Pagoe hated waiting. He didn't know what the word patience meant, but he waited restlessly for his friend to get down from the Ferris wheel. He watched him grab a mask from the ground and wondered if he should do the same. He'd just grab one while pursuing the other men. He watched the man Han first shot crumble from the bullet wounds to his legs with a grin. He held no sympathy for someone who tried to hurt his family.
"Good, about time I get to kill someone. These bastards had it coming." Pagoe growled out. He'd been pacing slowly like a predator at the zoo waiting for a chance to escape its cage and reek havoc on people. He was always excited for battle, it gave him a sort of thrill he didn't experience often. He'd make all these people pay for trying to hurt the children. No one deserved any mercy from them.
"Mm alright." He said glancing in that direction to see where they might have take off to. "I'll call you up if I find them." Pagoe had stolen a phone before he'd met Jaesun, he figured he'd need it one day. He really hoped the two brats stuck together because it would be better off for all of them. Thankfully Jidae was safe with Tristan right now, he trusted the man not to let his little brother be killed. He wasn't fond of splitting up, but he knew it was currently the only way.
He looked back towards his friend when his name was called and grinned ferally seeing the arm raised. He returned the gesture of their good luck charm happily, they'd never lose to people like this. "We'll raise hell like normal Han." Pagoe was off as soon as the words left his mouth, taking off to search for the two children and murder the ******** who thought it was a good idea to even try and kidnap Ren.
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Jeol was terrified inside.
He'd never been the bravest person and his shyness showed just how meek he was. The regular abuse from his mother didn't help his self-esteem at all either. He couldn't feel the excitement that Ren felt when she saw someone she didn't know. He glanced back to see the man entering the fun house cautiously. Too bad for this man being cautious wouldn't save him.
Soon enough the clicking of the buttons filled the room as Jeol worked on the computer system of the fun house. His fingers may have been shaking, but he wore a determined look on his face as he caused the effects to work in ways they weren't supposed too. Thankfully it seemed that these men weren't the brightest batch and kept falling for his simple traps. This fun house wasn't anything too high-tech so it was limited in what he could do. A small smile came to his face as he listened to his friend clap at the simplest of his abilities. Maybe one day he could show her something even cooler than this. Jeol was paying attention to any other the monitors, too engrossed in his hacking to notice anything amiss.
Jeol flinched and jumped hearing the control door burst open and a large man enter the room. He seemed to shrink in on himself seeing the gun aimed at him and at the shout. His fingers moved quickly across the keyboard shutting off the effects. He felt himself be tugged off the chair by Ren and stood near her slightly shaking. He was scared, he'd never been in a situation like this considering his mother didn't own any guns thankfully.
He didn't know where she found the courage to yell at their captor, but it seemed like she had said something wrong because the man seemed like he was in an even worse mood. He reached out to grab his friend's arm from the man until the gun was pointed at him. He froze like a deer in headlights, his eyes widening slightly in fear. He didn't want to die, he wanted to protect his friend in front of him.
Jeol blinked watching as Ren bit down on his captor's arm biting down onto his wrist like some feral dog. He was in awe at how brave when could be and disappointment pooled in his body as he was too weak to protect his friend. His eyes widened yet again as the bullet flew passed an inch of his head. He could have really been shot. He didn't know why the danger hadn't seemed to be real before, but now they were fighting for their lives with this angry man who wanted to kidnap Ren.
He wanted to do something, anything to stop the man in front of him from hurting the girl who was his friend. He watched as the gun fell and laid forgotten on the floor as the captor hit and pulled on her shirt in an attempt to get her off him. Jeol watched in horror as the man finally got her off with a hit to the back and threw her across the room. In his anger he seemed to forget that Jeol was there as well. He felt himself go cold at his words and watched Ren try to find a weapon in the otherwise empty room. The gun the man dropped was closer to Jeol and he couldn't just give it to her considering the man would most likely just grab it.
A sense of dread came over him as he saw the man take out a knife as he stalked towards Ren. His eyes turned to Ren his auburn hue meeting her gaze for the first time. He knew he had the chance to run and save himself from the monster in the room, but he was rooted to the floor. He couldn't just leave his friend here to die. What kind of monster would he be to do that. He saw the smile and his fists clenched to his side, he wouldn't allow her to die. Ren was his first friend, he wouldn't allow her to sacrifice herself for someone as worthless as him.
Jeol picked up the gun quickly though shakily and clicked the gun ready. He didn't allow the man to turn around as he shot the bullet through his hand making him drop the knife that would kill Ren. A enraged scream is what he heard before he was thrown against the same wall as Ren, the gun flying out of his hands upon impact. He let out a small whimper of pain when his back collided with the wall and it seemed as if this would be the end for both of them. The man looked much more terrifying in his rage and Jeol screwed his eyes shut as he grabbed onto Ren's hand gently.
Auburn eyes slowly opened after a few seconds of nothing. 'Wasn't he going to kill us?' As soon as he opened his eyes completely, he noticed the man's eyes wide with shock before he crumpled to the floor a dagger sticking out of his back. In the doorway a teenager stood, a mask of a fox hiding his face while a dagger was held loosely in his other hand. Jeol wasn't thinking straight when he took a defensive position in front of Ren to protect her from the new person. A chuckle escaped the masked boy when he pushed the mask up to the side of his head and Pagoe was revealed. Jeol sagged in relief seeing his brother, "B-brother." He was filled with relief seeing him, that meant they were safe.
Pagoe smiled softly seeing the two children together and safe. Sure they were injured, but at least they were alive. It could have been much worse. Well first thing first, Pagoe took back his dagger from the dead man's back and dragged him outside the control room. Jeol had noticed the shakiness to his brother's steps, but didn't say anything as he stayed near Ren. Pagoe came back into the room closing the door behind him. He went over to Ren and picked the little girl up easily, cradling her like he did to his brother's when they were scared. "Shh princess, you shouldn't cry. I'll protect you now." Pagoe spoke softly and reassuringly to the young girl as he ruffled his little brother's hair. His back hit the wall and he slid into a sitting position with a soft sigh.
He held onto the girl in his lap as he slipped his hand into the pocket that the phone was in. Taking it out he dialed Han's number putting it to his ear waiting for the other to pick. "Yo Han. I got the princess and Jeol with me, we're in the fun house control room so pick us up here." It was the only thing Pagoe said before hanging up. Jeol was worried for his brother, he sounded much more tired than before. "Are y-you okay brother?" He asked watching as Pagoe's eyes closed. "Yeah I'm fine.. Just tired. I'm just glad you two are alright." He said. His breathing was a bit ragged and a dark reddish blotch was forming on the left side of his shirt. Really now they just had to wait for someone to come. Jeol took his position back on the chair as he watched the monitors, fingers twitching slightly as he was on look out for unknown people. He'd protect Ren and his brother.
{ ooc: Woot got this done before i had to go to work. It'll be pretty once I get home. Lol and yes sleep is for the weak. Murder houses are the best~ Pffft yeah probably not kill, but they sure as hell would knock you out. Oh noes you need to go to a fun house.... They're fun xD Lol same here x3 }
False reassurance was both a blessing and a curse. For that single moment in time, whether it lasts a second or for the remaining duration trouble lurks in every corner of the amusement park they were confined in, there was a sense of relief to be felt without having to worry about what will happen next. But ignorance can only last for so long. Sure, it was better to smile and laugh in the face of danger, corroborate a lie than deal with the painstaking truth. Mankind does it all the time after all. That is how stories are made, how myths and legends are told, and how whimsical lies fill the minds of children, teens and young adults who seek out any means to escape reality.
He wanted today to be perfect.
For once, Tristan wanted to laugh without forcing a smile. He wanted for the joy and happiness they experience to touch his eyes rather than diluting into a nothingness that made him feel dead inside. It was okay though. That cold and empty feeling that pervaded his entire being made sex all the more enjoyable. Not that such thoughts should’ve been running through his mind right there and then, but being distracted with insincere drabble was better than thinking of everything that could go wrong.
Tristan’s gaze wandered to the child in front of him, his smile still ever-present in spite of the concern that marred the boy’s face. “You shouldn’t worry so much.” He lightly advised, pinching Jidae’s nose in an effort to turn his frown upside down. “We have Han and your brother on our side, which means the likelihood of us epically failing is zero to none.” A white lie couldn’t hurt anyone. It only aided in solidifying the falsehoods of his claims as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
He ruffled the light brown of his hair and looked out the window in search of a distraction that wouldn’t make him feel so guilty. The bird’s eye view of the amusement park didn’t relinquish his anxiety, nor did his own concerns follow with the hysteria that faded in the distance. There was something odd forming down below, a group or an occult, or however one would call a small horde of men gathering in a circle where whispers were shared and looks exchange with a deathly glare in their eyes. He didn’t recognize them or the abstract work of art (that looked more like a deranged drawing of a heart now that he squinted to get a better look) each and every man donned in the front of their hoodies. He didn’t know what it represented or what it could mean, but out of everything that transpired in the short amount of time it took for him to gaze out the window, what he did recognize was the weapons that were quickly drawn for the kill.
“Get down!” Jidae was enfolded in his arms and pulled to the floor before the first bullet ripped through the air. Even at a distance, the explosive round resonating from the smoking chamber aimed in their direction rattled every bone in his body. It didn’t make sense. The way his arms tensed and protectively tightened around the boy, and the way his broad frame welcomed the tremors only ever associated with fear, shouldn’t have befallen a man who had been shot at more times than he could count. But when you’re unarmed and have another life in your hands, adhering to a façade becomes the least of your concerns.
One. Two. Three.
The bullets came and went, puncturing through the feeble exterior of the compartment only to make its exit from the adjacent wall. The numbers kept rising, bullets continued to threaten their lives, and he wasn’t sure how long the little cabin could withstand the attack before the hinges gave in and they went tumbling down. Jaesun looked round him for an answer to his question, but was suddenly distracted by a blistering pain in his leg. An uncomfortable heat began to drip down his outer thigh, the damage tissue there throbbing in a rhythm that made his head spin.
As luck would have it, Tristan was shot.
But he couldn’t really take the time to assess the damage when they were still under attack. Bullet after bullet came their way. He was sure another would find its target sooner or later. He waited for it, anticipated the next hit as he tried to keep himself in between Jidae and the impending dangers that was working its way toward them. He shut his eyes, brace himself for the worst, but as the distinct ‘thwak’ of bullets hitting through plastic ceased with the screams from nearby passengers, it seemed all was safe…for now that is.
The ferris wheel began to move and he was sure an execution plan was underway. Tristan gathered the small boys face in his hands and made sure there was not a scratch on him before breaking off the plastic edge of the chair that was damage in the crossfire. “Everything’s going to be fine.” He had a shiv, the will power to fight whosoever tried to capture them alive, and even though the false reassurance wasn’t accompanied by a smile, the leveled tone in his voice suggested he truly believe that they were going to make it out alive. Within seconds the compartment came to a halt and a man drew near the door. Tristan prepared himself for an attack, but was completely thrown for a loop when he faced the last person he thought he’d ever see.
“Jaesun?” The blond held his gun casually at his side. He looked down at the redhead and scoffed when his eyes landed upon the injury that began to bleed out.
“You allowed yourself to be cornered by mere simpletons?” Jaesun narrowed his eyes at the corpses his men began to search for anything that would make sense of the attack that came out of nowhere.
Using the chair as a means of support, he lifted himself from the ground and helped the boy to his feet. “It wasn’t my fault.” Tristan whined. “I couldn’t climb down and I had to give my gun to Han,” Which reminded him. “Where’s Ren? And Jeol? Are they okay?”
“Han informed me they were all right and secured in a nearby funhouse. Other than a few bumps and bruises, their current state is nothing less than favorable.”
“That’s a relief.” Tristan sighed and welcomed a smile to curve along his lips. “I should check up on them and –“
“You’ll do no such thing.” Jaesun quickly interjected. “You and this boy,” he looked at Jidae with uninterested eyes. “will go back home. I’ll inform Brad to fetch a physician and he’ll prepare a temporary room for the child once you’re situated.” There was enough distractions as it is, and as much as he was aware of a child’s need to see if his family was alright with his own two eyes, Jaesun didn’t need the boy getting in the way. Pagoe may have secured the area, or so he assumed, but surprises were bound to reveal themselves when they least expect it.
Tristan held out his hand to Jidae. “I know you’re worried about your brothers but it’s best you come with me and make sure the doctors don’t kill me. I really don’t do well with doctors.” He smiled like he always did, the articulation of each word said conveying a tinge of concern that playfully touch the pout that formed with the protruding of his lower lip. “Besides, if JaeJae says they’re all right, you can believe him. He never tells lies. He’s a brute like that.” Be it good news or bad, Tristan always depended on Jaesun to tell him the truth. He never lied. Not once did Tristan ever caught him telling a fib because in the blonde’s eyes, he saw no need to hide behind the falsehoods of a reassuring word like he did.
It just wasn’t his style.
“C’mon.” Whether Jidae accepted the outstretch hand or not wasn’t of any concern to him when orders were in dire need to be followed. Tristan had taken him by the hand and led him to the car where men waited to open their doors. He still appeared worried like any child would, and considering what the boy has been through in a household where abuse was served on a daily basis, he knew he needed more than a few choice words to calm him down. “I promise you that you’ll see them soon. If you catch me in a lie, you can tear my heart right out of my chest and serve it to my dog. But for now, I need you to trust me.” He squeezed the boy’s tiny hand and smiled. He may have not believed him, but it was the best Tristan could say in a situation that was far from predictable.
Dark and dreary was the narrow hall filled with corpses.
In order to get from one end to the other, Jaesun had to step over the bodies that lay sprawled across the corridor. A flickering light from a nearby lamp was the only means of illumination in the abyss that seem to stretch out for miles. His men were following on his heels with flashlights, the uncomfortable silence only lasting for a short while until they made their way into the control room.
“Daddy?!” Ren was cradled in Pagoe’s arms, sobbing and weeping softly to herself as he entered the room. She was a mess. Her once curled locks of blond hair was disheveled beyond repair, her clothes stretched and torn in places that suggested a struggle had occurred between her and the man who now laid dead at his feet.
Without hesitation, he took his little girl in his arms and held her close to his chest. Some would argue the affection he showed with arms encompassing his daughter's trembling form was a sign of weakness. Much like the tears that trailed down Ren’s cheek, it opened the floodgates to vulnerabilities that could break him from the inside out. It was what his enemies preyed on, what his adversaries depended on to tear down the most notorious arm’s dealer in the black market. In most cases, Jaesun would agree any form of love and adoration weakened his standing in what had to be considered a dangerous playing field where power and invulnerability determined your standing in the world.
But Ren was different.
Ren bore the Dela’cor name. She was his daughter, his blood, and as such she gave him more power than anyone could ever imagine. Because it was that love for her – that need to keep her out of harm’s way – that made him all the more stronger to fulfill a promise that he’ll never break. “I’m proud of you.” He whispered into her ear. “You put up a fight, have you not?” The child looked into her father’s eyes and gave him a nod of a reply. “Good, it’s what I expect of you. It’s just a shame that you forgot the one thing I told you to never reveal to others.” It took a while for her to compose herself and think about what he was referring to.
She wiped her tears with her sleeves and stiffened her upper lip with eyes determined to stay as strong as her father taught her to be. “I’m not crying.” She said with a weakened smile. “I just got dust in my eyes. I swear.”
Jaesun scoffed at the reply, a minuscule grin forming before he had the chance to suppress the small huff of laughter that escaped him. “I thought that was the case.” He set the child down once he was sure she had the strength to stand on her own two feet. She had drawn close to the skirted child who stood at the control. He wasn’t sure what his role was in saving his baby girl, but he would find out once the area was cleared and Han returned after erasing the content of every camera in the park.
But first things first: he had to approach the boy.
Jaesun knelt in front of Pagoe with that same old guarded look that never left any room for interpretation. He observed the blond’s current state, assessing the pallor of his skin and the hue of red that stained his shirt. From what he gathered, he appeared weakened by both fatigue and the loss of blood that had formed a small puddle on the floor. His ability to stand was something to question, but his stubbornness appeared to have remained unscathed by the way he refused to fall into unconsciousness.
Jaesun smirked. “Disappointing, Han took two bullets…one in the shoulder and the other in the abdomen, and still he was alive and kicking, and willing to shoot you dead.” As dry as his humor was, there was no denying he found a little bit of humor in Pagoe’s helpless state. To witness the fragility of a boy barely hanging on by a thread was quite the sight to behold. He fond over it, relished the determination in eyes that were slowly fading away by each drop of blood that gathered to the floor. Of course, he didn’t dismiss the fact that he must have gotten the wound in his pursuit to save Ren, but it didn’t make the beauty of his weary eyes any less entertaining. “Don’t move, boy, that’s an order.” Placing one hand on his back and the other tucked under Pagoe’s knees, Jaesun lifted him off of the floor. The boy may have been against it and would’ve rather walked on his own two feet than being carried like a princess, but when injuries are had and the question of whether or not he would survive from the blood lost arose, that was when Jaesun took it upon himself as a leader to tend to his subordinates needs.
“You did well, boy. First day on the job and you’re already taking a bullet for my daughter.” Impressive to say the least, considering his age and all. “So I guess you deserve more than a trip to an amusement park. “ The night was ruined. Everyone who was the cause for a twisted twilight, save for the man who was going to be in a world of pain, was dead. Jaesun was entitled to make up for a few short hours of fun lost, but until that time came where he would arrange another day of respite, he will focus on the injured and see to it that someone paid for the blood shed.
Jaesun took his time thinking and, as the brunette suggested, reconsidering the proposal that was strongly brought up at the dead of night. He had been spending most of his hours looking over the photos that were developed and making a few calls regarding the strange symbol that was stitched across his adversary’s chest. It was after his third cup of Brandy and a disturbed thought process did Han came tapping at his door with talk about two children who were as important to Jaesun as the dirt beneath his feet.
“They can keep Ren company. She needs kids her own age to interact with.”
“I’m not running a day care here, Han. You can’t persuade me to open up my doors for children who can’t pull their weight in a world where they’ll be torn limb from limb.” They would serve no purpose in his life, which meant they were more of a liability than the assets he needed them to be. “Unless you want them to be brought up in a brothel, I suggest you bring them back to their mother first thing in the morning.”
“Jaesun, there is not a day spent that they’re not abused by that woman. Please, you can’t let them go back. They can be of use to you. Jeol is really good at computers and I’ve seen him hack into complicated networks that I myself have difficulty getting into. Jidae’s smart. He’s intuitive and if you give him a chance to –”
“From what I have learned speaking to my daughter, the child who was with Ren had shot the man before he could kill her. I can make use of him, but the other is worthless.” He made his decisions based off of facts rather than an embellishment of words he couldn’t confirm. Han was adamant in getting his permission to allow the kids to stay that he became an unreliable source for information.
“Jaesun –”
The slamming of his glass cup against the oak surface of his desk silenced the boy from saying another word. He glared at the boy with an oppressive aura radiating from the hand that tightened around his beverage. “Tell me,” he began with a tone that was as dark as the shadow that hooded over his eyes. “Why is it that you are the one sitting before me with a proposal that is meant for their brother to address? Why is the boy not representing his flesh and blood?” Before Han could give him the bullshit of his injuries preventing him from making a case for his brothers, Jaesun continued. “If having his brothers by his side was important, he would’ve gritted through the pain and dragged his a** to my office begging on his hands and knees for my approval. But you’re here making it worse for him to recover from what I only consider as a coward’s way out of a difficult situation.” Was he so intimidating that Pagoe would send his best friend to plead his case? Did Jaesun succeeded in breaking him already?
Because if that was the case, Jaesun completely underestimated his will to survive.
“Get out of my office and be sure those kids are packed and ready to go once the sun hits the horizon.”
ooc:
I remember falling on my face in a fun house cus I was a stupid kid and didn't know how to coordinate my feet lol Oh well, I'll just take my chances at a haunted house x3 So yeah, the ending sucks cus it was just getting to long...so you can decide whether Han told Pagoe about Jae's decision or not...it just made sense Jae would be a d**k and say no to everything like a spoiled, stubborn child who wants things done his way lol
'No it's not.' Jidae looked at the man when the other tried to reassure him that everything was fine. He knew the other was trying to help, but the young boy wasn't stupid. He knew that everything wasn't fine, Ren and his brother were running for their lives while Han and Pagoe went to save them. As for the two here, they were stuck inside a ferris wheel with no weapon at all. Nothing about this situation was fine.
His cheeks puffed out forming a pout on his face when his nose was pinched by Tristan. He did however allow a small smile to form on his lips afterwards. "Yeah, brother won't let himself fail." Jidae said with conviction. He knew Han and his brother, Pagoe wouldn't allow himself to fail in saving the two other kids.
He was surprised by the words and allowed himself to be encompassed in the other's arms. He trusted Tristan to keep him safe, but it didn't stop him from tensing when gunshot was heard. He had grabbed onto the man after feeling his arms curl around him protectively except unlike Tristan, Jidae didn't feel any fear. Sure he was tensed, but other than that the young boy was fine.
"Tristan!" Jidae was concerned once the other's leg was shot. He didn't want his friend getting hurt anymore and there wasn't much to do up here with no medical supplies. Jidae wanted to help him, but felt useless. He wasn't relieved when the bullets stopped, that could mean something worse would happen.
Jidae looked at Tristan with a determined look, much like Pagoe. "I know." He may not have a weapon like Tristan, but Jidae would help the other out however he could. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach when the compartment stopped, but he still couldn't bring himself to be afraid.
He blinked when Tristan seemed to know the man that opened the door and listened to them speak silently. He allowed Tristan to help him to his feet and looked at the man named Jaesun. "You could have left me." Jidae pointed out to Tristan, it would have been difficult for the man to climb down, but not impossible. He was happy to hear that Ren and his brother were safe though.
Jidae looked at the man with just as much uninterest as the man had in him. He wanted to go see his brothers and Ren to make sure they were alright, but he wasn't stupid enough to argue with this man. He knew there was danger and that a child would just be another liability to the man called Jaesun.
He looked at Tristan and grabbed onto his hand happily. "Alright. I won't let the doctors do anything stupid to you." He nodded lightly and smiled at him. "Really? Everyone lies." Jidae said adamantly. He knew that no one in the world didn't lie. He was a child who was forced to grow up too fast in order to protect his brother.
He followed Tristan to the car making sure the other didn't injure his leg too much since it was injured. He was worried for his brothers and it must have shown because Tristan was trying to reassure him. "You have a dog?" Jidae blinked looking at the man questioningly. The boy had a fondness for animals and training them considering that him and Jeol had a non-official 'pet.' Their mother wouldn't let them keep any type of animals, but they'd formed a bond with a feral dog. It was an old fighting dog, a German shepherd / husky mix, that hated almost everyone except the three brothers, even Han couldn't pet him without one of them there. He felt comforted by the squeeze even if the words weren't something he truly believed. "You'll come visit right Mister Tristan?" The boy asked, eyes hopeful.
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Pagoe was aware of the empty weight that had left his arms and opened his eyes to see Jaesun cradling his daughter. It was a nice sight to see the man care for his daughter despite what most people would think of him. Pagoe knew the man cared for his daughter dearly as he listened to the conversation between the two of them. A small smile came to his lips as he listened to Ren's reply to her father.
Once Ren was on her own feet, Jeol had slid off the chair to stand next to her. He was terrified of the strange people that arrived even though they seemed to be help. Jeol was especially afraid of the one Ren had called 'daddy,' he just had this air of intimidation that didn't help the meek boy's nerves at all. He grabbed onto Ren's hand nervously as he stood there with the girl silently.
Pagoe knew that Jaesun was studying him, but couldn't bring himself to care too much currently. While sitting there holding Ren he had steadily been loosing blood from the wound on his side. He refused to lose himself to the bliss of unconsciousness especially in front of Jaesun. He probably looked pretty bad right now, not nearly as horrible as he felt though.
His eyes opened to stare at Jaesun after his comment to him. He huffed lightly and glared rather weakly at the man. "Han also probably didn't have the night I had yesterday." Pagoe said with a light shrug of the shoulders that took more energy than it should have. He was tired and really sleep sounded pretty good right now. "Mmhm," it was the mumbled response to the order. A small grunt escaped when Jaesun decided he needed to lift Pagoe princess-styled from the floor. He'd probably had been more against it if he hadn't lost so much blood and found he didn't mind being in the man's arms. Carrying his subordinates when injured just showed how good of a leader Jaesun was.
His lips twitched into a smile for a small second before falling again. "It was nothing. The princess is a good kid, I'd save her no matter what." His words were quiet with fatigue. A weak chuckle escaped him at the next words. "Long as it's not another amusement park trip." There was a bit of humor in his voice. Yeah the day had been ruined, but it had been fun while it lasted.
A small, quiet knock on the door resounded before Pagoe had pushed open the door to Jaesun's office with some difficulty. Really the boy shouldn't have been here, but he needed to get out of the bed they'd confined him to. Plus he needed to talk to Jaesun about his brothers. He knew that it probably wasn't the best idea to ask Haneul to ask for him, but he did know Jaesun better than him.
A yawn escaped him as he walked into the office finally getting the door open and seeing Jaesun at the desk. The boy was still technically under sedatives and it was a struggle to even stay awake. At least the painkillers they'd administer were working their magic so he could walk fine. He'd had escaped his bed after Han told him that Jaesun wasn't going to let his brother's stay.
"Yo boss man." Pagoe didn't even attempt to process anything with his mind under the influence of medication. He plopped down into a nearby chair not trusting himself to stay on his feet. "Han told me you wouldn't let my brother's stay." He said another yawn escaping him. He had to fight himself to keep himself awake as he looked at the man with determined blue eyes.
He was going to do anything to ensure that his brothers were safe, plus it would be good for the boys and Ren to have each other's company. He could only imagine what it was like not to have anyone your own age here. Pagoe had Han with him while the brothers had each other at least. Ren didn't seem to have anyone her age to interact with. He also knew that the two boys were growing attached to their only friend and he'd hate to see them separated.
"I don't know what you want, but I'll do whatever to keep my brothers here with me."
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"Han where's R-Ren?" The shy boy looked at Han curiously. He wanted to hang out with his friend, after they'd gotten back to this place he was taken to their temporary room. "C-can we see her before we l-leave?" He asked. Both brothers knew they'd have to go back with their mother to that house, they weren't looking forward to it. Despite the danger they just went through at the amusement park they had fun anyway.
"Do you think I can see Mister Tristan Han? He said he had a dog, I wanna see his dog." Jidae asked looking at Han as well. He was starting to become really fond of Tristan. He wanted to learn things from the other man and he was worried about his leg. He'd stayed with the man while the doctors looked at his leg in wonder. He'd always been interested in becoming a doctor so he watched them work on him until he was forced to go to his temporary room.
{ ooc: Oh i've done that plenty of times x3 Haunted houses are awesome also <3 Lol it's fine, my post just kinda started failing also. I think I'm getting sick D8 And yeah Jae stop being such a d**k and spoiled brat. You're a bad example to your daughter >x }
Scars were the reminders of his past, the deciding factors of his future and the influential entity that determined the decisions he made. They were like photographs imprinted on skin – a constant reminder of the promises he made to a woman who was unlike any other nymphet he had ever met in his adolescent years. He was so carefree back then, so very much alive unlike the impassive, authoritative and unsympathetic man he had become for the sake of a business that was slowly, but surely devouring the flesh from his bones like rabid vultures swarming for the kill.
Every once in a while Jaesun would outline his past mistakes engraved into the left side of his face. The imperfection made his thoughts wander endlessly into the farthest recess of his mind where his memories resided. ‘I’m pregnant.’ Never would he have imagined two words sounding so sweet to his ear. Her plum colored lips brushed against his skin, the lovely bite of her words sending a shiver down his spine with an intensity that made him experience a feeling unlike any other he had felt before. ‘I swear to the fictitious gods above, Jaesun, I will gut you alive and throw your sorry a** in a gutter if you’re not happy about this.’ She was a feisty little thing who didn’t give two ******** about the restrictions Jaesun set upon all those who addressed him by his first name. Her derogatory slurs made him smile, the way she quickly pulled out a knife as if ready and willing to carve out his entrails made him laugh, and it was funny how he could still look back on those days in disbelief. It didn’t happen. That was what he told himself time and time again, and yet the memories were all there, stored in his mind without the series of events skipping a beat.
He hugged her, he laid his lips on her, he smiled a boyish smile, and he thanked her for being the fallen angel that made life worth living. ‘I’m happy. I’m so ******** ecstatic that I don’t know what to do with myself.’ He said, the confession earning him a playful punch in the gut his betrothed served up with a dash of attitude. ‘You better be happy, because I’m happy too. I’m just so happy.” She surrendered herself in his lovely embrace and sighed the longest sigh that uplifted the weight that had bore down on her shoulders. ‘Promise me something, Jae.’
‘Anything.”
So eager was his reply that placed her under his loving gaze. ‘Promise me you’ll love our daughter and you’ll protect her from your dangerous world. Promise me she will be as happy as you are right now. Promise me she’ll be a fighter, that she’ll kick so much a** like her mother and be as kind-hearted, careless, yet determined like her father. Promise me you’ll be there for her…that she’ll be your strength and you will be hers.’It was in that moment of weakness did he agree to the promises he kept the day Rena Dior Dela’cor was born. It was within that short period of happiness did his vulnerabilities dull the strength his enemies questioned. And it was that mistake that led him to gut his wife-to-be alive and leave her for dead.
Sad as it was, Jaesun grew immune to the feelings he had for that woman and lived his life believing love was as much of an enemy as the people who were trying to kill him. It was stupid, it was a bother, and now his joy, his smiles, the excitement that came once in a blue moon, and his laughter was derived from the pain he caused each and every person who overstepped their boundaries.
Jaesun never took impudence lightly, so one can only imagine the grim look on his face when Pagoe entered his office unannounced – speaking of that nickname no less.
This boy was dead.
He was going to suffer the wrath of the almighty Jaesun and there was no one – not Han, Ren, or even the devil himself – that could save him. Pagoe sat himself down on the chair across his desk and disrespectfully yawned in his presence like the discussion wasn’t of his concern. Was he so confident Jaesun would grant his wishes that he’d come waltzing in his door like he was his little princess? Only Ren could ever step on his toes without the fatal repercussions that followed her recklessness. There was no other. So Jaesun had to wonder how stupid Pagoe had to be for poking at a rabid lion?
Jaesun leaned forward and rested his chin over folded hands. He didn’t know what to do with a boy whose bravery could be mistaken for pure stupidity, but he had to admit there was no one like him. He had had subordinates who challenged his authority, but not to the extent Pagoe took it to. He kept pushing his limits and kept working at his last strand of patience. He may have been under the influence, but even in a lucid state of mind, Pagoe had a personality that would continue to test Jaesun without a single ******** given. He’d be near the brink of death, choking and gasping for air, and even then Jaesun was sure the boy would smile, furrow his brows amusingly and say or do something Jaesun wouldn’t soon forget. He should kill him right now, but what was the fun in taking out the only boy who needed a lesson in respect?
Jaesun slowly got up from his chair and rounded his desk. He casually leaned back on its wooden surface when the distance between them was no longer obstructed by a solid piece of furniture. There was not a trace of amusement that crossed his face, and the venom that followed his words seem to burn against the acerbic grin that tugged at the corner of his lips. Jaesun didn’t make up his mind if the boy should live or die, but he was dead set on questioning the statement that jabbed at his funny bone.
“You’ll do whatever I ask of you to keep your brother’s by your side?” A spurt of laughter filtered the room. “It’s funny you say that, boy…” He took his time pushing himself from his desk and drawing near the teen who made it possible for him to keep the promises he made years ago. Eyes fell upon his sitting form, emotions as non-existent as the amusement that had now faded from his crest-fallen grin. “Do you have a single clue as to why I would find what you said so humorous?” Whatever Pagoe said had went into one ear and out the other the second Jaesun’s fingers streamed through his hair. The very tips padded against his scalp in that same tender manner that was bestowed upon him back in the tub. He was gentle with each lock of hair he possessed; Jaesun petting him with eyes that followed each stroke his hand made upon the younger’s head.
“I’ll tell you why it’s so entertaining.” The nasty edge in his voice took a hold of the hand that had painfully fisted into Pagoe’s hair. The trance-like state was shattered as Jaesun yanked him from his chair and dragged him by the hair to the desk where the boy’s chest smothered its lacquered wood. The position Jaesun secured him in was reminiscent of the night he took Pagoe’s virginity. But instead of being bent over the bed exposed, the boy was fully clothed with the upper-half of his body sprawled over his table.
He was helpless and at his mercy, Pagoe unable to fight against the man who leaned over his lithe body. The fire in his loins and the prominent indicator of an erection rising between Jaesun’s thighs pressed against the boy’s backside. He roughly yanked and his hair once more and forced him to tilt his head back just so Jaesun’s lips conveniently rested against Pagoe’s ear. “You seem to not comprehend the position you’re in, boy.” Harder and harder he pulled. The more Jaesun yanked at the boy’s hair, the more degrees were added to the arch of his spine that was pulled back with each harsh jerk of Pagoe’s head. “You’re mine. I can do whatever I please with you. I can command you and expect ‘whatever’ I say, ‘whatever’ I asked of you and ‘whatever’ you may be against to be done in a timely fashion. There is no limit to what you’ll do for me because if I suspect so much as a bit of resistance from you, I’ll slit your throat.” Bargaining for his brothers to stay was futile when everything he said, everything he did, and everyone he loved was his to control. There was not one thing in the world Pagoe could offer him what was already considered his for the taking.
Unless, that is, he was missing something.
“Think hard, boy. Tell me one thing you’ll do for me that I can’t make you do already. Tell me what would persuade me to keep your brother’s near you.” As difficult of a question it may be, Pagoe’s reply would determine whether his brothers lived in the lap of luxury or suffer in the pitting dooms of despair.
-----------------------------------
Unfortunately for him, Tristan was intolerant to pain.
He hated it.
The burning feeling, the throbbing and electrifying sensation acetaminophen couldn’t cure had him wide awake with aches and pains affecting the wound his thigh sustained. It was only a flesh wound, but it was enough to pull Tristan out of bed and into the halls where he wandered aimlessly hoping each step he took would get his mind off of the pain. It didn’t take long for him to encounter a door that was left slightly ajar. Muffled cries slipped through the cracks, and as soon as he poked his head into the room, he was met with a smile that completely contrasted the glare he received from the man who wielded a knife.
“Tristan, you’re awake.” Ren swung her legs merrily from the stool she sat in, her inquisitive eyes as bright as the shimmer that reflected off of the bloody knife he kept his eyes trained upon.
“What are you doing in here, baby girl?”
Ren shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep so I kept JuJu-bean from being all by his lonesome.”
The man who Ren referred to as JuJu-bean was Jaesun’s personal executioner. His job was to exact the worst kind of punishment that was befitting of the fiery pits of hell. His torture chamber, the room Tristan and Ren currently stood in, was his playground and a place where lives were taken by the hundreds. “What the hell, Jun! Why are you letting her watch the s**t you’re doing?”
Blood and slivers of skin stained the off-white of the tiled floor. Whimpers came from the man whose toes barely touched the crimson puddle that gathered at his feet. Tristan didn’t know who he was, but seeing as his ribcage was exposed and a layer of skin sliced from his abdomen, it was safe to say he was an enemy who will not be granted the mercy he pled for.
“You’re such a p***y. Ren can handle herself unlike your weak a**.” Jungbae snarled behind his face mask as the glare in his eye targeted another layer of skin of the photographer who still refuse to explain the photos he had taken of everyone Jaesun cared about. “If you have a problem, you can get the ******** out.”
Towering at an unimpressive height of 4’8”, the blue haired man, whose gaze was restricted to a single topaz eye, could be described as nothing less than a b***h. The 27-year-old uttered curses by the dozen and didn’t give a flying ******** who heard the profanity that poured right out of his mouth. He was aggressive and hot-headed, his temper a personality trait that made him the bitter man (who looked more like a teen than anything else) who found pleasure in hurting others.
“You’re ruining her childhood.”
Jungbae pursed his lips with an uncaring shrug of his shoulders. “Tch, her childhood was ruined the day she met your ***** bear a**.” The man who was supported by chains wrapped around his wrist groaned in agony when Jungbae stabbed his knife through the bulging fat that gathered at his waist. He was irritated, and that irritation showed through each sharp slice of his blade. “Get the ******** out, Tristan. I don’t have time listening to b***h and moan about things I care two ******** about.”
If there was one person that could aggravate Tristan, it was Jun. He was the master of wiping the smile off of his face with his presence alone. “I will when I talk to you outside.”
“Talk to me?” Jun scoffed. “b***h, you high? I told you I don’t have time for –”
“Please!” Tristan nearly snapped, his response very unlike his chipper self. “I need to talk to you outside.”
Jungbae sighed and exaggeratingly took off his mask and the bloody plastic apron that was now laid abandon on the floor. After adjusting his eye patch and giving Ren strict orders to stab the man if he so much as looked at her funny, Jun followed Tristan to the common area where the redhead fell back on the couch.
“What do you want?”
“I need those pills... that blue ones you gave me last time.”
Jun narrowed his eyes at the request. “You’re asking for drugs that Jaesun’s distributing overseas?” Other than being one hell of an executioner, Jun was a biochemist whose expertise with chemical elements provided Jaesun with the most potent and addicting narcotics on the market. Being aware of the drug trade sector of Jaesun’s business, he knew exactly what ‘blue pill’ Tristan was referring to. “You’re a stupid ********. Jaesun will behead you if you start taking that s**t. I gave it to you that one time because you got shot in the ******** arm and really needed a better pain controller. But now, with a minor a** cut in the thigh, I’m not giving you s**t.” Getting high on the drugs they sold were strictly against Jaesun’s rules. You could drink and smoke a little weed here and there, but indulging in the toxins that were being sold only earned you a place in Jun’s torture chamber. Tristan knew that, and still he was begging for the pills that would take all his pain away.
“It’s only this once. Please Jun, just give me one.”
Tristan was not going to let the subject go any time soon. Jun could fight it, walk away and ignore the whining that would follow close behind him, but that required patience and it was patience Jungbae did not have. Without another rebuttal, Jun searched his pockets for the orange pill bottle that contained what Tristan pled for. He sat on the coffee table across from him and with a taunting smirk pulled from ear-to-ear, held the blue capsule between his forefinger and thumb. “I know you’re a sick mother ******** who’s into ******** pre-pubescent boys, but I want to see how much you want this.” Propping the pill carefully between his teeth, Jun leaned back on outstretched arms and tilted his head off at an angle in waiting. “C’mon sick ********, take it.”
He may have hated Jun’s guts and would rather live his life without having to speak to him, but the more he sat bearing with the pain, the less likely it was for him to fight the urge of giving into his desires. Without even thinking it through, Tristan grabbed Jun by the front collar of his shirt and devoured his mouth with a bruising kiss. Like a snake enchanted by the prospects of a reward, Tristan’s tongue slithered passed Jun’s lips and curled around the pill he swallowed with the deep-throated kisses Jun forced on him. It took a while to fight him off, but once Jun was satisfied with the moan Tristan let slip, he detached himself from the man who was left breathless.
“Feeling better, you dumb ********]
Tristan slumped back in his chair. His eyes rolled back by the sudden burst of euphoria that flitted through his veins faster than he expected. The pain stopped, his whole body went numb, and all Tristan could feel was the pleasure of lips lightly grazing his own. “You’re going to regret giving into the toxins of your desires.” Jun had escaped back to the room from whence he came, leaving Tristan staring at the ceiling as if nothing else in the world mattered. He may have totally ******** himself over with the most reckless decision he made in his life, but he didn’t care.
All he was concern with was the pain and the fact that it was all gone.
ooc:
Sorry about all the cursing. I can tone it down if it bothers you lol He will forever be a d**k and be a bad influence to his child xD And I do hope you feel better gurl...maybe you'll be all cured when I get back because I'm magic like that lol rofl jkjk
Blue eyes wandered as Jaesun got up from his chair, as he rounded the desk Pagoe's eyes found themselves drawn to Jaesun once again. He hummed softly when the other stopped, his eyes looking up to meet the taller man's gaze. His blue eyes were slightly glazed due to the medication in his system.
He blinked hearing the laughter, it wasn't often he figured that the man laughed. He wasn't completely sure he followed why whatever he said was funny. Currently everything was a bit fuzzy in his mind. He continued to watch the man as he spoke. "Not really." Pagoe mumbled the statement to the question though he didn't care once he felt those fingers in his hair. Flashbacks of the bathroom came back as he nuzzled the hand slightly, it felt so nice. A soft rumble came from his throat much like a cat's purring as his head continued being stroked by the gentle hand.
"Hm?" Pagoe wasn't paying much attention due to the hand in his hair making him feel quite wonderful at the moment. That all was destroyed as soon as the hand which was once so gentle was now painfully entangled into his blond locks. A hiss escaped him from the pain of being dragged up by the hair, though it was slightly dulled. Soon enough his chest had hit the desk and his position was starting to remind him of the other day when he'd given his virginity to this man. He really wasn't sure which one he'd prefer more at the moment.
Pagoe wasn't happy at the moment being at the mercy of Jaesun even though he knew there was no way to resist him, not that he completely wanted to once he felt the erection pressed against his clothed backside. A slight smirk came to his lips as he chuckled softly despite the hand gripping his hair. "Looks like someone is excited~" He teased lightly before gasping at the rough yank. The lips on his ear caused him to shiver as the words were spoken, Pagoe made sure to listen to the other. He whimpered lightly as Jaesun kept yanking though he wouldn't admit it, he enjoyed the roughness of Jaesun. 'Maybe I'm a masochist.' Pagoe thought as he listened to the words that he knew were all true. He would do anything Jaesun told him to do no matter what the command.
Thinking wasn't as easy when you were drugged, but Pagoe attempted for his brother's sakes. He desperately wanted the two to stay with him and not their abusive b***h of a mother. He couldn't really think of anything though no matter how he tried. "I'll stop being such a snarky s**t and stop calling you boss man to your face?" The words came out innocently though there was no innocence in the snarky remark that he failed to keep from escaping. 'Why can't I keep my mouth shut?' Pagoe groaned in his mind, he royally ******** up his brothers only chance in staying.
The two children had gotten tired of waiting for Han to show them around and decided to go find Ren themselves. Actually lets rephrase that, Jidae got bored and decided to wander off and Jeol not wanting to be alone, plus he also wanted to see Ren decided to follow his brother. They then proceeded to wander around the area aimlessly not having a clue where they were going. Jeol was clutching onto his brother's shirt nervously as they continued journeying on.
Jidae had ignored the looks from the random people they'd run across. Of course it was dangerous for two young children to walk around themselves, if Pagoe knew that Han had lost his brothers he'd strangle the other teen. Jidae was perfectly fine traveling the house himself, he'd stolen a pocket knife from Han to protect himself and his brother in case these people tried anything. So far though they were left alone besides the couple of guys Jidae caught ogling his brother.
It seemed like forever that they were traveling around aimlessly before Jidae perked up at a familiar voice sounding a little further down from them. 'That's Tristan.' Jidae thought though he didn't know who the second voice belonged to. Maybe Ren would be with these two people or Tristan and the mystery guy would know where she was. Jidae happily led them towards the area he heard the voices while Jeol followed at a timid pace.
The scene they came upon made Jidae blink. He noticed the blue haired male that disappeared into the room and Tristan was staring at the ceiling strangely. Jidae made his way over to the older male and poked him with a finger gently poking him in the cheek. "Tristan?" His voice was curious, but worry laced it as well as he continually poked at the other male. Soon he was tired of being ignored and slapped his cheek with his tiny hand. It wouldn't hurt no, but it would be enough to get Tristan's attention on Jidae hopefully.
Meanwhile Jeol had turned his attention to the door the other person went through. He approached it slowly as if the door would bite him at any minute. He pushed the door open only slightly and squeaked at the sight that greeted him. He used the wall as a shield as auburn eyes looked around the room before spotting the person they'd been searching for. "R-Ren." Jeol was happy to see his friend, but was terrified of the blue haired teen? Jeol couldn't tell his age immediately, but looked down when eyes were on him. He refused to look at the body that was currently being tortured by the other person in the room. "W-we've been looking f-for you." Jeol murmured refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
{ ooc: Blargh iPad post so it sucks ;;; But yes Pagoe's answer is s**t if I have to change it just tell me. And the cursing is fine, I don't mind x3 lol that's terrible Jaesun xD ,Meh still sick ;;; Lol I wish I hate being sick ;;;; }
They compensated for each other’s weaknesses, deliberately played off of each other’s strengths, and depended upon their diverse personalities to get them through one problematic situation after the next. From listening to Han’s drabbles regarding the boy he had in his clutches, it was fairly easy to deduce they were a unit, a team, and a set that couldn’t go without the other by their side. What Han lacked in confidence and determination, Pagoe possessed without question. The blonde killed on command, slice and diced his way through each test that had otherwise threatened to break the fragile psyche of his second in command; and when he thought the boy was seconds away from breaking under Jaesun’s scornful gaze, he persevered through the hellish trials that would send men and women to their knees. Some would say he was the complete package – that there was no other who could surpass him – that was until he opened his mouth and logic, or the lack thereof, formed the words that gave his weaknesses away.
“Is that the best you can come up with?” Jaesun was ‘offering’ to give his brothers a home they could one day call their own, and the best Pagoe could bring to the table in exchange was a promise that would most likely expire the second they saw each other again. ‘You have to be ******** with me.’ Now he understand why Han referred to the blonde as his other half, his brother from another ******** up mother, and his partner in crime. They really did complement each other, and it clearly made itself known by the boy’s poor choice of words. He didn’t think like Han. Pagoe wasn’t capable in dissecting the complicated inner-workings of a mind that gave Haneul the advantage to get him out of what many would consider a helpless situation. What he said and the thought process that made those words possible to relay was a weapon Pagoe could not master even if his life depended on it.
It was a disappointment to say the least.
But then again, Pagoe had his strong points that Jaesun could not dispose of just yet. So instead of killing him on the spot and dropping his lifeless form at his feet, Jaesun reached his arm around the younger’s waist and began unfastening the button of his jeans. “Just so you know, it’s because of that mouth of yours you’ll experience a ******** that is so raw, the opioids you were given won’t be able to numb the pain.” It wasn’t the best feeling in the world, but it was a better alternative to the knife that would’ve plunged its way into his jugular. If it hadn’t been for that ‘smart’ mouth of his, his men would’ve been dragging his corpse to the nearest ditch the day they first met.
Jaesun really didn’t know what it was that made him so drawn to such insubordination, but he figured it was the rarity of everything Pagoe did and said that made Jaesun rise to the occasion. It wasn’t long till Jaesun ordered him to take off his pants and resume his position back on the tabletop. He ******** him, as he promised, got his kicks out of each and every moan he practically worked to draw out of him, and when he was done, Jaesun zipped himself up with a dispassionate look that conveyed through deadpan eyes.
He straightened the boy up, manually taking him by the locks of his gold hair and pulling him off of the table so Pagoe could concentrate solely upon his cold gaze. “You appear tired, boy.” Nothing to be surprise of, considering the night he had gone through. “Perhaps I should show some compassion and let you rest. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He no longer supported him by the fierce grasp of his head. Those fingers had lax long since he expected him to stand with what little strength he had left in him. “Unfortunately for you, I’m not a compassionate man.” He racked his hand through his hair for the last time that night before retrieving his car keys. He tossed them in Pagoe’s direction and headed toward the door with a 9mm tucked safely behind his back.
“Let’s go.” There was no explanation given as to why Jaesun took the passenger seat when they got to the garage or the purpose behind assigning Pagoe to drive. He just told him to step on the pedal and pull out into the deserted streets. Jaesun wasn’t sure if Pagoe knew how to operate a vehicle or if he was lucid enough to pay attention to the road. In truth, he really didn’t care. They could’ve been driving on the sidewalk for all he knew. He wasn’t paying attention to the road when he was currently preoccupied making a call to Brad. “Put out an announcement in regards to yet another ******** fest that’ll be open to all who may be interested in copulating with two boys between the ages of 7 to 8 years old. The extent of the invitation will be within a 48 hour time period and all fetishes are welcome. To put it bluntly, no restrictions apply other than the prohibition of their death.” Pagoe wasn’t dumb. He may not be able to articulate his words in a manner that could’ve prevented everything that was to come, but Jaesun was sure he knew what the call was referring to.
“I hope you’re prepared to live with the decision that’ll change your brother’s lives for the worse.” After what Jaesun had set up, it was safe to say there will be no going back to the innocence that made both Jeol and Jidae ignorant, vulnerable and untainted children. They were going to change, they will never be the same, and Jaesun had to wonder if Pagoe understood that. It wasn’t Jaesun’s problem of course, but it was his curiosity that drove him to question how far Pagoe would go for his flesh and blood. “If you are, then I want you to do something that’ll most likely land you behind bars. Whether it’s rape or murder, I order you to commit a federal offense you’re confident you can get away with in the state you are in.”
Like he said, Jaesun wasn’t compassionate.
He was an evil son of a b***h who might as well be the spawn of the devil himself. He was the type of guy who kicked and destroyed children’s sandcastles without any reason at all. He stomped on flowers, glared at butterflies and cursed the sight of rainbows arching before the vast blue of the sky. In short, Jaesun was a dispassionate curmudgeon. However, he did show a little sympathy as he placed a syringe he had gotten from one of the physicians he talked to before they left the apartment onto the dash board. “If you need a little pick me up, you can give yourself a shot of adrenaline to get you through the night.” And that was it. Jaesun didn’t offer up any more words of advice as he directed his attention on the road.
---------------------------------------------
“Jeol!”
Her friend was here.
It had felt like forever since she last saw Jeol (even though it had been no longer than 3 hours, but to Ren that felt like a lifetime). He was as timid as ever. Ren wasn’t successful in breaking him out of his shell it appeared, but nevertheless she was happy to see him even if he hid half of himself behind the door.
“Who is this maggot?”
Ren brightened at Jungbae’s gruff inquiry. “This is my friend, Jeol.” She said, hopping off of her stool and pulling the boy into the room. “He’s shy.”
Jun scoffed. “We don’t need shy ******** up in here.” If it wasn’t for the fact that Jeol saved Ren, Jungbae would’ve thrown his scrawny a** out the door the second he opened his trap. Kids, especially soft-spoken maggots, didn’t belong in his torture chamber. “Don’t worry, Juju bean talks all angry-like, but he doesn’t bite.” Ren reassured with her most dazzling grin.
“Doesn’t bite, my a**. I chew out bitches like you for breakfast.” Why Jun couldn’t play nice was a mystery. No matter how many tea parties Ren invited him to, or the amount of girly clips she puts in his blue hair on a daily basis, the short-tempered man could never bring himself to say one nice thing.
He walked up to Jeol and crouched down in front of him to get a good look at his beady little eyes. “I’m going to knock the b***h out of you.”
“Stop being mean, Juju bean. She’s my sister.”
“She’s a he. He has a d**k.”
Ren appeared thoroughly perplexed. “No she’s not. Jeol is like me. We’re sisters.”
“Oh my ******** god.” It didn’t matter what the boy was. What mattered most was the fact Jeol didn’t have a backbone to look people in the eye, and that bothered him. Being as rough as he could get, Jungbae grabbed at Jeol’s arm and dragged him up to the man who had just gotten his gagged removed. “Here,” He gave him the 6 inch knife that was dripping with blood. “Stop being a little p***y and slice the skin from this b*****d’s leg.”
As if getting him to do what he was told wasn’t hard enough, the man who tried to resist his bindings whimpered and cried in hope to receive the mercy he didn’t deserve. “Please, don’t hurt me. I have a family. I have a son your age and a daughter who’s expecting her father t-to tuck her in at night. P-Please, spare me.”
“Shut up!” Jun punched the man cruelly in the open wound in his abdomen. “All I want to hear is screams coming out of your trap.” He redirected his attention back on the child. “So hurry up, maggot, slice him up.”
Ren sat back on her stool watching without any indication she was going to help her friend get out of a tight situation. Jungbae was of no threat to him. She had known him for so long that she trusted him to teach her everything that there was to know about life. It may have been morbid and wrong on levels that couldn’t be explained, but Jun and his practices was part of her father’s life, and as such, it was also part of hers.
“It’s not that bad, Jeol. It’s scary but he’s a bad man. Jaejae said he was the one who called those other bad men to kill us during our fun day. So he has to be hurt so he doesn’t hurt others.” Her perception on life and her sympathy for mankind were skewed and distorted. She was not like any other little kid. She was a Dela’cor after all - a girl fated to grow up to be just as merciless and just as cruel as her father.
He was on cloud nine, caught up in the intensifying heat his entire body endured.
He couldn’t feel nothing, couldn’t really see anything, and the pain he experienced for far too long had disappeared into a far off place his mind couldn’t, and wouldn’t, process. It would stay away for all eternity, and he hoped there was no one to disturb his dazed state of mind that kept him staring off into space. Of course, as luck would have it, there was someone jabbing at his flesh, poking and prodding like he was some kind of specimen waiting to be cut right open. It took a while for him to focus, but once the palm of someone’s hand swiped across his cheek, his muscles grew taught, electrical synapsis went haywire, and his body moved without his consent.
Tristan grabbed at the arm that had assaulted him and with a force that he could not control, slammed his offender back onto the couch. He pinned the small figure down, bearing the full weight of his chest upon the small rise and fall of the other’s own. Every breath he took was shallow, the heat that pressed against his cheek almost as therapeutic as the drug that ran through his system. His eyes slowly adjusted to the natural stream of light the moon provided, and when the blurred features of the young boy cleared with his mind that had was put into a fog, Tristan merely stared at the boy unsure of what he was looking at.
“I’m really trippin’” He smoothed a hand down the side of Jidae’s face. Tristan smiled, the feeling of his young and supple skin sending waves of excitement throughout every miniscule inch of his body. “I’m dreaming.” His darkest fantasies were coming to life, molding and forming the flesh of an innocent little child to pliantly fit into the palm of his hands. The curve of Jidae’s neck, the shallow dip where his shoulder met, and the imperceptible nook and cranny that made up the boy’s ribs were at the tip of his fingers took its time exploring what his body yearned for, but what his mind couldn’t comply to.
His teeth clenched, and he was pretty sure the child could feel the sharpness of his jaw against his skin. Tristan buried his face into the younger’s neck, the smell of his skin so intoxicating, he didn’t want to separate fantasy from reality. So he stayed oblivious, Tristan keeping his senses caught up in the lies the drugs in his system created.
It was a fabrication of his inner desires – his sins manifesting out of control.
“Do you know what sex is, Jidae?” He could feel something bulging from his shorts, something hard and rigid that entertained the tips of his fingers. There was no mistaking the shape of a weapon stored in the boy’s pocket. He has been around them enough to know when he was in the presence of something as lethal as a knife. “If you don’t stab me, it’ll happen. I’ll ******** you whether you like it or not.” The sweetness of his voice and the smile that smothered against Jidae’s neck was like any other kind gesture the boy must’ve been accustomed to since their time spent at the amusement park. It was calm and consoling, the menacing undertone of his message seemingly masked by the soothing warmth of each breath that caressed his ear.
He could hear every word he said.
It was echoing in his ear, Tristan’s own cravings haunting him like the most terrifying nightmare that wouldn’t let him go. He could ******** him. He could do whatever his blackened heart desired. But he was shaking, the fingers that crept under his shirt was trembling out of control, and before he could completely lose himself in the cloud of ecstasy that tainted his mind, he pulled away. Tristan extracted his lips from the close proximity of Jidae’s ear and removed his hand from the abdomen it strayed off too. He simply hovered over him with eyes cast in shadow as he made sure not a part of him touched the younger’s skin.
“You either stab me or run away while you still have a chance.” The poisons of his past were creeping up on him. It was infecting his insides, manipulating the way he thought, the way he acted, and the way every part of him yearned for the chance to repeat his mistakes again. But he couldn’t do it. No matter how high he was, Tristan couldn’t go on beyond the fondling that had already transpired. He needed to scare Jidae and let him know, point blank, he wasn’t the guy, nor will he ever remain the kind-hearted man he made himself out to be at the amusement park. He was someone different, someone terrifying, and just someone a child should not be friendly with.
ooc:
I am so so so sorry I took forever to post, but I swear, from here on out (or at least until school starts) I should be as free as a bird to post as frequently as possible. x3 But yeah~ I totally just got creepy in the end lol...I'm so sorry if that like freaked you out...I really didn't know your limits and if you abhor the direction I went to, but that's in Tristan's personality to prey on the young so I went with it. I'll of course veer away from it if that's too much for you because I know some people get all testy when I step over boundaries x3 So just let me know and I'll change anything that needs to be changed <3 Now, I'm going to sleep x3
Pagoe snorted at the statement as he felt the other unbutton his pants even through the fog of his mind. "Yeah yeah, it'll get me killed one day I know." He murmured lightly. He knew that he'd ******** up a lot due to his words which is exactly why he normally let Han do the talking. Whenever he opened his mouth, nothing good came out which frustrated the teen to no end. At least he wasn't dead yet with his choice of words. He was certain that the comment would have gotten him killed.
'Why don't you kill me already?' It was a stray thought he asked himself since he didn't understand the thought process of Jaesun at all. He almost missed the order to take off his pants in his clouded mind and soon he was on auto-pilot as his body followed the other's orders like normal. He hated how the man could draw out moans from him while he ******** him raw and was happy when the other finished. He was exhausted and in more pain than when he was shot. 'I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.'
He hissed lightly at the fingers threaded through his hair, pulling at the roots to straighten him up. Tired blue eyes stared at the cold gaze of Jaseun which had his full attention due to the pain on his scalp. He kept his mouth shut as Jaesun spoke, he didn't really care at the moment if the other wanted an answer to a question they both knew. He was grateful that the fingers laxed and stood, though his legs shook lightly due to the strain. He kept himself from the comment that threatened to come out. 'lue]No s**t.' He thought as he caught the keys tossed at him in confusion and followed the other slowly out.
Once they were at the garage and Jaesun was getting into the passenger seat did Pagoe really start to question why he was here. He slid into the driver's seat with a wince before turning to Jaesun slightly to sigh before pulling out and getting onto the deserted streets. He already knew how to drive, but didn't have a license himself. His state of mind made driving a bit more difficult, but managed to stay on the road. He only listened to the man with one ear, but his fingers tightened around the steering wheel unconsciously turning his knuckles white. He knew what he was getting his brothers into, he didn't want to, but it would be better for them in the long run.
He still refused to open his mouth to speak to the man talking to him. Pagoe knew that his brothers were strong. Jidae he was sure would get through it with minimum damage considering he was like himself in ways. Who he was really worried about was Jeol, he wasn't sure how well he would do. At worse he could shut down completely and really he knew that would most likely happen with his shyer brother. He didn't want his brother to lose his friendship with Ren which was inevitable if they went through the same trial he did. "Fine." It was a flat response as he heard the order. He knew exactly what he was going to do.
Blue eyes roamed over to the syringe on the dash board. Truthfully he could really use the shot of adrenaline, but stubbornness kicked in considering he felt a little bitter about the situation. "I don't need help from you." He said as he finally stopped at the location he was thinking of. He parked the car before taking a deep breath and getting out of the car to look at his house. He looked at Jaesun before sluggishly making his way to the shitty looking house. There were multiple reasons for being here.
The first thing Pagoe noticed as he made his way to the house was the shadow making its way towards him. His vision was blurred slightly now that he was starting to feel the effects of strain that his body was under. Fur was felt under his hand and a small smile came to his face as he pet the dog that appeared from the shadows. "Hey Kariya. I got a favor to ask you." His words were soft as he leaned over to whisper something into the dog's ear.
Pagoe went inside his house as the dog stayed outside. The German Shepherd/Husky mix went to sit at the entrance of the house. His dark fur blended with the darkness slightly as his coloring was a typical Shepherd, but he had the body type of the agile Husky. Kariya looked at Jaesun who sat in the car with intelligent brown eyes before his eyes roamed over the neighborhood. The dog was skinny, not too badly, but enough to tell he was a stray. Pagoe had asked him to keep watch and keep away anyone who came by. The former fighting dog had no problem in doing that considering it had bonded with the three brothers that lived here, especially Jidae.
Meanwhile inside the house Pagoe had gotten all of their things ready to bring back. He made sure to pack Jeol's shitty laptop and Jidae's books as well. There wasn't much to bring, but now it was time to do what he really came he for. Jaesun wanted him to commit a federal offense and he knew exactly what he was going to do. There was only one way to make sure that their b***h of a mother couldn't ever hurt his brothers again.
It took Pagoe a good forty minutes to come back out of the house. He was covered in blood and had a blank look on his face as he shuffled back to the car they arrived in. It seemed no one had appeared in the neighborhood at this time which wasn't that surprising. He opened the back seat to throw the backpacks into the car and Kariya took the time to jump in as well without a care in the world. Pagoe didn't say anything and just shut the door, he didn't give a ******** at the moment.
Sliding into the driver's seat once again, Pagoe looked as if he was ready to pass out at any second. The teen felt numb inside as he sat in the seat. He had murdered his mother, he had taken all his anger and frustrations out on her as he stabbed her repeatedly to death leaving nothing more than a gory mess. "We done now?" The tone was flat and quiet. He really should have taken that shot of adrenaline as he slumped in his seat not even phased by the blood he was covered in. He could really use Han right about now.
Jeol was happy to see his friend. He'd been pretty lonely without Ren there to talk to even though in actuality it hadn't been very long. He didn't have his laptop with him though so it felt like forever. Normally he'd be hacking into some sort of network or reprogramming a game, but he couldn't without some sort of computer and he wasn't about to ask if there were any here.
He flinched at the inquiry from the other male, the other didn't sound to glad to see him there. Soon enough however he was dragged into the room by the excited girl. Jeol was nothing more than a bundle of nerves as his hands nervously played with the bottom of his skirt in nervous habit.
The dazzling grin did nothing to help his nerves. Jungbae spoke as if he didn't want him in here and Jeol didn't want to be here truthfully, his only reason for being in there was Ren. "Juju b-bean?" Confusion was written on his face as he looked at Ren shyly. He was positive that this man wasn't called Juju bean. It didn't fit the other at all.
His body leaned away from the other as he crouched in front of him. He flinched at the words slowly becoming more and more terrified of Jungbae. Nothing was said as the conversation between Ren and Jungbae continued, though he did want to tell Ren that he was in fact a male and not a female. The words died in his throat though as he didn't want to interrupt the conversation or anger Jungbae.
Cringing at the fingers that wrapped around his arm, he dug his heels into the floor attempting to keep the other from dragging him towards the man who looked more like a carcass on a meat hook. His eyes widened slightly in terror at the blade he was forced to hold. 'There's blood on it.' Jeol thought staring at the blade with horror. "W-what?" Jeol was frozen when he heard the words come out of the man's mouth.
A soft whimper escaped him hearing the other man speak, he didn't want to hurt him. He'd done nothing wrong from what Jeol knew and he had kids like them. He couldn't have done anything that bad. Not enough for this kind of torture. Another flinch as Jungbae punched the man in the abdomen, all he wanted to do was leave now.
'How is it not that bad?' Disbelieving eyes focused onto Ren as she started speaking. He wanted to say something, anything that would get him out of doing this. Yes, this man had destroyed there day at the park and even almost got them killed, but still Jeol hesitated. He wasn't used to anything like this, he wasn't used to being the one who had to make choices to hurt others. The soft spoken boy was a coward, plain and simple. He knew however there was no way he was getting out of this so with shaking hands he cut into the flesh of the man's leg.
'He's heavy.' It was the first thought that came to Jidae's mind as he let out a small 'oomph' after being pinned to the couch by Tristan. The other was much larger and heavier than himself which made pinning the young boy easier. Jidae looked at Tristan as he lay still considering there wasn't much he could do in the situation being pinned after all. He was surprised by the response he'd elicited from the older male, he didn't expect him to act like this.
Blinking at his words, Jidae tilted his head slightly in curiosity when he felt the hand down his face. It wasn't anything to uncomfortable, but it was still pretty weird. "I doubt your dreaming." Jidae said confused. He could feel the tips of his fingers graze over his skin making him shiver at the feeling.
A whine left him as the other's face buried into his neck. He was ticklish there and he could barely squirm with the other on top of him. He was starting to become uncomfortable with how Tristan was acting. 'What's wrong with him?'
"Of course I do." Jidae said in monotone. Really who didn't know who sex was. Of course it never occured to him that children his age shouldn't know about that sort of thing. He felt the hand trace over the knife and froze, that was the only weapon he had on him to protect himself. "Why would you do that?" He asked shivering again at the sweetness in his voice, the breath ghosting over his ear. It didn't match what the male was saying and he didn't like this Tristan.
He could feel the fingers shaking under his shirt and it was like a switch went off in Jidae's mind. He watched the man pull away with blank eyes. He knew exactly what Tristan wanted from him, he wasn't stupid now that he was piecing the puzzle together. He didn't move after the man extracted himself from Jidae not touching him.
He didn't say anything for a while as he stared at Tristan. "You're a ***** aren't you?" Jidae asked innocently. He of course already knew the answer as he shifted himself to be more comfortable. A malicious grin made its way to his lips as he reached up to touch Tristan's cheek with his hand gently. "Was everything you said about yourself a lie?" Jidae had a sadistic side to him though he was only a child, he needed it to protect his brothers. He leaned up as far as he could to rest his lips near Tristan's ear like the other had done to him before. "Remember you said I could rip your heart out if you lied to me. I have no problem doing that and feeding it to my dog happily." His voice was soft and innocent with deadly undertones.
{ ooc: You're perfectly fine~ x3 Lol you're still fine, you don't have to change anything. I don't mind a bit of creep. As I said I'm pretty much good with anything so you're fine to go wild xD Let me know if I need to change anything either and I will c: Sleep is good. Sorry for the crappy post, I don't even know what I typed ;;;; }
There was no room for argument with the boy who lacked all strength to think things through.
Pagoe’s response was restricted to a single syllable that was short, ingenuously sweet, and to the point. He was tired and listless, and yet his efforts to put on a show were very much alive in the arrogant way he refused the charity that was offered to him. Admirable to say the least, but oh so very careless when you put into account what was at stake. One wrong move, one misplaced step or even a single error in judgment could send Pagoe behind bars faster than it took to Mirandize him.
But did he care?
In truth, Jaesun wasn’t all too sure. There just seem to be an uncaring aura to the boy who was unable (perhaps because of his undeveloped brain) to allow the possible consequences of his actions to really sink in. What he was about to do, and the crime he was minutes away from committing, settled into the forefront of his mind like oil and water. There was a disconnect - an obvious separation of two thought processes that had always been better mending as one.
Surely, it wasn’t of Jaesun’s concern if Pagoe screwed up. If he was caught, then so be it. He’ll be someone’s b***h in some dingy state penitentiary, his brothers would be shipped off to one of Jaesun’s international whore houses overseas, and Pagoe’s existence would simply vanish into thin air. Jaesun would have no problem replacing him, and, to push the envelope of his bastardly deeds even further, he’d probably go so far as too make sure Pagoe’s life in prison would lead to suicidal ideations. ‘Serves him right for denying the rarity of a kind gesture.’
The little tinge of bitterness he felt toward Pagoe’s decision to take advantage of the adrenaline that sat on the dashboard was soon put on hold when the car came to a stop. He offered no words of advice as the boy stepped out of the car and did what he had to do to earn both his and his brother’s keep. Jaesun inwardly cringed at the sight of the emaciated animal that sat perched on the boy’s stoop. He wasn’t too fond of dogs. If it hadn’t been for Tristan’s persistence of keeping his own mongrel by his side, he would’ve restricted all pets from stepping through his door.
He was just about to go through the many reasons why animals, specifically dogs, were demon spawns of hell when his phone rang.
“Where are you? And where’s Pagoe? He’s not in his room.”
Jaesun couldn’t resist the sigh that slipped through his lips when the concern tone of Han’s voice echoed into his ears. “Apparently, we’re at the boy’s house.”
“Why are you both there?”
“The boy’s securing a home for his brothers.” The silence that drawled out between them suggested a process of elimination that was currently turning the gears in Han’s head. It took only seconds for him to realize what was going on, and a few minutes to gather his thoughts to address the feelings he was better off discarding in its entirety.
“Why are you pushing him harder than anyone else Brad and I have recruited? Is it because he’s my friend? Are you intentionally testing his limits because I know him?”
Jaesun let out a lifeless chuckle. “You must put into perspective that the world, especially my world, doesn’t revolve around your pretentious notions. It’s unbecoming of you to even think my actions are influence by the company you keep. I thought you were smarter than that?”
Han’s jaw clenched, his words straining to meet the leveled tone that wouldn’t hint at his discomforts. “I am smarter than that.” He said matter-of-factly. “I just want to know why you’re so focus on every move and decision he makes. I want to know why you jump at the chance to ruin his life whenever the opportunity arises.”
“Perhaps you should think things through, Han.” He could hear the boy’s words grinding between the molars of his teeth. For reasons unbeknownst to others, Han was angry and bitter, the strain in his voice evident in the way he expressed every thought that cross his mind. “Perhaps you should realize the question you’re asking of me is befitting for you to answer for yourself.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Why are you so focused on every move and decision I make? Why is it that you jump at the opportunity to scrutinize everything I put your friend through?” The long string of silence would’ve stretched out for hours if Jaesun hadn’t provided an answer for him. “Your concern for his safety is only part of the reason you want him to leave.”
“It’s the only reason I want him to leave.”
“No, the reason you want him to leave is because you’re threatened of his potential of replacing you.”
“T-That’s not true.” Unfortunately for him, the slight stutter that trailed through the phone gave his intentions away.
“The boy’s willingness to do everything I say without question is promising. He has the potential to replace you, and he will if you don’t start learning your place.”
Han had been drinking. There was no question about it when he heard the sniffles of frustration muffled behind a palm pressed tightly over his mouth. He was more emotional under the influence of substances his body couldn’t tolerate. He was a lightweight, and just like any person strapping themselves into the seat of an emotional rollercoaster ride, the anxiety built up within the small frame of the boy who couldn’t accept what was being said to him.
“I’ve always known my place. I’ve always known where I stood with you. You own me and I have no problem putting my life into your hands. It’ll always be that way. Whether you replace me or not, I’m yours. My loyalty lies with you and I just want it to stay that way. I want you to believe in me. I-I…I want you …I just want you to....” He struggled with the words that lost itself in the mumbled cries of self-contempt and self-derision. Like a nuclear power plant on the brink of destruction, Han was unstable. He couldn’t catch his breath, couldn’t convey a single coherent sentence even as he tried to control whatever it was that rattled his insides; and when he attempted to speak again, Jaesun stopped him from saying another word.
“I’ll come to see you tonight.”
“W-What?”
“I’ll come to check on you when I get back,” he repeated, his voice as hallowed as his heart. “Don’t do anything stupid, Han.” He hung up the phone with a sigh leaving him just as heavily as the first.
Jaesun adjusted himself in his seat and closed his eyes until he heard the sound of footsteps resonating from the front door. Pagoe came stalking back to the car matted from head to toe in blood. He was slower than usual, his movements almost mechanic in relation to eyes that had lost all its sheen. Jaesun had ignored the dog in its entirety simply hearing the deadened tone of a voice that was completely devoid of life.
Orders were kept to a bare minimum as he stepped out of the car and opened the driver side of Pagoe’s door. He took him in his arms in that same ‘princess-like’ manner he had done back at the amusement park. He was as secured in his grasp as a child would be in the protective embrace of their mothers’. Ironic to say the least, considering Pagoe had just killed the woman who was responsible for giving him life. “We’re done for the night.”
Jaesun transferred Pagoe into the backseat of the car and encouraged him to lie down. He must’ve been exhausted, and after the ordeal he had just went through, Jaesun thought he deserved to kick his feet up on the chair and rest. “You did well,” he whispered into his ear whilst brushing back every strand of hair that clung to his face. “And I dare say you’ve proven yourself more to me in two days than any man could ever do in their lifetime.” As if to pull him back to the dreary midnight hour of his reality, Jaesun placed a kiss upon blood stained lips and stared down at him with eyes bearing what could almost be mistaken as a look of affection. “So I hope for your sake you didn’t leave any evidence behind, boy.”
Closing the door, he took his rightful place behind the wheel and drove back to the apartment. What awaited them as he carried Pagoe to his room was a warm bath he ordered one of his men to start prior to their arrival. He sat the boy on the edge of the tub and stripped him down before lowering him into the water. He hadn’t plan to stay, but he found himself lingering a moment longer to drink in the vulnerable state Pagoe was in. “Do you need anything?”
As hard as it was to believe, what he asked wasn’t a trick question. There was no meaning behind such an inquiry even if the sternest of his gaze said otherwise. “Tell me what you need and I’ll see if I can get it for you.” He crouched down to meet the boy’s gaze and folded his arms over the tub’s edge in waiting for a request only a few men was ever at liberty to ask of him.
She witnessed a lot of bloodshed, sat in on a couple of Tristan’s interrogations that turned violent without warning, and even felt the cool, decayed skin of a corpse. But never was she at liberty to be responsible for another’s pain and torment. Her father didn’t allow her to cut through human flesh or shoot a gun. She learned the mechanisms of putting such a powerful weapon together. She could disassemble and reconstruct a 9mm with one eye close, but the restrictions that were placed on her made Ren unable to really understand what Jungbae put Jeol through.
He was shaking and looked as if he was seconds away from bursting into tears. Just watching him, she had this inextinguishable desire to experience what it felt like to cut into another person’s skin and punish them for their wrongdoings. The spine-chilling screams that bounced off every corner of the room as Jeol wedge the knife between the man’s flesh would’ve been enough to hit her with an uncomfortable rush of adrenaline that made the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. But she wanted more. She wanted to experiment with the motions of gripping that bloody knife and actually stabbing it into the person who was responsible for hurting her friend.
“Let me help.” Jeol didn’t have the time to oppose or accept her offer. Before he had the chance to even register what she had said, Ren had gently grabbed at his hand and applied the necessary force to slice off a slab of skin. It was quick and easy. Running that knife through an actual human being felt as if she was cutting through butter.
She didn’t know how she should’ve reacted to what she had just done since there was a mixture of emotions combating with the pride she thought she should’ve felt. Ren let go of Jeol’s hand and looked up at Jungbae for some kind of answer to the questionable feelings her adolescent mind couldn’t sort out.
“********, you cut into your first b***h. See, was that so hard?” Jungbae snatched the knife from the child and began to wipe it down with a dirty rag. “I would’ve killed you if you didn’t grow a set and follow through with the order I gave you. So good for you, maggot.” He had a lot of work to attend to, and didn’t want to dilly-dally with kids who were better off tucking themselves into bed. So he sent them on their way, shooing them with a plethora of curses that was solely directed to the cross-dresser Jungbae deemed as an irritant to the eye.
“He’s really nice when you get to know him.” To Ren, Jungbae was like a diamond: Rough around the edges at first, but once you take the time to shed the outer layer of aggression and contempt, one can’t help but to marvel over a man who would sacrifice everything and anything for the people he loved. “He has a little brother named Jinhwa. He’s my friend too, but he lives in Paris so I only see him a little bit…like once a year. He’s always mad like Juju-bean, and says a lot of bad words at people he doesn’t know. But he’s nice to me because we play hide-and-seek and tag and go to the beach together when the butterflies are flying around, and when it’s Christmas he gets me the best gifts in the world. Of course, JaeJae always gets me the mostfantabulousgifts which is better than the best gifts Jiji gets me, but they’re still great. She could go on for hours gushing over a friend who, in all truth, she didn’t really consider a friend at all when the chemistry they had together, what little of their childhood they spent getting to know one another, and the connection between their families that ultimately brought their worlds crashing into each other made them out to be more like siblings than anything else.
They may not have the privilege of seeing each other on a daily basis, but when the holidays did put Jinhwa on the next flight to what he called his home away from home, everything felt perfect. They clicked almost instantly, and perhaps it was just her vibrant personality that made it easy for Ren and Jinhwa to act as if they lived together under the same roof since the day they were born. Whatever the reason, they were going to stay bestfriends to the very end and she just couldn’t wait for him to meet her new pals. “He’s really fun. I think he’s coming back on Christmas. I don’t really know, but when he does come back, you, me, Jiji and Jidae will be the four musketeers. We’ll have a blast.” She would’ve gone on explaining the fun things they would do if it hadn’t been for three men standing in the middle of the hallway.
She tilted her head off to the side and wondered why they didn’t move off to the side. Usually, the sight of her would put the toughest of men on their guard in fear of stepping on her toes. She was Jaesun’s daughter after all, and if someone so much as looked at her funny, everyone knew the consequences would ultimately result in their deaths. So it was odd that they blocked their path and even closed in on them when they were aware their next move might be the last one they made.
“Hi, Ren.”
Ren had a wary glint in her eyes as she gave a half-hearted wave. “Hi…why are you in my way? I need to walk down the hall but you’re in the way. Can you move.”
Ignoring her demand, they pointed off in Jeol’s direction with smiles all around. “Who’s your friend, Ren?”
“That is none of your business. I don’t like you. I don’t like the way you’re looking at my friend, so can you move or I’m going to tell my daddy on you.” Being a rat in her father’s line of business wasn’t in high regards with those who were trained to keep their mouth shut even in the face of death. But she was a Dela’cor. The rules of the trade didn’t pertain to her, and as such she was going to bring them down if they continued to get in her way. “Move.”
Being as protective as ever, Ren took Jeol’s hand and attempted to shove her way past them; But their towering height and wide shoulders made her take a step back with the boy she kept hidden behind her. “We just want to play with her.”
“Well, I don’t want you guys to play with her. So can you –Hey! Let her go!“ They grabbed Jeol! Those bastards took him by the arm and began to drag him to an open room even as Ren protested with each tug of Jeol’s wrist. She tried to pull him out of the man’s grasp, but they overpowered her with a single jerk of the arm that sent Ren falling to the ground. A door slammed, Ren found herself empty-handed, and when she looked up to the solid structure that separated her from Jeol, She bolted to her feet.
“Let her go! Let my friend go! Open this door! Open it now or you’re all dead! I’m going to tell my dad and he’s going to kill you!” They heard her loud and clear, and yet the alcohol in their system muffled the warnings that would have otherwise sent them on their knees begging for forgiveness. She didn’t know what to do. She screamed Han, Tristan, Jaesun, Jidae and even Jungbae’s name but they were so far away from earshot that no one in the entire apartment would have heard her, what with the sound proof walls making it close to impossible for her voice to travel down the hall.
“I’m going to get you out, Jeol! I’m getting you out! I promise!” No matter how much she wanted to stay true to her word, she just couldn’t get the door to budge.
Lo-lee-ta:
the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth.
Lo.
Lee.
Ta.
She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock.
She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school.
She was Dolores on the dotted line.
But in my arms she was always Lolita.❞
– Vladimir Nabokov
The fictitious character, who’s love, lust, and licentious obsessions revolved around a nymphet he called his one and only Lolita, was the representation of his tainted soul put into words for all the world to see. The forbidden love of what many would call a criminal act punishable by death had put him in the middle of a debate waged between two sides of himself that threatened to tear him apart.
Children were the epitome of innocence. They deserved to be protected from the corruption of a world that did everything and anything it could to lure them into darkness. Their beautiful smiles, their delightful trills of laughter, and the way their curious eyes set the entire world alight were to be preserved forevermore. But it was hard to keep that objective in mind when it was the tenderness of their flesh, and the immaturity of their minds and undeveloped bodies that boiled his blood, burned his skin, and seared the beginnings of a fixation that would embed itself into the marrow of his bone.
Tristan tensed when Jidae asked him a questioned he had been asking himself the day he was tried, but never convicted, of statutory rape. It had been a long time ago, but what he did to nearly land himself behind bars was still fresh in his mind despite the lengths he went through to forget them. His fingers curled into the cushions at either side of Jidae’s head, and he wasn’t sure if he could control the violent tremors that threatened to break through the surface of his skin. A slew of dirty thoughts were making its way into the rational side of his mind that kept him from giving into his desires and he hated it.
He hated everything about it!
“Everything I said about myself?” How did he describe himself exactly?
He couldn’t recall. Tristan thought back to the afternoon he spent with Jidae talking about books and everything else that painted a picture of a man who was happy and carefree. But other than that, he couldn’t remember what he said. For Christ sakes, how can anyone expect him to even think when sensuous lips were melting against his ear?
His breathing became staggered, his jaw clenched when Jidae’s threat washed over his skin, and when he identified the faint thread of amusement in the youth’s voice, the lower half of his body ached to hear the child say his name over and over again. Just turning in his direction to meet his eyes, and having those small fits of air naturally fan over his lips was enough to drive him insane. He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t think! He wanted to say something but the intimate position they were in was pushing him to the brink of insanity.
To create enough room for him to breathe, Tristan placed his hand flatly on the boy’s chest and laid him back on the couch, keeping a comfortable distance between them. “There’s a book I’ve read that’s masterfully written in a way that unconsciously puts people in the position to romanticize the relationship between a 36-year-old man lusting over a 12-year-old girl.” The admiration that character had over every subtle curve of her body emoted through his anticipation to trace the sensual lines of his Lolita. The pen scribbling the character’s account of a love that burned with a passion as hot as fire was the extension of his fingers that immortalized the curves of her breast and the thrumming beat of a heart that laid within. Tristan was so high, the images of the author’s perversions vividly emblazoned within his mind.
Tristan mimicked those movements, his large hand caressing the boy’s chest as thick, stalky fingers roamed over the nub of flesh that protruded through his shirt. “The disgusting brilliance of this book, or so what many have described it, became popular because there was an understanding between the man and the girl. She knew what he wanted and she toyed with that need, played with his desires and tested the limits of a man who struggled to sort things through.” Jidae’s eyes wasn’t that of the vibrant hue his older brother processed, but Tristan couldn’t stop fawning over the way the pallid gleam of the moonlight enriched chestnut colored eyes.
His hand slowly dragged down Jidae’s abdomen and trailed passed his navel where they continued its descent between the cavernous heat of the boy’s thighs. If rubbing the clothed mass of his groin wasn’t enough to give him an answer to his question, than he had underestimated the naivety of the child he held firmly in his grasp. “He ******** her. He sat on a rocking chair with the nymphet straddling his hips and they made love to each other. We know who the characters are, we know what’s going on, and yet those who abhor ***** flock to the words that illustrate a crime in the making.” Jaesun chuckled softly to himself, and as quickly as he fondled the sensitive region of Jidae’s groin, he retraced the path he made back up to his chest. “Perhaps it was because it was consensual, or the poetic beauty of the author’s words was enough to tolerate the subject matter at hand – whatever the reason, it’s still *****. We’re reading through the eyes of a ***** whose sexual advances are placed on children.”
Where was he going with all this anyways?
There was a point to his drabble, that was for sure. But he couldn’t really situate his mind to mend the broken pieces of his thoughts into one cohesive piece that brought his speech together. It didn’t really matter though. Because after all that was said, one question remained. “Am I a *****] Again, he chuckled as he placed a hand over the child’s cheek. “It’s what you asked me, and my answer is…” What was his answer? What was going to be his answer? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to know. Tristan had the opportunity to deny it and pull back before it was too late, but his mind was caught in the clouds and his body was clearly resisting every rational thought that tried to find its way through the fog.
He tilted Jidae’s head back slightly with the lift of his chin and hovered his lips over the boy’s own so that they were barely touching. Tristan’s presence was strong and domineering, the redness of his hair bringing out the gossamer blanket of ecstasy that draped over his eyes. “Yes,” he whispered, his smile as gentle as the hand that cupped the side of his face. “I guess I am a *****, but who I decide to bring into my bed doesn’t define who I really am.” Because he was still the same down-to-earth guy who loved reading an assortment of books and enjoyed the simplest things in life that made his smile as real and honest as he was.
As much as he wanted to help himself to the lips that were as mouth-watering as a full-course meal, Tristan resisted the opportunity by sealing his final decision with the tip of his thumb that traced the cupid’s bow of his mouth. “Don’t be my Lolita, Jidae. You don’t want to be playing with a ***** after all.” He pulled himself off of him and pushed himself to the farthest corner of the couch. The shakes and tremors still took a hold of his arms and legs, but he learned that avoiding the object of his desires by looking out of the terrace window made it so much easier to control the fantasies that put his body on edge.
ooc:
Damn this took me so much hours to write....like...almost my whole fuqin day xDDDD Oh well, it was an awesome day spent x3 And yeah, Tristan...the creep factor...hahaha oh my god, I never knew I would ever have the chance to reference a book I found so disturbingly intriguing lol So happy x3 /claps like a seal/ You should read it if you have time...it's so beautifully written...like...I'm not even exaggerating x3 Jidae should read it...omg...understand the creepers mind lol oh oh, and Kariya...totally forgot to put something about Pagoe's dog...omg idk how to do that without spending like an extra 30 mins trying to fit things in (i'm such a slow writer). So I'll leave that up to you where Kariya's at xD omg I’m hungry, and tired and just…ugh! Going to drop dead on my bed now TAT
He didn't know what to expect when Jaesun had stepped out of the car. Currently in his tired state he really didn't care and instead kept blue, lifeless eyes looking ahead. He turned slightly when the driver's side opened about to question the man, but hadn't expected the strong arms to embrace him reminescent to the amusement park. Pagoe didn't know what to do never having experienced a kind of protective embrace, he found himself leaning into it however. It was easy for the teen to forget he was still nothing more than a child at times. 'Good.' Pagoe thought to himself enjoying the warmth of the man holding him. He wasn't sure if he could do anything else tonight.
The backseat of the car was a blessing to the tired teen as he was placed on it and did as encouraged laying to rest on the seat. By this point Kariya had curled up in the backseat taking up little room. The dog had become a convenient and comfortable headrest even though the animal was emaciated he was still quite fluffy with enough fur to at least feel better than the car seat cushion. A small, tired smile formed on his lips as he heard the words uttered by Jaesun. The sighed softly feeling the hand brush the strands of golden hair, matted with blood being brushed back making him feel content. It seemed like an insignificant gesture, but Pagoe appreciated it, having hair in your face wasn't the greatest feeling especially when it was sticking there. Words that to most would probably mean nothing more than praise meant much more to Pagoe who had never had any type of adult-figure to look up to. He had only had Han to count on when they were growing up and he had to become the adult-figure for his younger brothers. He never had the chance to experience childhood pleasures himself which is why he wanted to protect his brothers from the monster that was their mother. The kiss had pulled him from his thoughts and he stared at the eyes baring down on him with a small spark of life that seemed to be triggered by the other. It took a second, but a small almost unnoticeable smirk appeared. “I'd never do something stupid enough to get caught.” The words were soft as he strained against exhaustion to speak. By the time the door was closed eyes were already drifting shut since it had become to much to even try to keep them open with his little strength.
Soon enough they were back at the apartment though Pagoe hadn't opened his eyes until he felt himself in Jaesun's arms yet again. He didn't even find himself caring if anyone saw him being carried like this instead leaning yet again into the warmth with half-lidded eyes. Kariya had trailed behind Jaesun slowly the three bags held in his jaws easily. Once they'd gotten into the room the dog put the bags down before disappearing to go explore the area. Pagoe didn't even think about Kariya as they stepped into the bathroom. He was tired and though a bath would be beneficial really all he wanted was sleep. He didn't fight or protest Jaesun as he stripped him and sighed in relief feeling the warm water wash over him. His eyes stayed half-lidded as he just relished in the water that was slowly turning into a murky reddish-brown color due to the blood. He was going to have to drain the tub and refill it at this point, but currently he just wanted to relax not move even. At the voice he turned his head to his direction tiredly making a small 'hmm' sound in question.
'What do I need?' Pagoe fought to think if he needed anything from Jaesun. His mind was still in a fog from all the events that had happened. He found his gaze drawn to Jaesun while thinking and gave him a small smile. “Not much. Food would be nice, I'm starved.” He said softly, he hadn't realized how hungry he'd been considering he didn't eat much on a daily basis to begin with. The last thing he remembered eating was cotton candy at the amusement park and that wasn't filling at all. He seemed hesitant for a second before opening his mouth again. “Thank you.” What exactly for wasn't specified, but he wanted to thank him for everything even if it wasn't always pleasant, Jaesun had taken him and his brothers in. He ran a tired hand through his hair before staring at the blood on his hand. The teen wasn't quite sure how to feel anymore now that the deed was over and done with, he wasn't looking forward to the thoughts that would plague him in the silence to come.
'W-what?' Jeol thought as soon as he heard his friend and was surprised to feel her hand over his. It was warm and soft to him which comforted him slightly as she applied pressure to slice off the slab of skin. He could see the meat of the muscle as well though he didn't feel quite as scared with Ren there with him. It wasn't as bad as the boy thought, but he still felt strange cutting into a human. He wasn't a hundred percent sure on what he should be feeling. On one hand this man had a family, but on the other hand he'd tried to hurt his friends. Jeol was confused on what he should have felt now as he didn't know what to expect from this kind of place.
A flinch happened when the other snatched his knife back up from Jeol's grasp. "I g-guess not..." He spoke softly trailing off. It hadn't really been that bad with Ren there. Sure he felt a bit uneasy because he was confused by the emotions running through him. He watched Jungbae wipe the knife with a dirty rag with wide eyes. 'That can't be a good way to clean a knife.' He thought to himself. Silence was the answer as Jungbae continued speaking. Jeol had no doubt in his mind that the man would have killed him easily even with Ren there. He wasn't really sure if Ren would stop the man if that happened though he didn't think she would. A feeling of relief washed over him when they were shooed off from the torture chamber, but a shiver ran down his back remember the curses that mostly followed him out of the room. Jungbae was terrifying though Jeol couldn't help, but admire the man who was strong in his eyes.
"I don't t-think he'd ever l-like me." Jeol murmured. Really it was his fault for being so soft and weak, but he couldn't help it. He was abused by his mother, never learning how to defend himself leaving him to be as meek and shy as a mouse. He listened intently as his friend talked about his brother Jinhwa and couldn't help, but give her a shy smile. Ren was just so charismatic, Jeol couldn't bring himself to be jealous of her though despite how different their lives were. He had a kind heart and really it would be interesting to see how he'd grow up with Ren to guide him. Jeol seemed to cling to Ren better than anyone else here. "P-paris sounds like a n-nice place." He commented lightly. He'd heard of Paris and looked it up on his laptop once. Now that he thought about it he missed his shitty laptop, he wanted to get onto a computer, his fingers itched thinking about hacking into something. He nodded as she continued talking to show the quiet boy was still listening to her. "I n-never really got any p-presents... B-brother got me m-my laptop though." He was embarrassed, he'd never celebrated holidays not even with his brothers.
"T-that sounds n-nice." Jeol remarked at her comment about Jinhwa coming over for Christmas. He would be terrified of meeting him, but he wasn't sure if he could even meet him. The impression he still was under was that he was going to have to go back with his mother. The thought alone made him sad, he didn't want to leave his friend because he knew that if he and his brother left, they most likely wouldn't come back. Tilting his head he stared at Ren in confusion, "I thought there were only three musketeers?" His attention didn't linger on the question for too long as he noticed the three men that were standing directly in their way. He didn't have a good feeling about this at all and smoothed the skirt he was wearing in nervousness as he kept head gaze to the floor shyly.
Jeol kept quiet listening to the conversation that was happening. He didn't like where this was going at all, he thought that being with Ren in her own place would keep the safe. That didn't seem to be the case though as these three men were proving. He was trying to make himself smaller especially when they asked who he was, that didn't bode well for him. He was happy that his friend was sticking up for him, but a feeling in the pit of his stomach made him feel sick. Ren shouldn't have to stick up for him, he should be defending himself, but his voice was lost as he did his best to be nonthreatening which is probably why he was preyed on so much.
His chestnut gaze looked up as he felt her warm hand wrap around his making him glad that she was his friend. Jeol didn't think trying to go through them was a good idea and was proved right when their height and width made it difficult to push through them. Following Ren's lead he took a step back when she did due to the threatening men, using her as a shield to hide behind. His blood froze when he heard the men just wanted to play with him. These people didn't realize he was a male and he didn't want to figure out what would happen when they found out. He also knew that none of their intentions were good or that they wanted to innocently play. No these men reminded him of the guys that their mother brought home with her regularly. Jeol was scared, not for his own safety but Ren's safety if these men wanted to take her also.
Eyes widened as the men had grabbed his arm and they tried to drag him off. He dug his heels into the ground, but like Jungbae the man was too strong for his struggling to even do much of anything. The small hand that was wrapped around his wrist only felt like a feather considering the rough handling his other arm was receiving. The jerk of the men released the grip Ren had on his wrist and sent her plummeting to the floor while Jeol was dragged into the room. Jeol found himself on his a** after the men had jerked him inside and he scrambled over to the far corner of the room. Dragging a chair that was near the corner to create a barrier gave the boy little comfort, he knew that the men could easily take the chair by force if they wanted to do so. Unfortunately Jidae was the one with the knife, so Jeol had nothing to protect himself with. He could hear Ren's muffled promise from the door and even though he knew that it most likely Ren wouldn't open the door on time he still felt comforted by the fact she was at least trying. Tears however welled up in his eyes as he tried to become one with the wall to stay away from the men.
Intelligent brown eyes wandered as the Shepherd mix wandered the halls of the apartment ignoring the people that resided there. The claws on his paws made soft clicking sounds as he traveled around considering they were still sharp only the concrete and roads of the streets keeping them from growing too long, but not dulling them either. He was exploring the territory since he'd left his one pup with the adult human, Kariya saw the three brothers that lived in his house as his pups even if in essence they were older than the dog who was only a year. The dog wanted to know the workings of this place to protect his pups. The first thing he noticed was that there weren't many pups here if there were any at all. The adult humans also smelled of death and blood since he could detect scents much better then any of these humans.
A dark ear twitched as he picked up some sound coming from the direction he was heading. The sounds here were strange, they sounded muffled for some reason since the dog didn't understand the meaning of soundproofing. Paws made there way towards the source of the noise that he could tell sounded urgent. Kariya couldn't understand why none of the other humans seemed to be answering the call when it was clearly a call of distress.
What greeted the dog was a little pup that seemed to be Jeol and Jidae's age, but female. She seemed to be trying to get into a room where the door was closed and he could scent Jeol in the room with other scents that he wasn't familiar with. Looking at the girl's body language it didn't seem like it was a good thing that his pup was in that room so he went over to her gently nudging her away from the door. He could smell Jeol's scent strongly coming from this girl which meant they must have been friends. Once he was sure the little female pup was safely away from the door the mutt looked at the door intently. Snorting the male backed up slightly and slammed into the door with his shoulder causing it to crack and creak lightly. The second slam broke the door causing it to swing open revealing the sight of the three men with Jeol to the dog and Ren.
Jidae could tell the effect he was having on Tristan and he found it interesting. He'd never had been interested in anyone, only characters that came from the fictional worlds of his books and the animes that the brothers sometimes watched. Now however he had become interested in the man that he'd met going to the amusement park who shared his passion for books. He huffed lightly at the hand who pushed him back down onto the couch. He looked intrigued at the thought of the book he was explaining. "What book is that?" Jidae asked with a slight tilt of the head. He wondered what type of book that would be and felt compelled to read it. If Tristan had read the book than he surely owned it as well which meant Jidae would ask to borrow it.
A shiver ran through his body as large, experienced fingers traced at his chest caressing it as the hand touched his n****e that was now poking through his shirt. A light blush dusted his cheeks as he looked at the male. He listened as Tristan explained the book to him and what the people described it as. He hadn't read the book so he couldn't have a real opinion on the book. What Tristan was saying though intrigued him especially the female character. A young girl who toyed with an older man pushing him toward his limit made him curious. 'Is that what I'm doing to Tristan now?' Was Jidae tempting and pushing the man to his limits? He wasn't trying to purposely it just seemed to be happening.
The blush grew darker on his face as he could feel the hand trailing down his stomach to his thighs, Jidae realized where the hand was going at the beginning of the descent. The soft moan that escaped him couldn't be stopped when he felt Tristan rubbing him. No one had ever touched him before, he hadn't let anyone get close to him. Here was Tristan though doing what no one else had ever tried in fear of getting hurt by the small child. A whimper sounded as the hand trailed back up to his chest. The dark blush remained as the young boy looked at Tristan with childish innocence still. He understood the answer to his question, but it didn't change the fact that he was new to this.
He felt his head be tilted slightly and could feel the warm breath that ghosted over his lips as he stared at Tristan. His emotions were in turmoil since he couldn't understand what he and his body wanted. Jidae leaned into the touch happily enjoying the feeling of the gentle hands. He blinked at the man before reaching up to touch his face with small, gentle fingers. "I think you misunderstood. I don't care about you being a ***** 'cause your still the same Tristan I went to the amusement park with." A childish smile came to his face after his words. His reasoning was simplistic, Tristan was Tristan nothing else mattered to the child.
Blinking he watched Tristan pull away before moving farther away from him. He was confused, didn't Tristan want him to be a Lolita? He pushed himself into the sitting position looking at the man ignoring him to look out the window that was there. He could see him still shaking slightly along with tremors that he seemed to be fighting. A small frown came to his face as he crawled over and climbed into Tristan's lap gently reaching up to make Tristan look at him again. "I'm the one that chooses whether or not to be your Lolita." He said before shyly placing his lips onto Tristan's in a clumsy kiss. Jidae didn't fully understand what being a Lolita meant, but he did what he felt was right.
{ ooc: Lol that's perfectly fine. I wrote this in pieces, but most of it was written at work lol. xD Tristan is a perfectly fine creeper~ Cx Ah, I know what book and it's on my list of books to read. Now I have to read it sooner so Jidae understands poor Tristan's dilemma. Lol it's fine, he gets to go meet Ren now. x3 Look she totally got someone to help her save Jeol though I'm pretty sure he's completely traumitized and Ren is going to be back to square 0 with him. (yeah she has to start back from even farther back now). ;;;; As for Pagoe well.... I don't even know, he's a mess right now. He probably wanted Han, but it seems that boy is a mess too. Also Han... You lost the children, now look what happened. Aww but yes tell me if I have to change anything. }
There’s absolutely no one who can lend an ear, no one who can understand, and not a single soul who could mirror a mind unwounded by events left undone. My mother’s dead. My father’s body lay freshly buried under the awning of leaves of his favorite oak tree. I have no sisters. I have few nephews and even fewer nieces. The remaining connection to my family tree should’ve treaded down the staircase to hell following my father’s death, but he wakes to see another day – living among those unfit for society’s rules and strict regulations. I’m alone. I’m afraid. I should’ve killed him. But I stood there with hands trembling, heart racing, mind reeling back to the days when I use to admire the niceties of a smile, the whimsical nature of a laugh, and the embraces he’d reserve for me when the chilling cold of the night air crystalizes the marrow of my bones. I stood there screaming at him, yelling at the top of my lungs and bellowing out every curse and every profane insult that crossed my mind.
You killed father!
You killed him!
Why?!
Why did you kill him?!
Now that I have the chance to reflect on the idiocy of my inquiries and the general stupidy of my actions, there’s a lot to regret, a lot of words I wish to take back. But what can I do? What can I say? What could I possibly accomplish with what little time I have left until he’s shipped off – mouth gagged, wrist cuffed, and ankles bounded together – to the other side of the world? I could kill him. I could feel the warmth of his blood on my fingertips, relish the taste of iron scrawled over my tongue, twist his innards, mix them all up, slice and dice my way through skin and bones and watch and savor his last breath caress my lips. Red. Stain my mouth in red. I’d never regret it. I wouldn’t regret it. I can’t regret it. But I will, and I know this to be true; for the blade was in my hand awaiting the kill of a lifetime. But I shook, I trembled, and I couldn’t get a hold of myself because I allowed fear to open the floodgates of what could one day be the death of me: hesitation.
I couldn’t kill him in the end and I know I’ll live to regret that decision when my blood drips from his hands.
If memory served him correctly, Jaesun was no older than Pagoe when his father killed his mother and his brother took it upon himself to avenge her death. He was but a teen in the middle of a civil war that placed the crown of malevolency on his head faster than anyone expected. It took him by surprise. A shock of anaphylactic proportions took a hold of him and cleansed him of all he knew about life. Childhood was gone, a decision had to be made, and it killed him having his brother the first one up on the chopping block. Ever since he decided to spare his brother’s life, Jaesun wondered what would’ve happened if he had actually gone through with the punishment he rightfully deserved. Would he have gone mad? Would his love for his flesh and blood drove him down a winding path of solitude and despair? Jaesun didn’t know. He hadn’t actually killed him. He didn’t have the mentality nor the necessary resolve to push himself to kill the one person he considered his family.
But Pagoe had.
The boy killed his mother and Jaesun couldn’t help but to be drawn to a gaze devoid of life. Eyes as dark as night resembled the vastness of a universe that hid away everything mankind sacrificed so much to uncover. Like astronomers, planetologists, and alien enthusiasts who attempted to look beyond the veil of darkness to satisfy their immense curiosity for the undiscovered, Jaesun wanted to explore the vacant stare of a boy who had committed a crime Jaesun had yet to own up to. He wouldn’t say he was jealous of Pagoe’s accomplishments, but there was that nagging feeling of curiosity stringing him like a doll uncertain of what to do. There was the request of food he could’ve tended to. Pagoe was hungry. It would’ve been in his best interest to attend to the child’s needs. But why please others when his own undying need for satisfaction laid in a cup half-filled?
Jaesun stood, he sat on the rounded edge of the porcelain tub and tentatively observed eyes darkened by emotions unreadable, feelings untreatable, and thoughts unhinged by the inner-qualms of a battle that left the boy surrendering to the silence that filled the room. He leaned over some, supporting his weight with a hand gripping around the other side of the tub. Red pooled, the putrid smell of death wafted in the air. Jaesun could no longer see his reflection in the water, and so his wandering gaze sought the child’s deadened gaze. One finger. Two fingers. Three. He dipped his hand into cranberry red until it soaked with the liquefied remnants of the boy’s mother. “What you’re feeling, what fills that mind of yours, and what you may be inclined to ponder on is beyond me. I can’t say, from experience, I understand what you’re going through.” Pagoe’s face is dried with a thin layer of blood, but the wetness of Jaesun’s fingers break up the tenacious cells and tissue that separates him from the other’s skin. He wipes it all away, smoothing the palm of his hand over Pagoe’s cheek to rid him of the disgrace that masked his face. “She’s still your mother. She’s still your flesh, a part of her making up the blood that runs through your veins. You don’t want to admit it, you don’t want to even begin to fathom or accept the next few words I’m about to say, but she’s partly the reason you turned out to be the boy you are today.” Her unwillingness to develop the traits of a real mother, the heartless approach when it came to using her sons for her own gain, and her overall monstrous demeanor had, what Jaesun believed, pushed Pagoe to become just as heartless and just as monstrous as the woman he was unwilling to forgive and possibly forget.
“It might be out of your hands, but I implore you to look past the events that may cause you to question your actions.” He didn’t want him to change. He’d allow the smile, even allow those words of gratitude to burn into his memory for a lifetime, but he’ll be damned if the killing of his mother distorts his will to kill on command. Jaesun needed his murderer, his killer…his stupid yet capable boy. “Distractions…” He whispered lightly, the boy’s chin lifted to meet Jaesun’s unguarded eyes. With the slight shift of his weight, he leaned forward, hovering his mouth over lips painted in that marvelous tint of red he loved so much. “Distractions…” He repeated again and just barely placed a kiss upon features so delectable, he could hardly prevent himself from sucking those untold truths and unspoken confessions right out of him. It was but a little taste, just a small sample from what he was use to indulging in, and , strangely enough, it was all the more fulfilling. Just having the heat of Pagoe’s breath seep into every pore of his body was everything he could ever ask for; because simplicity was bliss.
Such simplicity left the mind begging for more.
“Distractions will make everything you may be feeling much easier to withstand.” A smile was hard to come by, but when it did, the precious jewel of upturned lips left quite the impression on all those fortunate enough to witness it. Jaesun ruffled the boy’s hair as if the little shake of his head would rid him of all the thoughts that plagued his mind. “I’ll return with you food.” He had left and did not keep his word of his return; for another had taken his place. After assessing the brunette’s current state of mind and exchanging a few choice words, Jaesune sent Han to the bathroom with a tray of Pagoe’s favorite foods the teen had prepared himself. He gave him a small smile before setting the morsels down on a small table mere inches away from the blond it was intended for.
He was a little buzzed, a bit on the emotional side, but for all intents and purposes, he was lucid enough to be there for the one he called his friend. “He always does that, yknow…” The blood that filled the tub was the first thing that caught his attention. He tried to look pass the evidence of Pagoe’s crime, attempted to not make a show of it, but he was sure he looked away far too quickly than he had intended to. “Jaesun judges the living hell out of a situation and, if he thinks your predicament is worthy of a solution, he acts on it and pretty much solves it without really solving it…y’know?” Would Pagoe get the gist of what he was trying to say? Was he making any sense at all? Han made a mental note to shrug off the pettiness of his musing. There was no need for distractions when his mind was still at grips with the dullness alcohol was responsible for.
“Unplug the tub will ya.” He turned the facet and let the water run in hopes time would permanently erase the blood off of Pagoe’s hands. “I swear I won’t stare at your junk. Don’t wanna be losing an eye.” Laughter. There was nothing better to lift the mood than a little bit of humor, right? Han’s giggles died down when he rounded the tub and sat himself on a stool just behind the blond soaking in red. He really didn’t know what to say. He was known for always having the right words to alleviate the pain, the anger, and the possible dangers that came his way. But when your mind is whirling with the poisons of a drunkard’s sweetest elixir, thinking and speaking was the last thing he wanted to depend on.
So he wound his arm’s around Pagoe instead, holding him tight and resting his head against his shoulder as if to hide the shame that shown clearly on his face. “I’m sorry, Pagoe. I’m so sorry. There was nothing more he could offer, nothing more he could say. He just held him tightly, momentarily thinking of the days when he didn’t need to blame himself for the s**t Pagoe put himself through.
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On rare occasions when paper work, phone calls and meetings wasn’t the center of his father’s attention, Ren would take the spotlight and be his for the remainder of the day. He’d take her on his knee and with an emotionless look about him, tell her everything she wanted to know. Her mother was a subject of interest she couldn’t, for the life of her, stray away from. She’d ask for the single photo tucked away in Jaesun’s bedroom drawer, question her personality, what she was like, and if her smile, her beauty, her strength and her power to tame the untamable had passed over to the child who anxiously waited for a story to be told.
She was strong with features resembling that of a goddess no man could resist. Her honesty, however cruel it may be, was the focal point to a personality that brought forth a light that shimmered brightly in her child’s eyes. In ways Jaesun didn’t explain in excruciating detail, Ren was the mirrored image of her mother whose blonde hair and blue eyes took after her father. But out of all the traits that were described to her, and the detailed image of a woman she hadn’t the chance to meet in person, it was her mother’s determination that would stay with her for a lifetime.
She wanted to be strong. She wanted to break the door down and save Jeol from the fiends who wanted to break him, to taint him, and do everything in their power to ruin the most purest soul to ever step through their front door. “Jeol, I’m here! I’m going to be there! I’m going to save you!” She pounded her tiny fist on the door. Over and over again, the booming sound of desperation echoed down the hall. Like the wooden frame she assaulted with one blow after the next, her heart splinted to pieces and the hope she braced against her chest chipped away the longer Jeol remained in the devil’s snare.
They were touching him. They were groping and feeling their way through clothing and under the pleats of fabric that made up Jeol’s skirt. They were dirtying him, dragging the grime of their hands against places that should’ve forever remained untouched, unsullied, and uncorrupted by those who deserved their own special chamber in hell where suffrage was aplenty. He was irresistible, delectable, the unblemished canvas of Jeol’s face becoming a victim to the paper sand surface of tongues that licked, tasted and savored the beauty of what they will never be able to obtain again: youth.
Ren could not make out the billowing laughs that resided from within the room she tried desperately to get into. The pounding of her fist drowned what little sound that escaped through the cracks. She was too scared, too shaken and too upset to make out the cries that muffled against the palm of the man’s hand. The putrid flesh of a clammy palm was Jeol’s gag and so the silence that was returned after the calling of the boy’s name haunted her. She was about to break down and cry, run off and find someone who could help when all efforts to pry herself from the door brought her to look upon a dog she hadn’t seen before.
She had been standing away from the door by the time she had notice the animal’s presence and was caught by surprise when it rammed itself into the door. One. Two. Three. The solid foundation that locked away her friend was coming away, breaking off little by little until finally the locks gave in by the sheer power that propelled the dog into the room. The door burst wide open and without even thinking things through, Ren ran in to keep the promise she’d sacrifice her life to keep. However, her joints locked upon seeing the horrific state Jeol was in. She didn’t know what to make of it, didn’t really understand what the degrading position entailed or why it solidified the synovial fluid that made it impossible for her to move.
He wasn’t wearing a shirt. It was torn to pieces on the floor next to the man who pinned both his arms above his head. There was nothing left of it, nothing more to recover from the scraps that laid as helplessly as the boy who remained in his captor’s grasp. As one man held down his arms, another was between his thighs, preparing himself, shifting and aligning his waist accordingly with a look on his face that suggested something exciting was about to occur. She didn’t know that look, she didn’t like that look, and she was scared such a look – that terrible smirk lifting a single corner of his lips – would stay locked in her memories for as long as she may live. That thought alone made it slower for her to take into account the last person who was every bit as indecent and inattentive as the first. He was straddling Jeol’s chest with an angry and hostile air swirling about him like a menacing tide pool attempting to swallow him whole. “Open your mouth!” He yelled, bracing a knife against Jeol’s neck. “You open that pretty mouth wide! You bite me, I’ll rip your throat out.” They wouldn’t have mind ******** a corpse.
The very thought of it actually turned them on.
“Open your mouth you little s**t!” It was that phrase that snapped her back to the dark realms of her reality. It reminded her of the man who tried to kill her, the man who tried to hurt them, the man who was now dead for trying to overstep a boundary he shouldn’t have even thought of crossing. She looked to the dog and looked at the men fumbling with their zippers. ‘Where’s zero?’ Tristan’s German Malinois breed was supposed to protect her just as he protected his master. But he wasn’t there. Zero was nowhere in sight and she wondered if the unnamed breed that was with her would provide the strength she currently lacked. “Please, kill them…” She lost her voice. The whisper must’ve been too soft for the dog to hear, and upon realizing that, her anger build up from deep within her as she yelled, “Kill them!”
Whether or not it was due to the command Ren had belted from the pit of her gut, the dog went charging into the man whose weapon threatened the boy he considered his kin, his child…his pup. The dog clamped his jaw securely into the decrypted man’s arm, sinking his sharp canines into his skin as to keep him locked in place. Like a wild beast, it whipped his head left and right, thrashing the limb about until blood splattered the floor. The two remaining had gotten up to help their comrade by pulling on the dog’s tail and hooking arms around its massive chest to throw it across the room. But the dog was persistent. He growled and snarled, biting and chomping whosoever dared to lay a hand on him.
“Jeol!” As to get him out of the way, Ren pulled her friend as far away from the scuffle as her scrawny arms allowed. She sunk to the floor with him and held him in his arms with a promise to never let him go. “You’re safe. You’re safe now. You’re safe.” She mumbled under her breath, trying to tame whatever shakes and tremors the traumatizing event might’ve brought about. But how safe were they? How long could the dog keep Jeol’s aggressors at bay until every hit it took depleted every ounce of strength it had left? Ren took a peak over Jeol’s shoulders to witness her answer unfold into a war the enemies conquered with one blow.
They punched the dog and tossed it across the room as if the pup was a rag doll up for disposal. The men was coming their way, their only hope for survival was slowly gathering itself on all fours, and before she could determine just how useless it was to call out his name, Ren yelled for the only one she had yet to plead for help. “Zero! Zero please! Help me! Help us! Zero! save us!” And as if god was the beacon of hope that answered her prayers, teeth snapped onto the hand that was inches away from snatching Jeol by the hair.
“Good boy, lock that ******** down and pull his a** to the floor.” Jungbae was his temporary puppeteer who watched Zero tug Jeol’s assailant to his knees. Shots were fired. Ren counted a single bullet in the knee cap and a set piercing into either one of their attacker’s thigh. The nonfatal injuries the men sustained immobilized them and left them a groveling mess on the floor. “And that’s why Jaesun doesn’t allow you to wear those flimsy a** skirts out in public.” It wasn’t the time or the place to reprimand them about dress codes when the matter of Jeol’s mental state was her number one priority. He was stripped of everything he owned, his shirt shredded, his skirt taken from him and tossed aside without any regard of how the denuding would damage the fragile psyche of a mere child.
Ren hugged him and kept his head cradled against her chest. She would’ve stayed in that comforting position with her fingers streaming through his hair if it hadn’t been for Jun taking off his shirt. Of course, he was cursing up a storm in whispers that made such profanity incoherent, but at the very least, his ‘kind gesture’ to toss his shirt at the boy made up for every cruel thing he had to say. “Put that on dipshit and get your head together. It’s not like they killed you.” Ren didn’t have the strength to argue with Jun’s approach when it came to consoling the emotions of a child who had barely escaped with his virginity intact. She just looked up at him, the simplicity of comments suppressed allowing the situation to resolve itself sooner rather than later. “Grab zero and that sorry excuse for a mutt over there and go to bed.”
Ren looked at the men who continued to bleed out on the rug. “Are you going to kill them?”
“Oh I’m going to do far worse than that. Far, far worse than Lucifer could ever inflict on them.”
Torture.
It was Jun’s solution for everything and the only punishment Ren believed justified the terrible things they had done, and tried to do, to her best friend.
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What made him a *****?
How does one become a *****?
What could possible happen in a single lifetime to birth a society of filth who prey on those unable to defend themselves? Why must the devil’s sickest and most psychologically disturbed minions roam the earth with the desire to wrap and strangle the purity out of children unprotected and unwarranted to be subjected by lust? Why the freshest of flesh? Why indulge in the heady scent of a child’s sweat, and the sweet essence of a nymphet’s spirited energy befitting of any adolescent between the ages of eight and fifteen? Why? Why? Why?
Why must Tristan fall into damnation and take Jidae with him?
The moans, the moans, those damnable moans. It stayed with him like an unreachable itch that couldn’t be scratched. The groan Tristan encouraged with each loving stroke of hand inflamed the skin, burned his core, and traveled from point A to point B in a manner that was sporadic, unpredictable and quick. He didn’t thought it would have affected him so. Never did he imagine the symphonies of a child’s cry for more, the low, yet fairly whimsical treble of ecstasy would leave him shaking like a leaf unable to get a grip of himself. He wanted it. He wanted to hear those notes again. He yearned to strum those bundle of nerves, tweak and fiddle with fibers so sensitized by his touch, they become attuned to the melody Jaesun long to hear slip pass Jidae’s lips.
Oh the song.
God did his body crave to hear every mewl, every whimper, and every moan that little body locked away for far too long. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. Tristan shouldn’t even be indulging in a fantasy that would only make it harder for him to keep his eyes fixed upon the window. But the unholy manifestation of his desires was slowly getting out of control. The most sensitive part of his body ached for him. The throbbing member between his thighs begged for the chance to enfold itself into flesh tempered to perfection. He wanted to feel the boy resist him with every thrust he made, experience the sheer pleasure of being responsible for tearing through that untouched ring of muscles that were calling him, taunting him, and encouraging him to do what no one has done before.
But he wouldn’t.
No. He was set on staring out that window without any intention of touching him again. He shivered. He felt a cold chill run down his spine. He thought he was imagining things, but when the younger began to speak, his eyes readjusted, his head started to turn in his direction, and as soon as Tristan knew it, Jidae was on him, sitting upon his lap and touching his face so the windowsill was the last thing on his mind. “D-Don’t.” He couldn’t speak. “Don’t do this.” He couldn’t produce a single word of warning, and it seemed everything from there was out of his hands.
Jidae kissed him.
Lips pressed against his own and it was like the shackles of self-control were cut away and placed as far away from the limbs they were meant to restrain. Tristan’s arms slowly lifted to brace the child’s head between his hands. For the first time in a long while, he didn’t know what to do with them. He didn’t know whether to tangle his fingers into his hair or say farewell to the strands of brown that made his entire being tremble with delight. “What am I doing? What am I doing? I can’t do this. I just can’t.” But why deny the boy something he decided for himself? Why not let him be his Lolita? Why not take pleasure in the lips that enticed him?
Without thinking about it any further, Tristan darted his tongue to thoroughly massage the soft pallet that had yet to be exposed to such deep and sensual kisses. Hands that were once undecided were resolved to grip at either side of Jidae’s face tighter so that the firm hold on him made it easier to manipulate the mouth that was incapable to adjust to the foreign muscle that slithered its way passed his lips. Tristan kissed him hard. He sucked against his lower lip to taste the flavors only a child possessed. The artlessness in every action and reaction that attempted to work with each swirl of Tristan’s tongue was what separated the innocent from those tainted to their very foundation. He loved the uncertainty, the hesitation that came with a novice who had yet to delve into a kiss that had the potential to take his breath away. Sure it was a bit messy, Jidae’s mouth was clumsy and there was not a single technique in the way his pallet dragged against his own, but it was invigorating, it was new, it was what made a child so delectably pure.
That purity was his flavor.
That was what made him taste all the more sweet. Unable to take it any longer, he pulled one of Jidae’s legs across his lap so that he straddled the bulging evidence of his erection. “We’re going to take a trip, Jidae.” Slipping his hand into the child’s jeans to grab and grope at his derriere made his head spin. There was not that much fat there, only a little plump in his rump, but it was enough to squeeze, enough to really assess what his Lolita was made of. Tristan’s lips crossed the soft terrene of his cheek, and as he got to the child’s ear, he guided Jidae’s head to rest upon his shoulder so that he could better hear what his fondling would produce. “We’re taking a trip to hell and there’s no way in going back. Once we head down this road, all we’ll see is the flames of our transgressions.” He slathered his fingers in saliva, spread his cheeks, and before the child had the chance to get off the ride that would lead them to hell’s gates, he probed a single digit past sphincters that fought to resist him. In and out it went. The foreplay making his blood pool and his entire body heat up by the mere contact of Jidae’s body pressed against his chest. “You can’t tell anyone, Jidae.” It was their secret – theirs to keep, theirs to cherish, and theirs to forever maintain in a clandestine box no one else could get to. “Not Ren, Not Pagoe, Not little Jeol, and especially not Haneul. No one can know how you make me feel.”
As a finger entered him, another joined into the listless push and pull that work to stretch muscles that tensed around him. He wanted this to last forever. He wanted to take things as slow as possible so the time spent claiming Jidae’s entire body as his and his alone would feel like an eternity spent in ecstasy. “I’ll die, Jidae.” He said, burying his nose into his hair. “If anyone knows, I’m dead.” And there were no exaggerations to it despite the soft smile that touched his lips. He was going to suffer for his sins sooner or later, but he hoped to prolong it just a little longer so that Jidae would engrave into his memory even after his time was up. “I’ll be buried six feet under if anyone finds out you’remy Lolita”
ooc:
Did I just go overboard with the descriptions? Was it so poorly written does it even matter lol omg my mind doesn't even know anymore xD But yes you must read it and jidae must know the error of Tristan's ways lol And I swear, I just couldn't take the boy's virginity...I didn't have the heart to make those evil bitches do it lol And I put Han in there lol....I eman, he was gone for like...two posts so I shoved him in there....drunk and all xD well semi drunk...but yeah...now I have to go to sleep...I'll reply to your pm once I wake <3 Han is so going to get his a** kicked when pagoe finds out the s**t that's been happening to his brother bwahahahhaha omg the horror
It was the only thought that ran through his mind currently. Repeating like a broken record when silence finally descended upon the room. His only thoughts were of his mother and how he had killed the woman who had given him life. The only reason he and his brothers, his precious brothers existed was because of her. It didn't matter that she wasn't a good mother, not by a long shot, but she had still given them life and he had stolen it from her. He wasn't sure if he was upset that he had actually killed his mother or because he took pleasure from killing her, hearing her screams of despair and he stabbed her continuously in order to make her pay for what she did to them.
More dark thoughts continued to appear, as his vacant gaze stared at the water that had slowly turned a crimson color so seeing his reflection was impossible. Perhaps that was a good thing, Pagoe didn't want to see himself currently. How could he look at himself after what he had done over the course of only a few days? How many people did he kill? Granted he had his reasons and none of them were particularly 'good' people, but Pagoe was young with a mind that couldn't completely wrap itself around the concept of them deserving the brutal deaths he cast on these people.
The motion of Jaesun standing was missed by the teen who was currently lost in his despairing thoughts. Even when the other observed him it seemed Pagoe took no notice of it, more like he was too distracted to notice it. Finally the fingers that dipped into the tub caught his gaze. 'Don't do that. You'll get dirty.' Those thoughts were muddled in his mind as he watched the hand mesmerized by the blood that soaked it. His eyes drifted up to Jaesun as he started speaking, eyes still darkened with the dark thoughts in his head. There was caked on blood from the deed he had just done prior to getting here that he'd forgotten about until Jaesun's fingers slick with blood were rubbing against his face. He leaned into the palm slightly as it slid across his cheek cleaning the mess that made the boy feel a bit better. Pagoe listened to the words that escaped Jaesun's lips and no matter how much he wanted to deny them, say it wasn't true, he knew deep down that his mother was as Jaesun the reason he was like this.
"How?" The reply was softer than usual. How was he supposed to just look past this like it never happened? The evidence was right here filling the tub, it was all over his hands and plagued his thoughts. He blinked hearing the word distractions and didn't fight when his chin was lifted up to stare into Jaesun's eyes. Surprise filled him when the other leaned forward and he could feel the faint breath ghost over his lips when the word was repeated yet again. There was no thoughts going through his mind when the lips descended on his own for nothing more than a mere moment. Really it was just a quick brush of the lips, but it had helped him forget even if just for a few moments.
"Oh." It was all he could manage to say as he stared at the man. Pagoe could have sworn he stopped breathing at seeing the lips of Jaesun slowly upturn into a smile. It was amazing to see on the usually emotionless man and Pagoe swore that he'd shake this off, he wouldn't let the death of that woman stray him from his path as Jaesun's puppet. Blinking he gave a soft snort when his hair was ruffled, but a small smile graced his lips. The small gesture had helped shake the dark thoughts that were slowly starting to creep back up on him. Watching him leave, Pagoe looked back into the red water. Food sounded pretty good right now considering he could hear his stomach protesting softly. The person who actually returned surprised him, it wasn't Jaesun, but Han who had appeared with a tray of food. A smile reappeared as he saw all his favorites piled onto the plate, no doubt that Han prepared them for him. 'He's a good friend.' He thought happy to see his friend there even in these circumstances.
"Hm?" Pagoe made a small questioning noise as his friend started to speak, looking towards him his smile still in place. He was trying to keep his morale up. The smile fell from his face immediately after seeing how fast Han looked away from him. Was Han disgusted with him? Would he stop being his friend? He pushed those horrible thoughts away as he looked into the red water avoiding his friend's gaze. "Oh... I see." His words were soft as he continued to gaze into the water he couldn't see his reflection in.
"Yeah. Alright." Pagoe said moving his hand towards the plug under the murky water. He'd managed to pull the plug as Han turned on the faucet allowing the clear water to run freely. He couldn't help snorting at the comment about staring and even a small chuckle escaped him. Of course he could count on Han to make him feel a bit better. He heard more than saw Han sit in the stool behind him and found that he was grateful for that. He didn't want to face his friend like this. Instead he focused on the red that was slowly being sucked down into the drain, slowly erasing the evidence of his crime.
Tensing slightly when the arms wound around him tightly, but soon he relaxed feeling the other's head rest against his shoulder. "There isn't anything you should be sorry for. I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry Han." He didn't feel that Han needed to apologize in the first place. Everything that had happened had been his fault. If he never showed up than maybe his friend wouldn't feel like this. He felt like a ******** up now thinking to how he was causing his friend nothing, but trouble.
"Hey... You'll get dirty if you keep holding onto me... I don't want you to get tainted with her blood." He said gently untangling his friend from him. His hair was still caked with blood and a shower would get the blood out faster. Han didn't deserve to be tainted with her blood like Pagoe already was, he would forever be tainted considering they shared the same blood. Shakily the teen got to his feet turning on the shower and enjoyed the spray of water against his skin. He stood still for a while letting the blood run out of his hair, down his body and into the drain. His shoulders shook slightly as silent tears ran down his cheeks mixing with the water as he tried to stop them. It had been years since he had last cried and he didn't want to disappoint Han by being weak.
Jeol was terrified as soon as he was grabbed, but now his fear factor had gone up immensly. He was in a room alone with three men who didn't want anything good from him. Tears had formed in his eyes when they started touching him all over, it didn't feel good, it just made him want to get away from them which was impossible with them holding him down. His friend was outside and though he knew she would try her best, he didn't think she'd be able to get into the room or grab someone on time.
The door breaking should have drawn attention away from him, but it didn't. Jeol had heard the thumps on the door and it slamming open, but he couldn't turn his head to look over there and see who it was considering he was pinned under the three men. They had ripped off his shirt, it laid in pieces on the floor from the men who didn't care how they got it off and in the end just ended up tearing at the piece of clothing. He had tried to get out of their grip, but the men were stronger than the tiny boy. It wasn't like he could move anyway with one man holding his arms down, the other one was between his thigh, but the one straddling his chest made it the most difficult to move. He couldn't struggle if he wanted to with the man there. The man was yelling at him, demanding he open his mouth, but the boy kept it shut his lips forming a thin line. The knife on his neck made him freeze, he didn't want to die, but he didn't want to let this man have his way with him either. Tears were sliding down his face at the thought of that.
He was conflicted on what to do currently considering that he didn't want to die and he didn't want to give the men the satisfaction of using his body for their own selfish needs. Thankfully he didn't have to choose considering the dark object that was clamped down onto the man's arm currently. 'Kariya?' His mind was whirling when he realised that the object was actually Jidae's dog that had saved him for now at least. Auburn eyes were wide as he watched the dog thrash about until blood appeared. The men had forgotten about him for a bit since they were currently fighting with a snarling, bristling ball of angry fur that was trying to cause them bodily harm.
The insistent tugging made his head roll to the side as he heard his name called. 'Ren..' His friend was pulling him away from the chaos that was Kariya versus the three drunkards. He didn't want to, but tears continued to fall from his eyes as the boy buried his face into the girl's chest not caring that he probably looked weak doing it. He was scared and fear did things to people, Jeol knew considering he lived in fear most of his life. The words calmed him slightly, but the trembling didn't stop no matter what she said, he felt dirty after everything those men did to him. Jeol knew as well that unless someone else came for them that they were in trouble, Kariya couldn't take on those drunkards forever.
A yelp escaped Kariya as the dog finally succumbed to the pain of the three men punching him and being thrown across the room like he was nothing more than a rag doll. Getting back to his feet shakily was a slow and painful process. Being thrown had led to him hitting his side and part of his head. He had to shake his head just to get rid of the dizziness and by that time it would be too late to save the pups. He didn't want to fail them.
Ren was screaming out a name he hadn't heard before. 'Who's Zero?' He thought to himself. She had never mentioned Zero before now, but his question was soon answered when he heard the snapping of jaws near him. It must have been some type of animal, probably another dog. Jeol hadn't taken his face out of Ren's chest to look at anything with how terrified he was.
Relief washed over him after hearing Jungbae's voice, that meant that the two of them were finally safe if he was here. He might have been scared of the man, but he was better than another drunk stumbling into the room. He flinched at the accusation of why skirts weren't worn, but this had never happened to him before, not that he went out much in the first place. He'd almost forgotten that they'd taken his skirt off, he tried to put it in the back of his mind, but now that he was reminded up it he was embarrassed.
Fingers streaming through his hair felt like the greatest thing in the world. It was such a nice feeling to be curled up in the girl's embrace and be able to cry that he didn't hear the shuffling or profanity from Jungbae until a shirt was thrown at him. He jumped slightly before looking at the shirt, then up at Jungbae as he spoke to him. He sniffled quietly before getting the shirt on looking down at himself. 'It covers me at least.' He thought while rubbing at his eyes to get rid of the tears.
Kariya had made his way over to the children as soon as the men were subdued. His gaze landed on the other canine before he focused his attention on Jeol, licking his cheek. Jeol was listening to the conversation of the other two and didn't feel sorry in the least for the men. They deserved whatever they got for putting Ren through having to worry about him. Yes they deserved what they were going to get for what they did to him as well, but all Jeol cared for was Ren.
Soon he had grabbed onto Ren's hand shyly to do as Jungbae said and go to bed. "T-thank you.." He thanked the man shyly before scurrying off with Ren in tow. Kariya and Zero had followed the children out of the room and trailed behind. No one was going to mess with them with the two canines there. "W-will you stay w-with me Ren?" He asked shyly as he headed towards his temporary room. He wasn't sure where Ren's room was in the first place and he didn't want to be alone now. Kariya had wandered off to Pagoe's room to grab the two backpacks that belonged to Jidae and Jeol before meeting up with the group again.
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For a second Jidae thought he had done something wrong. He'd kissed Tristan, but the man had done nothing more than put his hands around his head to brace it. Other than that the man didn't do anything and Jidae found himself wondering if he shouldn't have done this. There was no way he could seduce the male considering this was his first time kissing someone.
A surprised sound escaped feeling the tongue start to probe and massage his inner mouth as their kiss continued. It felt strange, I mean it wasn't something the boy had experienced before so the tongue exploring his mouth seemed foreign, but not horrible. He'd tried to move his head, but the firm hold stopped him from doing that so all he could do was enjoy the kiss. A soft groan escaped feeling the man suck on his lower lip as he tried his best to compete with Tristan. He didn't have any idea what he was doing and let instinct take over.
By the end of the kiss he was panting lightly, a small trail of saliva running down the corner of his mouth. The kiss was wonderful though he made a small surprised noise when his leg was pulled across Tristan's lap and his hands automatically placed themself on his thighs near his erection to keep himself from falling over. He would have replied, but a squeak escaped when he felt the hands slip into his pants and grope him. A dark blush was already formed along his cheeks and he allowed his head to rest on Tristan's shoulder. "I don't mind taking that trip with you." Before he could say anything more a whimper sounded as something was pushed into him and tensed around it in surprise. Small whimpers escaped feeling the pull and push of the single finger that was stretching him. It was a weird feeling and his hands dug into Tristan's thighs slightly as he stopped himself from moving though it was hard not to squirm in the first place. "No one is going to know. I know how to keep a secret." His blush was dark and he was starting to heat up as the foreplay went on, it was difficult to keep himself quiet of the small noises that he made.
Another whimper followed as another digit was pushed into him. He wasn't quite sure how much he liked this. It felt strange to him for anything to be in and the second digit was much more uncomfortable than just one. He however didn't want Tristan to go to fast cause that would probably hurt much more and Jidae wanted to savor the time spent with him. He felt the nose bury into his hair and nuzzled against the shoulder slightly. "I don't want you to die." That was the truth, Jidae would be heart-broken if he died and he was the cause of his death. "No one will know I'm your Lolita except you Tristan." The words were firm and determined, he'd keep thier secret forever if he had too. "Shouldn't we move to somewhere more private though?" It was a simple question, he didn't think the couch was a good place to have a first time anything plus it was kinda a public place as well.
{ ooc: Lol you're completely fine dust bunny c: Your writing is beautiful shush. Also this post is s**t because my computer ate my first time writing and it's also shorter ;;;;;; I shall definitely read it once I get my hands on it. Which should be soon? Eventually? xD It's perfectly fine, Jeol is very happy with that... He really didn't want his virginity taken. Yay Han <3 Lol that's fine, everyone loves Han and drunk Han is adorable~ Lol seee I told you I'd get this post in tonight. Yes, Han definitely will get his a** kicked by Pagoe even in Pagoe's current state of mind. His poor brothers ;;; Not that he'll know about Jidae/Tristan, but still. }
How much corpses will it take until the thrill of the kill manifest into a burden not even the most cold-hearted of men can shoulder on their own? One? Maybe two? There was a limit to everything. There was just so much a person can take until the breaking point becomes the baseline of one’s sanity. Pagoe was straddling that line between good and bad, slowly inching himself to the abyss where darkness loomed and consume all those who so bravely entered the tombs of despair. Han didn’t want this for him. He stood by Jaesun’s side, followed his orders to the letter, and fought with his own demons to climb the ladder of success all because Hanuel wanted a better life for the only friend who would sacrifice so much for someone so undeserving of his loyalty. If there was anyone who was tainted to the very core of a heart that was left dulled, brittle, and broken, it was him. Haneul may have not killed anyone in the year he spent practically laying out the remaining days of his childhood at Jaesun’s feet, but he did whore himself out for months and struck a good portion of the prepubescent population with the toxins of an incurable drug addiction. To make matters worse, he also played off of other people’s misfortunes (usually that of the financial nature) and made a profit through life insurance policies, collateral investments, and forced prostitution settlements many agree upon all for a quick loan.
Working as Jaesun assistant executive of a firm specialized in providing the funds so many are so desperate to get their hands on was, as hard as it is to believe, child’s play in comparison to what Jaesun had in stored for Pagoe. He could see it in the older male’s eyes. He heard it in his voice. The words spoken to him, the lack of concern strung in a request Jaesun asked of him before Han even stepped foot into the bathroom had left him chilled to the bone. He had been lying on his bed, sprawled as haphazardly as the sheets that were strewn over his mattress’s edge when Jaesun decided to visit. His head throbbed; the alcohol was no more than an irritant to the headache that was slowly making its way to the forefront of his muddled brain. Pound. Pound. Pound. Someone came knocking at his door. It was a soft tap, a rather unperturbed rapping at the wooden barrier that muffled the calling of his name.
Jaesun walked into his room as calm and expressionless as ever. The edge of Han’s bed became his throne, the master of such a lucrative establishment sitting upon sheets crumbled in a distraught mess that resembled the teens cluttered thoughts. “I need to ask you of something that might put you on the edge of unease.”
Han removed the arm he draped over his eyes to stare at the lovely hue of blue that made up Jaesun’s gaze. “Asking is not your forte, Jaesun.” He chuckled softly, the humor losing its charm upon hearing the slight slur in his voice. “If I remember correctly, you claimed such a pitiless approach to getting someone to do what you want is to be frowned upon.” And everyone knew that if Jaesun’s lips ever drooped beyond the solemnity he was usually known for, it meant someone was seconds away from getting their finger cut off, or something even worse.
“I’ll choose to overlook the babble of your drunken stupor; unless making the same mistake twice is a personal death wish you’re adamant in fulfilling.” When he didn’t receive a response, a sigh was heard passing lips with an audible hiss of frustration. “What motivated you to drink?”
“Life.” Han stated flatly, his eyes barely catching Jaesun’s gaze. “Life’s a b***h. I feel as if I’m suffocating under the pressure of a kind of injustice I can’t seem to thoroughly comprehend. I can handle it of course, it’s just…well…I’m not entirely sure if everything I’ve done thus far, every ******** up s**t that I’ve gone through, is underappreciated.”
“It’s unlike you to seek out any form of gratification, let alone expect it to come from me.” Han couldn’t, or rather he ‘wouldn’t, respond. He didn’t trust himself to offer up a reply in fear his emotions would betray him. “I despise this side of you, Han. You’re weak. You allow your feelings to dictate what you say, how you act, and the trivial thoughts that run through your head. I said this before and I’ll say it again: Cut all ties with the unbridled sentiments of the heart. It doesn’t belong here. Your flaws will only put you in an early grave if you don’t let it go. ”
The truth hurt.
75% of the comments, replies, suppositions, and retorts that came out of Jaesun’s mouth cut away at his insides as if a thousand untraceable shards of glass flitted through his veins. His hands clenched into tight fists, the muscles along the arm that darkened his view grew taut, and he seized his bottom lip between teeth that ground at the sensitive skin he longed to split in two. Han didn’t want to speak anymore. There was nothing he could say to recover what had so boldly sputtered through lips without so much as a single thought put into it. Tears stung his eyes, he couldn’t control his breathing, and when he strained to ease himself into a more compose state of mind, he lost his will to hide all the emotions, all the feelings, and all the passion that caused him to break down and cry.
“Do you want to be here?” There was no more emotion in the inquiry than what his lifeless gaze conveyed. However, the hand that pulled down his arm to reveal the chestnut brown of his eyes was warm. They were always so comforting, and it was crazy how his voice could settle the nerves that twisted into knots.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just as it sounds, Han. Do you want to be here? Do you want to stay by my side?”
“I-I do. I want to be here. I want to stay with you. I wouldn’t have gone through all those test if I didn’t.”
Jaesun tucked a few strands of hair behind Han’s ear before delivering his final question in a whisper that caressed his cheek. “And why is it did you choose a path that is only ever filled with mayhem and destruction?”
“I…I-I” Jaesun wasn’t built like a line-backer like Brad was. He was capable of defending himself through a number of martial arts techniques he learned, refined and mastered ever since he was a young boy, but it was as plain as day, by his lean physique, his narrow hips, and his svelte waist, Jaesun didn’t possess the physical attributes that would intimidate a heavily built man at first glance. His power didn’t solely relay within the body that made many underestimate his strength, and he was well aware of that, which is why his eyes became the telltale sign of danger. It was but a single glance that always left all who met his gaze holding their breath in waiting for the final verdict that determined whether you live or die.
“Tell me, Han. Tell me, why are you here?”
Jaesun was leaning over him with his full weight bearing down upon the mattress his hand sunk into. He waited for an answer Han couldn’t outwardly provide; for the fear of saying something wrong was grappling at his chest in a vice, the effort to breathe strained to a mere huff of air that limited a good portion of oxygen to his brain. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like he had forgotten the answer that acted like his own personal entry ticket to hell. He remembered it clearly. Every word. Every sentence. Every facial expression he made.
He remembered it all.
“My life is a series of rollercoaster rides that I can’t escape from. Mayhem and destruction…it’s all I’ve ever known…all I’ve ever associated my existence with. You can’t have one without the other, and when your life is limited to despair, anguish, anger and regret, you can’t help but to accept it, to take it all in and consume it like a savage beast waiting for the darkness to devour you whole. Life…” A laugh escaped him in that same dispassionate tune that had involuntarily left him all those months ago when he first set eyes on the man who now controlled him. “Life has no meaning. I have no family to live for, no brothers or sisters to call my flesh and blood. There’s no one I can deem my one and only love - the other half to my soul. But I do have a friend, and that friend has two brothers who deserves more than what life so heartlessly dished out. I want to change that. I want to go through hell for them, burn in the fires of the underworld to protect them, and take all the beatings and punishment Lucifer has to offer in order to provide the food, the shelter, and a future they so rightfully deserve.” He paused for a brief second to seek the crystal blue of eyes that revealed so little, but provided so much in terms of the support Jaesun never dared to offer in words. “I have no family.” Han repeated. “So I want to be a part of yours. I want to entrust myself to you and feel like I’m a part of something again, even if it involves mayhem and destruction.”
Han turned over onto his side to cling to Jaesun’s arm like a child would hold onto his favorite doll. He needed his comfort, his warmth and the reassurance Jaesun always seem to give him whenever Han was at his wits end. Those fingers that buried into his hair were a semblance of faith. Whenever a single corner of Jaesun’s mouth lifted ever so slightly, that smile became a beacon of hope that set his whole world alight. And when his lips grazed the lobe of ear to whisper the words Han so desperately needed to hear, he felt like home was wherever Jaesun resided. Be it in his room, under the roof of an apartment filled with felons and low-class criminals, or hell itself, wherever it may be, Han felt like he belonged.
“And you are a part of something, Hanuel. You’re part of my world…a world I will never allow you to escape from.”
Who said he wanted to make a break for it? Han chuckled into the crook of his arm. “Your world…” He smiled. “Did anyone ever tell you you’re ego as inflamed as the netherworld?”
Jaesun clicked his tongue and (what Han believed was a form of playfulness) pushed the teen’s head off of his arm. “Not that I can recall.” He honestly replied. “I eliminate insubordinate fools before they even have the chance to speak of such nonsense.” And yet, here Han was, running his mouth due to one chug of the hard stuff.
Still alive. Still kicking.
Han smiled to himself and sat up cross-legged on his bed as Jaesun stood with that same placid look about him. “Now, about that request…”
Jaesun’s so called ‘request’ had brought him to the bathroom where he now sat circling his arms around what he believed was the broken remains of a wounded soul. He rejected him. Pagoe leaned forward, gathered himself slowly to his feet and claimed the dirt, the grime and the blood that slathered his skin was unbecoming of the teen who wished to share the taint that seeped into every pore on the blonde’s body. ‘Don’t you understand, Pagoe?’ He mused with his head tilted to the floor. ‘I’m as dirty as they come.’
He needed someone to cleanse him, to rid him of the poisons that streamed through his veins. It was toxic, too toxic. He felt suffocated in his own skin, trapped and isolated in a foreign body he no longer recognized as his own. His hands shook. Han couldn’t keep his eyes off of the tremors that started at the tips of his fingers and traveled up his hands to the base of his arms. Tap. Tap. Tap. His gaze flickered toward the disturbance of the water that glided down Pagoe’s skin. It was faint, almost unnoticeable, but as his eyes followed the imperceptible line that made up Pagoe’s spine, he noticed a slight shake, a very minute tremor that tensed the muscles of his narrow shoulders. He recognized it, could relate to every physiological reaction that came with a mournful tear. Because as his own uncontrollable shakes and shivers took a hold of his body, he knew, in ways he could not describe, what Pagoe was feeling, what he may be thinking, and what could’ve triggered emotions that were silently masked by the shower head above.
‘Help him.’
Han could hear Jaesun’s request ringing in his ears.
‘Help him?’
‘The boy who you gave up a life of normalcy for….help him.’
How? How? How? He didn’t have the words. Every sensible part of his brain had shut down the second he decided to numb his entire being with a swig of alcohol. He wasn’t himself. He wasn’t the Haneul Pagoe had always depended on. There was nothing he could offer to accomplish the one thing Jaesun had ever asked of him.
‘What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say? It’s my fault, Jaesun. It’s all my fault! He’s here because of me. I forced his hand. He killed her because of me…because he came here to protect me. I don’t want him to feel this way. I didn’t want him to shut down. I don’t want to lose the Pagoe I know…the Pagoe I care about!’
‘Then help him.’
‘H-How…How am I supposed to help him.’
Han used the edge of the tub to pull himself to his feet. There were a lot of unanswered questions racing through his head, the distractions piling up one after another to be sorted out. But he didn’t know where to start. He didn’t know what to address first or how to go about rearranging the puzzle that was left sprawled by a torrent that scrambled his mind. He was rambling though. Han could hear himself speaking of the past as if they had been leisurely taking a stroll down a patch of beach where solitude and isolation brought about peace and tranquility. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to regret. Nothing to fuss over.
He talked about the good old times from the comforts of Pagoe’s bed. The stories came pouring into the door he had left wide open, the memories of days spent fooling around like the juvenile kids that they were (and still are) freeing him from the tremulous display of his fears that had gripped his soul. He told him to eat, demanding that he finish his food before he left the tub or so help him god, Han was going to spoon feed him like the princess he was. It was fun. The past life he mulled over was as light as a feather and as easy-going as the whimsical tone of his voice perceived them to be. Sometimes he didn’t know what he was saying. He would go on and on until finally, Pagoe stepped out of the tub and strolled into the room.
It was quiet after that.
Han was still smiling, but that representation of joy didn’t touch his eye. “We’re going to make a new life here it seems. We’re going to build new memories here…the good and the bad.” He pushed himself off of Pagoe’s bed and gently took him by the wrist. He didn’t look him in the eye. There was no need to. As of that moment, Han wasn’t interested in assessing what many called the windows to the soul. What he fixated on was the red collar he had given to him as a gift. It was so simplistic. It wasn’t as extravagant as a Rolex watch, or as sentimental as a wedding ring, but there was meaning, there was heart, what the old and worn choker represented was an everlasting bond that will never be broken so long as Pagoe kept the necklace on.
His fingers brushed over the leather, his eyes following the slow and languid stroke of the hand that started from one end of the collar to the other. “Remember when I was hospitalized with a fractured skull, broken ribs and a dislocated arm three years ago?” Han never intended for Pagoe to see him without even an ounce of strength left in him. He had no medical records, no contract information on file, and apparently a nurse was dead set on going the extra mile to inform someone of his condition. So she took his phone as surgeons and doctors assessed the damage that was done. She opened his contacts list, saw one, and only one, name she could call, and as soon as Han knew it, he woke up to see Pagoe standing at his bedside. He nearly burst into tears seeing the look on Pagoe’s face when Han reached out to grab his hand. “I told you I got hit by a car, but that wasn’t the whole truth at all. Some random ******** jumped me in the street. Apparently we had stolen something really valuable from them some time ago and, y’know, he wanted his revenge and s**t like that so he took me captive. He and his goons tied me up to a chair and beat me for days on end until I fell into unconsciousness. They humiliated me however way they knew how. When I wasn’t acting as their punching bag, I was someone’s hole to ********. I hadn’t eaten for the week they imprisoned me, and all I had to drink was the water that puddled on the floor by a leaky pipe. I felt like I was going to die. I mean, I knew they were going to kill me one way or another because they were that pissed off that they couldn’t find you. I ******** laughed my head off every time they tried to force the information out of me. Like, what the living ********, did they really thought I was going to sell out the only friend I had in this ******** up world.” It was only when his emotions were running high did the use of profanity come pouring out of his mouth.
He did keep to his soft and cordial tone however. What he spoke of happened years ago, and it seemed, by the pleasant smile that lifted the corner of his lips, Han had long since moved passed the predicament that nearly cost him his life. “The guy we stole from was wearing that collar. For some ******** up reason, it reminded me of you. The color of it just screamed your name and every time I laid my eyes on it, I thought about you and the really outrageous retorts you would’ve came up with if you had been in my place. It was stupid, but I channeled the spontaneity and your bratty street kid attitude that pissed people off more than the little smirk of defiance that got you into a shitload of trouble. I egged them on, provoked them with one snarky comment after the next because everything I said and did reminded me that I had somewhere to go…someone to go back to. I’d stare at that collar day in and day out until I finally came up with a plan to escape.” He caught them off guard and fought his way to the freedom he had been envisioning the day he woke up shackled to a chair. He took the collar on his way out the door and after sprucing it up with a new cuff, he gave it to Pagoe without ever mentioning the story behind the one accessory that saved his life. “The collar wasn’t a means to relive the most horrific thing that had happened to me, nor did I steal it as some kind of trophy. I just…I mean…it just…y’know….it screamed your name.” He couldn’t understand a word he was saying anymore. Did he even make sense? Was this going to change how Pagoe looked at a gift that was supposed to be just that…a gift?
He drank too much.
The room was spinning. He had to shake his head to rid himself of the dizzy spells that threatened to pull the rug right out from under him. How was he supposed to do it again? How was Han supposed to help him?
‘How? How should I do this? Tell me what to do! Please, tell me. Command it of me!’
His fingers trailed away from the smooth leather that donned pagoe’s neck and ascended its way to the cheek flushed by the hot temperatures of the bath he had just taken. He cupped his cheek, and it was like Han’s fingers were lightly dancing along the high planes of his cheekbones as they caressed the soft skin there.
“How am I supposed to help him, Jaesun?”
It was when Han met Pagoe’s gaze did he finally hear the answers to his question.
“Distract him. Lead his thoughts astray and keep his mind focused on you and you alone.”
There was nothing to think about anymore, because it was in that moment – that single moment where nothing made a lick of sense - did Haneul lean forward to place a kiss upon his best friend’s lips.
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We have learned at a young age to never play with fire and to never commit the sins that would send us all on a one way trip to hell. As children, we listened to the mantras parents gravelly instill within the impressionable minds of young souls who fear to go against a society built off of lies and corruption.
Be a good boy.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Be nice.
Be courteous.
Listen to everything mommy and daddy has to say.
Don’t break the rules.
Fear manipulated the weak, controlled the innocent, and destroyed the feeble whims of those who attempted to rebel against what was considered right in every sense of the word.
Much like the inferno hell Tristan spoke of and the fires that would one day be the death of them both, the aforementioned words emulated in the most darkest of nightmares had all the potential to scare a child to his bed. But not Jidae; no, the boy was rather fixated on the idea of burning with him in what many called the last abyss you’d ever want to tumble into. Like an aspiring princess fantasizing over a future with her prince charming by her side, Jidae harbored a strong desire to be with him, to follow him, to burn with him in the deepest depths of hell until flesh and bone disintegrated into thin air. Nothing. No presence. No world. No life. There was just nothing more to look forward to when pleasure and pain becomes an immiscible substance Jidae seem to want nothing more but to combine as one.
Tristan wanted to snap him back to his senses and guide him towards a path of sweet serenity. Jidae needed to stay naïve. He needed to stay in that untainted and unsullied state of mind where sex was nothing more than an incomprehensible word. He deserved the purity, earned his right to stay as the child that he was, but Tristan had his own demons whispering in his ear, persuading him to take the child for everything he’s worth. Defile him. Touch him. Suck on the lips that would soon utter the syllables that made up your name. Take his innocence away.
Claim him as yours.
He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t speak. Tristan couldn’t provide him the necessary reply to express just how overjoyed the demonic side of him was to hear that his nymphet, his boy… his precious Lolita wanted to follow him to the ends of the earth. He’d feel those little finger digging into his thigh and all Tristan could do was believe every word he said. Like the angry red crescents nails imprinted into skin, the implication of a promise that will never be broken engraved into Tristan’s heart, seared into his soul and etched into every crevasse of a mind that was left in a fog of desperation.
“I’m your Lolita.”
It was what Jidae said, what Tristan expected him to keep locked away from anyone and everyone who may try to tell him otherwise. He was his. His Lolita. His possession. His greatest taste of sin. Tristan buried his prodding digits deeper and deeper within the wet sphere of muscles that slowly, but surely, complied to every move he made. He was slow, tender, the ins and outs of a promiscuous affair having been taken cautiously and as carefully as anyone would be with an angel who sung beautifully in his ear.
Jidae moaned and groaned, the heavy exhales that painted a dust of pink amongst the child’s cheeks leaving a ghostly trail down his neck. He smiled against the boy’s ear as he lifted him to his knees to thoroughly expose what his fingers impaled. “Secrets can become a very dark thing, Jidae. A very haunting thing.” Like the sweet nectars of a tantalizing kiss, secrets had a way of seducing the most vulnerable to a realm where nothing is as what is seems. “I’ll teach you things that’ll put you on the doorstep of hell’s gates, and from there I’ll let you explore another side of the world that’ll scare you at first, but once I ease you pass the slopes of your fears, you’ll never want to escape. You’ll never want to look back. You’ll stay there with me for eternity.” He thrust his finger to the hilt to touch upon that small little piece of heaven that would expel the guttural hymns of pleasure he wanted to hear. A moan. A whine. He’d take anything Jidae had offer.
Because so long as Tristan could feel the rise and fall of his chest, could hear his labored breathes and had all of two fingers inside of him, Jidae could stay as quiet as a mouse for all he cared. Having him near was enough. “You don’t have to worry.” He hushed the child’s concerns with a short peck of the lips and laid him on his back. Muscles that contract and throbbed around him eased his fingers out of the swollen ball of flesh that hugged every contour his digits possessed. Like always, he was patient, his eyes emanating a sincere warmth of comfort that always seem to caution his next move. “We can stay here. Everything will be fine…trust me.”
He crawled between the younger’s leg and hovered over him with eyes harboring that familiar spark of desire to ******** him until he screamed his name. He bent forward, tilted his head to the boy’s ear and whispered the persuasive, almost pleading, request that naturally relayed itself to the hand that rested upon the child’s groin. “Let me have sex with you here, Jidae.” He waited for his answer, that carnivorous smile wasting no time in latching onto the liven pulse his tongue took the pleasure in lapping over. Hungrily, Tristan nipped into flesh, and earnestly he sucked the thin stalk of his neck to not only elicit the moans he so desperately wanted to hear, but to also inflict that recognizable mesh of black and blue that would serve as a reminder of a very ‘unexpected night’ they won’t soon forget. “Right here in my arms…allow me to make you mine.” His skin was soft against his open mouth. He could not feel nor identify any abnormalities as Tristan kissed his way down the boy’s chest and latched his teeth onto a budding n****e.
There was nothing to scrutinize, nothing to play off as a harmless defect he could easily overlook when every inch of the boy’s body was as beautiful as a marble statue chiseled and cut to perfection. “I want to ******** you, Jidae. I want to hear you call out to me over and over again.” The drugs that ran wildly through his system was reducing Jaesun’s mind into an over stimulated, unintelligible mess who couldn’t get a hold of the rational side of his brain. It shut down. He had continued with the foreplay, rubbing his palm against the stiffened heat of an arousal his mouth crept towards.
“I don’t want you to rip my heart out and feed it to your dog. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m never going to lie to you.” He had just rested his lips against the bony protrusion at his hip when all efforts to arouse the boy pass his breaking point ceased. Without any explanation to push away the burdensome tremble that stabbed at his fingers, he placed his hands along the seamless contours of his waist. They molded upon his sides, Tristan holding him gently in his grasp as if he was a fragile doll made of glass. “So I’m going to tell you I’m going to want you so much more than you can imagine, need you more than I know you’ll need me. I don’t know you as well as I would like to, but there’s no doubt in my mind I’ll love everything about you.” Some would say the words of a ***** were elaborately constructed for the purpose of luring in the objects of their desires. There was no truth to the promises they kept, no genuine emotions in their words, because as far as psychologist are concern, they were manipulators of the mind who sought for one thing and one thing only: feeding the flames of their derange desire.
But he was different. Tristan believed he was unlike the sex-craved monsters who hurt children for their own sick, personal gain. He wasn’t like those ***** creeps. Or at least that was what he wanted to believe. “I won’t hurt you. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.” The sexual energy that surrounded them was like an electrical field firing at every nerve-ending preparing to proceed with the lucrative task of stripping him of all his clothes.
But he couldn’t do it.
When he thought every rational part of his mind surrendered to the lewd display of carnal hunger and untamed desire, it came back with a vengeance, hitting him in every muscle that stilled in anticipation for the reaper to claim his tainted soul. There was no escaping it. His inevitable death would come sooner rather than later. He wanted to be caught after all. He stayed on that couch and refuse to take Jidae into the safe confines of a bedroom because he figured fate would prevent what his body couldn’t deny.
The longer he waited, the antsier he became to resume his position as the lecherous fiend he couldn’t bring himself to part from. But as soon as he made a move to indulge in the sweetest taste of sin, the calling of his name slowly brought him back to that same corner of the couch where he coward from his own inner demons.
“Tristan , you sick ********, are you still lounging your lazy a** on that couch?” By the time Jungbae rounded the corner to the living, Tristan suspected every article of clothing was put back where they belong. He smoothed out his shirt, adjusted his pants, made sure the hem of his top covered the telltale sign of a deed gone bad, and combed back the disarrayed mess of his hair to omit any signs of foul play. With a shake of his head and a deep breath taken to clear the knot at the back of his throat, it seemed, in light of the erratic rise and fall of his chest he tried to control, there was nothing to worry about. But then again, when the ever so observant Jungbae walked into the room, there was no telling what sort of conclusions pieced together in that overtly analytical brain of his.
Jungbae stalled to relay the message that had him walking down the endless corridors looking for the redhead he momentarily ignored. He stared at the brunette child beside him instead and wordlessly looked the boy over without any remote sign of judgment that would’ve told them all what they wanted to hear. “I had to shoot some b*****d’s in the kneecap, so I need your help moving them to my room.” He said as he brought his attention back to the detached look in the redhead’s eyes.
“Do I have to?”
“Get your a** up if you know what’s good for you.” All chances of staying in the living room where he belonged had crumbled into pieces when a gun was pulled on him. He stared down at the barrel locked and loaded for the kill, his heart slightly racing when a single forefinger hovered precariously over the trigger. “I’m in a bad mood tonight, so don’t think of ******** around with me.”
No matter how small or frail a person may be, Jungbae learned to never underestimate anyone who had the potential of stabbing him in the back. Being wary of all who was around him kept him alive, and as such he bore his fiery gaze upon the boy as he coerced Tristan to his feet. With a deadly silence punctuating the still stale air, he waved his gun toward the hall in which he expected the redhead to take. “Leave the boy.” He sharply commanded the second Tristan reached out to Jidae in a failed attempt to corral him to his room. “I want to have a little chat with this p***k.”
“Jungba –” A deafening sound that shot from the chamber’s end left Tristan’s ears ringing and his mind momentarily paralyzed by the bullet that punctured the wooden floor mere centimeters away from his foot. He narrowed his eyes out of instinct, his jaw clenching by the overwhelming surge of resentment that clearly flared like a wildfire within his eyes. “******** you, Jun.”
“If he doesn’t give me a reason to kill him, I won’t. You know that.” He smiled with that oh so sadistic smile only a psychopath could love. “I mean, it’s either I talk to him, or you can explain yourself to Jaesun why you’re as high as a kite. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see his products are working like a charm.” As much as he wanted an alternative to defy the ******** who only made his life a living hell, he realized there was no way in crawling out of the hole he dug himself in. He was trapped. Stranded six feet deep in a cesspool of lies and deception that he knew would one day take him for all he was worth.
“He won’t shoot you.” He crouched down to look into the child’s eyes and smiled in spite of the situation that backed Tristan into a corner. “If he does, rest assured that I’ll kill him.”
Jungbae belched a laugh upon hearing such foolishness. “Hurry the ******** up before I bust a ******** spleen.” With no other choice, Tristan walked away and left Jidae in the hands of the most sadistic, masochistic, and mentally unstable man to ever roam the earth. He lowered his gun just as he sat himself upon the coffee table right across the boy. “Don’t bait him.” He warned. “ If you want to whore yourself out, I suggest you bend yourself over at the nearest corner, not here.” Jungbae never wasted his time on small talk. He wasn’t known for going on and on about a particular subject that he knew could be said and understood within the 30 seconds it took to return to his feet again. He stood and started down the hall to leave, but before he turned the corner that would lead him back to the bodies that awaited his return, he looked back at the boy and made sure his next few words would save Jidae the trouble of getting himself involved with someone a mere child couldn’t handle. “He already has a whore to ********, he doesn’t need two.”
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She knew how to make people laugh and smile at a drop of a hat, but what she still considered herself as a novice in was her ability to make others feel better. To console, to pat a person on the back and say the words that would alleviate all the bad that counteracted the good was the one thing she couldn’t bring herself to fully grasp. It escaped her. She didn’t know what to say when they left Jungbae to do what he knew best and the silence followed in much of the same stringent fashion as the dogs that shadowed them like trained soldiers on high alert of anyone who may pose as a threat.
She stole a peek at Jeol’s face, but she couldn’t discern the feelings that appeared to be what he’d normally express. Aside from the hand that gripped her own, there was no way in distinguishing between the kind of fear that could cripple him, and his usual bout of shyness Ren was all too accustomed to. It was quiet as they sauntered through the halls, the shuffling of their feet against the rug seeming to be the only thing that distracted her from her own thoughts. She usually wasn’t this quiet, but after what she had seen and what she had finally realize upon witnessing the undressed state Jeol was in, she was at a lost for words.
‘I’m a dela’cor.’ She declared when the thought of her father came to mind. ‘JaeJae said never to give into your enemies.’ It was one thing to have her perseverance challenge by men who were five times stronger than her and towered like skyscrapers before a darkened sky, but it was a whole different ball park to succumb to the silence that dared to control the garrulous girl everyone pegged her to be. She was strong. She was fearless. She was her mother’s daughter and that was enough to crush all forms of intimidation beneath her feet.
A question.
Jeol posed a question, but Ren was so far into her own nightly objectives that she had unintentionally overlooked the stuttered inquiry that lingered in the air. “Follow me, Jeol.” Taking the fiendish bull of her fears by the horn, she totted Jeol along a different path that was just as long and redundant as the first. Climbing a flight of stairs, taking the elevator two floors above them and turning right at the intersection that branched off into various rooms and halls, Ren approached a white door decorated with a plethora of stickers highlighting her favorite animals, snacks, cartoon characters and the like. In the middle of the vibrant little images that covered the entire wooden frame was a neon green placard that read: Rena Dior Dela’cor. She pulled Jeol into her room and left the door open for the dogs to observe wherever they chose to station themselves in. “I need to grab something.” Oddly enough, she hesitated. She stopped in the middle of her aquarium themed room and planted her feet into what she considered to be the softest powder blue carpet she had ever own. She looked around with uncertainty, the pursing of her lips seeming to suggest she was as new to her surroundings as Jeol was.
Not letting go of Jeol’s hand, she scampered off to her bed and wrenched the neatly tucked covers to the floor. There was nothing but pillows and a few dolls. The disappointed find drew her to her closet, her drawers, and the old-fashion leather trunk that was placed at the foot of her bed. It was until she checked into the ventilator shaft behind her dresser did she find what she was looking for. “Scrumps.” She held up a stuff doll that was anything like the picture perfect Barbie figures girls her age usually played with. This turquois plush had a big head, a deranged body with rounded limbs and a button smack dab in the middle of its torso. That same black button made up its eyes, while the curve of its smile was sutured shut by pink stitches that matched its brightly pink bow at the top of her head. “It’s from Lilo and Stitch, the movie. This is Lilo’s doll. It’s my favorite doll in the whole wide world, and I think it’s the best doll ever.” Even with the variety of fishes on her ocean blue walls, and the exuberant colors of the coral reef displayed beautifully on her ceiling, there was nothing that was so fascinating than the plush she held dearly to her heart.
She smiled and made her exit with her doll in hand. “Let’s go to your room, okay.” She waited for Jeol to lead the way. Hopefully he paid close attention to their surroundings enough to navigate through the place without getting lost. Because if he was depending on Ren to take point with the impression she knew the schematics of her own home, he was sadly mistaken.
Eventually though, they would find the room, and when they did Ren jumped one of the two beds she assumed was the boy she had never let go. “Tomorrow, we can have a really good breakfast. The cook that’s always there will make us anything we want. Like pancakes, omelets, crepes, and even chocolate smoothies if JaeJae’s not home and we promise to keep a secret.” She giggled remembering just how much shakes she had consumed due to her father’s absence. “Then we can play or go wherever we want as long as someone’s there to protect us.” The day’s endeavors were already planned out in a very organized manner in her head. She had lifted the duvet covers of Jeol’s bed and practically invited him to discuss tomorrow’s events with an excited tug of his hand. She didn’t bother to change her clothes or gave Jeol the chance to discard the shirt Jungbae had given him. Ren just wanted to go to bed as quickly as possible so that the horrors of what had occurred tonight could be forgotten just as soon as the sun peaked over the horizon.
She settled her head upon the pillow and, like a baby cub leaning toward the warmth of its mother’s fur, buried her face against Jeol’s back. Her arms encircled him like a cocoon, the tightness of her hold on him indicating just how much she cared for the boy she nuzzled into. “Here,” She handed him her doll. “You can hug her. She defends against bad dreams like a warrior. So you’ll sleep really peacefully tonight. And if you’re worried about me,” Which she was certain he will, “I won’t have bad dreams. I’ll be okay, because as long as I’m holding you and you’re holding Scrump, she’ll protect us both.” She was a believer of everything that made the world a better place. It was ignorant of her to think silly toys and useless nick-knacks could ward away evil much like a bullet to the heart, but her belief and optimism made it easier to cope with the evils around her; and that was what a child needed in order to survive in a world filled with blood, death and carnage.
“You and Jidae are like my brothers.” She said after a while had passed in silence. “I want you two to be my brothers. It can happen. Not by blood but at least we’ll act like brothers and sisters. We’ll protect each other and accept each other, which is why I’m sorry I called you a girl. I mean, I always wanted a sister to play with. I asked JaeJae to give me a sister but he said I’m too old to talk about foolish things like that.” She pouted, recalling the slight glare that touched her father’s eyes when she begged for another child to accompany her in her ever day life. “JaeJae told me you were a girl. Hanii-dew said it too, and even JuJu-bean tried to say it, but I didn’t want to believe because I wanted a sister. I wanted you to be my sister.” Being cooped up in an apartment and having guards twice or even four times her age follow her wherever she went made her yearn for the companionship of the same gender, seeing as men had practically surrounded her all her life. She had, in a sense, missed the feminine touch only a female could offer. Not that she ever was in the receiving end of such gentleness to know exactly what she secretly craved, but still, she wanted a sister.
“But it’s okay that you’re a boy. You’re still you, and if you’re still you and you stay the same like I do, you’re still family. You’re my family and I love you no matter what. I don’t care if you’re not my sister, you’re my most awesomest brother I’ll ever have…which includes Jidae of course. Because you’re brothers, which means he’s my brother too.” Being used to getting what she wants made it easy for her to claim what she thought was rightfully hers the second she slapped a metaphoric sticker on everything with her name on it. It was hers, and to have two new brothers in one day made her the happiest little girl in the entire universe. “You can’t leave me okay. If you leave me, I’ll be sad. I’ll run away and never come back. So please, stay with me even though I hurt you.” Just when she thought she could chase away the gloomy clouds of sadness that undoubtedly shrouded over them both, her smile slowly slackened into a frown. She bit her bottom lip, her arms tensing around the boy she hadn’t yet gathered the courage to let go. She couldn’t let him go. She was afraid to let him go. “Even though I couldn’t save you like I wanted to, please stay with me, Jeol. Please, stay.” Tears gathered in her eyes, and it was but a miracle they hadn’t cascaded down her cheek like raindrops on a windowpane. She held it in, fearing the worst that would come out of tears her father deemed as a weakness that shouldn’t be revealed to absolutely no one. “I promise it won’t happen again. I promise my daddy will tell everyone not to hurt you or Jidae. If I can’t protect you, my daddy will. He’ll make you safe and then you can stay. You can be my brother and we can be a family.” She sniffled against Jeol’s back and tried to hide the murmurs of her sadness by pressing her face into the folds of his shirt. She thought she could silence them that way, that her cries would muffle and wouldn’t give her weaknesses away.
But she was wrong.
Stitch was an alien created by an evil scientist that wasn’t so evil. Stitch was bad but Lilo, the girl on earth that picked him out from a dog shelter, never gave up on him because she knew Stitch was good inside even though he was made to be evil and destroy everything.” The Disney animation she spoke of was built into her. The lessons she learned from the stories told through the lives of princesses, princes and even strange creatures from outer space was the foundation of her morals, the build blocks of her personality, and one of the few stable structures of her life. It was a bit ridiculous and perhaps childish for someone Jeol’s age, but she couldn’t see herself growing out of what made her the most happiest in the middle of a living arrangement filled with blood and tears. “I know I’m bad. I know that I hurt you, but I have some good in me. I’m good, Jeol. I’m really good and if you give me a chance like Lilo did with Stitch, I can show you that I can be your best friend, that I can be the best sister you ever had.” She could barely speak. The tears that welled in her eyes were threatening to stream down her face, and the more she tried to hold it in, the harder it was for her to control the tremors that ensnared her entire being. “O’hana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. So don’t leave me behind. Don’t forget me. Okay Jeol, don’t forget me.”
Her mother left her and ascended toward heavens gates. Her father didn’t have time for her. As much as Han, Tristan and Jungbae tried to accommodate her loneliness with short tea parties and gifts, it wasn’t enough. She needed someone who she could rely on. She needed someone who she could always depend on. She needed someone who could understand her even if it was just a little. She needed her brothers. She needed Jeol. “Please be my family.”
Rejecting his friend hadn't be his thought when he moved away from him, but he didn't wish for Han to be soiled with the blood of the woman who was the bane of all their existence. It wouldn't have been fair to ask of Han to share in the taint that should be his and his alone to bear the full weight of it. Pagoe didn't want to burden Han by adding more weight on his shoulders which now that he thought about it he failed to do considering he kept making his friend worry about him.
Tears wouldn't stop no matter how much he wished them to as he kept his head under the spray of water that cascaded down his body washing the blood down into the drain. The small trembles shook his body and he couldn't stop in the silence that descended upon them. Pagoe didn't want to be seen as weak in front of his only friend, he wanted no he needed to be strong so Han wouldn't worry about him. He hated this, hated having his friend be worried about someone as useless as him.
Creaking alerted him to Han getting up to his feet. It was when Han started speaking, rambling more like it that Pagoe willed himself to stop the tears that rolled down his cheeks. As his friend continued to speak about the past, he reached up with his hand to run them through his blood-caked hair and try to get what excess blood would run off easily without having to resort to the shampoo first. Hearing the past made the weight on his shoulders lessen slightly as he thought back to the good old days before any of this s**t happened to the two of them.
Shampoo was on his hands as he lathered his hair in the soapy bubbles that would hopefully rid him of the blood that turned his hair red. He commented on the stories that Han was telling with his own renditions of what he thought of the situations the other talked of. He was enjoying the trip down memory lane which was distracting him enough. Finally after the third rinsing with shampoo his hair was finally back to its blonde coloring. Huffing at the 'threat' his friend made with the food he chuckled softly as he turned the knob of the faucet in order for the water to stop running. Once the water had stopped and he rung out most of the water in his hair, he grabbed the plate of goodies and started munching on them happily. They were delicious and he made sure Han knew how much he liked them. It didn't take him long to finish the food and grab a towel to wrap around his waist as he got out of the tub. Another towel was grabbed for his hair as he strolled into the room as if it was a normal night and he hadn't just murdered the woman that had given him and his brothers life.
Silence encased them again as he dried his hair to get whatever moisture out that he could.
Seeing the smile on Han's face would have brought one to his as well if that smile reached his friend's eyes. "Yeah looks like we are. Hey as long as we got each other everything will be fine." He watched as his friend got off the bed as grabbed his wrist. He wasn't looking him in the eye though, instead he was looking towards his neck where the old, worn collar was wrapped around. It was the best gift he'd ever gotten from his friend and he still hadn't found anything to give Han that he felt was good enough. The red collar had never come off since he'd gotten it, he refused to ever take it off.
A small shiver ran through him as his friend stroked the collar, fingers brushing along it. No one really touched the object because Pagoe didn't let people touch his one treasure. "Yeah I do... You scared the ******** out of me, I thought I was going to lose you." It came out as a whisper as he remembered the event like it had happened yesterday. He remembered the conversation with the nurse who had called him since he was the only contact in Han's phone. He remembered her voice as she told him about his condition and he demanded to know where he was now so he could be there when he woke up. He remembered the journey to the hospital, the dread and terror that gripped at his body as he thought about the condition he was in, the relief at seeing his friend alive as he faithfully stood by the bedside of his injured friend. He was grateful that his friend was alive and he hadn't left him alone in this dark world. He listened to his friend's story on what had really happened to him, a small frown on his face as the story continued. 'How dare they do that to my friend.' He wasn't happy that his friend lied to him, but he understood. Pagoe was volatile and would have probably did something stupid if he was told the truth. "You're an idiot, but your my best friend... Thank you." He knew that the other just wanted to protect him and that made him happy, but at the same time he was frustrated with his friend for trying to take on everything himself.
He sighed seeing the smile on his friend's lips which meant that he was past all that happened to him. He listened again as the story continued moving to the subject of the collar as he kept quiet. 'Hm... I thought that this collar looked familiar.' It was fuzzy, but he could picture the man they stole from, not that he could remember what they stole however he did remember the collar that wrapped around the man's neck. "Did you just call me a brat?" Pagoe asked after Han said he came up with a plan. Of course that's what he'd comment on during his story. He chuckled softly as the other tried to explain the gift that didn't need any explaining. "I know. You don't have to explain that, though I gotta admit this collar does scream my name. You know me really well." Nothing was going to stop Pagoe from loving and treasuring the gift from his friend even though he knew the story behind it now.
He was watching his friend with worried eyes as he shook his head. Really Han should have known better than to drink. Pagoe himself was banned by Han himself from drinking because he became more destructive and reckless if that was even possible while under the influence of alcohol. He'd only drank once and once was enough to tell them that it was a horrible idea.
The fingers dancing along his cheekbones felt soft as he leaned into the hand that cupped his cheek. The hands felt cool against his warm skin from the water's temperature. Soon enough blue eyes were staring into the gaze of his friend with a small smile on his face.
Lips descended upon his own as his best friend kissed him. He wasn't ready for that, but it didn't take him long to kiss the other back if not a bit shyly. Compared to Han, Pagoe was still nothing but a novice in this area. Right now that didn't matter though because all he could think about was Han and the fact he was kissing him right now.
A small whine left him as the other lifted him, the pink blush along his cheeks was starting to grow darker along with the ghosting trail down his neck. He was embarrassed, this was something he'd never experienced before. "I know they can be." The boy had secrets of his own. "Good. I want to be with you as long as you want me." A whine escaped him feeling the finger hilt within him. He couldn't stop the sounds that escaped him even if he tried.
The small frown on his lips told Tristan that not all his fears were put to rest. He however let the small peck quiet him and squirmed slightly when he was moved onto his back. He still felt strange. Small whimper like sounds escaped as the fingers were eased out. He looked into Tristan's eyes and could just feel the warmth that relaxed him and comforted him slightly. "But.." He was still hesitant because he didn't want Tristan to get into trouble. This was supposed to be a secret between the two of them.
Jidae didn't think his blush could get any darker, but he was wrong as he saw the eyes looking at him like a wolf that would look at its prey. He became shy as he felt the man's hot breath along his ear. A soft moan was heard as he felt the hand right on top of his groin as he asked the question he knew was coming. 'How can I say no?' Not when Tristan asked like that even if he was nervous about this whole situation. He gasped at the tongue which had latched onto his neck right over his pulse. He moaned as he felt the nipping and sucking along his neck that he was sure would leave a mark. Thankfully he'd be able to cover it up with his shirts. "O-okay." The reply was stuttered out as he mewled when teeth latched onto his n****e.
"I.. I want you Tristan." It was shy for a good reason, Jidae was nervous about this. He had never been pursued like this considering he was usually fending off men from Jeol instead. Little mewls continued to escape him as Tristan rubbed at his erection which he could probably feel through his pants. The blush wasn't coming off his face any time soon.
"I know that. You haven't lied to me yet." He whined slightly when the rubbing ceased and the only thing left was his aching erection. He shivered feeling the fingers along his waist which was a ticklish spot for the young boy, not that he'd admit it. "I want to be with you no matter what, even if I don't need you or I don't know you. I still want you." He wanted to reassure the man that he wasn't going to run away and tell his secrets, that he was going to stay for this strange roller coaster he was determined to ride.
"I know you won't. You haven't hurt me yet." It was true, Tristan hadn't done anything to hurt the boy even though he was probably as high as a kite and could have just taken the boy without his consent. Jidae knew deep down that if Tristan wanted to have his way with him then he would.
He watched the man who seemed to be hesitating. Jidae didn't want to stay out here in the open where anyone could come and see the two of them together. A part of the boy knew what Tristan was doing, but at the same time he didn't really understand. He could see him going back to resume what they were doing when Tristan's name could be heard heading towards them. The man was off him in a second and sitting back in his original position before Jidae coaxed him back to him.
When the other man rounded the corner, Jidae was sitting next to Tristan, but not too close. He'd gotten himself put together pretty well for as unexpected as Jungbae had been. His blush had been tamed down to nothing more than light pink dusting over his cheeks and he made sure to hide the mark that Tristan made as well. He was going to take keeping this a secret seriously since he knew how much was at stake.
The brunette boy looked at the new man curiously. He seemed to be studying him before he looked over to Tristan yet again. 'I wonder what happened?' He was curious about why multiple people needed to be shot in the kneecap, but kept his mouth closed since it wasn't any of his business.
He listened to the two men talk back and forth, his eyes following whoever was talking. He blinked at seeing the gun and his fingers twitched, he was threatening Tristan. Sure he had his knife on him, but what good would that do against a gun so instead he kept quiet and watched them silently.
He could see the gaze of the man on him and stared back defiantly. Jidae wasn't going to be afraid of Jungbae even if the man had the potential to kill him. He was about to go with Tristan, but it was foiled by the other who demanded he stay there. The other wanted to chat with him which should have scared him, but he trusted Tristan. He knew that the other would keep him safe.
Blinking was the only response that came from the boy as Jungbae shot at Tristan. He didn't jump or even show any signs of being startled except for the slight widening of his eyes. He didn't want Tristan to get injured again because of him. It reminded him that it was his fault that Tristan was like this in the first place.
Jidae returned the smile nodding. "Okay. Bye bye Tristan." He said giving him a small wave as well. Sure he was nervous to be left alone with this unknown person that he knew nothing about, but it was also kinda exciting for the boy.
His eyes watched Tristan walk away before he settled back onto the other male. Soon enough Jungbae was in front of him sitting on the coffee table. "I'm not trying to." At least he wasn't trying to on purpose, he didn't think that he was baiting him at least. He frowned at the man when he told him to basically go whore himself elsewhere except he wasn't trying to whore himself out. Looking up as the male got up he tilted his head slightly in confusion as he watched him start to leave. That wasn't a very long talk at all. The last words he said made the boy blink, no real understanding what the other meant. He was gone before he could ask though.
Jidae sat on the couch for a while thinking about what had happened just now. He wasn't completely sure on what he should do and figured he should just sleep and think about it in the morning. Unfortunately for the boy he wasn't very good with directions so he didn't have a clue how to head back to his room. He didn't dwell on that fact though and instead settled against the couch, getting comfortable enough to sleep on it. He wouldn't sleep very deep though, he was always ready if someone attempted to touch him and thankfully still had his knife in his pocket.
He wasn't what to think at the silence that followed his question. Did Ren not hear him or maybe she was mad at how weak he was before. Maybe she didn't want to be friends with him anymore. The thought scared him, he didn't want Ren to unlike him. He blinked nodding when Ren told him to follow her. He allowed the girl to drag him along a different path, the two canines following faithfully behind. It was strange traveling through this place with nothing but Jungbae's shirt to cover him up. He didn't feel too afraid though since they had Kariya and Zero here to help them if anyone even dared look at them wrong. They didn't encounter anyone on their trip up the the stairs or in the elevator thankfully. He didn't know if he'd handle another encounter with people at the moment after what happened. Finally they stopped in front of what could only be a child's door, there were stickers stuck all over it along with a green plaque that had Ren's name on it. Jeol was pulled into her room though he was a bit reluctant to do so. He'd never been in another person's room before especially not a girl's room. Kariya had stood on one side of the open door while Zero stood on the other side. "O-okay." His attention was on her when she said she had to grab something, but she looked hesitant. He stood on the super soft, plush carpet looking around the room hesitantly, but curious as well as Ren looked around seemingly as confused as he was.
He immediately noticed when she didn't go of his hand and pulled him along to move around the room. She seemed to be looking for something as she tore off the covers from her bed, looked in her closet, drawers, trunk and still couldn't seem to find what she was looking for. Finally she went behind her dresser and from the sound of it found what she was looking for. 'Scrumps?' He was confused at the sound of an unfamiliar name. He studied the doll, tilting his head slightly to the side as he didn't recognize what it was from which wasn't too much of a surprise. Jeol and Jidae hadn't been exposed to many things like movies, television, games or anything like that unless Pagoe managed to steal it for them which wasn't very often. "It's n-nice." He commented as he looked at the doll not knowing what 'Lilo and Stitch' was, but he didn't want to tell her that in fear of rejection. Jeol wasn't really sure how the whole friend thing worked and didn't want to ******** it up.
"O-okay!" Jeol was happy that Ren still wanted to come with him. He didn't want to be alone tonight and was fine with Ren wanting to stay in his room, he was sure Jidae wouldn't mind either. He grabbed her hand shyly before he began to navigate back to his room. Thankfully the boy had a very good sense of direction and had a pretty good memory of layouts like this which he liked to thank his hacking skills for.
Finally they were back to the room after winding through the corridors of the apartment. He was amused slightly by the girl who jumped onto the bed while he still held her hand. Really her joyous attitude made him forget about the events that happened. He watched as Kariya entered the room putting down the bag that he was sure held his laptop by the square-shape the bag had slightly taken. The dog then settled down on the floor near the door and yawned lightly placing his head on his paws. "T-that sounds y-yummy... I've n-never had t-those things b-before." Really the boys usually had something like toast and cereal when they lived with their mother. "O-okay that sounds f-fun." Maybe tomorrow he could show her some of his hacking skills and he could introduce her to a program he made. He got into bed at the tug and shyly made suggestions about tomorrow including showing her the program as he settled under the duvet. It was weird to stay in Jungbae's shirt, but he was too tired to care now. Sleep sounded like a good thing right now and maybe tomorrow things would get better.
The pillow under his head was soft and soon Ren was nuzzled up close to him, her head buried into his back, not that he minded it all. Arms circling him tightly did make him smile slightly as his hand rested on one of hers gratefully. He needed the support right now. He took the doll gingerly staring at her before holding her gently against him with one hand. "T-thank you." He was lucky to have a friend as wonderful as Ren was and he worried about her as well, but she reassured him that she'd be okay as long as she was holding onto him. Jeol was happy that Ren at least had the optimism to get through the days, it was contagious really as he found himself believing in her words even if they were childish at best.
Silence had fallen over the two until Ren started speaking again. He listened to her speak as she talked about them being brothers and sisters. It sounded nice, he did love his brother don't get him wrong, but he wanted someone else that he could rely on and in turn they could rely on him. "It's not your f-fault. I never spoke up for m-myself so most assume I'm a girl... S-she.. My mother never wanted all b-boys so instead she m-made me dress like a girl and I g-guess with my s-shyness it worked.." He didn't want Ren to think she was responsible because really if he spoke up in the beginning then she wouldn't think he was a girl. "I w-wouldn't have minded b-being your sister." At times Jeol thought it would have been better if he was just a girl.
"I'd l-love to be your b-brother Ren.... J-jidae will be h-happy as well." He wanted to reassure the girl that he wanted to be part of her family. Jeol already considered her part of his family already. He was very happy to gain a little sister to his family considering he had nothing, but brothers really. "I'd n-never leave you R-ren, your m-my sister. Y-you didn't hurt m-me. Y-you can't leave m-me either." Arms tensed around him and his hand gently and shyly stroked her hand in reassurance. Jeol wasn't going to go anywhere. "Y-you still t-tried... You n-never gave up and t-that's all that m-matters. I'm n-not going to e-ever leave you." The head resting on his back was still a comfort, but he wanted to reassure her. "O-okay... That sounds n-nice. I want to b-be family." He could hear the sniffling and sadness coming from the young girl whose face was now pressed into the folds of the shirt he was wearing.
She couldn't hide the noise from him.
Listening to the story of Lilo and Stitch made Jeol interested in watching the movie. Before she could start speaking again, Jeol had squirmed and shuffled around until he was facing Ren, Scrumps between the two as the boy looked at Ren with a small smile. He listened to her before he gently wrapped his arms around her shyly and brought her closer so her head rested against his chest mirroring the way Ren held him a while ago. "Your n-not bad Ren. You don't have to s-show me that. You're a-already the best s-sister ever." He didn't mention that she was the only sister he'd ever had, but even if he had more, Ren would still be the best one. He could feel the tremors beneath his fingers and shyly rubbed her back gently. "I'll n-never leave you b-behind. I p-promise, and I n-never break promises."
"W-we're already f-family." He reassured the girl as he rested his head against her own. "It's okay to cry." He whispered gently as he continued rubbing her back gently making sure Scrumps was still between them. "W-we should go t-to sleep. Everything w-will be better i-in the morning."
Love is as meaningful and as sacred as the body that expresses it.
It may not be as tangible or as quantifiable as a chaste kiss upon the malleable curves of upturned lips, but it possessed the heart, manipulated the soul, and strung up the limbs of those unable to escape the philter of devotion that usually changed people for the better. Whether it is a love built off of pure friendship or the inseparable entwinement of two souls coming together as one, those feelings never die. There was no questioning a bond that couldn’t be broken, a connection no one had the power to cut in two, because when love bloomed, it spread and grew like grapevines covering the masses it clung to.
Han would kiss Pagoe and take the blonde’s bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling softly, grinding against that pliable piece of flesh gently, and he’d wondered if the love he had for him embedded as deeply in Pagoe’s heart as it did with his. He’d sacrifice everything for him. Han would brace the serrated edge of a knife against his skin, watch the blood free fall from his wrist, and admire the drops of crimson that would entitle Lucifer full reign of a soul Han had no use for. Sign on the dotted line. A devil’s contract would be rightfully his for the taking; for love had the power to blind him of the consequences that would eventually hurt him in the end. But he didn’t care. Pagoe was there. He’d always be there, and that fact laid bare before him as he flicked his tongue along the back of teeth aligned and set to perfection. He could feel every dip and curve of his gums, envision the bump and grooves that made up the roof of Pagoe’s mouth, and when Han’s tongue massaged the matted muscle that seem to slack under his touch, he could taste him, his slick pallet seeming to absorb the drugging nectar of a kiss that was a mind-altering as the alcohol he consumed.
After many months of whoring himself to a plethora of men who possessed varying skills in the art of ‘love-making’ Pagoe knew how to conform, was well aware of what he needed to do to adapt to his clients ever-changing desires. A groan here, a heart-panging moan there, everything that was required to get a rise out of them was inserted into his mind like a microchip that made him feel as robotic as every reaction he made. Sex was a job. ******** became an automated endeavor that numbed him to the core. Their touch chilled his skin, their bodily fluids sullied his soul, the whispered words of ‘I love you’ became a joke he trained himself to ignore in fear he’d break out into hysterics before his John had the chance to scream his pleasures out loud. He became a toy, an object, a meaty sac of flesh that might as well have been described as a human toilet everyone had freely dumped their pent-up frustrations in.
A month was a long time.
Within those 24 days, 576 hours, 34,560 minutes, and a painstaking number of seconds that went beyond what his mind could calculate, he had forgotten how to truly accept what true love had to offer. “I’m so ******** selfish, Pagoe.” The scalding heat of his confession burned into the younger’s lips as he savored each interchangeable kiss that fought to feel something each man who ruthlessly ******** him took without his consent. “I put up such a fuss about you being here that I completely disregarded what I selfishly, so damn selfishly, desired. Because the truth is, I was waiting…” Drawers rattled upon impact when Han pushed Pagoe back into the dresser that made it all the more easier to pin him down. Not that he needed to subdue him when Han’s uncharacteristic actions alone seem to have debilitated the blonde’s need to push him away. “I was waiting for you to pry that information right out of me. I waited a year for you to come after me, to hunt me down and do everything that you could to be with me.” What had been said wasn’t a declaration of love that would usually be shared between two souls who was fated to be conjoined as one; no, it couldn’t be that at all. They were friends. They’ve known each other ever since Han could remember, and to define their relationship as such was as confusing as the brunette who barely met the other’s lips to speak. “I guess I couldn’t function right without you by my side. I guess you were right, we work much better as a duo.”
Pagoe was the missing piece to the once unsolvable puzzle that made up his ******** up life. He kept him sane. Being able to clean up Pagoe’s messes, having someone to take care of and someone who would take care of him in return gave him purpose in an otherwise purposeless world. He’d touch his cheek and drape his free hand over the neck that displayed the gift he’d given, and it was as if he could feel the warmth seep back into his fingers again. His body thawed against Pagoe’s own. His heart stammered against his chest, thrumming and pulsing uncontrollably to push every drop of adrenaline throughout his entire being. Blood pooled, his jeans felt tighter than they normally would, and he could feel his nether regions constricting and stiffening with every swipe of his best friend’s tongue.
There was no need to hide, no need to pretend or put on a show when Pagoe meant more to him than life itself. He kissed him. He wormed his tongue into his open mouth and drank up what his body graciously served on a silver tray. Decadent. Sweet. A treat like no other. Pagoe was a morsel that contrasted with the grime and grease he had forced himself to swallow down when the lap of luxury was way out of reach. He was dining of the finest silk, the younger’s skin so soft, it felt as if he was kissing the sugar-sweet threads of the cotton candy Pagoe had long since devoured at the park.
Down and down he went, nibbling and sucking against the throbbing pulse of his neck. He tongued the hallowed dip just above his clavicle, lathering the bone there with a thin layer of saliva that shined under the florescent rays of the light fixture above. Slowly he dropped to his knees, his fingers dragging on either side of his body as if to trace his silhouette would rid Pagoe of the sins that once coated every inch of his skin. He probed his tongue into his navel, taking his sweet time to tenderize the skin there. It was but a wonder why he showed such special attention to the one area everyone seemed to overlook, but he was thorough, rather attentive, and perhaps borderline obsessive, with the sucking that would soon occur below the hem of the towel that wrapped around Pagoe’s waist. He nipped and nibbled the fleshy rim of his bellybutton until a hue of red appeared, a small smile marring his features.
“You don’t need anything as stupid as love,” For some odd reason, he remembered what Pagoe had said before the amusement park became their next destination. “You don’t need it because the warmth of a loving gesture doesn’t exist in this world.” At the time when all eyes were on him and everyone stood at the dining table waiting for his outburst to settle, Han was foaming at the mouth completely fed up with everything that completely overshadowed what true love was all about. His brows dipped in fury, his words soaked in the strongest acid known to man, and his blood was surging with a kind of venom that could kill within seconds. He was upset, but as he knelt down close in front of the teen that his rage had centered upon, Han tilted his head back slightly to look up at Pagoe with an angelic smile curving along the corner of his lips. He had met his eyes for a brief moment before his gaze landed upon the hand that grazed over the towel’s edge. “I believed that. I mean, I had wanted to give up on an idea that wasn’t any less tangible as the three words that had a way of expressing it.” I. Love. You. What was in a word that tasted so sweet? “But I couldn’t let it go.” What had become of a saying that had once set his soul ablaze like a wick of a flame? “Like the gradient hues of the northern lights, there’s varying degrees of love that isn’t all black and white.”
He tugged the towel from Pagoe’s waist and watched it drop to the floor. It settled there, quietly bundled at his feet, leaving its owner exposed to the auburn hue of eyes that roved over the length of him. He tucked his hand under the bent of Pagoe’s left knee and draped it over his shoulder. “Love.” Han planted a kiss upon his inner-thigh, the feather-soft peck against one of the most sensitive areas of the body bring about a crashing wave of emotions untapped by years of confinement. “It may not exist in your eyes. It may just seem like feelings made up of pure fiction, but I long to scribble my name in the pages of a story filled with all the feelings and requited devotion that’ll make me breathe again.” He wanted to capture the warmth radiating from his friend’s body and put it in a capsule where it would be sealed into the chambers of his heart for all eternity. “I need a piece of it, “ He whispered as he spread Pagoe’s leg out just a bit so he could kiss the junction where his thigh and his groin met. “Or at least a mock representation of what I believe will allow me to feel again.”
It wasn’t about needing Pagoe to love him or requiring his heart to solely beat for him and him alone. All Han wanted was for his best friend to believe love transcended space and time, that, in a way, it would always be there in many shapes and forms, waiting for that single moment where it’ll blossom into something so much more than what he’ll be able to handle. It may not be the real thing. Love could be as something as simple as the friendship Pagoe and Han both shared. But, nevertheless, it was an emotion devoid of anger and resentment – an emotion that brought people so close together they could hardly stand what had become of them.
A teen once so considerate of others had now laved his tongue over the slit he held to his lips without so much as a single word of consent. He took Pagoe into his mouth, the heady scent of him and the smell of his shampoo infiltrated his senses and fumigated what little memories that remained of the whore house that had always left him on his knees. Eyes remained half-lidded in fear of reliving what had become a recurring nightmare he couldn’t escape from. He brushed his hand over the dressing at Pagoe’s waist, the tips of his fingers flitting across the gunshot wound that’ll be one of many that was sure to come. The bandages pulled him back from the darkness. The constant reminder that it was Pagoe and no other filling his mouth to the brim relaxed the muscles in his throat to accept more of him than any one person could handle.
Pleasuring those willing to fork up the dough for a night one can only live in their darkest and raunchiest dreams, was a part of his job description. The way strong hands held either side of Pagoe’s hips and braced the small of his back against the wooden drawer behind him assured his job would be done whether his client liked it or not. His nails punctured into skin, the bobbing of his head and the sensations that followed along with it sweeping away the pain like it was an insignificant speck of dust caught in the wind. He found out within a day servicing over ten men in the slums of an abandoned ship yard that deep-throating was like an anesthetic of sorts. It numbed the soul, sent the sensible part of your mind adrift and blurred your surroundings as if the world didn’t exist.
He learned how to make people forget about past circumstances that couldn’t be changed. It was just for a short span of 2 or so hours, but it was enough to separate one’s self from the realities of their mundane way of living. He wanted pagoe to forget. He wanted to ease the pain into the farthest recess of his mind. Han sucked at him, rolling his tongue and massaging the meaty organ between Pagoe’s thighs so that he’d be consume in the pleasure that would travel up his spine, fog his brain and descend downwards where the intoxicating process repeats itself again. There was so much concentration put into sending Pagoe into the throes of passion that he almost blocked out the man who had entered the room.
Jaesun had closed the door behind him without even a second’s glance at the provocative scene splayed out against the lacquered wood of a dresser that was a carbon copy of every drawer on the floor. He had turned his back to them to seek out the comforts of a chair at the farthest corner of the room. Apparently, by the sounds of fluid sloshing in the brunette’s mouth, Pagoe hadn’t stopped what he had been doing prior to his arrival. He continued with the blow job even as a creak sounded when Jaesun made himself comfortable upon the only seat provided. Quietly he watched what could be the beginnings of an amateur porno in the making. To get himself comfortable for the show, he eased himself further back against the chair and casually rested his ankle upon his knee, a forefinger and thumb supporting his head as he observed the erotic spectacle at a slight angle.
He wasn’t sure what was going to occur thereafter; whether the show stopped before it even had a chance to begin or continue to the bed. Whatever happened, he was going to observe every thrust, every kiss and listen to every moan until it came to an end. He would take his leave after that, but until then he watched over them both with eyes as cold as steel and a heart as hardened as the burning evidence of Han’s desires swelling against his jeans. He wouldn’t admit it, would die before anyone could detect it, but he was concerned for them both. His presence wasn’t intended to reap the benefits of what Han had picked up during his one month stay in a whore house. Instead of taking up the role of a wayward soul, he accepted the duties of a fallen angel who made sure their plummet into hell didn’t strip them for all they were worth.
He had just lugged the last body into the room when a ruthless smack to the back of his head nearly put him into a coma. The abuse he received was, as always, unjustifiable. Once an opportunity to exact punishment of any nature opened up like the entryway to hell’s gates, Jungbae would strike without warning, pulling back his arm and swiping a hand across any part of the body where pain receptors gathered in the hundreds. Tristan glared, that menacing stare of his as threatening as the blue alien plush (a Stitch doll if he remembered correctly) Ren made it a bi-monthly ritual to throw in his face.
“What the ******** is your problem?” Tristan demanded through gritting teeth.
“You’re my ******** problem. I’m sticking my neck out for you and you’re plowing your d**k into a brat who’s four times younger than you. Are you ******** serious right now?!”
“I didn’t ******** him.” An uncomfortable silence (mostly experienced by Tristan) spread like the sickening smell of death that slowly diffused throughout the room. Blood gathered at his feet, the squirming bodies, pleading, apologizing and painfully groaning around him offering no means of the distraction he so direly yearned for. As if the room was spinning and the topsy-turvy of his surroundings made it difficult to stand on his own two feet, Tristan dropped on a nearby stool and buried his face into the palm of his hands. “I-I didn’t ******** him.” He repeated more as a reassurance to himself than to the man who started hanging his victims like slabs of meat.
“But you want to.” Tristan shook his head but Jun knew better than to look pass such lies. “You think I’m a dumbass, Tristan? You think I was born stupid?”
“I can’t control myself. I-I can’t just look the other way.” The hairs at the back of his neck were standing on end. He could still feel the tantalizing sensation of the younger’s breath burning against his skin. Jidae’s touch, his eyes, those lips, the way his little mouth dropped open when an exuberant moan clenched at his chest seem to have an otherworldly effect on him. Time was ticking back to the primal days of his youth when his own lips pursed to satisfy those who wanted him just as much, if not more, than he had wanted Jidae. “It doesn’t matter though. They’re not staying. Knowing Jaesun, he’ll have them packed up and ready to go by morning.”
“Damn, you’re so ******** out of the loop I don’t even know how to get you back in it.”
Tristan lifted his gaze to the man who began sharpening his knives, the metallic clacking it made as silver collided together embedding fear into the men minutes away from experiencing his wrath. “Out of the loop?”
“Those little ******** are staying. So long as that other blond ******** doesn’t ******** things up with Jaesun, this place will be their new home. All Jae has to do is announce it to everyone so stupid ******** like them,” he stabbed his hefty prisoner in the arm. “Don’t do anything that’ll land’m in my neck of the woods.”
Jaesun hung his head forward, unsure if he should take the side of his demon counterpart who was thrilled by the news, or the better half of himself who dreaded the days to come where he’d have to ignore the child just to keep himself sane. As if being the telepathic Ren always claimed him to be, Jun pinned him with eyes saturated will judgment. “So what? Thinking you just going to stay out of his way and everything’s going to be fine?” Tristan stared, his face as white as the sterile wall he leaned back against. “You gotta be either dumb as ******** or delusional.”
They hated each other. Ever since they’d first met during the eve of his arraignment for (you guessed it) statutory rape of a minor, they’d glared daggers, the only expression ever contorting their face being that of contempt whenever they were in the same room together. Tristan was too happy, too childish, to energetic and garish for his own good. Jungbae was that of the opposite. They couldn’t connect. They couldn’t get one word in without having the entire atmosphere shift into something so hostile, Jaesun had to intervene just to keep them from driving a knife into each other’s throat.
Sometimes it was peaceful.
Sometimes their encounters were as calm as the rivers hidden beyond the outskirts of town where oak trees, wildflowers and shrubbery added to the tranquil ambience of a place that now seem to have emulated the quiet room. Without having to say it out loud, Jungbae was trying to help him. He always had been ever since he put on a suit, covered his eye with the elegant fabric of a leather patch, and acted as his lawyer who got him out of the same rut that was currently repeating itself again. “You’re a ******** disease, Tristan.” He needn’t remind him. Tristan always had felt dirty even after scrubbing his skin raw whenever vile and lascivious thoughts led him to do things so unspeakable, even ‘evil’ couldn’t do it any justice. “If you want to stop feeling like a perverted ********, then change.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“God, you’re such a p***y. It’s just sex. Stop ******** little boys and you won’t have to hear me reprimand your a** every time you ******** yourself over.” In the most excruciating way one could imagine, Jungbae wrenched the knife out of the man he had been torturing ever since their conversation began. He stepped over the injured man that was still lying on the floor, maneuvered around another who had fell into unconsciousness, and picked up a clean blade from a tray before perching himself before the redhead with eyes narrowed. “Should I torture the ***** vile right out of you? Let the poisons drip from your veins until there’s not a trace left?”
Dying sounded like a good idea. At least he wouldn’t hurt the innocence of the world anymore. “Go ahead, drain me for all I’m wor – ” Instead of the punishable pains of the knife that called for blood, lips silenced him instead, the grievances of a kiss taking the words right out of his mouth tasting as bitter as blood itself. Such were the windows of the soul that blurred his view, the feverous heat of his confusion misting his glassy eyes. There was nothing to see, nothing to really think about or consider when his body couldn’t accept nor adapt to what had wormed its way into his mouth. He felt like a pumpkin on Halloween, cut open and carved out with the meat of his soul left out to rot while the world continued on without him. People moved, the shackles that cuffed around every man’s wrist sounding in his ear, but he couldn’t sense them. He couldn’t make out what was going on around him when an unwanted kiss attempted to seduce him into a whole other universe that wasn’t his to accept.
He turned his head eventually when the darting of the other’s tongue became too much to bear. It wasn’t sickening. Having another man explore his insides and manipulate the walls of his mouth was anything but repulsive. But it wasn’t the same. It didn’t have that spark; the overlapping of the other’s lips didn’t have that depth of immaturity that made children such a novelty in his eyes. Jun was experienced; too experience that even if he tried to mimic the clumsiness and the uncertainty that came with every kiss from a little boy, it would dull in comparison to the real thing. Tristan focused his attention on the floor and let his mind lose itself in the thick fog of a drug-induced reverie.
“I’m calling Damian.”
The soullessness seem to have fickle away slightly upon hearing the familiar name. “D-Damian?”
“Is your head so wrapped around that little ******** that you forgot about your whore?” Jun clicked his tongue, the underlying tone of disappointment returning Tristan’s gaze to the floor. “How old is he?”
“He?”
“Damian….how old is he?”
“He’s turning 11 in a month or so.” The poor boy. He was one of Han’s first cases when Jaesun appointed him to oversee the list of people who so desperately wanted a loan. Damian’s father needed cash. His eldest daughter had just lost her battle to cancer and now needed the funds for a burial that mirrored the strong and graceful spirit that had pulled her through years upon years of chemotherapy, blood transfusions and pain. Treatments had run the family dry, his current job as a post office manager was barely making ends meet. There was so much to pay for that he couldn’t even afford to cremate his little girl, let alone bury her in the comforts of a coffin where she’ll rot until maggots stripped the flesh from her bones.
He pleaded for a loan, and after Han reviewed his assets, calculated the total worth of his home and the life insurance policy his job offered to all their employees at a low cost rate, he came to a conclusion the man couldn’t afford to give back the money that he asked for. After trying to negotiate another life insurance plan and talking him out of sacrificing so much for something so little, in the end, he was given what he asked for.
To make a very long story short, he couldn’t pay what he had owed, Shark loans who worked under Jaesun’s company took every cent that he owned, claimed the deed to his house, killed him, collected the life insurance money and, as if that wasn’t enough (which, financially, it wasn’t), his only son (age 9 at the time) was force to pay the rest of his father’s debt with his body. After explaining, ever so briefly, of his father’s wrongdoings, Damian was shipped off to the nearest brothel where he was expected to spend seven excruciating years of his life being ******** from morning till dawn and well into the night.
“You’re helping the poor b*****d out. Well, sort of. Keeps him there longer since he’s just ******** you for the night compared to the twenty he’s use to, but hey, call it a little vacation away from hell.”
Tristan shook his head. “Don’t call him.”
Jun arched a brow. “Why the hell not? Your horny as ******** and you need some adolescent a** to keep you away from what I like to call, ‘a hole you really don’t want to ******** with.’ So I’ll just set the s**t up and –”
He wanted to help Damian, he really did, but as of that moment he couldn’t really think about sex or even depraving the boy of a night that was equivalent to a week of pay off his debt. Right now, he just wanted to go to sleep. So he stood up and walked out of the room without uttering another word. He dragged his feet as he walked down the hall, his destination seeming to be the last thing on his mind as he wandered aimlessly, thinking, somewhat dreaming of what had occurred so spontaneously.
“Jidae.”
What made him so different? He was a rascal like any other kid, naïve and so very in need of the attention Tristan was more than willing to give him. It was no secret he had his fair share of boys like him before. It may have been some time ago, but he could still remember the little boys who’d do anything for him just to receive the security and ‘love’ they’re impoverished lifestyle deprived them of. So what separated him from the rest? What made him outshine even the most dutiful, most experience and most cunning whore?
Was it his age perhaps?
Or simply just the way he looked? If it was either of the two any poor soul reeled into the lucrative business of child porn would suffice. So what was it exactly that made Tristan go crazy for a boy he’d just met? He didn’t know the answer right there and then, but when he somehow found his way back to the living room and found said boy sleeping soundly on the couch, it dawned on him that it was everything about his precious Lolita that left him wanting more. “Jidae.”
The calling of his name was but a n** at the younger’s ear, soft and delicate like the wings of a butterfly fluttering in the air. He was lying there, cradled by the luminescent glow of the moon that radiated what Tristan believed made him all the more unique: his innocence. No one had touched him. No one had intimately kissed him. No one but the man who loomed over him broke the seal of his virtue. It was the exclusivity that made it so easy to fond over him as if he knew Jidae since the day he was born. “It’s me.” He whispered, quite cautious of reflexes that may draw the knife that would do more harm than good. Tristan lowered himself to one knee and ran his fingers through the silken locks of his hair.
“Go back to sleep.” The hush timbre of his words caressed the child’s ear as Tristan pressed the lightness of a kiss upon his cheek. “I’ll carry you to your room.” In all honesty, he didn’t know where Jidae was supposed to reside for the night, but it didn’t matter. Nothing really mattered. The pain in his leg was gone, he seem to have been cured by the plague of his ever-growing concerns, and it was as if holding Jidae swept a sense of calm throughout the entire floor he walked through. So instead of going on a never-ending search for the unknown, Tristan brought the child to his room and laid him on the bed where he bundled the sheets around his tiny frame. He was like an angel sent from up above. Then again, when did any child ever step down from the pedestal of god’s heavenly cloud? They glowed. It was in their nature to shine like the light at the end of a dark and dreary tunnel.
He crawled into bed with him, a single arm circling his waist to pull Jidae close. The smell of the child was intoxicating. A hint of shampoo, a pinch of the cedar-like aroma that reminded him of the hay of the barn they had briefly visited at the amusement park upon Ren’s request, surrounded him in a tight cocoon of everlasting bliss. It was an aphrodisiac of sorts, but instead of getting him high by the prospects of a ‘good ********’, Jidae’s scent calmed him, soothed him and wrapped him up in a blanket of warmth.
His eyes fluttered up to his surroundings where every slab of wall acted as a bookshelf where numerous genres displayed from the ceiling to the floor. The moon shined through the window seat where he spent most of his nights flipping through the pages of his favorite book. He couldn’t remember a time when his room felt so alive. It was as if every molecule and particle that flitted through the air vibrated with an energy that infused into his skin. He imagined Jidae sitting near the window that overlooked the fine greenery of a park that was just a block or two away. He practically envisioned the concentrated look Jidae would have in his eyes as he scanned the book of his choice, his little fingers fiddling with the corner of a page until it was time to flip onto a new chapter. It was those little things that made Tristan anticipate a new day. But as his thoughts wandered and his daydreams turned into his worst nightmare, he reflected upon all the things that could go wrong.
After a while had passed and he was sure Jidae was asleep in his arms, Tristan carefully got out of bed and situated himself on the floor where he belonged. He couldn’t get attached. It just wasn’t right. He’d only ruin him in the end, and so he tucked an arm under his head and found a bit of comfort on the cold, carpeted floor, trying to dream of a dream that didn’t revolve around the boy he truly wanted to call his one and only Lolita.
On those rare occasions when Ren’s father permitted her to go out to do whatever she pleased, she would waste no time in taking full advantage of the opportunity by treating the day as if it was her last. She’d go to one toy store after the next, taking her time to deliberate whether or not a café on the other side of town was worth the trip; and when she thought she wasn’t allowed to indulge in the treats Jaesun usually ‘exiled’ from her diet, she’d remember it was her day, which meant whatever she wanted she got it without question. In a quaint little café where the redolent smell of coffee permeated the air, there sat a happy little girl smiling from ear to ear. She was happy for the most part. From the look on her face and the exuberant spark that gleamed in her eyes when her favorite cake arrived, no one could ever doubt the smile that made her appear to be the luckiest girl in the world.
Ren had remembered the day when her father had to leave the café early because of work. She remembered the guards that took his place and the emptiness that not only resonated from the chair her father had left, but also the heart that shattered in her chest. She remembered looking around the room and seeing children and their families smiling, laughing, playing and joking around like they’re supposed to. She remembered fawning over them in her little corner of the café and remembered imagining what it would be like to be one of those kids whose life was anything but abnormal. She remembered sitting there, watching her cohorts with the smallest of smiles as if she knew what it was like to be in their place when the truth of the matter was, she didn’t. Because as she sat back in her chair and observed another side of a life she could never be a part of, she had remembered wishing to have a real family she could call her own.
Ren listened to the promises that were made and the reassuring words that sounded like music to her ears. Jeol had turned to face her and cradled her in his arm with little Scrump placed between them. She registered every word he said in spite of the hiccupping and slight wheezing that attempted to drown out the replies she had waited majority of her lifetime to hear.
A family.
It was all she ever prayed for at night, everything she had wished upon a shooting star, and the one thing she asked for in her letters that were addressed to Santa every Christmas Eve. To have a family was like a dream come true, and for Jeol to have it in himself to grant her wish, answer her prayers and hand himself over to her as a gift that should be handled with care had to have been the most noblest, kind-hearted and angelic thing for him to do. She snuggled into his embrace with little hands clenching at the front of his shirt, her face hidden amongst the cotton that smelled faintly of Jungbae’s cologne. Tears rolled down her cheek, the need to hold them in all but left her the moment Jeol told her it was okay to cry.
In truth, it felt odd ‘bawling her eyes out’ when she knew her father would disapprove of the tears that were only appropriate for the weak. She was strong and she knew it, but sometimes it was hard to put up a front when all she wanted to do was back herself into the darkest corner where expression of self lifted the weight of the world off her shoulders. Being a little girl: that was who she was, what she was, and what she ought to be until she turned the appropriate age to take over her father’s place on the throne. It was what she wanted. What she was fated for. So she knew she couldn’t keep crying. She knew she couldn’t be the sapling that burrowed in the arms of a boy who sheltered her from her own stormy cloud of self-loathing.
“My dad says we all have a little bad in us. It’s whether or not we let that side take over that makes us true monsters.” She closed her eyes and allowed the last tear to fall before stiffening her upper-lip like the soldier she worked so hard to become. “I don’t want to be a monster, Jeol. Make sure I don’t become one, okay.” Being like her father meant sacrificing a part of herself that made vulnerabilities bloom like the wild flowers in spring. She had to cut her weaknesses by the root and cultivate them into something much more than what nature had intended. She couldn’t blossom into a woman made of sugar, spice and everything nice. She couldn’t grow into someone who wasn’t fit for what her father and her father’s father had poured their blood, sweat and tears on. She was and always will be a Dela’cor, and as such she needed to become a monster, needed to be as brutal and as invulnerable as the man she looked up to. But she wanted a family as well. She wanted Jeol and Jidae to be there as she grew into what her father molded her to become.
“I love you, Jeol. So never stop loving me no matter what.” She slept in Jeol’s arms that night and depended on little Scrump to protect them both from their worst nightmares.
It was so out of the ordinary to wake up the next morning to find someone there, in her bed (well, technically Jeol’s bed) sleeping with a face of an angel. Jeol was still lost in his very own never-land, probably dreaming of a dream that was worth free-falling into like Alice in wonderland. She didn’t want to disturb him, didn’t see no purpose to stir him from his slumber, so she carefully peeled his arm off of her and squirmed her way out of his grasp. She was like a ninja carefully tip-toeing her way out of bed without waking the boy who was probably caught in a delightful web of a sweet, inescapable reverie.
Zero, who was sleeping on Jidae’s empty bed like the prince his owner trained him to be, had perked up his ears and sat up straight like the attentive soldier that he was. The massive animal wagged its equally massive tail, his happiness something that couldn’t be ignored by the way Zero pounced on Ren who giggled as softly as she could. “Sshhhh~” She pressed a single index finger to her lips and tamed the beast who was anything like the new addition to their little animal kingdom. “Don’t wake Jeol…not yet anyways.” Kariya was in the room with a rather calm disposition that contrasted with the furry ball of energy that couldn’t seem to function correctly without the attention of a girl who was as playful as he was. Like little gremlins out to wreak havoc on the world, the two went scuttling to the other end of the room where Kariya had placed Jeol’s bag.
Now, she usually didn’t pry into other people’s business unless they had something of value she needed to get her hands on. She was curious. She needed to see what was within the bag that seem to hold the secrets of a life she knew little to nothing about. They were family now. Jeol and Ren were connected by promises that couldn’t be broken, which meant she had all the rights in the world to dig into her brother’s bag for the one thing she just had to try out. After a few seconds shuffling through Jeol’s belongings, Ren hyperactively jumped up from the floor and went straight for the full-length mirror that hung from the closet wall. She slipped it on with ease, and after twirling like a princess with an added curtsey to bring the look together, she pinched the hem of the skirt that fit her like a glove. “It’s perfect.”
Not too short. Not too long.
Now she emulated all the little girls in fashion magazines who appear to outshine everyone who sported jeans that were far too frumpy for her taste. She didn’t want to go against her father’s rules, but she just couldn’t resist looking as pretty as Jeol did the day they went to their first amusement park. “We can totally be like sisters now.” Jeol was a boy. She understood that much. But he did say he could be her female counterpart, so she took it as an invitation to dress just as he did on a day to day basis. She felt like a real princess with her legs expose and the frills of her skirt swirling about her with every beautiful twirl she made. It was the first time she ever tried on a piece of clothing Jungbae deemed the work of the devil and what her father had strictly forbid. She wasn’t sure what would happen when they all met at the breakfast table, but their reactions were the last thing on her mind.
“Jeol!” She ran up to the bed and, like a feisty little kitten who vied for his attention, jumped on him with arms circled around his waist. “Wake up! Wake up!” Zero had joined into the pile of bodies with his tail waving in the air. He licked the boy and rolled around the bed like a hyperactive little pup unable to contain his excitement. “It’s a new day, which means you have to show me everything. You have to show me your cool program thingy you were talking about and we have to eat super yummy food.” But first things first. “Look!” She practically squealed at the top of her lungs as she jumped to her feet with her hands splaying across the skirt she donned proudly on her hips. “Don’t I look pretty? I borrowed one of your skirts. I hope you don’t mind! I just really wanted to try one on.” It didn’t dawn on her that maybe, just maybe, her actions would bring an undesirable response that could damper on her parade. She didn’t know if digging into Jeol’s bag would upset him. She just figured that, since they were family now, there would be no reason to get all bent out of shape over something other people found rude and appalling. All she wanted – all she ever cared about- was being as happy as she could be and hopefully transferring that ray of sunshine upon a boy who needed to forget all the bad that tried to conquer the good that defined him in every sense of the word.
Love was useless to Pagoe, it was nothing more than a fantasy, a dream for children. It meant nothing to him.
It was strange to Pagoe on how all of this was turning out. At one point he was stabbing his mother, taking all his frustrations out on the source of all their pain and suffering. Now he was kissing his best friend and enjoying it. He wanted more now that he felt his lower lip between the other's teeth nibbling it gently pushing against him. Han was one of his most important people and cared for him deeply wanting to do anything for his friend, even follow him into hell if that is what it took to stay near him. He didn't call it love though, he refused to call it that even though this feeling couldn't be anything else but love. He didn't believe in that word anymore. He didn't fight the tongue that roamed his mouth, allowing Han to take control of him. It almost felt as if he was under a drug and Pagoe was alright with that, it helped him forget everything bad.
He almost missed Han's first words because of how into the kiss he was. Those words felt as they were burning into him as he pulled the other into a kiss himself trying to become more confident with this type of activity. He continued listening not having any words to say yet though a pained gasp escaped him when his back hit the dresser, his wounds still hadn't healed from the other night, plus he'd had a rather painful session with Jaesun earlier. Really his body just ached, but he pushed the pain away his only attention on Han who was acting so differently that he couldn't help, but be subdued. "You're such an idiot. I wasn't going to not hunt you down. You should know me better, I'm just sorry it took so long." His words were soft as their lips barely touched each others. "Of course I was right, I'm always right." There was the sassiness that made up Pagoe's core.
He didn't know how he ever could live without his best friend. He wasn't quite sure how he even survived that year without his friend around all the time. Pagoe had gotten into so much trouble since he seemed to attract it like a moth to a flame. Leaning into the hand on his cheek he was enjoyed the warmth of the arm draped over his neck. Han was his other side, they were just like a coin, you couldn't have one side without the other. They just balanced each other out. He could feel the erection of Han as well as his own as he continued to kiss the other.
Allowing the other to enter his mouth yet again he allowed himself to be tasted by his friend. He wanted to please Han, wanted him to forget all of his troubles just as his friend was attempting to chase all his worries away as well. He could taste Han while he was being devoured, funnily enough he always thought the other had a kind of spicy taste that didn't fit him. He always though Han would taste sweeter like chocolate.
Soft moans and groans escaped him as Han traveled down his body and as Han hit certain spots even soft mewls would escape without Pagoe's permission. Soon enough Pagoe was on his knees with Pagoe having to look down slightly to watch him as his friend's tongue entered his navel and start to play with it. Now was the time more little mewls escaped him as his bellybutton was nipped and nibbled on until red.
Again he almost missed the words that came out of Han's mouth. He remembered the conversation they had before they'd gone to the amusement park. He could still picture the fury his friend had etched on his face and the betrayal he felt towards him during that time, it wasn't a good feeling. Their eyes met and when he saw the smile he couldn't help, but smile as well. He didn't have anything to say to his friend though, but what could he have said?
A blush appeared as the towel was tugged away from the hips that it fit so snugly around and he was exposed to Han's eyes. He was slightly embarrassed at being exposed to his best friend, they'd never done anything like this before, but it didn't feel wrong in the least. Shivering when he felt the feather touch of the lips on his inner-thigh, he tried hard to pay attention to the words of his friend. He wasn't sure what he could say to his friend to make him feel. He wasn't sure if he could risk himself being hurt again by even thinking about allowing to believe in love again.
A gasp escaped his lips feeling the tongue along him and the mouth that engulfed his length without warning. He wasn't ready for it so suddenly, however if it was Han he didn't mind. The fingers that brushed against the bandages made him shiver yet again and a light wince happened when the fingers ran over the actual wound. It was fine though, everything Han did was fine because he was making him forget.
He wasn't afraid by the hands gripping his hips in place or the fact that he couldn't escape the grasp unless he truly tried to. This was Han that was here and his friend would never hurt him on purpose, he knew what he was doing. Really it should have probably hurt much more, but Han had this way of making the pain seem insignificant as if it was nothing more than an itch you could barely tell was there. All Pagoe could feel was pleasure and that was fine with him.
The sounds that came out of him would have embarrassed him if the pleasure wasn't there to distract him from everything. Nothing was more important than this moment right now. Feeling the tongue massaging him, was bringing him closer to the edge of his pleasure. He wasn't sure he'd last much longer and almost missed the man who walked through the door.
Han hadn't stopped at all when Jaesun walked through the door and instead continued with his pleasuring. Pagoe however couldn't ignore the man who was in the room with them. The blush grew darker on his face as he realized they had a spectator watching them. He had been close when the other walked in and now he couldn't hold himself back anymore.
Okay so he was slumped in pleasure feeling pretty embarrassed as his eyes glanced over in Jaesun's direction for a brief moment before turning back to Han who he knew also had a problem that needed taking care of. Gently Pagoe had pushed at Han until the other was finally of him and was on his knees blushing as he leaned in to kiss the other. His hand traveled down to the other's jeans as he slowly started undoing them.
It took him a little time to finally get the pants off and expose Han, but once he did have him exposed he wasted no time in going down and taking the other into his mouth clumsily. He was nowhere near as experienced as Han had been, but that wouldn't stop him from trying at least. If Han could make him forget his worries than Pagoe had to try and make Han forget his own worries as well. He'd forgotten about their spectator for the moment all his concentration on trying to pleasure Han.
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It had been easy for Jidae to fall asleep on the couch. It was much more comfortable then his old bed, though he would have enjoyed some night clothes instead. He didn't dream of anything, it was normal for him to have dreamless sleeps though once in a blue moon he'd have a dream. He'd heard his name sounding muffled though as his sleepy mind tried to process it.
He could feel someone looming over him and that made him tense. However this person knew his name and not a lot of people here knew who he was, but he was still on edge. The whispered voice stopped his thoughts from going into overdrive and instinctively drawing his knife out to defend himself. It was Tristan, he was safe with Tristan. His eyes cracked open lightly and he sighed softly at being woken up, but the fingers running through his hair, lightly caressing them made him relax happily.
"Mm kay." The reply was muffled and tired as he closed his eyes after the kiss against his cheek. Of course he trusted Tristan completely knowing the other would keep him safe in the apartment. Jidae felt safe in Tristan's arms as he felt the sensation of being carried around. He'd fallen back into a dreamless sleep as they traveled around. He didn't stir when he was placed on the bed and tucked in. The boy just nuzzled into the covers and breathed in the scent of Tristan that was wrapped around him.
The arm that wrapped around him didn't produce any sort of reaction from the sleeping boy who was relaxed in the presence of the man who held him close. He didn't know the effect he was having on Tristan, but he knew the effect Tristan was having on him. The boy felt so much calmer and happier around the older man, he wanted to stay close to him.
Once the warmth faded away from him, he shuffled slightly before settling down again. It only took an hour for the boy to finally wake up again, it was still dark outside as he looked at the window the moonlight was shining through. He studied his surroundings knowing he wasn't in his own room considering his brother was nowhere to be found. His eyes fell on Tristan's sleeping form and smiled lightly. He cautiously got out of the bed not wanting to wake the other up and laid the blanket over him. He was confused on why Tristan was on the floor instead of the bed, but didn't question it.
Wandering over to the wall the looked more like an immense bookshelf. He studied the books quickly and picked up one of them having to stand on his tip-toes to reach it. It was the book that Tristan was talking about. It was 'Lolita.' Jidae stared at it for a little while before wandering over to the window seat and boosted himself up onto it quietly. He didn't want to wake Tristan, that wouldn't have been fair.
Flipping to the first page of the book, Jidae began reading it using the moonlight as his lightsource. This was something he did daily, Jidae didn't sleep very well since he lived with his mother. He had taken to staying up in the middle of the night in order to watch over his brother. Even now that he was somewhere new, old habits die hard.
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The moisture on his shirt didn't bother the little boy in the slightest. Jeol didn't mind Ren crying into the shirt that still had Jungbae's scent on it because he knew that for she'd feel better if she let the tears fall rather than keeping them locked inside. He didn't want her to continue feeling the emotions that a girl as young as her didn't need to hide from her brother. Yes they were family now and family didn't need to keep things from each other. Even if she needed to keep up a front to other people she could always be herself in front of Jeol and Jidae. They weren't going to judge her or call her weak for being herself.
"T-then you'll have t-to keep me from b-being a monster a-also. I'll n-never let that h-happen to you." It was a promise between them. He wouldn't allow Ren to become a monster as long as she didn't let him fall into the darkness as well. He'd seen what happened to some people that let themselves be devoured by their weakness and ultimately lost their lives to them, Jeol wouldn't let that happen. Protecting Ren would be his life's mission. Deep down however he knew that she one day needed to succeed her father and to do that she'd need to become like him. That didn't automatically mean that she needed to become a monster, she didn't need to be a monster to take her father's place.
"I l-love you too R-ren." He'd never stop caring for the girl who was now his sister, someone he wanted to protect with all his heart and soul. Arms were wrapped around her as she slept and he nuzzled the top of her head gently, nose brushing into the strands of blond hair just like his oldest brother.
Sleep didn't come easy for the little boy who was terrified and paranoid that someone would come through the door and try something again. For an hour he laid with Ren awake as he waited for something horrible to happen, but soon enough he'd succumbed to sleep that pulled at him restlessly. He could only hope that what Ren said was true and the small, strange looking doll would keep the bad dreams away.
When Ren peeled herself away from the sleeping child he didn't even stir. It was amazing that he'd even gotten to sleep let alone wasn't having some sort of nightmare. His face was peaceful even when the girl completely disentangled, all he did was curl up slightly and hug the doll that had been between them the entire night. Jeol wasn't used to waking up next to someone so it wasn't unusual for his body to not realize that Ren had moved from her previous position, plus the boy was enjoying his peaceful slumber that he probably wouldn't have woken up immediately anyway.
Kariya had watched the two rascals from her spot on the floor near the door. She was perfectly calm unlike the child and dog that seemed to have boundless energy. Brown eyes rolled as she watched the two of them interact together, they were such children. Though the little pup had an excuse considering she was a child, but the dog had no excuse for his behavior. She had been sleeping lightly her attention to the door as she kept watch since the dog decided he'd sleep on the bed instead. Kariya would never climb onto a piece of furniture no matter how much her young masters attempted to get her too. At a young age she learned that her place was on the floor and that's where she stayed. The movement of Ren had brought her from the world of slumber back to the living as she watched the two scuttle over towards Jeol's bag on the floor.
Staying rooted to her spot next to the door, Kariya watched the two more intently as they got to the bag on the floor. One of the items in there was really important to her master and she didn't want it to be broken, that would break her young master's heart. It didn't seem that was what she wanted though as after shuffling around his things and heading towards the mirror that was in the room, in her hands one of the skirts that belonged to Jeol. Head tilted she watched the girl put on the skirt curiously, Ren seemed to be enjoying it as she twirled around acting much like a princess. Kariya admitted that her newest young master looked cute in the skirt as she rested her head on her paws once again deeming everything fine. If anything she knew the male dog would handle things if anything happened or else she'd claw his ears off.
Jeol woke with a start at the sound of his name. He shot up, a look of terror on his face as he was woken by the energetic duo that was Zero and Ren. He calmed slightly when he saw it was only those two that were there and it wasn't his mother or one of those men. "G-good m-morning." It was an automatic response now that his heart stopped racing. He looked at her now that she mentioned the skirt and she really did look pretty in it. He nodded and gave her a small smile as he reached out to pet the hyperactive dog on the bed gently. "Y-you look really p-pretty Ren. I-it's okay, I d-don't mind." He really didn't mind as long as she didn't break any of his electronics. He then remembered her mentioning showing her his programs and he perked happily. He'd almost forgotten about showing her his programs.
He got off the bed after giving Zero one more pat and happily went over to his backpack just grabbing the entire thing while head back to the bed. Carefully he took the old, worn-out looking laptop and placed it on the bed looking over it to check its condition. He trusted Ren not to break anything of his, but the laptop was really old so anything could potentially damage it. Seeing nothing out of place with it he opened it up slowly before hitting the power button. Digging through his bag he pulled out another set of clothes before shyly excusing himself to the bathroom to change while the laptop booted up, he was reluctant to leave it on the bed with Zero there, but figured Ren would watch it to make sure nothing happened. He was back within a minute donning his normal clothing and put the folded shirt of Jungbae on the bed, he'd return it to him later. He smoothed out his skirt shyly as he looked at Ren with a smile.
Finally the computer had booted up fully and the start screen appeared though it looked strange. The background wasn't a picture one would typically find on their computer, instead it looked more like the inside of an actual network. The background was dark grey with green blocks seemingly floating around and moving by themselves.Standing out the most though was a large green oak tree that also looked like data and it stood in the middle of the screen. Nothing seemed to be on the computer as well since there were no icons, no start bar, nothing but the screen. Okay there wasn't nothing, there seemed to be a small chat-like box in the lower right hand corner of the screen, it was blank, but Jeol seemed completely fine with the computer as if it was normal when most would think the thing was broken or messed up.
Small fingers danced along the keyboard as he typed in a practiced sequence, Jeol had been doing this for a long time and it was almost automatic to type the sequence to unlock the computer for commands. "W-watch." He was excited to show Ren something of his and proceeded to type a command into the computer. A long string of numbers appeared as he typed in the command, but soon disappeared, instead from the right side of the screen a bird-like creature appeared. The red flaming feathers stood in contrast with the green and dark grey as it landed onto a branch of the tree. A few seconds later another animal appeared along the left side of the screen, a little orange tabby cat walked to the trunk of the tree standing beside it, tail lazily waving around.
"Good morning master." A calm voice filtered through the old speakers as the phoenix seemed to look directly out at the screen towards them as if aware they were there. The cat on the other hand was bouncing happily now around the tree as he chirped a reply as well. "Mornin' master~" It was such a cheerful voice coming from the speakers in contrast with the calm voice.
Jeol was typing again as they finished speaking and the creatures idled around waiting for a new command. "Y-you can talk to t-them if you w-want. I-if I had a b-better laptop w-we'd be able t-to talk through the m-mic, but you c-can type to them!" He was excited to have Ren meet his two AI units in the computer. They helped him out a lot and he wanted Ren to like them as well considering he created them.
By the time Jeol had finished speaking the cat had disappeared which was strange considering it was orange and stood out from everything. Soon enough however a little kitty head peeked up from the bottom of the screen and waved its paw happily. "Hi Ren~ Its nice to meet you~ My name is Alter!" Alter was happy to meet a friend of his master finally, as it seemed to stare directly at the girl before turning to his master. "Master! This network security is shitty, I don't know who maintains it, but they suck at their job! There have been multiple attacks on this network and if we hadn't stopped them it could have destroyed everything and left all their work visible to whoever wanted it! You need to tell whoever runs this place that they need someone more competent right away 'cause I'm tired of defending it!" He huffed running around the screen full of energy as the phoenix glided down and landed on a small stump that materialized.
"Greetings Ren. A pleasure to meet you." The phoenix dipped its head politely towards Ren. "My name is Retla and I apologize for Alter's behavior. However he is correct in saying that this security system isn't up to par. We have been dealing with the attacks since we got here. They are quite frequent so I don't know how it has survived this long." She sounded worried as she preened at her fiery wings lightly to distract herself.
A worried look appeared on his face as he heard that and he turned to Ren. "Y-you should tell your d-dad about this." Jeol wouldn't be confident enough to tell Jaesun considering the boy was terrified of the man. He was about to say something else, but his stomach growled lowly causing a blush to appear. "I-I guess we should g-go get some food?" It was a suggestion, they were probably both hungry and he wanted to try some yummy food. "We c-can bring the l-laptop with us so y-you can talk t-to them if you w-want." He wasn't sure who would be at breakfast, but as long as Ren was with him everything would be fine.
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