お帰り [Welcome Home] - Chapter Two
Title: お帰り [Welcome Home]
Authors: curionenene and yeonah
Chapter: 2/?
Fandom: SS501
Pairings: KyuMin, HyunSaeng
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU
Summary: Black and white... white and black. It isn't always possible to tell what is good and what is evil; and four players in the never-ending fight for freedom would know. In a world where things are painted by shades of grey, taking a stand could mean life or death. And the struggle to be free, truly free, may tear them apart until there is nothing left but ash.
A/N: KyuJong and HyunJoong are played by curionenene , while JungMin and YoungSaeng are played by yeonah .
Blocks away, the black kitten finally squirmed in the man's grip and nibbled on the hand that held him, a silent 'put me down now' order. Squirming a little more, he dropped to the ground and went straight for a dark shape hidden under a nearby bush. Pawing at the backpack, he managed to hook his claws into the zipper and pull it down enough to reveal the distinct shape of clothing inside.
HyunJoong had let out a slightly exasperated sigh when the kitten had struggled out of his grip. He rolled his eyes, walking over to a tree not far from the bushes and leaning against it. Looking around to make sure that they hadn’t been followed, he settled for eyeing the small kitten in the bushes, pawing at the backpack. “Need help, Saengie yah?”
The kitten glanced back at him then went farther behind the bushes where he couldn't be seen, dragging the backpack with him. It was one with small wheels on the bottom and easy enough to maneuver once he got it into the right position.
Branches rustled in the dark. "No…do you have what we need?" It was a distinctly human voice that answered HyunJoong, faint outlines in the dark illustrating clothing being pulled on over a head-full of long hair and thin arms.
A moment later, YoungSaeng walked out from behind the bush as he wrestled with the sweater he was tugging down over his chest. The young man was barefoot and jean-clad, the jeans much wider than normal. Fixing his shirt, he reached into the backpack and pulled out a beanie to carefully pull it over a pair of black cat ears, making sure they were hidden before he fished out a pair of shoes and crouched to place them on.
“Yeah, everything’s in here.” HyunJoong pushed himself off from the tree, tapping the side of his head with an easy smile. He joined the man’s side, his eyes looking up and down the other man as if contemplating something. “Hmm… although…”
Golden eyes with slitted pupils looked up at HyunJoong before they slowly shifted back into a dark brown. "Although what?" YoungSaeng asked, raising an eyebrow as he tied the shoes on and stood up, eyeing the human.
“I have a hard time deciding whether I prefer your kitten form or your human form.” HyunJoong replied, his face the epitome of seriousness. His dark eyes roved up YoungSaeng’s form, as if in deep contemplation. “Your kitten form is so sweet and cute, and it’s a plus point that I can cuddle you against my chest.”
“But then, at the same time, your human form is so delicious.” HyunJoong leaned forward, pushing his face barely inches away from YoungSaeng’s, his hands snaking around YoungSaeng’s waist. “What do you think?”
YoungSaeng put his hand firmly in HyunJoong's face and pushed it away, expression blank. "I think you are insane and I should have partnered with someone who doesn't try to peek when I'm showering," he deadpanned, stepping out of the human's arms. "Concentrate, alright? We should get that information written down before you forget it."
HyunJoong let out a disappointed sigh, but didn’t try to invade the felinefolk’s private space again. He let his arms fall to the side, turning around with a slight swish of his long cloak as he began to walk off. “You have too little faith in me, YoungSaeng. When have I ever forgotten such vital information?”
"There is a first time for everything," YoungSaeng shrugged as he shouldered the backpack and followed along behind HyunJoong, keeping a few feet behind as he usually did. "Especially when you distract yourself." He tugged lightly on the hat over his ears, lips pursed together in discontentment. He hated having to cover his ears, but it was needed. While most felinefolk were capable of a human form without ears or tail, YoungSaeng for an unknown reason couldn't. So his ears were hidden uncomfortably under a hat, his tail stuffed even more uncomfortably in his jeans. He couldn't wait for them to get back home so he could change into something less restricting.
“Oh, but don’t you know, I’m distracted everyday by your beauty, so much so that I’m used to dealing with distractions~” HyunJoong replied, turning his head back, a serious yet playful glint in his eyes. His smile was lazy, but the thoughts underneath were serious as he noticed YoungSaeng’s discomfort. “Why don’t you go back first while I go hand over the information?”
"You are a shameless flirt," YoungSaeng told him, not sure whether to be amused or resigned. He'd heard all this before, and no matter how many times he made it clear he was not interested, it hardly seemed to phase his stubborn master.
Blinking at the question, the felinefolk shook his head. "I'm fine. Besides, those brainless lumps of muscle at headquarters always look like they're going to eat you alive." He wanted the chance to claw their eyes out if they tried. He may not be necessarily happy with his choice of master, but he swore to protect him.
HyunJoong let out a laugh, turning with a twinkle hidden in serious eyes. “Is that concern I hear, YoungSaeng? How sweet~ Are you falling for me and my charms?”
However, YoungSaeng’s point was valid - HyunJoong hated going into the headquarters. Colleagues as they might be, those ‘lumps of muscle’ as YoungSaeng called them tended to look at him like he was a threat instead of a comrade. And all just because his methods were slightly more humane than theirs. Still, he didn’t like the way some of them looked at YoungSaeng either - and not even in a threatening way, and would rather the felinefolk step into that place as little as possible. “I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”
"I just don't want to have to go through the trouble of finding another master," YoungSaeng replied. "Your pick-up lines are too outdated to be charming."
Lowering his hand back to his side, YoungSaeng watched HyunJoong as they walked. "I'm going with you; deal." He could put up with the hat and jeans a while longer. Besides, he wasn't outside that often in his human form, finding it especially hard to hide his feline features in the day.
HyunJoong let out a soft sigh, his rueful expression unseen by the other man as he shrugged, “Alright, whatever you wish, your majesty.”
He led the rest of the way in silence - they were nearing town, and he had a reputation as a cold-blooded Hunter to keep. Lowering his head so that his bangs covered his eyes, his stance became more forceful, and his mouth settled into a hard line. And if anyone would have the misfortune to chance upon his eyes, they would be startled by the cold glass that HyunJoong’s eyes had become.
They passed through the town without mishap, reaching the headquarter building within no time. HyunJoong didn’t bother greeting anyone as he made his way in, going straight to the lady sitting at the main table, ignoring the glares he was given. “Hello, lady boss. I got the information you wanted.”
The lady boss, a rather sultry looking woman smiled, pulling out several piece of blank paper and a pen. “Well, start writing then, HyunJoong sshi. And perhaps you will get your bread and butter for the day.”
YoungSaeng didn't even look at the others in headquarters, keeping his head down as he followed behind HyunJoong like a silent shadow. While HyunJoong had his image to uphold, YoungSaeng had his own; he was the dirty non-human who HyunJoong had tamed to do his bidding. As such, YoungSaeng was free from the fear of other Hunters...or he was supposed to be.
It was chilling sometimes to see how quickly HyunJoong changed...and it wouldn't have been the first time YoungSaeng had second-guessed his decision while looking into glass eyes.
Taking up a guard-like stance behind HyunJoong, YoungSaeng turned away from his master and the desk to face the rest of the room, finally lifting his gaze but carefully not meeting anyone's eyes.
HyunJoong had taken up the pen, his demeanor cold and entirely unaffected by all the different types of gazes in the room directed at him - those of mistrust, those of menace, those of jealousy, and the most obvious - the one of seductive interest from the eyes of the lady boss.
Finishing his task, he stood back up, pushing the paper back to the lady boss. “That’s everything I got.” He voice was lower than usual, more of a soft growl than an actually sentence. He tapped his finger on the table impatiently, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.
The lady boss hid the look of disappointment on her face, looking through the paper half-heartedly before tossing a wad of money onto the table. “You did good.”
HyunJoong nodded, as if he expected nothing less, taking the money and stuffing it into his pocket. He didn’t say anything else as he turned around to walk out, but he did lift his hand to tug on YoungSaeng’s hair none-too-gently in an order for the felinefolk to follow him out.
Glancing back at them as HyunJoong finished, YoungSaeng's eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he turned away again. He'd been prepared for the harsh tug on his shoulder-length hair, but he still winced slightly as he turned and followed the Hunter out without a word.
His ears twitched under the hat as he picked up on the muffled voices of the Hunters talking before they were outside again, the sound of the few cars on the road drowning out the voices. Head down, he followed along behind HyunJoong again, counting the steps until they could reach HyunJoong's home.
Finally, they were back home, and HyunJoong quickly unlocked the door, waiting for YoungSaeng to come in before closing it behind him. The cold mask dropped, revealing the tired look on his face.
He stretched, reaching out to pull off YoungSaeng’s beanie, liberating the ears that had been hidden underneath. “Sorry.” His gentle hands scratched behind those velvet ears in a way of apology for the rough treatment earlier - it had been necessary, but that still didn’t mean he liked to do it.
YoungSaeng's attempt to move away from the approaching hand died as gentle fingertips scratched behind his ears, the felinefolk barely managing not to purr. His ears were his one weak spot, and HyunJoong knew it. "It was needed," he murmured, eyelids fluttering slightly before he managed to compose himself enough to step out of reach.
"That woman looks at you like a piece of meat," he said flatly before he could stop himself.
“Huh… well, they all do.” HyunJoong missed the underlying meaning of YoungSaeng’s sentence and chuckled. He reached out, trying for YoungSaeng’s ears again - he loved seeing how the felinefolk became a bundle of cuteness when his ears were scratched.
Sighing at his dense master, YoungSaeng carefully sidestepped the reach for his ears. If he let the human scratch his ears for too long, he would be putty in the man's hands and the felinefolk wasn't sure he trusted HyunJoong enough for that. "You look dead on your feet." He slipped his shoes off in the entranceway and nudged them to one side before starting towards the bedroom, wanting to change into something that wouldn't be so uncomfortable on his tail.
HyunJoong chuckled at the felinefolk’s comment, and he walked forward, putting his arms around YoungSaeng’s waist and his chin on the other’s shoulder. “Yeah, that I am. Wanna help me relax~?”
He knew that he should probably let YoungSaeng change out of the uncomfortable jeans he was wearing, but HyunJoong had been pretending to be someone he was not for the whole day, and it had drained him. And all he wanted was someone to lean against at the end of a tiring day.
YoungSaeng looked down at the arms around his waist, glancing back at HyunJoong through narrowed eyes. "Depends what your idea of 'relaxing' is," he said slowly. If the human stuck his face anywhere near his own again, YoungSaeng would make sure HyunJoong never had children.
He really did want to change into something more comfortable though, ears twitching slightly in annoyance at the restricting jeans.
HyunJoong was tempted to make YoungSaeng stay with him, perhaps dragging the felinefolk to the couch and force the other to be his pillow - it was within his right to. But HyunJoong let out a soft, inaudible sigh before he let go. “Never mind. Go change.”
He wasn’t going to make YoungSaeng do something he didn’t want to do - especially not while the both of them had a choice. HyunJoong stretched, bypassing YoungSaeng and going into the kitchen. “Gonna prepare some tea… any preferences?”
The light breeze of the sigh tickled YoungSaeng's ears as HyunJoong walked by him, and for a moment the felinefolk felt guilty for bringing the other man's mood down. Maybe he would make it up to him later.
"Honey, if we have any," he murmured, padding off into the bedroom and closing the door.
When YoungSaeng reappeared, it was dressed in an oversized shirt and a pair of boxers, the back specifically designed with a slit for the long black tail that trailed along behind him, nearly reaching his ankles. Pausing at the entrance to the kitchen, YoungSaeng watched HyunJoong through his bangs for a moment before padding over quietly to help with the tea.
HyunJoong set the tea down, taking the pot of honey out for YoungSaeng along with several cups so that YoungSaeng could pour it out for them. He sat down, running a hand through messy hair, pulling at his cloak and arranging it around him - he had yet to take off his hunting clothes as of habit. He usually kept them on as much as possible, whether it was comfortable for him or not - a safety precaution that had been learnt over the years.
“Hmm… have you been growing thinner?” HyunJoong eyed YoungSaeng and the oversized shirt he was wearing - it seemed to flap around him a lot more than before. “You should eat more… it’s not like we don’t have money or anything…”
"You say that all the time," YoungSaeng replied quietly as he finished making the tea for them. "And I do eat, you see me eat." Putting the honey in his tea and stirring it in, he brought the tea to the table and placed it down, HyunJoong's in front of his master. YoungSaeng slipped down into the seat across from him, blowing on the tea lightly to cool it. "You should get out of those," he said, eyeing the hunter outfit.
“And you shouldn’t be afraid to let me scratch your ears.” HyunJoong replied simply, sipping his tea, enjoying the way the hot liquid almost scalded his tongue as he drank the brown liquid plain. “But I guess we all have our own insecurities.”
Draining his cup, HyunJoong got back up, putting the teacup into the sink, rinsing it. “But you’re right. I’m gonna go take a bath and change out. Try not to take advantage of my momentary insecurity and attack me to put me in my place.”
YoungSaeng's ears flattened at that. "What is that supposed to mean?" he hissed, sitting up straight. "I have no intention of attacking you." He was confused, though he had to admit HyunJoong had a point about having their own insecurities. YoungSaeng didn't want to get too close to the Hunter. They had a deal; once the terms of their bond were complete, they were to go their own separate ways, no questions asked. He didn't want to be tied down to anything.
HyunJoong mentally hit himself for his slip. He must be getting tired. “Nothing.” HyunJoong smiled lazily at YoungSaeng. “My head isn’t screwed on right now, I have no idea what I’m saying either.”
And he put the cup back on the drainer, walking past YoungSaeng and ghosting his hand over the flattened ears. “Well, good night then, YoungSaeng~”
Turning his head to watch HyunJoong leave the kitchen, YoungSaeng's eyes shifted back into a bright golden as he tried to puzzle out just what HyunJoong had meant. Did he seriously expect YoungSaeng to attack him? He may not like the Hunter's flirty advances, but that didn't mean he hated the guy either. He was neutral, or tried to be as much as possible.
Frowning down at his tea, YoungSaeng sipped at it and closed his eyes at the flavor of honey on his tongue. He finished the cup slowly so he wouldn't burn himself before getting up to rinse the cup out in the sink, doing the dishes and placing the cups away. Once that was done and he'd cleaned the teapot, he padded into the living room and curled up on the couch, yawning.
He would ask HyunJoong about it tomorrow...
Within moments the felinefolk was fast asleep, curled up into a ball on the couch with his tail dangling off the armrest and bangs falling into his eyes.
HyunJoong emerged from the bathroom, toweling his hair violently, dressed in a pair of shorts and a loose T-shirt. He spotted YoungSaeng sleeping soundly on the couch and the ghost of a smile drifted across his face.
He walked silently over to where the felinefolk slept, his footsteps unsounding against the tiled floor. He picked the abandoned blanket off the floor and draped it softly over the felinefolk’s sleeping form. Then, with a gentle hand, he brushed back YoungSaeng’s bangs, leaning down to kiss the other’s forehead.
“Night, Saengie.” He whispered before he got up and walked off to his own room. “Sweet dreams.”
It was the least he could wish the other - and something he could only long for as he fell asleep into dark dreams and nightmares.
**********************
KyuJong was in a very, very compromising position that he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to get out of, but what sure that he needed to or he’d possibly die - or the very least get oxygen-deprived.
“Jung…Min… let… go… can’t…” KyuJong strained out, flailing his arms in JungMin’s death grip around him. “BREATHE!”
Half-asleep and unaware (or fully-asleep and running on instinct, it was impossible to tell), JungMin's only reaction was to pull the ankou even closer, the other man's attempt to wake him up backfiring when he got within grabbing range. His eye patch was still on and buds in his ears, rendering KyuJong's protests useless.
Feeling the thing that had tried shaking him earlier moving, JungMin wrapped both his legs around KyuJong's form in an attempt to halt the movement.
“Ack!” KyuJong choked as JungMin wrapped him up in an even tighter hold. He tried struggling, but that only served to irritate his master more.
Then JungMin wrapped both his legs around in KyuJong’s form, and the ankou, of all things, blushed, mentally scolding himself. ‘THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO GET SHY, KYUJONG!’
Finally, in a desperate attempt, KyuJong squirmed forward, upsetting their center of gravity, and managing to tip the both of them off of JungMin’s bed, causing them to crash painfully onto the floor.
A shriek of surprise left the human as they hit the ground, JungMin on top of the pile somehow with his face buried in KyuJong's collar. Finally awake fully, JungMin lifted his head enough to yank the eye patch off, the ear buds having fallen out somehow in the collision.
Blinking sleepily at KyuJong and not registering the fact that their bodies were more-or-less tangled together, JungMin groaned and rested his head back against the crook of KyuJong's neck. "Good morning."
KyuJong had at been at first relieved at the fact that he could finally breathe, but then he suddenly felt the human’s head nuzzling against his chest and now he couldn’t breath for an entirely different reason.
Looking up, he groaned internally at the sight of their bodies tangled into an even more compromising position, and one that KyuJong had no motivation to get out of, other than the fact that he was quickly turning into a bright red tomato. “Err… Min…?” He murmured reluctantly - at least you couldn’t accuse him of not trying.
JungMin blinked, slowly waking up further. Even so, he didn't seem particularly bothered by the contact. "Do I have to?" He grumbled into KyuJong's shoulder. "You're like a pillow..."
Finally though he did move, pushing himself up slightly so he could roll off of KyuJong with an 'oof' and landing on the floor beside his partner, red hair messy and shirt hiked up slightly from the fall.
KyuJong wanted to say that, no, JungMin didn’t really have to get off. But then, his partner had already rolled off, and KyuJong was just glad for the fact that he hadn’t said anything compromising.
That is, until he turned and his eyes roved almost of their own accord to the human’s sexy bed hair, and the small expanse of skin that was showing from beneath the hiked-up shirt.
KyuJong tried very, very hard not to hyperventilate.
Instead, he shot up to his feet, squeaking some excuse about making breakfast before rushing out of the room, his face bright pink.
God, he hated himself sometimes.
Lifting himself up slightly so he could blink at KyuJong as the ankou ran out of the room, JungMin sat up and rubbed his head slightly. Wondering what was up with his partner, he picked himself up off the floor and dumped his eye patch and ear buds on the bed before fixing his shirt and hair, trying uselessly to flatten the red mess.
Once he had his appearance somewhat under control, he padded into the kitchen to find KyuJong. "What are you making?" he asked, resting his chin on the ankou's shoulder as he blinked at what the other was doing, completely oblivious to the effect he was having on KyuJong. He was always like this.
KyuJong had finally managed to get his heartbeat under control when JungMin had put his chin onto KyuJong’s shoulder, destroying all of KyuJong’s work. KyuJong sighed, resigning himself to a lifetime of such torture and instead concentrated on making a coherent reply to JungMin. “Just heating up some of the leftover Japchae… Do you want anything else?”
JungMin shook his head slightly, half-resting against KyuJong. "More sleep," he mumbled. "I'm using you as a pillow." It took a bit for his energy to catch up with the rest of him, unless something happened to really wake him up.
After a moment, his eyes half-opened again. "Sleep alright?" he asked, remembering KyuJong's state of nearly passing out last night.
KyuJong had been careful not to move too much so that JungMin wasn’t disturbed in his sleep when the other asked a question which left KyuJong smiling happily - the concerned question was a reminder of how lucky he was to have met JungMin, and how different he was from all of KyuJong’s previous masters. “Yeah, I slept really good. What about you?”
"Out like a light," JungMin replied, stifling another yawn. "Running through half of Seoul has that effect. It was fun though." He grinned sleepily against KyuJong's shoulder. "Don't you think so?" He finally straightened so he wasn't leaning on KyuJong, though stayed right beside him as he pulled out cups. "Coffee, tea, or me?" he joked, the rhyme flowing from him in accented English.
KyuJong had to turn his face away so that JungMin wouldn’t see his blush. ‘You’ He thought to himself, with a little ruefulness, but he replied instead, “Tea, please. And don’t do that, you sound silly.”
“Oh yeah, a letter came in the mail today.” KyuJong commented innocently, taking down two bowls and dumping the Japchae into two portions - the smaller one for him, the bigger one for JungMin. “It should be on the table.”
"What's wrong with sounding silly?" JungMin pouted. He fixed up tea for KyuJong and coffee for himself (though he didn't really need to get himself wired to be bouncing around later). Perking up at the sound of a letter, JungMin looked at the table. "Wonder what it is," he blinked, bringing the drinks to the table. Glancing at the bowls KyuJong was filling, he raised an eyebrow. "Yah, you're too skinny, eat more than that," he huffed as he picked up the letter looking at it for the return address.
There was none...nor was there an actual address, even.
KyuJong took advantage of JungMin’s preoccupation with the letter to dodge the ‘skinny’ comment. He quickly went over putting the bowls down to the table and began to eat quietly.
“So, seems like we’ll be busy today too, huh?” KyuJong commented while JungMin looked at the letter - they both had probably guessed what the contents of the letter roughly were already.
"Hopefully." JungMin grinned as he started to open the letter, pulling out the piece of paper inside. Unfolding it, he glanced at the paper and blinked.
It wasn't the usual coded list of new assignments they were to take on, nor even an order to show up at headquarters. The letters looked like they had been stamped on with an antique typewriter, and the paper wasn't signed.
"10pm tonight, the arts studio on 3rd street will be the site of a mass slaughter," he murmured, reading from the paper. The arts studio was one of the safe houses the pair sent non-humans to...or more precisely, the rooms hidden underneath it. JungMin looked up at KyuJong, blinking. "Someone got a hold of one of the safe house addresses?"
“What?” KyuJong pulled the paper out of JungMin’s hands, staring at it. The envelope had been similar looking to the one their assignments usually arrived in, but now that he looked closely at it, it was slightly different - the type of paper, and a few slight differences. “Hmm…”
He read through the message again, looking at it in all angles, but it looked clean - which was suspicious in itself. “I’m not sure if this is legit, or a prank, or even a trap…”
JungMin however had finally woken up the rest of the way, eyes alight. "Even so, we should check it out! Get everyone in the safe house to a safer location, and wiretap the area to see." If it was a real tip-off, then someone had to be done about it. There were at least 10 non-humans there this precise moment. "And report it to the organization so we have backup."
Who was the letter from though? And how did they know JungMin and KyuJong worked to protect non-humans?
Less concerned about that and more about how they needed to move all the non-humans to a different safe house, JungMin drank his coffee and practically bounced in place. "Maybe the hunters will be watching the place all day? We'd need to be careful not to be seen!"
KyuJong looked up, and shook his head a little wryly - trust JungMin to be more concerned about others than himself. And he couldn’t help but be caught along in the positive bubble of emotion that practically radiated out of his master. “Well, then, do you have any ideas on how to keep this whole operation secret then?”
"Um..." JungMin paused to think then, sitting down in the seat next to KyuJong finally and playing with his chopsticks. "We could pretend to be art students or something?" he suggested sheepishly. Being subtle wasn't his thing; he'd much rather go in guns blazing than sneak around. "Or, I dunno, sneak them out in pairs...or unmarked cars..." He pouted at his Japchae as he thought.
KyuJong chuckled at JungMin’s pout - it was way too cute to be healthy for the ankou. Actually, judging by the rate his heart was going, it wasn’t. KyuJong had to resist cuddling his master right then and there - it’d no doubt lead to a conversation KyuJong would most definitely regret.
Instead, he reached over, picking up some Japchae with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his master’s mouth. “Never mind. We’ll no doubt think of some kind of plan when we get there. Let’s go check it out first.” ‘And see if this source is reliable in the first place…’
About to offer another suggestion, JungMin was shut up by the sudden amount of food in his mouth. Listening to KyuJong, he nodded as he focused his attention on chewing rather than talking. That sounded reasonable. KyuJong always set things straight, something the eccentric human needed. He was always able to count on KyuJong to point him back in the right direction when he allowed himself to get twisted up in facts and theories.
Swallowing, he eyed the food left in KyuJong's bowl before picking up some of his own. "I didn't see you put more in your bowl," he said, the warning tone contrasting with the wide grin on his face. Did KyuJong think he hadn't noticed? "Eat more or I'll feed you myself." He brought the food to KyuJong's mouth.
“Huh?” KyuJong blinked at the sudden change in topic, and also at the food that was suddenly pushed at his mouth. “No, I did! I did!” He put on an innocent look that wasn’t fooling anybody - the way he smiled too forceful, and his nostrils flaring a little.
"You can't lie to me, KyuJongie~," JungMin sang cheerfully. "Open up~!" He tapped the chopsticks against KyuJong's lips. "Unless you want me to pin you down and make sure you eat!" He'd done it once too, in the first week of them being partners; tackled KyuJong over, straddled his waist, and refused to budge until KyuJong ate every grain of rice from the bowl he was holding.
KyuJong glared at JungMin a little before opening his mouth up - he knew that JungMin would really carry out his threat. And for the sake of his sanity, he’d rather feel full than turned on with nowhere to take his frustrations out on.
JungMin beamed. "See? That isn't hard," he cooed as he fed KyuJong happily. Waiting for KyuJong to finish his mouthful before offering more, he thought about the tip-off. "So we should go as soon as we're dressed then," he decided determinedly. "And maybe let headquarters know too. I can call them before we leave. What do you think?" Completely overlooking the fact that KyuJong couldn't talk with Japchae in his mouth.
“…” KyuJong stared pointedly at JungMin, gesturing at his mouth. But the human was too preoccupied with his own thoughts, so KyuJong had no choice but to chew on the Japchae, swallowing before he answered. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”
Smiling brightly, JungMin alternated between feeding himself and KyuJong when he judged the ankou wasn't getting enough food. All throughout it, he chattered about what they were going to have to do, that they deserve a raise with the amount of saving they do, and how they were going to kick Hunter ass. Finishing his bowl and the cup of coffee, he bounced to his feet and started cleaning up, too excited to sit still.
KyuJong let out a sigh of resignation as his master bustled around, so full of life. It was that life that had attracted KyuJong to JungMin in the first place. Being a faerie with the power over life and death had made him a popular target of hunters as a useful tool. And he had had many masters before JungMin, all of them treating him as a convenient weapon against their enemies.
JungMin was the only one who had never forced him to kill anyone - although it didn’t mean he didn’t, it was just that for the first time in his life, a human master had given him the choice.
It was also the main reason why KyuJong had fallen so hard for this rash, silly human master of his.
“Alright, alright.” KyuJong let out a chuckle when JungMin had finally finished feeding the both of them with Japchae. “Let’s go get you dressed up first.” He caught the human by his shoulders and began to steer JungMin towards the direction of the bathroom.
JungMin allowed himself to be steered around, having no problem whatsoever with the hands on his shoulders or the way the ankou treated him. He'd become used to KyuJong's presence so much it would be odd for him not to be doing this. "You don't think I can take on any scary hunters dressed like this?" JungMin joked, grinning over his shoulder at KyuJong. "I could so take them." He was steered into the bathroom, the human turning around once he was in so he could face KyuJong and talk to him easier.
“Yes, yes.” KyuJong laughed, patting JungMin on the cheek, resisting the urge to kiss him. “I’m sure you could, but you’d probably kill the passerbys from shock as well. It’s not everyday you see someone in pajamas taking down hunters left and right.”
And he turned JungMin around, prodding him into further into the bathroom before turning around and stalking out, ignoring the sounds of protest behind him. “And remember to clean behind your ears!”
KyuJong sighed as he walked off to prepare a fresh set of clothes for JungMin - this master would be the death of him one day.
Authors: curionenene and yeonah
Chapter: 2/?
Fandom: SS501
Pairings: KyuMin, HyunSaeng
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU
Summary: Black and white... white and black. It isn't always possible to tell what is good and what is evil; and four players in the never-ending fight for freedom would know. In a world where things are painted by shades of grey, taking a stand could mean life or death. And the struggle to be free, truly free, may tear them apart until there is nothing left but ash.
A/N: KyuJong and HyunJoong are played by curionenene , while JungMin and YoungSaeng are played by yeonah .
Blocks away, the black kitten finally squirmed in the man's grip and nibbled on the hand that held him, a silent 'put me down now' order. Squirming a little more, he dropped to the ground and went straight for a dark shape hidden under a nearby bush. Pawing at the backpack, he managed to hook his claws into the zipper and pull it down enough to reveal the distinct shape of clothing inside.
HyunJoong had let out a slightly exasperated sigh when the kitten had struggled out of his grip. He rolled his eyes, walking over to a tree not far from the bushes and leaning against it. Looking around to make sure that they hadn’t been followed, he settled for eyeing the small kitten in the bushes, pawing at the backpack. “Need help, Saengie yah?”
The kitten glanced back at him then went farther behind the bushes where he couldn't be seen, dragging the backpack with him. It was one with small wheels on the bottom and easy enough to maneuver once he got it into the right position.
Branches rustled in the dark. "No…do you have what we need?" It was a distinctly human voice that answered HyunJoong, faint outlines in the dark illustrating clothing being pulled on over a head-full of long hair and thin arms.
A moment later, YoungSaeng walked out from behind the bush as he wrestled with the sweater he was tugging down over his chest. The young man was barefoot and jean-clad, the jeans much wider than normal. Fixing his shirt, he reached into the backpack and pulled out a beanie to carefully pull it over a pair of black cat ears, making sure they were hidden before he fished out a pair of shoes and crouched to place them on.
“Yeah, everything’s in here.” HyunJoong pushed himself off from the tree, tapping the side of his head with an easy smile. He joined the man’s side, his eyes looking up and down the other man as if contemplating something. “Hmm… although…”
Golden eyes with slitted pupils looked up at HyunJoong before they slowly shifted back into a dark brown. "Although what?" YoungSaeng asked, raising an eyebrow as he tied the shoes on and stood up, eyeing the human.
“I have a hard time deciding whether I prefer your kitten form or your human form.” HyunJoong replied, his face the epitome of seriousness. His dark eyes roved up YoungSaeng’s form, as if in deep contemplation. “Your kitten form is so sweet and cute, and it’s a plus point that I can cuddle you against my chest.”
“But then, at the same time, your human form is so delicious.” HyunJoong leaned forward, pushing his face barely inches away from YoungSaeng’s, his hands snaking around YoungSaeng’s waist. “What do you think?”
YoungSaeng put his hand firmly in HyunJoong's face and pushed it away, expression blank. "I think you are insane and I should have partnered with someone who doesn't try to peek when I'm showering," he deadpanned, stepping out of the human's arms. "Concentrate, alright? We should get that information written down before you forget it."
HyunJoong let out a disappointed sigh, but didn’t try to invade the felinefolk’s private space again. He let his arms fall to the side, turning around with a slight swish of his long cloak as he began to walk off. “You have too little faith in me, YoungSaeng. When have I ever forgotten such vital information?”
"There is a first time for everything," YoungSaeng shrugged as he shouldered the backpack and followed along behind HyunJoong, keeping a few feet behind as he usually did. "Especially when you distract yourself." He tugged lightly on the hat over his ears, lips pursed together in discontentment. He hated having to cover his ears, but it was needed. While most felinefolk were capable of a human form without ears or tail, YoungSaeng for an unknown reason couldn't. So his ears were hidden uncomfortably under a hat, his tail stuffed even more uncomfortably in his jeans. He couldn't wait for them to get back home so he could change into something less restricting.
“Oh, but don’t you know, I’m distracted everyday by your beauty, so much so that I’m used to dealing with distractions~” HyunJoong replied, turning his head back, a serious yet playful glint in his eyes. His smile was lazy, but the thoughts underneath were serious as he noticed YoungSaeng’s discomfort. “Why don’t you go back first while I go hand over the information?”
"You are a shameless flirt," YoungSaeng told him, not sure whether to be amused or resigned. He'd heard all this before, and no matter how many times he made it clear he was not interested, it hardly seemed to phase his stubborn master.
Blinking at the question, the felinefolk shook his head. "I'm fine. Besides, those brainless lumps of muscle at headquarters always look like they're going to eat you alive." He wanted the chance to claw their eyes out if they tried. He may not be necessarily happy with his choice of master, but he swore to protect him.
HyunJoong let out a laugh, turning with a twinkle hidden in serious eyes. “Is that concern I hear, YoungSaeng? How sweet~ Are you falling for me and my charms?”
However, YoungSaeng’s point was valid - HyunJoong hated going into the headquarters. Colleagues as they might be, those ‘lumps of muscle’ as YoungSaeng called them tended to look at him like he was a threat instead of a comrade. And all just because his methods were slightly more humane than theirs. Still, he didn’t like the way some of them looked at YoungSaeng either - and not even in a threatening way, and would rather the felinefolk step into that place as little as possible. “I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”
"I just don't want to have to go through the trouble of finding another master," YoungSaeng replied. "Your pick-up lines are too outdated to be charming."
Lowering his hand back to his side, YoungSaeng watched HyunJoong as they walked. "I'm going with you; deal." He could put up with the hat and jeans a while longer. Besides, he wasn't outside that often in his human form, finding it especially hard to hide his feline features in the day.
HyunJoong let out a soft sigh, his rueful expression unseen by the other man as he shrugged, “Alright, whatever you wish, your majesty.”
He led the rest of the way in silence - they were nearing town, and he had a reputation as a cold-blooded Hunter to keep. Lowering his head so that his bangs covered his eyes, his stance became more forceful, and his mouth settled into a hard line. And if anyone would have the misfortune to chance upon his eyes, they would be startled by the cold glass that HyunJoong’s eyes had become.
They passed through the town without mishap, reaching the headquarter building within no time. HyunJoong didn’t bother greeting anyone as he made his way in, going straight to the lady sitting at the main table, ignoring the glares he was given. “Hello, lady boss. I got the information you wanted.”
The lady boss, a rather sultry looking woman smiled, pulling out several piece of blank paper and a pen. “Well, start writing then, HyunJoong sshi. And perhaps you will get your bread and butter for the day.”
YoungSaeng didn't even look at the others in headquarters, keeping his head down as he followed behind HyunJoong like a silent shadow. While HyunJoong had his image to uphold, YoungSaeng had his own; he was the dirty non-human who HyunJoong had tamed to do his bidding. As such, YoungSaeng was free from the fear of other Hunters...or he was supposed to be.
It was chilling sometimes to see how quickly HyunJoong changed...and it wouldn't have been the first time YoungSaeng had second-guessed his decision while looking into glass eyes.
Taking up a guard-like stance behind HyunJoong, YoungSaeng turned away from his master and the desk to face the rest of the room, finally lifting his gaze but carefully not meeting anyone's eyes.
HyunJoong had taken up the pen, his demeanor cold and entirely unaffected by all the different types of gazes in the room directed at him - those of mistrust, those of menace, those of jealousy, and the most obvious - the one of seductive interest from the eyes of the lady boss.
Finishing his task, he stood back up, pushing the paper back to the lady boss. “That’s everything I got.” He voice was lower than usual, more of a soft growl than an actually sentence. He tapped his finger on the table impatiently, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.
The lady boss hid the look of disappointment on her face, looking through the paper half-heartedly before tossing a wad of money onto the table. “You did good.”
HyunJoong nodded, as if he expected nothing less, taking the money and stuffing it into his pocket. He didn’t say anything else as he turned around to walk out, but he did lift his hand to tug on YoungSaeng’s hair none-too-gently in an order for the felinefolk to follow him out.
Glancing back at them as HyunJoong finished, YoungSaeng's eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he turned away again. He'd been prepared for the harsh tug on his shoulder-length hair, but he still winced slightly as he turned and followed the Hunter out without a word.
His ears twitched under the hat as he picked up on the muffled voices of the Hunters talking before they were outside again, the sound of the few cars on the road drowning out the voices. Head down, he followed along behind HyunJoong again, counting the steps until they could reach HyunJoong's home.
Finally, they were back home, and HyunJoong quickly unlocked the door, waiting for YoungSaeng to come in before closing it behind him. The cold mask dropped, revealing the tired look on his face.
He stretched, reaching out to pull off YoungSaeng’s beanie, liberating the ears that had been hidden underneath. “Sorry.” His gentle hands scratched behind those velvet ears in a way of apology for the rough treatment earlier - it had been necessary, but that still didn’t mean he liked to do it.
YoungSaeng's attempt to move away from the approaching hand died as gentle fingertips scratched behind his ears, the felinefolk barely managing not to purr. His ears were his one weak spot, and HyunJoong knew it. "It was needed," he murmured, eyelids fluttering slightly before he managed to compose himself enough to step out of reach.
"That woman looks at you like a piece of meat," he said flatly before he could stop himself.
“Huh… well, they all do.” HyunJoong missed the underlying meaning of YoungSaeng’s sentence and chuckled. He reached out, trying for YoungSaeng’s ears again - he loved seeing how the felinefolk became a bundle of cuteness when his ears were scratched.
Sighing at his dense master, YoungSaeng carefully sidestepped the reach for his ears. If he let the human scratch his ears for too long, he would be putty in the man's hands and the felinefolk wasn't sure he trusted HyunJoong enough for that. "You look dead on your feet." He slipped his shoes off in the entranceway and nudged them to one side before starting towards the bedroom, wanting to change into something that wouldn't be so uncomfortable on his tail.
HyunJoong chuckled at the felinefolk’s comment, and he walked forward, putting his arms around YoungSaeng’s waist and his chin on the other’s shoulder. “Yeah, that I am. Wanna help me relax~?”
He knew that he should probably let YoungSaeng change out of the uncomfortable jeans he was wearing, but HyunJoong had been pretending to be someone he was not for the whole day, and it had drained him. And all he wanted was someone to lean against at the end of a tiring day.
YoungSaeng looked down at the arms around his waist, glancing back at HyunJoong through narrowed eyes. "Depends what your idea of 'relaxing' is," he said slowly. If the human stuck his face anywhere near his own again, YoungSaeng would make sure HyunJoong never had children.
He really did want to change into something more comfortable though, ears twitching slightly in annoyance at the restricting jeans.
HyunJoong was tempted to make YoungSaeng stay with him, perhaps dragging the felinefolk to the couch and force the other to be his pillow - it was within his right to. But HyunJoong let out a soft, inaudible sigh before he let go. “Never mind. Go change.”
He wasn’t going to make YoungSaeng do something he didn’t want to do - especially not while the both of them had a choice. HyunJoong stretched, bypassing YoungSaeng and going into the kitchen. “Gonna prepare some tea… any preferences?”
The light breeze of the sigh tickled YoungSaeng's ears as HyunJoong walked by him, and for a moment the felinefolk felt guilty for bringing the other man's mood down. Maybe he would make it up to him later.
"Honey, if we have any," he murmured, padding off into the bedroom and closing the door.
When YoungSaeng reappeared, it was dressed in an oversized shirt and a pair of boxers, the back specifically designed with a slit for the long black tail that trailed along behind him, nearly reaching his ankles. Pausing at the entrance to the kitchen, YoungSaeng watched HyunJoong through his bangs for a moment before padding over quietly to help with the tea.
HyunJoong set the tea down, taking the pot of honey out for YoungSaeng along with several cups so that YoungSaeng could pour it out for them. He sat down, running a hand through messy hair, pulling at his cloak and arranging it around him - he had yet to take off his hunting clothes as of habit. He usually kept them on as much as possible, whether it was comfortable for him or not - a safety precaution that had been learnt over the years.
“Hmm… have you been growing thinner?” HyunJoong eyed YoungSaeng and the oversized shirt he was wearing - it seemed to flap around him a lot more than before. “You should eat more… it’s not like we don’t have money or anything…”
"You say that all the time," YoungSaeng replied quietly as he finished making the tea for them. "And I do eat, you see me eat." Putting the honey in his tea and stirring it in, he brought the tea to the table and placed it down, HyunJoong's in front of his master. YoungSaeng slipped down into the seat across from him, blowing on the tea lightly to cool it. "You should get out of those," he said, eyeing the hunter outfit.
“And you shouldn’t be afraid to let me scratch your ears.” HyunJoong replied simply, sipping his tea, enjoying the way the hot liquid almost scalded his tongue as he drank the brown liquid plain. “But I guess we all have our own insecurities.”
Draining his cup, HyunJoong got back up, putting the teacup into the sink, rinsing it. “But you’re right. I’m gonna go take a bath and change out. Try not to take advantage of my momentary insecurity and attack me to put me in my place.”
YoungSaeng's ears flattened at that. "What is that supposed to mean?" he hissed, sitting up straight. "I have no intention of attacking you." He was confused, though he had to admit HyunJoong had a point about having their own insecurities. YoungSaeng didn't want to get too close to the Hunter. They had a deal; once the terms of their bond were complete, they were to go their own separate ways, no questions asked. He didn't want to be tied down to anything.
HyunJoong mentally hit himself for his slip. He must be getting tired. “Nothing.” HyunJoong smiled lazily at YoungSaeng. “My head isn’t screwed on right now, I have no idea what I’m saying either.”
And he put the cup back on the drainer, walking past YoungSaeng and ghosting his hand over the flattened ears. “Well, good night then, YoungSaeng~”
Turning his head to watch HyunJoong leave the kitchen, YoungSaeng's eyes shifted back into a bright golden as he tried to puzzle out just what HyunJoong had meant. Did he seriously expect YoungSaeng to attack him? He may not like the Hunter's flirty advances, but that didn't mean he hated the guy either. He was neutral, or tried to be as much as possible.
Frowning down at his tea, YoungSaeng sipped at it and closed his eyes at the flavor of honey on his tongue. He finished the cup slowly so he wouldn't burn himself before getting up to rinse the cup out in the sink, doing the dishes and placing the cups away. Once that was done and he'd cleaned the teapot, he padded into the living room and curled up on the couch, yawning.
He would ask HyunJoong about it tomorrow...
Within moments the felinefolk was fast asleep, curled up into a ball on the couch with his tail dangling off the armrest and bangs falling into his eyes.
HyunJoong emerged from the bathroom, toweling his hair violently, dressed in a pair of shorts and a loose T-shirt. He spotted YoungSaeng sleeping soundly on the couch and the ghost of a smile drifted across his face.
He walked silently over to where the felinefolk slept, his footsteps unsounding against the tiled floor. He picked the abandoned blanket off the floor and draped it softly over the felinefolk’s sleeping form. Then, with a gentle hand, he brushed back YoungSaeng’s bangs, leaning down to kiss the other’s forehead.
“Night, Saengie.” He whispered before he got up and walked off to his own room. “Sweet dreams.”
It was the least he could wish the other - and something he could only long for as he fell asleep into dark dreams and nightmares.
**********************
KyuJong was in a very, very compromising position that he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to get out of, but what sure that he needed to or he’d possibly die - or the very least get oxygen-deprived.
“Jung…Min… let… go… can’t…” KyuJong strained out, flailing his arms in JungMin’s death grip around him. “BREATHE!”
Half-asleep and unaware (or fully-asleep and running on instinct, it was impossible to tell), JungMin's only reaction was to pull the ankou even closer, the other man's attempt to wake him up backfiring when he got within grabbing range. His eye patch was still on and buds in his ears, rendering KyuJong's protests useless.
Feeling the thing that had tried shaking him earlier moving, JungMin wrapped both his legs around KyuJong's form in an attempt to halt the movement.
“Ack!” KyuJong choked as JungMin wrapped him up in an even tighter hold. He tried struggling, but that only served to irritate his master more.
Then JungMin wrapped both his legs around in KyuJong’s form, and the ankou, of all things, blushed, mentally scolding himself. ‘THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO GET SHY, KYUJONG!’
Finally, in a desperate attempt, KyuJong squirmed forward, upsetting their center of gravity, and managing to tip the both of them off of JungMin’s bed, causing them to crash painfully onto the floor.
A shriek of surprise left the human as they hit the ground, JungMin on top of the pile somehow with his face buried in KyuJong's collar. Finally awake fully, JungMin lifted his head enough to yank the eye patch off, the ear buds having fallen out somehow in the collision.
Blinking sleepily at KyuJong and not registering the fact that their bodies were more-or-less tangled together, JungMin groaned and rested his head back against the crook of KyuJong's neck. "Good morning."
KyuJong had at been at first relieved at the fact that he could finally breathe, but then he suddenly felt the human’s head nuzzling against his chest and now he couldn’t breath for an entirely different reason.
Looking up, he groaned internally at the sight of their bodies tangled into an even more compromising position, and one that KyuJong had no motivation to get out of, other than the fact that he was quickly turning into a bright red tomato. “Err… Min…?” He murmured reluctantly - at least you couldn’t accuse him of not trying.
JungMin blinked, slowly waking up further. Even so, he didn't seem particularly bothered by the contact. "Do I have to?" He grumbled into KyuJong's shoulder. "You're like a pillow..."
Finally though he did move, pushing himself up slightly so he could roll off of KyuJong with an 'oof' and landing on the floor beside his partner, red hair messy and shirt hiked up slightly from the fall.
KyuJong wanted to say that, no, JungMin didn’t really have to get off. But then, his partner had already rolled off, and KyuJong was just glad for the fact that he hadn’t said anything compromising.
That is, until he turned and his eyes roved almost of their own accord to the human’s sexy bed hair, and the small expanse of skin that was showing from beneath the hiked-up shirt.
KyuJong tried very, very hard not to hyperventilate.
Instead, he shot up to his feet, squeaking some excuse about making breakfast before rushing out of the room, his face bright pink.
God, he hated himself sometimes.
Lifting himself up slightly so he could blink at KyuJong as the ankou ran out of the room, JungMin sat up and rubbed his head slightly. Wondering what was up with his partner, he picked himself up off the floor and dumped his eye patch and ear buds on the bed before fixing his shirt and hair, trying uselessly to flatten the red mess.
Once he had his appearance somewhat under control, he padded into the kitchen to find KyuJong. "What are you making?" he asked, resting his chin on the ankou's shoulder as he blinked at what the other was doing, completely oblivious to the effect he was having on KyuJong. He was always like this.
KyuJong had finally managed to get his heartbeat under control when JungMin had put his chin onto KyuJong’s shoulder, destroying all of KyuJong’s work. KyuJong sighed, resigning himself to a lifetime of such torture and instead concentrated on making a coherent reply to JungMin. “Just heating up some of the leftover Japchae… Do you want anything else?”
JungMin shook his head slightly, half-resting against KyuJong. "More sleep," he mumbled. "I'm using you as a pillow." It took a bit for his energy to catch up with the rest of him, unless something happened to really wake him up.
After a moment, his eyes half-opened again. "Sleep alright?" he asked, remembering KyuJong's state of nearly passing out last night.
KyuJong had been careful not to move too much so that JungMin wasn’t disturbed in his sleep when the other asked a question which left KyuJong smiling happily - the concerned question was a reminder of how lucky he was to have met JungMin, and how different he was from all of KyuJong’s previous masters. “Yeah, I slept really good. What about you?”
"Out like a light," JungMin replied, stifling another yawn. "Running through half of Seoul has that effect. It was fun though." He grinned sleepily against KyuJong's shoulder. "Don't you think so?" He finally straightened so he wasn't leaning on KyuJong, though stayed right beside him as he pulled out cups. "Coffee, tea, or me?" he joked, the rhyme flowing from him in accented English.
KyuJong had to turn his face away so that JungMin wouldn’t see his blush. ‘You’ He thought to himself, with a little ruefulness, but he replied instead, “Tea, please. And don’t do that, you sound silly.”
“Oh yeah, a letter came in the mail today.” KyuJong commented innocently, taking down two bowls and dumping the Japchae into two portions - the smaller one for him, the bigger one for JungMin. “It should be on the table.”
"What's wrong with sounding silly?" JungMin pouted. He fixed up tea for KyuJong and coffee for himself (though he didn't really need to get himself wired to be bouncing around later). Perking up at the sound of a letter, JungMin looked at the table. "Wonder what it is," he blinked, bringing the drinks to the table. Glancing at the bowls KyuJong was filling, he raised an eyebrow. "Yah, you're too skinny, eat more than that," he huffed as he picked up the letter looking at it for the return address.
There was none...nor was there an actual address, even.
KyuJong took advantage of JungMin’s preoccupation with the letter to dodge the ‘skinny’ comment. He quickly went over putting the bowls down to the table and began to eat quietly.
“So, seems like we’ll be busy today too, huh?” KyuJong commented while JungMin looked at the letter - they both had probably guessed what the contents of the letter roughly were already.
"Hopefully." JungMin grinned as he started to open the letter, pulling out the piece of paper inside. Unfolding it, he glanced at the paper and blinked.
It wasn't the usual coded list of new assignments they were to take on, nor even an order to show up at headquarters. The letters looked like they had been stamped on with an antique typewriter, and the paper wasn't signed.
"10pm tonight, the arts studio on 3rd street will be the site of a mass slaughter," he murmured, reading from the paper. The arts studio was one of the safe houses the pair sent non-humans to...or more precisely, the rooms hidden underneath it. JungMin looked up at KyuJong, blinking. "Someone got a hold of one of the safe house addresses?"
“What?” KyuJong pulled the paper out of JungMin’s hands, staring at it. The envelope had been similar looking to the one their assignments usually arrived in, but now that he looked closely at it, it was slightly different - the type of paper, and a few slight differences. “Hmm…”
He read through the message again, looking at it in all angles, but it looked clean - which was suspicious in itself. “I’m not sure if this is legit, or a prank, or even a trap…”
JungMin however had finally woken up the rest of the way, eyes alight. "Even so, we should check it out! Get everyone in the safe house to a safer location, and wiretap the area to see." If it was a real tip-off, then someone had to be done about it. There were at least 10 non-humans there this precise moment. "And report it to the organization so we have backup."
Who was the letter from though? And how did they know JungMin and KyuJong worked to protect non-humans?
Less concerned about that and more about how they needed to move all the non-humans to a different safe house, JungMin drank his coffee and practically bounced in place. "Maybe the hunters will be watching the place all day? We'd need to be careful not to be seen!"
KyuJong looked up, and shook his head a little wryly - trust JungMin to be more concerned about others than himself. And he couldn’t help but be caught along in the positive bubble of emotion that practically radiated out of his master. “Well, then, do you have any ideas on how to keep this whole operation secret then?”
"Um..." JungMin paused to think then, sitting down in the seat next to KyuJong finally and playing with his chopsticks. "We could pretend to be art students or something?" he suggested sheepishly. Being subtle wasn't his thing; he'd much rather go in guns blazing than sneak around. "Or, I dunno, sneak them out in pairs...or unmarked cars..." He pouted at his Japchae as he thought.
KyuJong chuckled at JungMin’s pout - it was way too cute to be healthy for the ankou. Actually, judging by the rate his heart was going, it wasn’t. KyuJong had to resist cuddling his master right then and there - it’d no doubt lead to a conversation KyuJong would most definitely regret.
Instead, he reached over, picking up some Japchae with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his master’s mouth. “Never mind. We’ll no doubt think of some kind of plan when we get there. Let’s go check it out first.” ‘And see if this source is reliable in the first place…’
About to offer another suggestion, JungMin was shut up by the sudden amount of food in his mouth. Listening to KyuJong, he nodded as he focused his attention on chewing rather than talking. That sounded reasonable. KyuJong always set things straight, something the eccentric human needed. He was always able to count on KyuJong to point him back in the right direction when he allowed himself to get twisted up in facts and theories.
Swallowing, he eyed the food left in KyuJong's bowl before picking up some of his own. "I didn't see you put more in your bowl," he said, the warning tone contrasting with the wide grin on his face. Did KyuJong think he hadn't noticed? "Eat more or I'll feed you myself." He brought the food to KyuJong's mouth.
“Huh?” KyuJong blinked at the sudden change in topic, and also at the food that was suddenly pushed at his mouth. “No, I did! I did!” He put on an innocent look that wasn’t fooling anybody - the way he smiled too forceful, and his nostrils flaring a little.
"You can't lie to me, KyuJongie~," JungMin sang cheerfully. "Open up~!" He tapped the chopsticks against KyuJong's lips. "Unless you want me to pin you down and make sure you eat!" He'd done it once too, in the first week of them being partners; tackled KyuJong over, straddled his waist, and refused to budge until KyuJong ate every grain of rice from the bowl he was holding.
KyuJong glared at JungMin a little before opening his mouth up - he knew that JungMin would really carry out his threat. And for the sake of his sanity, he’d rather feel full than turned on with nowhere to take his frustrations out on.
JungMin beamed. "See? That isn't hard," he cooed as he fed KyuJong happily. Waiting for KyuJong to finish his mouthful before offering more, he thought about the tip-off. "So we should go as soon as we're dressed then," he decided determinedly. "And maybe let headquarters know too. I can call them before we leave. What do you think?" Completely overlooking the fact that KyuJong couldn't talk with Japchae in his mouth.
“…” KyuJong stared pointedly at JungMin, gesturing at his mouth. But the human was too preoccupied with his own thoughts, so KyuJong had no choice but to chew on the Japchae, swallowing before he answered. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”
Smiling brightly, JungMin alternated between feeding himself and KyuJong when he judged the ankou wasn't getting enough food. All throughout it, he chattered about what they were going to have to do, that they deserve a raise with the amount of saving they do, and how they were going to kick Hunter ass. Finishing his bowl and the cup of coffee, he bounced to his feet and started cleaning up, too excited to sit still.
KyuJong let out a sigh of resignation as his master bustled around, so full of life. It was that life that had attracted KyuJong to JungMin in the first place. Being a faerie with the power over life and death had made him a popular target of hunters as a useful tool. And he had had many masters before JungMin, all of them treating him as a convenient weapon against their enemies.
JungMin was the only one who had never forced him to kill anyone - although it didn’t mean he didn’t, it was just that for the first time in his life, a human master had given him the choice.
It was also the main reason why KyuJong had fallen so hard for this rash, silly human master of his.
“Alright, alright.” KyuJong let out a chuckle when JungMin had finally finished feeding the both of them with Japchae. “Let’s go get you dressed up first.” He caught the human by his shoulders and began to steer JungMin towards the direction of the bathroom.
JungMin allowed himself to be steered around, having no problem whatsoever with the hands on his shoulders or the way the ankou treated him. He'd become used to KyuJong's presence so much it would be odd for him not to be doing this. "You don't think I can take on any scary hunters dressed like this?" JungMin joked, grinning over his shoulder at KyuJong. "I could so take them." He was steered into the bathroom, the human turning around once he was in so he could face KyuJong and talk to him easier.
“Yes, yes.” KyuJong laughed, patting JungMin on the cheek, resisting the urge to kiss him. “I’m sure you could, but you’d probably kill the passerbys from shock as well. It’s not everyday you see someone in pajamas taking down hunters left and right.”
And he turned JungMin around, prodding him into further into the bathroom before turning around and stalking out, ignoring the sounds of protest behind him. “And remember to clean behind your ears!”
KyuJong sighed as he walked off to prepare a fresh set of clothes for JungMin - this master would be the death of him one day.