KyuMin fic way back when...then forgot. LOL I fail, I know. Self-betaed, so probably ton of mistakes.
JungMin supposed he should be afraid, with the cold metal of a gun pressed to his temple, but he couldn't be. Call it foolishness, or naivety, or whatever else you wanted to call it, but he knew the man holding the gun that could end his life would never pull the trigger.
"Why don't you do it?" He asked, lips curling into a smirk despite himself as the metal shook slightly. "It's what you came to do, isn't it?"
The other man didn't respond, but the pain in his eyes was answer enough.
*****
Unlocking the door, JungMin stepped into the dorm room to find it empty. He had been told he would be rooming with an upperclassman, someone in the year above him in the university. That person, however, didn't seem to be here at the moment.
Glancing around the room, the redhead placed his bag on the bed of the unoccupied half of the room, the other side plainly decorated with warm colors and stacks of novels. JungMin pursed his lips with an inward sigh. He'd hoped to land an interested roommate. Looks like he caught a complete bookworm instead.
The other man didn't show up while JungMin was getting ready for his first class. Giving a slight shrug, JungMin stood and shouldered his bag, leaving the room.
When he returned that afternoon, joking around with his friend about one of the teachers who could have been sleep talking instead of teaching for all they knew, JungMin opened the door and collided headfirst into someone leaving the room. Both men fell backwards, HyungJoon bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
"Shut up," JungMin rolled his eyes, kicking his friend before turning to the one he'd ran into, the other man sitting on the ground rubbing his head with a wince. Bookworm was right; those glasses looked a bit too thick for today's fashion.
"Sorry," the other man apologized, blinking at JungMin. "I should have looked before leaving."
JungMin shrugged, standing and dusting himself off. The other man did the same, grabbing the textbooks he'd dropped. "You're my new roommate then?" The guy asked.
"Right," JungMin grinned. "Park JungMin."
"Kim KyuJong," his new roommate replied. "I'm sorry, I'm running late. Excuse me." He bowed politely and squeezed out past them.
"What's with those glasses?" HyungJoon blinked after him. "They magnify his eyes."
"Maybe his vision sucks," JungMin shrugged, walking into the room KyuJong had just vacated. "Who cares? Hey, did you hear about that party that HeeChul guy is throwing? Apparently he does it every first day of school."
"I heard. You going?"
"Of course! You?"
"I have the feeling I'm going whether I want to or not," HyungJoon gave a long-suffering sigh.
"Damn right." JungMin's grin widened. "No moping around in your room."
"I don't mope," HyungJoon grumbled. "I study. Like you should be doing. I hope they dump a ton of pop quizzes on you and you flunk out in the first week."
"Studying can wait, it's the first day! Relax a little. Besides," JungMin leaned over to whisper. "That senior girl who you've been staring at all day will be there too, I heard."
As expected, HyungJoon flushed red. "I have not been!"
"You are so see-through," JungMin scoffed. "Do you even know her name?
"Of course I do!" HyungJoon started, and then trailed off. JungMin burst into loud laughter, and then yelped as HyungJoon kicked him off his perch on his bed. "Jerk."
*****
The party lasted well into the morning. Reluctant to leave, JungMin talked with everyone and wandered with groups of friends long after the party had ended and everyone else had returned to the dorms. He didn't spot his roommate, KyuJong, but he hadn't expected to.
Unlocking the dorm door as quietly as he could, JungMin slipped inside and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness so that he wouldn't wake up his roommate. When shapes started to form, he blinked in surprise at seeing KyuJong's bed empty and untouched. Maybe he had been at the party after all.
Flipping on the light, he changed into pajamas and pulled out his panda eye patch and earplugs. JungMin had just turned off the lights and laid down when the door opened, admitting his missing roommate.
"...Oh." KyuJong blinked at him. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"
JungMin shook his head, grinning. "I was at the party," he explained. "Just got in. Were you there too? I didn't see you."
KyuJong blinked at him for a moment, then smiled. "Yeah...I normally stay in the back." He came the rest of the way into the room and closed the door behind him, locking it.
"Why?" JungMin snorted. "It's a party."
"Just not that much of a socializer," KyuJong murmured. He padded over to his bed and sat down, taking off those weird glasses.
JungMin blinked and squinted at the other man's face. When his eyes weren't being magnified to an extreme, he actually looked pretty good. Good being an understatement. "Why? You're pretty cute without the goggle effect."
KyuJong stared at him, and he thought he saw a tinge of pink in the darkness before the other man turned away quickly. "And also blind as a bat," he remarked, before grabbing a pair of clothes and walking towards the bathroom to change. "Good night, JungMin sshi."
Finding it a little odd to be referred to so formally, and from someone older than him no less, JungMin shrugged and laid down. "Night." He pulled on his eye patch and stuffed the earplugs on as the bathroom door closed. He was out before KyuJong returned.
*****
There was something nudging him. Swatting at it, JungMin turned and buried his face in his pillow, uneager to move. There were voices but he couldn't make out what they were saying past his earplugs, nor did he want to.
Then there were arms around him instead, shaking gently, and JungMin jumped in surprise, rotating his lower body so he could kick whomever it was. The yelp was audible even through his earplugs, as was the familiar laughter that overrode it.
Pulling off his eye patch and earplugs, JungMin blinked blearily at KyuJong, who was now on the floor and wincing. "Err...good morning?"
"I warned him not to!" HyungJoon choked, gasping for breath as he laughed.
JungMin tossed his pillow at this friend. "Obviously you didn't try hard enough to warn him. How the hell did you get in, anyways?"
"I let him in," KyuJong coughed from the floor. "You're friends, aren't you?"
"Some days," JungMin replied, eyeing the boy who was in hysterics.
KyuJong picked himself up off the floor, having recovered his breath, and adjusted his glasses. "You weren't waking up, and class is in 15 minutes."
"15 minutes?!" JungMin jumped up, swearing, and grabbed a pair of clothes.
"Hurry up!" HyungJoon called after him as he ran into the bathroom.
"Is he always like this?" JungMin heard KyuJong ask.
"Ever since kindergarten," HyungJoon laughed. "Next time you want to wake him up, try a long pole. Or water."
"Or offer him up instead!" JungMin yelled through the door. "A few more missing brain cells won't make a difference."
Hearing KyuJong laugh as HyungJoon squawked, the redhead grinned and hurried to get ready.
*****
The days following took on a routine. KyuJong would attempt to wake JungMin up, and after being dumped on the floor a few days in a row decided to take HyungJoon's advice. Only he used books instead.
Classes were boring, except for his acting classes, but he had expected it to be so. The highlights of JungMin's days were after class hours, where he and HyungJoon would wander around the school and chat with friends and strangers alike. After realizing KyuJong was prone to hiding in the library with what appeared to be his only friend, a quiet man named YoungSaeng, JungMin took to towing them along as well.
While KyuJong eventually warmed up to them, YoungSaeng did not, and often disappeared and took hours to find. JungMin and HyungJoon were quick to make it into a sort of game of who could find YoungSaeng first. KyuJong usually stayed out of it, mostly because he always knew exactly where YoungSaeng was and HyungJoon deeming him an 'unfair advantage' because KyuJong always chose to help JungMin rather than him.
JungMin never quite understood why KyuJong and YoungSaeng didn't have more friends. They were both very good-looking, when KyuJong could be coaxed into taking off his glasses, and friendly (YoungSaeng was friendly too, KyuJong argued. He just needed time to get used to people. A long time.) So he decided to ask the senior who worked in the same cafe as him part-time.
*****
"You mean you haven't noticed?" HyunJoong raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm surprised, considering you're his roommate."
"Noticed what?" JungMin asked, blinking. "Don't let the glasses fool you, you know, he's actually pretty hot."
HyunJoong whacked him over the head. "I'm not talking about the glasses. I'm talking about that attitude of theirs. Don't they seem a little distant to you?"
JungMin thought about it. It was true that KyuJong always gravitated towards the back of the rooms, and talked to few people other than JungMin, HyungJoon and YoungSaeng, but he'd already decided his bookworm hyung was shy. YoungSaeng even more so. "So they're not that social. What about it? Plenty of people around here are too shy for their own good."
"It's not just that," HyunJoong sighed. "I've been in the same grade as YoungSaeng throughout high school, and now. There's something off about them. Trust me on that."
"You're just paranoid," JungMin rolled his eyes. "Try hanging out with them for a day. They're pretty cool."
"I'll take your word for it."
JungMin huffed. What was up with him?
*****
It was late. JungMin had woken up in the middle of the night, only to find out that KyuJong wasn't in the room with him. The other man's bed was untouched and still made neatly, which confused him. Right before he'd dozed off, he'd seen KyuJong studying at his desk as usual. Now he was nowhere to be found.
Sitting up and pulling his earplugs out, JungMin looked at the clock. 2am. What was he doing out at this time?
The door clicked and opened, KyuJong reappearing. When he saw JungMin sitting up and awake, he blinked. "Hey. What are you doing up?"
"I could say the same for you," JungMin replied. KyuJong was dressed for outside. "Odd time for a walk?"
"I couldn't sleep," KyuJong replied sheepishly, taking off his shoes and walking to the bed, sitting down. "I miss home."
"Right, you're from the country," JungMin remembered. "Where exactly?"
"Jeonju."
"That's far," the redhead murmured. "It'll be break soon though, so you can go home then."
"Yeah." KyuJong's smile was a little sad.
Not awake enough to decipher his roommate, JungMin rubbed his eyes. "Don't you have a test tomorrow?"
"Right," KyuJong remembered. "Fine, fine, I'll sleep."
"You better, you party animal," JungMin teased, and received a pillow to the face.
Within seconds there was a massive pillow fight, both of them forgetting all about sleeping.
*****
"You guys don't seem that popular around here."
KyuJong looked over at JungMin at the statement, the older man studying on his bed. "You just noticed?" It was well over three months since they'd become roommates, JungMin well used to KyuJong's presence by now.
"Shut up," JungMin threw his pillow at the other man. "I'm asking why, not asking for your on-and-off snark to pop up."
KyuJong tossed the pillow back and shrugged. "We just never got along with anyone else. I moved here from the country, and YoungSaeng's just a bit too..." There was a pause. "...quiet."
"You were going to say something else," JungMin accused.
"I have no idea what you mean," KyuJong smiled at him.
"...Okay, that's it, the bug eyes are going. They're creeping me out." JungMin jumped up and practically tackled the other man back, KyuJong yelping in surprise as his glasses were snatched off his nose.
"H-hey! I can't see!"
"No one can't see that badly." JungMin set the glasses aside, looking down at KyuJong who was blinking up at him, hair in his eyes. The older man's cheeks were flushed from JungMin practically sitting on him to get to the glasses, a fact the redhead hadn't noticed nor corrected.
"See? You're much hotter when your eyes don't look twice their size. You're not a cartoon character."
KyuJong smiled sheepishly, pinkening a little more. "I suppose...but I really can't see you that well..."
JungMin leaned in more, not noticing how KyuJong's eyes widened at the proximity. "How about now? How blind are you?"
"...still can't see," KyuJong murmured, lips curling slightly. "You're all blurry."
The redhead leaned in a little more. "Now?"
"...no."
"Now?"
"A little better..."
"N-"
JungMin was cut off when KyuJong leaned forward ever so slightly, pressing their lips firmly together as his hands came up to twine into red hair. JungMin's eyes widened for a moment, before deciding 'screw it' and kissing him back.
When they separated for air, JungMin remarked, "You don't kiss like a nerd."
"You need to stop talking," KyuJong murmured, bright red.
"Make me."
That was exactly what KyuJong did.
*****
HyungJoon choked on his food when KyuJong kissed JungMin in front of them the next day.
"Oh my god, when did this happen?" he asked when he was able to breathe again, face beet red. YoungSaeng blinked at them both with wide eyes.
"Last night," JungMin quipped as KyuJong blushed.
"This totally isn't fair!" HyungJoon whined. "You're an idiot, you're not supposed to catch someone before I do!"
"Who's an idiot, you turtle?!" JungMin tackled HyungJoon over, the youngest of the group shrieking for his life.
Without a word, YoungSaeng got up and stalked away. KyuJong looked from JungMin and HyungJoon to his friend before excusing himself and running after YoungSaeng, leaving the other two blinking after them.
"What's up with Saeng?" JungMin asked, pouting as he let go of his friend and sat down on the grass next to him.
"Not sure," HyungJoon shrugged. "Does he have a crush on KyuJong or something? He certainly follows him around everywhere.."
"I have no idea," JungMin frowned. After a moment, he got up to go find them. HyungJoon started to follow, but then was quickly sidetracked by a group of classmates.
Walking along down the hallways, JungMin was beginning to think he would need some sort of collar for them both when YoungSaeng's voice, lowered into an uncharacteristic hiss, caught his attention.
"Are you insane?"
He paused, and peeked around a corner. YoungSaeng and KyuJong were the only ones in the hallway, their voices lowered to whispers. Curious, JungMin didn't make his presence known, instead hiding around the corner.
It didn't sound like YoungSaeng was having a jealous fit. He sounded worried. And maybe a bit...scared?
"Relax," KyuJong replied, voice calm. "I know what I'm doing."
"Do you? I really wonder, Kyu yah." YoungSaeng ran one hand through his hair in frustration. "Not only is it against the rules..."
"I'm tired of playing by their rules. Their rules are the reason why we've never had friends, Saeng."
JungMin perked up, wondering what they were talking about. He recalled HyunJoong's words about something being off about KyuJong and YoungSaeng.
"Maybe they've had the right of it, if having friends puts such crazy ideas into your head!" YoungSaeng snapped.
"Don't tell me you don't like them either, Saeng ah," KyuJong said quietly. "You like their company, even if you try to hide it."
"I shouldn't." YoungSaeng's eyes were pained. "You shouldn't either. I don't want to lose you too."
KyuJong drew the older man into a hug, and JungMin nearly couldn't make out his reply. "JongWoon hyung made his decision, and he was prepared for the consequences. As am I. Don't write us off just yet, alright?"
"Be careful, Kyu yah," YoungSaeng whispered.
"I always am." KyuJong held him for a moment before letting go. "We should head back." YoungSaeng nodded.
Seeing them both coming his way, JungMin quickly made himself scarce. He was confused, and more curious than ever. Just what had they been talking about?
*****
"Oh, you're getting it now!"
JungMin leapt up from his spot beside KyuJong, and was only stopped from attacking HyungJoon by his boyfriend's arm around his waist. "I am not a girl!"
"You PMS like one," HyungJoon remarked, and hid behind an amused YoungSaeng when JungMin tried to escape from KyuJong again.
"Kim HyungJoon you are so dea-MPH!" JungMin flailed as KyuJong figured out the perfect way to distract the redhead before he tied HyungJoon in a knot was to kiss him.
"Thanks KyuJong hyung...HEY, no making out!" HyungJoon cried when JungMin decided he liked the kiss a bit too much. YoungSaeng laughed quietly as the youngest hid his face against his back.
When the other man's laughter cut out, JungMin broke the kiss long enough to glance back at YoungSaeng. Seeing a blank look on the older man's face, the redhead followed his gaze to the school entrance, catching HyunJoong's back as the man walked away.
*****
"Did you know YoungSaeng and I used to date?"
JungMin nearly dropped the coffee pot at the sudden admission, blinking owlishly at HyunJoong. "What?"
The other man was busy cleaning up the counter at the end of their shift at the cafe. "We dated for a few months in high school," HyunJoong shrugged.
"You never said anything before," JungMin accused.
"Yeah, and I have no obligation to say anything now. I'm talking about it because you're dating KyuJong, and quite frankly I'm a little worried."
"About?" JungMin asked.
"I'm not quite sure what. Only that since those two are such close friends, you might want a warning."
"Can you speak plain Korean and not 4D?"
"There used to be a third person with them," HyunJoong continued. "A kid in our grade named JongWoon."
That name was familiar.
JongWoon hyung made his decision, and he was prepared for the consequences.
"What about him?" JungMin asked, listening now.
"The three of them always used to hang out," HyunJoong replied. "Even though KyuJong is a year younger than us, they were practically joined at the hip. Then JongWoon introduced them to a guy named KyuHyun, and they started dating."
"JongWoon and KyuHyun? What does this have to do with anything?"
"Stop asking questions and listen. I started dating YoungSaeng around the same time," HyunJoong explained. "We were pretty happy, actually. We all got along well. Then, about 3 months in, JongWoon and KyuHyun stopped coming to school."
"Did they drop out together?"
"That's the weird part. No one heard from them to say they were going to drop out. The school said they moved away. They never told us anything about it beforehand though..." HyunJoong looked down at the counter, tapping one hand against it. "And we never heard from them again."
JungMin's eyes widened. "Not at all?"
"Not a word. No letter, no call, no email, no IM." The older man's eyes turned pained. "And the day after they left, YoungSaeng broke up with me and refused to talk to me again. He and KyuJong separated themselves from everyone, and became school outcasts."
"...Woah," JungMin murmured. "That...doesn't sound right."
"That's what's so strange," HyunJoong replied. "Something doesn't fit in. I've been trying to figure it out since then, but I can't. It doesn't help that YoungSaeng still won't so much as look at me," he sighed quietly.
JungMin chewed on his lower lip, thinking. "Hey, why don't you join us for lunch tomorrow?" he asked, brightening. "YoungSaeng talks with us at least, maybe if you hang out with us he'll start talking to you again?"
Despite his doubtful expression, HyunJoong nodded. "I guess it can't hurt. They have been more social than I've seen them be in a while."
The redhead grinned and clapped him off the shoulder. He was determined to find out what KyuJong and YoungSaeng were hiding if it was the last thing he did.
*****
When HyunJoong sat down beside HyungJoon the following day, YoungSaeng's expression became like stone. KyuJong looked at his friend uneasily, but welcomed HyunJoong with a small smile nonetheless.
YoungSaeng didn't speak at all throughout the meal, and left hurriedly when he was done. KyuJong kissed JungMin and hurried after the older man.
"Well, at least he didn't leave right away like usual," HyunJoong murmured.
"Hm?" HyungJoon blinked at them both with noodles hanging out of his mouth. "Whaff goi o?"
"Ew, that's gross." JungMin whacked HyungJoon off the head. "Swallow." He looked back at HyunJoong as HyungJoon sputtered and choked. "Maybe he'll get better with time?"
"Who knows," HyunJoong mused. "Nothing to do but keep on trying."
JungMin eyed him. "You're still in love with him," he accused.
HyunJoong's smile was pained. "Very much so."
"Does everyone have someone but me?" HyungJoon whined.
*****
KyuJong was missing again. It had become habit to wake up and find his boyfriend's bed empty a few times a month. JungMin rubbed his eyes and looked at the door, pursing his lips.
It was just so strange. Where was he going? Was it really just homesickness causing him to take walks at crazy times of the morning?
JungMin wasn't so sure. And no matter how much he thought about the party he'd been at the first day of school, going over the different faces in his mind, he couldn't remember ever seeing KyuJong there.
It was time he did a little snooping around.
*****
Three weeks later, JungMin walked down the hallway as quietly as he could, following the shadow of his boyfriend. He'd pretended to sleep each night, waiting to see if KyuJong was going to leave again. Now that he had, the redhead was quick to follow.
KyuJong didn't notice his presence as he walked out of the dorms and through the school grounds towards the exit. JungMin pulled his hoodie over his head and followed along silently, hiding as best as he could in the open grounds. Thankfully KyuJong didn't turn around, even as he left the school grounds and headed down the street.
JungMin didn't hesitate to follow, all the while thinking that the other man's stride was a little too purposeful for a homesick stroll.
Suddenly KyuJong stopped in a dark corner, JungMin freezing and darting into a concealed doorway when his boyfriend looked around.
When he peeked out again, KyuJong was gone.
Cursing, JungMin hurried down the street, looking around. He couldn't have lost him already? The other man was nowhere to be found...
Searching, JungMin was about to give up and head back when movement in one of the alleys caught his attention. Blinking, he walked down the alley curiously.
It was KyuJong. Sighing quietly in relief, JungMin started forward then stopped.
KyuJong wasn't wearing his glasses. But that wasn't what made JungMin's blood run cold.
KyuJong was leveling a gun at a strange man's head.
JungMin could only watch, frozen, as the man panicked. "Wh-what are they paying you?" The old businessman shook. "Whatever it is, I can double it!"
There was the echoing click of the safety being released.
"T-triple it!"
KyuJong didn't reply. His watch beeped once. Twice.
BANG!
The man fell to the ground, unmoving and surrounded in a rapidly growing pool of red.
JungMin only realized he'd released a startled shout when KyuJong whirled around, eyes locking on to him in the darkness. The gun came up again, and JungMin collapsed as there was another echoing bang, clutching his arm.
He could hear KyuJong approaching before the redhead was gripped by the front of his hoodie, the cold barrel of the gun pressing harshly against the underside of his jaw as KyuJong tore the hood back off his head.
Just as quickly as he'd grabbed him, KyuJong released him.
"J...JungMin?!"
JungMin continued to hold on to his arm, wetness soaking into his sleeve and spilling over his fingers as he looked up at the shocked expression on KyuJong's face as the man backed up.
"So you can see fine without those magnifying glasses," the redhead mumbled, then winced.
Seeing the pain flash across JungMin's face, KyuJong dropped the gun and hurried forward, crouching beside him and taking his arm with shaking hands. "Oh god...I'm sorry, I-I..."
There was the flash of metal before the older man tore a piece of his shirt off with a switchblade hidden in one sleeve. JungMin watched as KyuJong rolled his sleeve up as gently as he could and bound the graze left by the bullet.
"Who was he?" JungMin asked, looking at the dead man then back at KyuJong.
KyuJong looked at him with wide eyes. "You shouldn't be here," he whispered. "You shouldn't know about this."
"Well, I am and I do, so are you going to tell me or are you going to kill me too?" JungMin asked bluntly.
He felt a stab of guilt when KyuJong flinched away as if he'd been struck. "No," KyuJong shook his head hard. "No, I can't kill you," he choked.
"Then who was he?" JungMin asked again. "Or, better yet...who are you?"
KyuJong looked down, finishing binding up JungMin's wound before becoming still. For a long moment JungMin thought he wasn't going to answer.
"I'm an assassin for hire," KyuJong murmured. "I have been for years."
JungMin blinked at him. He supposed around now was when he should run away screaming. It wasn't every day you found out your boyfriend was an assassin. But he didn't run away, and he knew exactly why.
Assassins were killers, meaning KyuJong was a killer (and he'd seen that for himself) but the pain in the older man's eyes was too human to be made of evil.
"Why?" He asked instead.
"...we shouldn't talk here," KyuJong murmured. "It's not safe." He stood, looking uncertainly at JungMin. "Do you...hate me now?"
JungMin stood and thwacked KyuJong off the head, drawing a surprised yelp from the other man. "Quit making assumptions. Let's go."
KyuJong blinked at him, then gave a nervous smile, before bending down to pick up his gun. JungMin gave no comment as he stowed it in one pocket before they left, leaving the dead body alone in the dark alley.
*****
"My parents had no money," KyuJong explained quietly. "A strange man came to the door once when I was little, and offered to pay for all the debts and living expenses for all of us if they enrolled one of their children into a specialized training program called Child's Play."
They were sitting on their own beds, KyuJong looking at the wall across from him rather than meet JungMin's gaze.
"Never heard of that before," JungMin frowned. "What's Child's Play?"
"They're supposed to be a group for training children in how to be successful in society from an early age," KyuJong started, then took in a deep breath. "In reality, they train children to be assassins."
JungMin's eyes widened. "You're kidding."
"I'm not."
"How old were you?"
"Six."
"Fuck...that's crazy," JungMin whispered. "And YoungSaeng?" He rolled his eyes when KyuJong looked at him sharply. "I know how to put two and two together, no matter what HyungJoon says."
"...YoungSaeng hyung was seven," KyuJong murmured. "We started at the same time."
"And JongWoon?"
KyuJong jerked back with wide eyes. "How did you know about JongWoon hyung?" he asked, shocked.
"HyunJoong told me about him," JungMin replied. "And how he...disappeared. KyuHyun too."
"...HyunJoong, of course," KyuJong murmured, then sighed. "Yeah, JongWoon was with us. He started with YoungSaeng at seven as well."
"The three of you were close," JungMin stated.
"Very. There were a few others in the same...I guess you could call it 'grade'...as us, but we mostly kept to ourselves."
"And you were all trained to be assassins."
"Right...we were trained for years. Child's Play trains children, then hires them out to people who need assassins. Mostly top government associations...the mob have their own assassins more often than not." He hesitated. "I received my first hit when I was 14."
14. The age most kids would be worried about getting zits and how to score the perfect date, KyuJong had blood on his hands already.
"That's crazy," JungMin murmured, at a loss.
"I hate it," KyuJong said bitterly.
"Then why are you still with them? Surely your family isn't that desperate for money?"
"I can't leave." KyuJong lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "The rules are strict. Once you enter the 'industry', you can't get out. The only way you can leave is to die."
"JongWoon is dead, isn't he?" JungMin asked, and watched as KyuJong's eyes filled with tears.
"Yes," the older man whispered. "He and KyuHyun broke another one of our rules...never to let anyone know what you are."
He turned his head to look at JungMin. "They were dating, which was as good to the head as if he'd told KyuHyun straight out. They were found out, and paid the consequences."
"They're both dead."
"Yeah..."
"And that's why YoungSaeng broke up with HyunJoong. To protect him."
"That's the reason...and he loves him still."
"And what about us?"
KyuJong swallowed thickly. "I-If you...if you want to break up, I understand," he whispered.
"Oh for Gods sake, stop jumping to conclusions!" JungMin got up and jumped onto KyuJong's bed, straddling him. "Did I say I'm going anywhere?"
"But you're in danger," KyuJong protested up at him. "And I...I shot at you!"
"Yeah, well, spooking the guy with the gun wasn't one of my better ideas." He leaned down and crushed his lips against KyuJong's, to which the assassin responded desperately, pulling the redhead down on top of him.
"We're not dead yet, so stop it with the gloom and doom," JungMin murmured against the older man's lips. His answer was a watery, muffled chuckle. After that, they were much too preoccupied to even think about talking.
*****
"JungMin ah, give me my glasses back!"
HyunJoong and HyungJoon rolled around on the floor in laughter as KyuJong stumbled over thin air running after his boyfriend. "No way!" JungMin laughed. "They're going into the dumpster where they belong!"
"JungMin~!"
JungMin caught a glimpse of HyunJoong rolling into YoungSaeng, and YoungSaeng rolling him back the other way with one foot, before they took a corner and went out of sight of their friends. Instantly KyuJong stopped staggering around and put on a burst of speed, catching JungMin and pinning him up against the wall.
"Seriously, I need those!" The older man protested, trying to snatch the glasses back. "It's part of my cover!"
"Well, it's a lousy cover," JungMin retorted, holding the glasses above their head and standing up on his toes. Damn it, if only they weren't the same height. "Try wigs. Or a false nose."
"That's even worse!"
"I don't care, you're not getting them ba-MPF!" KyuJong kissed him, and while JungMin was distracted, yanked the glasses out of his hands.
"...you suck," JungMin grumbled as KyuJong pulled back.
"It works as a distraction though," KyuJong smiled at him, kissing him again before pulling the glasses back on.
"You're not getting any more kisses until your eyes aren't buggified," JungMin stated, folding his arms over his chest with a huff.
"The question is who will last longer, you or me?" KyuJong teased.
"...I hate you."
"Love you too," KyuJong chuckled, taking his hand and walking back towards their friends.
A young man watched them leave, then turned around and walked away, raising a cell phone to his ear.
*****
JungMin watched as KyuJong took off his glasses and placed them on the nightstand. "Do you really have to?"
"I have no choice," KyuJong said bitterly, looking up at his boyfriend. "I can't refuse a hit, or it'll be suspicious, and I don't want the head looking at us too closely..."
The logic was sound, but JungMin still wasn't happy. "And YoungSaeng's going with you?"
"Yeah. It's a group hit, so we have to go in pairs."
"I'm coming too," JungMin said firmly.
"No!" KyuJong stared at JungMin. "You'll get yourself killed! You're not trained like we are, JungMin."
"I'll be careful!" JungMin protested. "And you know if you leave me here I'll just follow you anyways."
"Not if I tie you to the bed."
"Do that, and I promise neither of us will be leaving anytime soon." JungMin smirked at him and KyuJong flushed, throwing a pillow at the younger man.
"Either way, you're not coming. Besides, YoungSaeng doesn't know that you know about us yet."
"You're just worried about him chewing you out."
"That's a little minor compared to you getting a bullet between your eyes."
"Then watch where you aim," JungMin chuckled, standing and wrapping his arms around KyuJong's neck, kissing him.
KyuJong was successfully distracted, and didn't notice JungMin's hand going to his sleeve and removing the switchblade that he knew was hidden there until it was in the redhead's hand, JungMin dancing away with a laugh.
"Come and get it~," he teased, darting out of the room.
"JungMin!" Whining in the back of his throat, KyuJong gave chase.
By the time he caught up, JungMin was at the school gates, YoungSaeng staring at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Offering himself as target practice," KyuJong grumbled, snatching his switchblade back."
"He knows?!"
"Yes, and please refrain from killing me until after you help me convince him to stay here."
"I'm going with you," JungMin protested.
"No you're not," both assassins stated at the same time.
"..." JungMin puffed his cheeks out. "...If you don't let me come along...I'll tell HyunJoong."
"That's a low blow, Min," KyuJong protested as panic flared in YoungSaeng's eyes.
JungMin rather thought from the patch of moving shadow out of the assassins' field of vision that HyunJoong already knew, but he wasn't going to tell them that. "So I'm going too then, right?" He asked cheerfully.
"I hope you fall out of the fifth story window," YoungSaeng muttered before turning away and starting to walk. KyuJong gave a long-suffering sigh before pulling JungMin along, starting to tell him about what the hit was and how to get through it without getting himself shot.
Seeing HyunJoong follow out of the corner of his eyes, JungMin smiled to himself and listened to his boyfriend's explanation.
*****
When KyuJong finally unlocked the door to the closet he'd shoved JungMin in, the redhead tried to ignore the four unmoving bodies in the room in favor of glaring at the assassin. "I resent that."
"Would you rather have been impaled on one of those blades? They aren't stage props, you know." KyuJong sighed and helped him out of the mess of brooms he'd fallen into.
"At least don't lock me in next time!"
"Would you have stayed put if I didn't?"
"..."
"There's your answer."
YoungSaeng watched them both, wiping the blood off his knife. "You should be freaking out right now," he pointed out.
"About getting blood all over my shoes?" JungMin made a face at the floor. KyuJong smiled faintly, wrapping his arms around the redhead's waist and hiding his face against the other man's shoulder.
JungMin opened his mouth to ask how they were going to get out without being caught when YoungSaeng lifted a hand for quiet, listening. Eyes hardening, the older assassin marched over to the closed door to the hallway, blade in hand.
Opening the door quickly, he dragged HyunJoong in and slammed him up against the wall, pressing his blade against the man's throat.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
KyuJong stared at them both with wide eyes, then disentangled himself from JungMin so that he could close the door.
HyunJoong's eyes took in the bloodstained room and the bodies before returning to YoungSaeng. "Finding out the truth," he replied with a smile.
YoungSaeng stared at him before letting the older man go with a harsh shove, HyunJoong falling to the floor. "We're all dead," he whispered, turning away and hiding his face in his hands.
"Not if we play our cards right," KyuJong replied quietly.
"Kyu yah!" YoungSaeng whirled around to face him, eyes filled with panic. "JongWoon died thinking the same thing, and KyuHyun along with him. If we're found, we'll all die too."
"I think I missed something," HyunJoong murmured as JungMin came over to help him back to his feet. YoungSaeng shot him a teary glare before turning away and heading to the window, opening it and climbing out onto the balcony outside.
"So that's how we're doing it," JungMin remarked. KyuJong gave a strained smile and reached for his boyfriend's hand. The redhead took it, and let KyuJong pull him towards the window.
HyunJoong looked around the room one last time, before following as well.
*****
"When do you think they'll get back together?" JungMin asked as he and KyuJong watched YoungSaeng purposely ignore HyunJoong's advances.
"When YoungSaeng realizes it will help HyunJoong more to know what to expect than to leave him in the dark as JongWoon hyung left KyuHyun," KyuJong replied, chin perched on JungMin's shoulder and arms wrapped around the younger man's waist.
"That may take forever and a half," JungMin chuckled, looking back at him. KyuJong smiled in return.
"WOAH!" HyungJoon's sudden exclamation caught both their attention. YoungSaeng had tried shoving HyunJoong away, only to trip and land on top of him.
"...One of the top Child's Play assassins, and he trips over his own feet," KyuJong murmured in amusement as the two blinked at each other. "He's never living this down."
Then HyunJoong and YoungSaeng were kissing, and JungMin wondered if 'never' was really so far away after all.
*****
The slam of the dorm door made JungMin jump, looking up. The distraught expression on KyuJong's face made him stand. "KyuJong, what-"
Suddenly insistent lips were on his, JungMin flailing and falling backwards onto his bed. KyuJong landed on top of him, kissing him desperately.
JungMin was all for the sudden make-out, but when drops of wetness fell onto his face he pushed his boyfriend off of him. "What's wrong?" he demanded, meeting glassy eyes as tears continued to fall.
"They know," was the whimpered answer, and JungMin felt his heart stop.
"How did you find out?"
"I...I got a call," KyuJong replied, drawing in a shuddering breath. "YoungSaeng did too." He stared down at JungMin in utter despair.
"And?"
"Either we kill you and HyunJoong, tonight...or we all die tomorrow."
JungMin stared up at him. "An ultimatum."
KyuJong nodded tearfully. "I don't know what to do..."
"...we'll figure something out," JungMin murmured, reaching out and twining his hand into the other man's hair. "It'll be fine."
"JungMin...I can't kill you. But even if I don't, you'll die anyways."
"We'll think of something," JungMin repeated, voice firm. "Don't think about that right now." He pulled KyuJong down into another kiss, trying to ease the tension out of his boyfriend's body. He felt it work as the kiss was gradually returned, then deepened.
KyuJong's hands wandered, and slipped under his shirt. Moaning, JungMin wrapped one leg around the other man, and only protested when he felt his pants being undone. "Hey!"
The assassin looked at him, biting his lower lip. "...Sorry."
JungMin puffed his cheeks out when he felt the hands leaving. "Not that. Who said I'd be the one on bottom?!"
"..." KyuJong blinked at him, then smiled. "Well, HyungJoon always said you act like a girl..."
"That brat, I'm going to turn him into a pretzel when I-" the redhead shrieked at cold hands tickling him, bucking underneath the older man.
"See? You scream like one too."
"You assho-" Once again he was cut off, and JungMin forgot all about protesting.
*****
The insistent banging on the door woke KyuJong and JungMin from their sleep. Rubbing his eyes, KyuJong glanced at the time, eyes widening. He quickly jumped to his feet, JungMin admiring the other man's body for a moment before a pair of clothes were shot at him.
Once they were both dressed, KyuJong opened the door to a frantic YoungSaeng with HyunJoong and HyungJoon behind him. All three were pale; HyungJoon had clearly been informed of what was going on.
"It's time," YoungSaeng whispered, eyes bleak.
KyuJong looked between them all, feeling JungMin step up behind him, before pressing his lips firmly together.
"This isn't over yet."
*****
JungMin supposed he should be afraid, with the cold metal of a gun pressed to his temple, but he couldn't be. Call it foolishness, or naivety, or whatever else you wanted to call it, but he knew the man holding the gun that could end his life would never pull the trigger.
"Why don't you do it?" He asked, lips curling into a smirk despite himself as the metal shook slightly. "It's what you came to do, isn't it?"
The other man didn't respond, but the pain in his eyes was answer enough.
HyunJoong shifted behind him, back to back with JungMin with the barrel of YoungSaeng's gun over his heart. They weren't alone. Five other men stood against the walls, watching. Waiting to take the word back to the head that the two troublemakers had been dealt with...killed.
"Come on, Saeng," HyunJoong goaded. "Bet you always wanted to do this."
"Finish it," JungMin challenged.
"Shut up," YoungSaeng hissed.
KyuJong just continued to watch JungMin.
Or at least appear to be looking at him. His gaze was focused on a point just beyond him, the same point HyunJoong was watching. JungMin's attention was focused on a mirror against the wall reflecting that exact same point, YoungSaeng's eyes trained on the same spot.
The five against the wall shifted, growing impatient.
There was the click of KyuJong's safety being released. A second later, there was a similar click from YoungSaeng as his finger curled around the trigger.
Three...
There was a flash of light moving along the wall where their attention was focused, the reflection off metal.
Two...
Straps gradually being loosened, freeing hidden blades.
One...
KyuJong's watch beeped once. Twice.
BANG!
Twin gunshots rang out, followed by the flash of blades in the air. Four of the men watching slid to the ground, two with holes in their head and the other pair with blades embedded in their throats.
The fifth man darted forward, only to be caught by a trip wire. Staggering, he had no time to recover before HyungJoon appeared from the other side of the door, slitting his throat.
"Hurry!" YoungSaeng whispered, HyunJoong and JungMin grabbing their blades from their target's bodies before the five of them ran from the dark basement room. The man guarding the door was dead already, testament to HyungJoon's speed.
They didn't stop running until they reached the parking lot, HyunJoong starting the car and hitting the gas pedal. They flew out into the street and away from the school.
JungMin only realized he was holding his breath when KyuJong wrapped his arms around him, releasing the breath with a sigh and burying his face against his boyfriend's neck.
"What now?" HyungJoon asked, eyes wide.
"Now we run," YoungSaeng replied quietly.
"For how long?"
"However long it takes to make this right," KyuJong replied, twining his fingers into JungMin's hair. "Do you regret agreeing to come with us?"
"No," the three other men replied, JungMin's reply muffled against KyuJong's neck.
"We will be running for a long time," YoungSaeng warned. "Maybe years."
"Definitely years," KyuJong agreed.
"You're not scaring me away again," HyunJoong informed YoungSaeng, who smiled faintly in return.
"You're not scaring me away at all," JungMin snorted.
"This is much more exciting than memorizing equations in school," HyungJoon announced.
"This is what happens when you have friends," KyuJong told YoungSaeng.
The older assassins laughter filled the car as they ran for their lives and their freedom.
*****
Five years later
"We're back!"
KyuJong's voice echoed through the large house before a young girl barely ten popped her head out of the kitchen. Spotting KyuJong and JungMin in the doorway, her eyes lit up and she vanished. "Oppa, oppa, they're home!"
YoungSaeng, covered in flour and looking like a baking mess, stepped out of the kitchen. "How did it go?" He asked.
"Pulled it off without a hitch," JungMin replied, eyeing him. "What did you blow up?"
"He can't bake," A woman their age announced, appearing beside him. There were giggles from the young girl in the kitchen.
"We knew that already," KyuJong teased. "JiYong ah, where's HyungJoon? We have some new leads for him to look at."
"He's...somewhere." She wandered off, calling for HyungJoon.
YoungSaeng, trying without effect to get the flour out of his hair, paused and smiled when he noticed the young boy fast asleep in JungMin's arms. "He's the one?"
JungMin nodded, and the older man padded towards them. A frown replaced the smile when YoungSaeng noticed the cuts across the boy's arms. "He can't be older than five..."
"They're starting younger and younger," KyuJong sighed, kicking off his shoes and turning to JungMin, kissing the younger man and taking the boy from him gently. "I'll get those bandaged up." He went upstairs.
JungMin took off his shoes and locked the door behind them, setting up the alarms. Once they were all fully functional, he went towards the kitchen with YoungSaeng.
"Dinner is ready," the young girl in the kitchen informed them both with a toothy smile.
"Good work SungHee yah," YoungSaeng smiled, ruffling her hair. "Why don't you call the boys? Get them to help you wake up sleepy HyunJoong."
She brightened, nodding before running off.
YoungSaeng disappeared to finish preparing, JungMin wandering around the main hallway. The picture set up in the doorway caught his attention. Looking up at it, he smiled at the photograph of JongWoon and KyuHyun, both young men smiling with their arms around each other without a care in the world.
"Do you regret any of it?"
JungMin looked back at KyuJong as the older man's arms went around him. "Hardly," he remarked, turning around so he could wrap his arms around KyuJong's neck. "Do you?"
"No," was the honest reply, complete with a smile.
There was a shout, then loud, ringing laughter before SungHee ran back down the stairs, two boys following her. One could have been 15, the other around 8. "We woke HyunJoong oppa up!" She announced as she ran back into the kitchen.
"Good job," YoungSaeng laughed as HyunJoong groaned loudly from the floor above them.
"What did they do?" JiYong asked as she returned with HyungJoon.
"Not quite..." KyuJong trailed off as HyunJoong appeared, soaking wet, before all the three men burst out into laughter.
"Quiet, you'll wake up the new child," Scolded JiYong, though she smiled.
"Are you guys coming, or are these three young hooligans going to eat all the food themselves?" YoungSaeng asked, leaning against the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. HyunJoong came downstairs, and they both blinked at each other (YoungSaeng covered in flour, HyunJoong half-drowned) before laughing.
"What a pair," JiYong sighed affectionately.
KyuJong started to head to the kitchen when one of the alarms beeped. All noise ceased as he looked at the security screens set up against the wall.
"There's someone sneaking around back. Again."
"They just don't give up, do they?" HyungJoon groaned.
"They're just pissed we keep stealing back all their kids," JungMin smirked.
"Hyung?" The 15-year-old boy poked his head out of the kitchen. "Want me to help?"
"No, JungMin and I will be fine," KyuJong said reassuringly. "Stay here and protect the others, TaeMin." The young boy nodded.
"So I'm actually allowed to come along now?" JungMin asked as they both pulled on their shoes again.
"You keep sneaking out whether I ask you to stay or not, might as well have you not jump out of the second story window this time," KyuJong replied, straightening.
"Takes all the fun out of it," the redhead laughed before he was pulled into a kiss.
"Save some dinner for us," KyuJong called into the kitchen before unlocking the hidden door in the wall beside them. JungMin removed the safety on his gun with a click before both men walked out into the night and disappeared.