Archive of Our Own

Donghyuck is prone to loving broken things.

When he was 7 he broke his favorite action figure, but refused to throw it away even though the tape holding its limbs together was dirty and barely sticky after a day of play. When he was 13 he broke his ipod screen and pieces of glass were falling out, cutting up his thumbs every time he tried to use it. When he was 16 his backpack strap broke, and even though it looked silly he just tied the broken straps together and finished his school year without complaint.

To Donghyuck, even if something is broken, it doesn’t always need to be fixed, and the same has applied to most things in his life.

Including his love life.

Now Donghyuck is 23, and what is he supposed to do when he walks in on his boyfriend covered in blood, standing over a dead body in their living room?

Well, it’s just another broken thing.

“How did you two even meet?” Renjun asks in hushed tones at Donghyuck’s kitchen table, the cheap light buzzing above them while Jaemin sits on the couch in the living room with the tv at a low volume. Renjun looks over at the man shrouded in the dark room, the light from the tv making him nothing more than a silhouette, before glancing back over at his friend.

“He always came in during my night shift at the bar,” Donghyuck replies with a shrug, taking a sip from his tea and clearly not picking up on his friend’s apprehension. “He’s a med student, and really nice, Junnie. We’re friends.” 

Renjun spins his tea in his mug, the slight clanking sound of his spoon against the ceramic breaking through the other muted noises of the room. He takes a moment to consider the situation, because though Jaemin greeted him nicely when he opened Donghyuck’s front door when Renjun came to visit, Renjun doesn’t like that a strange man is opening his friend’s door without having ever met him before. Is he being paranoid? Maybe. But when he peeks over at Jaemin once again, he sees the outline of his profile, his head turned as if trying to listen to the conversation. Renjun shivers, chewing on his bottom lip before looking back over at Donghyuck.

“Okay, just be careful, alright? And invite him out this weekend. I want to see him interact with other people before I give my seal of approval.”

Donghyuck chuckles slightly at him, but nods nonetheless. He’s always trusted Renjun to be the rational one in their friendship, because he takes on the role of the extrovert who would become friends with his kidnapper if given enough time to learn about his childhood. Donghyuck just loves people, maybe even to a fault, but Jaemin always smiles at him with so much warmth and laughs at all his jokes. He doesn’t sense a bad bone in Jaemin’s body. The guy’s just lonely, and working full time while going to night school has made him in need of company. What kind of person would he be to not bring him in and offer his friendship?

Not a very good one, he reasons.

When Renjun finally gets up to leave, Donghyuck bids him goodbye with a hug at the door, and after shutting it closed, he turns to see Jaemin standing right behind him, his face half in shadow from the dim kitchen light illuminating his profile. Donghyuck jumps slightly at the sight of him, a yelp escaping him as he clutches his chest.

“Jesus, Jaemin, you scared me,” he breathes out with a light laugh, only for Jaemin to take a step back with a small chuckle.

“Sorry, I was heading towards the kitchen. You hungry? I can make some dinner?”

Donghyuck smiles at him, his cheeks turning up as he nods slowly. “Sure, Jaem, I’d love that.”

☽

The weekend rolls around, and Donghyuck is grateful that Jaemin has agreed to go to the party that Renjun invited them to, mostly because his gaze has been on him like a flame to kindling ever since they arrived and started getting lost in the crowd. Donghyuck likes having the attention on him, like he’s the only one in the room despite the roaring music and chatter of people. Everything is going perfectly, even with the minor bump in the road.

It starts when Mark approaches them.

“Ducky!” Mark calls as he immediately goes in for a hug, forcing Donghyuck from Jaemin’s side and unknowingly making him bristle. “I was hoping you’d be by!”

Donghyuck pulls back from the hug, grinning at his friend before following said friend’s gaze that’s looking over his fluffy brown hair towards Jaemin. “Oh!” With a small chastising smack to his own forehead, Donghyuck stands between the two men to introduce them. “Jaemin, this is Mark. Mark, this is my friend, Jaemin,” Donghyuck says with a smile, detaching from Mark’s side to rejoin his place next to Jaemin. Jaemin can’t help the way his arm wraps around Donghyuck’s shoulders when he does, his possessiveness getting the better of him in the presence of this… stranger.

“Nice to meet you, man. How long have you and Hyuckie known each other?” Mark asks with a bit of hesitancy on his semblance, clearly catching onto whatever tone of arrogance Jaemin's actions have taken on. Jaemin doesn't appreciate the accusing looks, so he does what he does best: lies.

"It's nice to meet you too," he replies with a warm smile, putting on his practiced facade to trick Mark into a false sense of security. "I have to admit, I'm horrible with introductions, but Donghyuck has told me so much about you that I think we'll get along just fine." Right away it works, and the slightest bit of tension in Mark's shoulders melts away.

The trio exchange little tidbits of their lives to catch up, and by the end of it Jaemin has his hand in Donghyuck's back pocket, subtly squeezing his ass. The handsiness doesn't go unnoticed by Donghyuck, but he's just as good at hiding it as Jaemin is. Jaemin smirks in satisfaction and pride over how perfect his Donghyuck is, always able to keep up, never taken by surprise.

When they finally rid themselves of Mark they grab a pair of fresh drinks, and Jaemin leads Donghyuck upstairs, claiming it's too noisy downstairs to talk. Donghyuck doesn't question him at all, a knowing spark in his eyes that matches the way he fidgets with his hands. It's no secret that they are breaking into more than friends territory, or perhaps that's been both of their plans all along, but either way there is no hesitancy as Donghyuck follows Jaemin into the library, closing the door himself so that they're hidden inside.

"Mark's a bit of a chatterbox," Jaemin grumbles lightheartedly while taking a sip from his beer, leaning back against one of the bookshelves while eyeing Donghyuck over the rim of his cup.

Donghyuck snorts out a laugh at that, moseying up to Jaemin's side with an amused hum until their shoulders are touching. He seems even more playful than Jaemin's original actions, and warmth pools in Jaemin's gut at the realization that Donghyuck really does want him too. "Yeah, but we love the guy. He and I used to date in high school but it didn't really end up going anywhere. Obviously." Donghyuck gestures to the door as if Mark were standing by it, and Jaemin follows the lines of his hands to trace up Donghyuck's arm, outlining him with his gaze until their eyes meet at the very top. Donghyuck is smiling at him, his eyes a bit droopy as if he were a cat bathing in the afternoon sun, and Jaemin is enamored by him. Even if the mere thought of Mark touching him has made his body turn to ice.

"Doesn't seem like your type," he bites out with all the bitterness he intends, taking another sip from his drink before setting the cup on one of the shelves. Donghyuck watches his movements too, but this time when their eyes meet, tanned cheeks are turned up in a nervous laugh, and momentarily Jaemin worries he's frightened him.

However, that worry melts away almost instantly when Donghyuck bites down on his bottom lip, setting his own cup down next to Jaemin's with the same small giggle. Donghyuck isn't nervous because of what Jaemin said, but just because he's with Jaemin, and the heat returns to his limbs like a match catches atop oil. One second they're staring into each other's eyes, and the next Jaemin decides he can't take it anymore, slowly moving into Donghyuck’s space.

“Jaemin—”

But Donghyuck doesn’t get to finish, because in the same breath Jaemin is shoving him back into the bookshelf with greedy hands on his waist, and when their lips connect in a long overdue kiss, Donghyuck forgets about absolutely everything else.

☽

“I can’t believe he’s just gone,” Donghyuck whispers, eyes staring off into space as he gets lost in his own head. “No note, left his phone behind, didn’t tell his parents. He’s just… gone.”

Something flashes in Jaemin’s eyes; something akin to satisfaction that he immediately masks with a practiced expression of empathetic pain. “I’m sorry, baby. C’mere,” he mumbles as he pulls Donghyuck into a hug, wrapping his arms tighter around him when his body begins to tremble with tears. “Shh… I’ve got you, Hyuck,” Jaemin soothes, running his hand up and down Donghyuck’s back. 

Donghyuck can’t see him, but his mask shatters in an instant, the life fading from his eyes as his lips curve up into a sharp smirk. It’s the look of a madman, but a madman who has gotten exactly what he wanted.

“I’ve got you.”

☽

1 YEAR LATER

“Babe? Have you seen the tomato knife?” Donghyuck calls from the kitchen, hands on his hips as he stares at their drawer full of various kitchen utensils.

“It’s in the dishwasher, my love. I used it to make dinner last night,” Jaemin replies from where he sits at the kitchen table, his laptop open and coffee going cold. 

The pair have only been living together for a month, but they already have their own little routine. They hardly have a proper breakfast unless Jaemin has the time to whip something up, but Donghyuck always makes them lunch while Jaemin works on homework, and granted he’s not too exhausted, Jaemin always makes them dinner. Of course they’re privy to their use of delivery and have opened more to-go containers than they’d be able to count, but the routine is still there, and it’s still as satisfying for Donghyuck every time he’s able to do something for Jaemin, even if it’s small.

Donghyuck opens the dishwasher and peeks inside per Jaemin’s suggestion, and sure enough, the tomato knife is in the silverware rack. He pulls it out with a little noise of triumph, and Jaemin chuckles at him from his seat. “What are you making in there?” Jaemin asks with a hint of amusement still illuminating his features as he stands from the table, coming up to stand behind Donghyuck while wrapping his arms around his waist. Donghyuck laughs at Jaemin's touchiness, leaning back into his hold with a content hum.

"BLT sandwiches with a salad," Donghyuck replies as he sets the knife down next to the tomato on the cutting board, turning in Jaemin's hold with a grin. "Everything's ready I just need to put the sandwiches together," he adds while wrapping his arms around Jaemin's neck, leaning closer to peck his lips.

Jaemin however doesn't let him go after the single peck, one of his hands coming up to hold the back of Donghyuck's head while bringing him into another, deeper kiss. Donghyuck responds immediately, their lips moving together with practiced ease and neverending exhilaration . No matter how many times they kiss it feels like a new sensation spreads to every nerve ending in Jaemin's body, and his senses get suffocated with Donghyuck, Donghyuck, Donghyuck .

"Jaemin," Donghyuck breathes out into the kiss, one of his legs coming up to hook around Jaemin's hip, and right away Jaemin gets the hint, reaching down to grip underneath Donghyuck's thighs to hoist him all the way up. Donghyuck wraps his legs around Jaemin's waist, letting himself be spun around and set on the kitchen island. He yelps when his exposed thighs touch the cold marble, but Jaemin doesn't let him pull away from the kiss.

Things escalate quickly, and Jaemin licks into Donghyuck's mouth without hesitation, swallowing every little sound from his boyfriend's mouth he can get. Donghyuck is always so eager for attention, obsessed with pleasure and even more so when it's Jaemin giving it to him. Over the year that they've been dating they've played little games where they wont let each other touch, torturing themselves by watching the other get off all on his own. They both like to feel wanted, like to feel desired, but they're also just as happy to give it back ten fold.

"You want me?" Jaemin murmurs against Donghyuck's lips, tugging on his bottom lip with his teeth before trailing wet kisses along his jaw, grinding his hips forward into Donghyucks' crotch that has nowhere to escape to. Jaemin's hands grip onto his ass, and when Donghyuck affords him a desperate nod, he slips his fingers into the fabric of his shorts without a second thought.

"Are you seriously going to fuck me in the kitchen?" Donghyuck asks breathlessly, a hint of delirious amusement in his tone as he lets Jaemin mark his neck, whimpering at the sting of his teeth grazing the sensitive skin. Donghyuck is used to Jaemin's little obsession though, thankful that his job isn't weird about that kind of stuff, or else he'd be fucked. He doesn't think a day has gone by since the first time he kissed Jaemin that he hasn't had a mark of some sort on him from his boyfriend, little love bites and hickeys and scratches to prove that he was there. Some people might find it a nuisance, but Donghyuck is in love with every single one, just as he is in love with Jaemin.

"Not like we basically haven't before," Jaemin finally replies as his fingers dig into the plush of Donghyuck's bare ass, making him moan softly in his hold as his hands tangle in Jaemin's hair. Jaemin hums appreciatively at the sting on his scalp, and sucks a deep bruise at the base of Donghyuck's neck in retaliation. "Now take your shorts off, baby. I'm gonna grab some lube."

Jaemin places a quick peck over the deep red mark he has left behind before detaching from Donghyuck's body, only having to go as far as his backpack on the kitchen table to find what he's looking for. From the beginning, Donghyuck and Jaemin have been an enthusiastic couple, obsessed with each other beyond belief and shamelessly so. Combine that with Jaemin's fascination for risky public situations and they have found that they pretty much need to be ready for sex at any given moment. However in times like these that's a blessing, because when Jaemin turns around Donghyuck is bare for him, thighs plush and open, begging for Jaemin to make a home between them.

"God," Jaemin groans as he comes back up to Donghyuck, settling between his legs while dropping the lube onto the countertop. "You're so fucking beautiful, Hyuck." As he speaks his fingers dig into Donghyuck's tanned thighs, reveling in the way they appear thicker with how he's sitting on the counter. Everything about Donghyuck is mind numbing, completely unreal, as if he'd been crafted by the gods and handed to Jaemin in a beautiful package of moles and sun kissed smiles.

Donghyuck preens at the compliment, tugging impatiently at Jaemin's shirt to try and get it off of him. "It'd be even sexier if you got naked and fucked me," he replies shamelessly, loving the way Jaemin's heated gaze melts his insides. Another lovely thing about Jaemin is his ability to become intense without even realizing, one second he's polite, intelligent, med student Jaemin, and the next he's making goosebumps form on Donghyuck's skin with how his eyes seem to devour him whole. His juxtapositions just make him better, in Donghyuck's eyes, and he wouldn't have him any other way.

"Impatient," Jaemin reprimands with no real bite, pulling his hands back from groping Donghyuck how he pleases to allow his shirt to be tugged off of his frame. As soon as the measly fabric is thrown to the kitchen floor and forgotten, Donghyuck makes quick work of the ties on his boyfriend’s sweatpants, determined to only let Jaemin back into his space when he's completely naked. Jaemin gets the hint, pushing his sweats and boxers off in one go, and this time when their lips connect, it is with all the hunger they possess for each other's bodies.

Jaemin doesn't hold back, squeezing and palming every inch of exposed skin, drinking the helpless mewls from Donghyuck that go straight to his cock before either of them have even touched each other. It's utterly laughable how easy they break each other down, but Jaemin is addicted to it, addicted to the way Donghyuck presses against his body in search of friction, arching his back in his hold like a needy slut. It's all so perfect every single time, and Jaemin awards Donghyuck's neediness with a hand around his half-hard cock, stroking him with purpose and giving a lopsided smile against Donghyuck's lips at the way his thighs tremble.

" Please ," he begs, thighs squeezing Jaemin's waist brutally, not allowing him any room to escape. "Please fuck me."

Jaemin hushes him with a light slap to his thigh, which only serves to excite Donghyuck more. With his free hand he reaches down for the lube, tapping the underside of Donghyuck's chin to get his attention. "Then open this for me," he says with far too much calm, bathing in the power that Donghyuck is giving him, especially when Donghyuck immediately complies with his request. Nimble fingers snatch the bottle of lube from him, clicking it open and pouring some onto Jaemin's waiting fingers without any care for where it will drip. "Good boy. Now lay back for me."

Jaemin hums when Donghyuck drops the lube bottle once again, chuckling at the way the straightforward praise makes Donghyuck whine as he leans back onto his elbows. Since they had sex the night before only hours ago, Donghyuck is still loose when Jaemin pushes into him with two slick fingers, watching in awe as Donghyuck's head falls back limply. Jaemin continues to stroke his cock as he stretches him open, and Donghyuck's whole body thrums with little jolts of pleasure from Jaemin's perfect hands.

"You don't need to prep me, babe. I can take it," Donghyuck pants out, his chest already heaving from the mixed sensations. He's always so sensitive, and when Jaemin flicks his wrist just right on the downstroke, squeezing the base of his boyfriend's cock just how he likes, Donghyuck collapses back onto the counter with a high pitched moan. " Oh —oh, fuck. Please fuck me. Please."

Even if Jaemin's own cock is painfully hard between his legs, leaking precum onto the counter at the mere sight of Donghyuck's body spread out just for him, he isn't disposed to give into Donghyuck's demands so easily. So instead he fucks into Donghyuck with slower strokes, releasing his cock to let it stand stiff against his tensing abdomen and smiling sadistically at the way more mindless begs spill past his plush lips. "I love when you're desperate, baby," he murmurs teasingly, crooking his fingers to press brutally into Donghyuck's prostate, making his back arch off the counter with a broken sigh. "Beg a little more, hm? Let me hear how badly you really want it."

This is part of their game, taking and giving and taking and giving until it's just right for the both of them. If Donghyuck wants to receive pleasure he has to stroke Jaemin's ego at the expense of his pride, and if Jaemin wants to feel like the big bad wolf blowing Donghyuck's house down, he has to coax the magic words from Donghyuck's mouth.

"P—Please, Jaemin. Want your cock," Donghyuck mewls, his fingers trying but failing to grasp something on the counter, being met only with cold marble that just serves to frustrate him more. "I'll do anything, just please ." His words pitch up at the end with a whine, sounding nearly on the verge of tears, and he knows that Donghyuck is putting on a show for him, but Jaemin eats up every second of it.

This time Jaemin is merciful, slipping his fingers out with a lewd slick sound that makes both of them shiver, coating his cock with the leftover lube before gripping onto Donghyuck’s perfect thighs. He tugs Donghyuck down to the very edge of the counter, manhandling him into position just the way he likes and reaping the rewards in the form of quiet gasps. Donghyuck's legs find their rightful place around Jaemin's waist, his pretty hands coming up to rest on either side of his head, looking up at Jaemin with the most sinful look he's ever seen.

"Since you asked so nicely," Jaemin murmurs while lining himself up with Donghyuck's entrance, capturing his gaze and devouring him whole before pushing into him slowly.

" Fuck— " Donghyuck bites out as his body accommodates to the size, biting down on his bottom lip to suppress the pathetic whines trying to escape him. His chest heaves with bated breaths until Jaemin's hips tap the backs of his thighs, and a quiet groan spills past his lips in a twisted sort of thanks. "Jaem, please," he begs all over again, reaching up to grab Jaemin's shoulders and tug him down, not minding the uncomfortable stretch on his legs or his back one bit. Being with Jaemin takes away all the pain, and when Jaemin drapes himself over Donghyuck, planting his hands on either side of his head while looking down at him with a satisfied grin, his mere ability to think leaves out the kitchen window. 

“You’re so pretty when you beg, love,” Jaemin says dazedly, dropping down into Donghyuck’s neck and mouthing at the already bruised skin as he pulls his hips back the slightest. His nails dig into Donghyuck's thighs as he thrusts shallowly, just enough to earn a pleasured sigh from his boyfriend's lips. "But you know I'd do anything for you."

A small chuckle escapes Donghyuck between his uneven breaths, his fingers tangling in Jaemin's hair as he squirms impatiently beneath him. "If you'd do anything for me then why won't you move ?"

Oh, Donghyuck knows Jaemin can't resist a good taunting, let alone one masqueraded as a challenge. Jaemin nips harshly at the hollow of his neck in retaliation, pinning Donghyuck down as he bites nearly hard enough to draw blood. Donghyuck's back arches into Jaemin's hold, the quiet of the kitchen being shattered by a high pitched moan as Jaemin finally, finally , pulls his hips back in a calculated motion, before thrusting back into Donghyuck's body with none of the tenderness he possessed before.

Jaemin laps at the burgeoning red mark he's made on Donghyuck's neck, licking over the angle of his jaw before capturing Donghyuck's parted lips in a desperate kiss. Donghyuck welcomes him eagerly, body surrendering to Jaemin's every whim and losing himself in the dizzying sensation of sharp pain mixing with heated pleasure. Nobody can make Donghyuck feel this way, nobody can reduce him down to pathetic whimpers as his body is shoved up and down with every thrust on the cold counter. It's euphoric, unreal, and Donghyuck understands with Jaemin why men do horrible, reckless things just for the chance to feel good.

"God—you're so fucking tight. Even after I fucked you just last night, baby, you still take my cock like the first time," Jaemin grits out against Donghyuck's lips, inhaling his every exhaled breath as he presses their foreheads together. Jaemin's body is thrumming with rapture, his mind heavy but limbs completely weightless. It's in his blood to take and take and take, but when it comes to Donghyuck he surrenders himself as much as the man beneath him surrenders to Jaemin. It's gratifying in the same way as taking a breath after being underwater for too long, or pouring hydrogen peroxide on a paper cut and reveling in the sting. Jaemin doesn't know how to exist without pain, doesn't know where the line draws between suffering and pleasure, but Donghyuck knows. Donghyuck understands him.

It's Donghyuck who's nails dig into Jaemin's neck, scratching against his shoulders and breaking skin. It's Donghyuck who bites on Jaemin's bottom lip without gentleness, making him unabashedly moan with every brutal thrust of his hips. Jaemin fucks him with all the vigor of a man in need of release, and Donghyuck lets himself be used for his fulfillment, because when this is all over Jaemin will still be the doting boyfriend and the selfless lover.

He'd die for Donghyuck.

He kills for Donghyuck.

He fucks Donghyuck just the way he likes.

It's all about blood in the end, all about leaving marks that will last a lifetime, because that is where true pleasure lies.

"Jaem— fuck —you feel so good," Donghyuck whines breathlessly, angling his hips to take the abuse of his cock in all the right places. He doesn't even have to ask for Jaemin to fuck into his prostate, doesn't have to guide him to know when he's close or when it's not enough. Donghyuck takes the uncomfortable sting of his shoulder blades being rubbed raw against the counter, and anticipates the ache that will settle in his body after Jaemin's done with him. "Please make me come, wanna come—" he stutters out senselessly, nails gripping into Jaemin's back as if he'll slip away. The heat in Donghyuck's body becomes unbearable, mind numbing, and he needs to be given what he so desperately seeks.

And little does he know this is exactly what Jaemin gets off on, Donghyuck asking despite being completely in control, surrendering even if Jaemin is nothing but a pawn beneath his thumb. They both know that at any moment Donghyuck could overpower the situation should he choose, but he doesn't, and Jaemin rewards him with a firm hand wrapping around the length of his cock.

"You wanna come, baby?" Jaemin murmurs as his thrusts become harder, messier, his hand stroking Donghyuck's cock with as much effervescence as his hips. "So sweet of you to ask."

Donghyuck cries out at the joint sensations, his body shuddering for lack of ability to control himself. Everything is so good , too much but just enough, and Donghyuck feels as taught as a bow stretched to it's very limits. There are stars dancing behind his closed eyes from how hard he's squeezing them, his throat sore from his ragged breaths. He knows he won't last much longer, so he clenches down on Jaemin's cock to make sure he's just as satisfied.

" Fuck —" Jaemin grunts almost immediately, his hips stuttering as he jerks Donghyuck off mercilessly. The air between them is too humid, no oxygen entering their lungs as sweat dances across their skin. "I'm gonna come in you, sweetheart. Would you like that?"

Donghyuck whines at the question, his jaw completely slack from the overwhelming sensations. Jaemin's hips stutter as he fucks him, his hand squeezing on the base of his cock just right , and with a broken cry of Jaemin's name on his lips, Donghyuck's body trembles on the counter as he comes in white ribbons.

Jaemin rocks Donghyuck through his orgasm, not slowing down his thrusts as he chases his own high. Donghyuck's body clenches impossibly around him as he melts into the aftershocks, and all it takes is Donghyuck tugging an impatient hand in his hair for Jaemin too to fall over the cliff's edge, his thrusts abruptly halting as he comes into Donghyuck, filling him up with the lewd warmth of satisfaction.

Their bodies are sticky as they catch their breath, Jaemin lazily kissing Donghyuck’s jaw as he waits for life to come back to his bones. When Donghyuck stirs beneath his weight he pulls himself up onto his hands, gazing down at Donghyuck with a satisfied smile. “I love you,” he says with a stupid grin, chuckling at the way Donghyuck’s nose scrunches up in faux disdain.

“Yeah, yeah. Clean me up,” Donghyuck huffs, his hips squirming from still being filled with Jaemin’s cock… and now his come. 

Jaemin however plays along with his little act, scoffing as if to act offended as he stands up straight, gripping Donghyuck’s waist and rubbing soothing circles into his stomach. “I don’t think that’s how you talk to the man that’s just invariably fucked your brains out, baby.” Though his words are reprimanding, his features are still bright, and as a result Donghyuck can’t help but smile with him. “But since I love you I’ll let it slide,” he murmurs as he leans down for one last kiss, distracting Donghyuck with a swipe of his tongue as he slowly pulls out. Donghyuck groans at the slick sensation, his features scrunching up at the feeling of cum and lube sliding down his ass and onto the counter. 

☽

“He’s so annoying, Jaem. I swear every corner I turn he’s there with his stupid little puppy dog eyes, begging for my attention. He’s the new guy, so I tried to be nice at first, but he’s started trying to walk me home!” Donghyuck huffs, slinking back into Jaemin’s chest in the warmth of the shower, shoulders slumping in defeat. “I just wish he’d leave me alone.”

To the untrained eye, Jaemin’s reaction may seem completely non-existent as he hums contemplatively in reply, but Donghyuck can tell just by the way his grip tightens on his slippery waist that Jaemin does not like the sound of this one bit. His suspicions are confirmed only a mere few seconds later, when Jaemin mumbles, “you should fucking report the creep.”

By now Donghyuck knows how protective Jaemin is, and it’s honestly one of his favorite things about him. He trusts Donghyuck endlessly, and his protectiveness never turns into controllingness, but he is always so vehemently against anyone who even remotely inconveniences him. It’s kind of nice to have a cheerleader with the stare of a vengeful demon in your corner when supermarket employees give you attitude. “Baby, it's okay,” Donghyuck murmurs as he turns with a reassuring smile, wrapping his arms around Jaemin’s neck to pull him into a chaste kiss. “If he gets really weird I’ll tell the manager, okay? But for now I think he’s just a weird kid.”

Jaemin sighs in blatant dislike of the situation, but smiles in defeat nonetheless, affording Donghyuck a warm smile before capturing him in a kiss once again. This time their lips linger a bit longer, Jaemin playfully nipping at his bottom lip to elicit a small laugh from his beautiful boyfriend. “Fine,” he acquises, sliding his hands down to cup Donghyuck’s ass. “Just stay safe, okay?”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes in amusement, squirming under Jaemin’s teasing touch. “I always am, especially when I know that coming home safe and sound means being groped in the shower.” This time it’s Jaemin who laughs, a genuine sound rumbling from his chest that makes the atmosphere lighter, the pair getting lost in affectionate touches and mindless drags of their lips.

Jaemin knows Donghyuck will always do what he thinks is best, but sometimes his best is dangerous, and Jaemin is sure to keep a watchful eye just in case he decides to be too kind.

☽

“Yup, thanks Yangyang. Uh-huh. Okay. Goodbye!” Donghyuck calls out the door impatiently before slamming it shut, collapsing back against it with an exhausted huff. He slips his shoes off and hangs his denim jacket up on the rack before turning towards the kitchen, but when his gaze lifts from the floor he jumps at the sight of a shadowed figure hidden in the dim corner by the fridge, and his heart only stops it’s descent south when he sees Jaemin step into the overhead light. “Jesus fucking christ, babe. You scared me,” Donghyuck exhales with a laugh, continuing his trek into the kitchen before opening up the fridge, leaning in to place a kiss to Jaemin’s stiff cheek before grabbing the juice from the fridge. “What’s up?”

Jaemin doesn’t answer right away, his eyes hooded and body so taught that Donghyuck just knows he’s gritting his teeth. Instead he sniffs, arms crossing against his chest as he hovers behind Donghyuck, watching him pour himself a glass of juice. “Was that that weirdo you were telling me about? Did you let him walk you home ?”

Donghyuck snorts, completely unphased by Jaemin’s demeanor as he takes a sip of his mango juice, reaching out with his free hand to pull his boyfriend closer. “ Let is a strong word,” he grumbles as he pulls Jaemin’s arms apart, instead wrapping them around him haphazardly until Jaemin puts in some of the work himself and tugs him into a tight hug. Donghyuck lets out a soft oof , reaching behind him to set his juice down before wrapping his arms around Jaemin’s waist, nuzzling into the crook of his neck with a hum. “It’s fine, baby, really. He’s harmless.”

“But he bothers you,” Jaemin grunts, his hand lazily carding through Donghyuck’s hair. “I can hear it in your voice, and what bothers you—”

Donghyuck lifts his head, not letting Jaemin get another word in. “Bothers you too, I know my love.” There’s no impatience or frustration in his voice, but still Jaemin’s expression somehow sours further, displeased that Donghyuck isn’t weeding out every unmentionable from his life. If Jaemin were to have it his way, Donghyuck wouldn’t ever have to feel an uncomfortable emotion again, but c’est la vie. “I don’t wanna talk about him anymore,” Donghyuck murmurs with a slight whine, leaning in slowly until his lips brush the corner of Jaemin’s mouth. “I missed you so much, Jaem. So, so much.”

This seems to finally do the trick, the stiffness in Jaemin’s body slowly melting away as his hand cups the back of Donghyuck’s neck to keep him still. “Is that right?” he hums with a growing need already dripping from his words, their bodies pressing flush against each other all over again. 

☽

Jaemin sits on the couch, leg tapping incessantly as he awaits the arrival of his guest. His guest he invited using a stolen phone number from his boyfriend’s work while visiting him to drop off dinner. To the untrained eye Jaemin probably looks nervous, but the feelings that flurry inside of him, setting him aflame like a strong drink, are from anything but nerves. Jaemin feels power, satisfaction, anticipation , but not nerves. Not fear. 

When the doorbell rings Jaemin stands from the couch with the fluidity of a predator, his prey walking straight into his den like a wounded gazelle stumbling upon a hyena while searching for a place to rest. Jaemin had texted him saying he was Donghyuck, asking him to hangout at his place for the night. At one point he hesitated, his sharp clarity melting away as he considered how this might affect Donghyuck in the future, but then Yangyang made a grave mistake that quite frankly took his own life.

When Yangyang replied to the offer of a hangout, his first mistake stemmed from him asking if Donghyuck’s boyfriend would be present, and he sealed his fate the moment he replied with “Good :)” to the confirmation that he wouldn't be.

“Yangyang,” Jaemin says with a smile, putting on his perfect mask of cordiality and sweetness upon opening the door. Immediately Yangyang’s eyes practically bug out of his skull, and Jaemin gives him a properly timed look of confusion. “You’re here to see Hyuck, right? He should be here any minute, traffic is probably just bad.” There’s a pause, Jaemin watching Yangyang decide in his head if this is still worth it. “As soon as he gets here I’ll be heading out, so… would you like to come in?”

Yangyang glances behind himself, then turns and looks past Jaemin into the apartment to check for whatever it is he’s checking for. “Sure,” he replies with a shrug, stepping into the entryway and straight to his unknown demise.

Jaemin closes the door behind him, bolting it shut with only the quietest of clicks. Yangyang turns abruptly at the sound, but Jaemin is already pulling away from the door with a smile, gesturing for Yangyang to join him in the kitchen. “Tea?” he asks as he walks past Yangyang, coming around to the other side of the counter where his electric kettle sits. 

The atmosphere is filled with tension of various kinds, Jaemin filled to the brim with plotting his next movements—one after the other—whereas Yangyang looks as if he’s about to run away. Jaemin finds it amusing that the guy looks so guilty, so afraid before anything has even happened, but that just confirms Jaemin’s suspicions that his intentions were bad all along. 

"You okay?" Jaemin asks when he does not receive an answer, the sound of his voice making Yangyang jump. This just further entertains him, and he has to hide his smirk as he grabs two clean mugs from the cupboard before setting them down next to the kettle.

Yangyang's gaze flicks to the mugs, and he hesitantly slides into one of the barstools as he watches Jaemin put two teabags into the spotless ceramic. "I'm fine, I just—" he stops himself, clearing his throat before flashing Jaemin a forced smile. "Not good with strangers, I guess."

Once again Jaemin has to hide his satisfaction, wondering if the fear that courses through Yangyang's veins is similar to that of a cat near a dog, even if the dog appears harmless on the surface. It's instinctual, and something in Yangyang senses danger from Jaemin, which makes his whole body erupt with warmth. "Really? I find that quite surprising," Jaemin replies as he grabs the steaming kettle, pouring hot water into both of their mugs and immediately releasing the earthy aroma of green tea into the air. He slides Yangyang's mug over to him before bringing his own to his lips, eyeing the man over the rim of his mug with an accusation in his fiery eyes. "You seemed perfectly capable of warming up to Donghyuck, but I suppose he's just quite magnetic."

Yangyang's fingers curl around the steaming mug, bringing it closer to him but not finding the strength to take a drink. His cheeks flush red at Jaemin's words, but at the mention of Donghyuck some of his bravery returns, and Jaemin internally seethes. "He is. He's funny and really nice, deserves to be around funny and nice people."

Jaemin raises a questioning brow at Yangyang's words, taking another contemplative sip before setting his mug down onto the counter with a small clashing sound. Yangyang's eyes dart down to the source of the sound, and when they travel back up Jaemin has his hands planted on the counter, shoulders hunched as he leans his weight forward. His frame half blocks out the kitchen light, and all at once the fabricated sense of peace leaves the room. "You know, you're right. He is so nice, especially when when he's begging me to fuck him."

Yangyang's eyes go impossibly wide at the sudden crass words, his grip tightening on the mug instinctually. "Wh—why—"

"In fact, one of his favorite places to take my cock is right here on this counter, because he trusts me, Yangyang. Do you think Donghyuck trusts you?" Jaemin's words are calm, but harbor a hidden rage that threatens to break the surfaces of his sanity. Yangyang is frozen in place at the display, and Jaemin's once collected demeanor melts into a sinister grin. "Haven't you ever heard, Yangyang, that no means no ? You really thought my perfect, beautiful, intelligent, stunning boyfriend would ever fucking go for you ?" 

Yangyang looks behind himself towards the door before whipping his head back around to face Jaemin, his grip releasing on the mug as he stumbles off the bar stool. Jaemin can't help but laugh at his frivolous attempts to generate space between them, as if Jaemin isn't all around him, as if Jaemin can't sense his every pathetic move.

"What were you planning on doing with Donghyuck anyways, hm?" Jaemin questions as he grabs the kitchen knife he'd strategically placed on the very edge of the counter, the metal scraping against the pristine marble with a sickening shink . The sound makes Yangyang jump, and his body begins to tremble as he backs away from Jaemin with his hands up in surrender, his lip already quivering in fear.

"Please—I wasn't gonna do anything with him, man. I swear! I was just—"

Jaemin points the knife in his direction, any faux amusement in his facade melting away into pure, unadulterated rage. It's the kind of rage that's silent, that bleeds out from his eyes and displays itself in the rigidity of his grip around the weapon in his hand. "You were just what, gonna try and get him to sleep with you? Gonna try and convince him to leave me?" Jaemin keeps stepping closer and closer, causing Yangyang to trip on his own two feet on the rug and stumble to the floor. He laughs darkly at the sight, and Yangyang whimpers in fear. "If Donghyuck is ever going to leave me it'll be on his terms, not because some weak fucking fool decided he wanted to intervene where he didn't belong."

Yangyang fumbles backwards on his hands, scooting away until his back hits the couch with a quiet oof . Tears have begun to well in his eyes, and something in Jaemin gets even more angry at the sight. "Please," Yangyang begs again, holding his hands up so Jaemin can see his palms. "I'll leave Donghyuck alone, I—I swear, he means nothing to me, man. Please just let me—"

"Shut up," Jaemin bites out, reaching down to grab Yangyang by the front of his shirt, forcing him to stand before shoving him to the other side of the room. "Means nothing to you, huh? He better mean the entire fucking world to you with how you've been acting you god damn creep."

Tears begin to fall from Yangyang's eyes, and Jaemin scoffs at him. People are always so willing to show remorse when the world is not, so willing to be rugs for their assailant to step on in the hopes that it will spare their lives. However Jaemin has given him a chance to save himself, given him weeks upon weeks to decide to leave Donghyuck alone, and he chose to keep inserting himself where he wasn’t meant to go. Jaemin doesn't care if Donghyuck chooses someone else over him, doesn't care if Donghyuck decides he's unhappy with him, because Jaemin will love him anyway. Love is selfless, but Yangyang is selfish, so for that he needs to die.

The knife feels heavy in his hand, glinting in the weak kitchen light like sharp teeth. Yangyang’s gaze flits from the threatening metal to Jaemin’s even harsher stare, and the world seems to melt away around them like a romantic movie scene. Jaemin feels that this is the truest act of love, and his heart feels light as he backs the quivering idiot against the nearest wall. 

“What—what are you doing?” Yangyang asks with a tremor in his voice, and Jaemin can hear the way his nails dig into the wall behind him. It's all so perfect, exactly what Jaemin loves about the kill, the purest moment of vulnerability one will ever face.

Jaemin flashes him another smile, his free hand reaching up to harshly grip into Yangyang's hair. He forces his head back, baring Yangyang's neck to the gods in the sky—to him —before laughing darkly into the otherwise quiet room. "Isn't it obvious?" he murmurs as he points the tip of the knife into Yangyang's stomach, not hard enough to pierce, but enough to have Yangyang cry out in debilitating fear, not daring to move too much but unable to sit still.

"Jaemin—Jaemin, don't do this. Please don't do this. You love Donghyuck, right? Would he want you to do this?" Yangyang tries to reason, shaking like a leaf in Jaemin's death grip.

But oh, what a stupid thing to say, especially to a man already intent on killing you for the one he loves.

"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Jaemin seethes, pressing the knife harshly into Yangyang's skin, not caring about build up, not caring about the right or wrong way to do this. "You think you know what Donghyuck wants? You think you know him at all? You don't know anything ." His fingers tighten so impossibly in Yangyang's hair that the man has gone up on the tips of his dirty converse to try and lessen the sting, but it's useless now—soon he won't feel pain at all.

"I'll do anything, just please, please don't fucking hurt me, please! " He sobs, his hand darting up to grab Jaemin's forearm in panic.

Jaemin however just scoffs at him, dragging the knife messily up the front of Yangyang's shirt, scraping his skin and making him scream before teasing at the lines of his collarbone. He positions the knife at the base of the side of his neck, pinning Yangyang to the wall with all of his strength before leaning in to whisper against his ear.

"Blessed are the meek, Yangyang."

" No, NO! ”

The first cut of a knife into flesh is a feeling he never gets used to, less does he get used to the way the carotid sprays out blood like a Grecian fountain. He steps back and lets Yangyang's lifeless body slump to the floor, watching it taint his hardwood with a look of satisfied disgust. He has all the supplies ready in his car to dispose of the body, but he'll need to clean this up before he leaves and drain Yangyang's blood to make him lighter.

No matter, he thinks. He has plenty of time to revel in his conquest, mesmerized by the pool of red that reflects his blood splattered face back to him. It's a serene moment, a calm after a horrible storm, and Jaemin is the thundering cloud that's fading into a gray sky. His chest heaves as he catches his breath, until he finally decides it's time to get on with it.

But then, the front door opens.

Jaemin stands frozen over Yangyang’s body, kitchen knife still in hand and clothes spattered with his blood. He’s never felt remorse after a kill before, never felt fear of consequences, but as Donghyuck’s eyes shift from the lifeless form on the floor to Jaemin’s tense disposition, he feels his entire world tip on its axis. No , he thinks. Not Donghyuck. Anything but Donghyuck . Jaemin can handle prison, life in purgatory, death by a thousand cuts or a medieval rat tied to his abdomen. Jaemin can handle any mindless torture the world could possibly summon to inflict upon him, but he can’t lose Donghyuck. That would be the worst death of all.

“Hyuck I—I can explain. I had to—” he gestures to the body with the bloody knife, realizing midway what he’s doing before stopping in his tracks. Jaemin wipes the blood from the knife onto his jeans before tossing the weapon onto the counter, his gaze never leaving Donghyuck for fear of him running away. He searches Donghyuck’s features for fear, disgust, confusion, but all he sees is the gears turning in his boyfriend’s head, his eyes taking in the scene to the fullest. Anxiety thrums beneath Jaemin’s skin for what feels like the first time, and when Donghyuck parts his lips he prepares himself for the consequences.

“Okay,” Donghyuck breathes out instead, dropping his phone onto the entryway table before meeting Jaemin’s gaze. “What do we need to do?”

The room spins for just a moment, Jaemin’s mind buffering as he tries to comprehend if what Donghyuck said is real or not. It can’t be real, it doesn’t make any sense, but as Jaemin’s senses flood back in he realizes that Donghyuck is walking towards him, and the next thing he feels is his hands on his jaw.

“Jaemin,” he says softly, forcing Jaemin’s head down just a touch so their eyes meet. “Tell me what to do, we can’t let him stay here. Just tell me what you need from me and we can talk about this after we’ve fixed it.”

Jaemin swallows thickly, feeling the slide of blood beneath Donghyuck’s fingertips as he gives him a small nod. “Okay,” he croaks out, taking a breath to steady himself. His confidence seeps back in slowly, the anxiety of having Donghyuck yell and scream at him subsiding the more the seconds pass. Donghyuck isn’t even looking at him with disdain, just confusion and worry, so Jaemin pushes down his nerves in favor of taking control once again. It’s what he’s good at after all. “I will prep the body for disposal if you can clean up the blood. You need to clean everything—every corner and crevice—at least five times over and soak it in bleach. I have some stashed away in the crawl space in the hall closet. Then when you’ve done that, wipe over everything in the vinegar spray I make.”

Donghyuck nods with every word, as attentive as if Jaemin were telling him how to change a tire or screw in an oven bulb. There’s nothing but concentration on his semblance, and when Jaemin looks down at the body one last time, he feels warm fingers tap beneath his chin to keep him from doing so. “I got it. Go,” Donghyuck says with a tight lipped smile, silently trying to convince Jaemin that everything is okay when it should be the other way around. 

“Okay,” Jaemin breathes out quietly, leaning closer to place a small peck to Donghyuck’s forehead before pulling away. He reaches down and grab’s Yangyang by his wrists, tugging his body with practiced ease onto a black towel he’d already prepared to use to drag him down the hall to the guest bathroom. Jaemin does his best to keep more blood from getting on the floor as he shoves the body onto the tile, using his momentum to pull him up and practically toss him into the tub with a grunt. The body goes completely limp in the porcelain tub, and Jaemin takes a moment to look down and assess his work.

There’s an art to properly disposing of a body.

First, Jaemin must remove all of the deceased’s teeth, grinding them up into a powder and flushing them down the toilet with some bleach. Then he has to burn or cut off the fingerprints, not be afraid to break any bones that weren’t broken before, and drain the body entirely of blood by cutting open all the major arteries and letting him bleed out as he does the rest of his tasks. Typically Jaemin would dismember the body to make transportation easier, but he feels like that would be more stress for Donghyuck than it’s worth, so he’ll have to be okay with making him as unidentifiable as possible in other ways.

When he’s finished prepping and cleaning the body as best as he can, he wraps it up in black biodegradable bags before wrapping that in canvas and tying it securely. He uses the biodegradable bags so that the body can properly decompose when put in the ground, because wrapping it in normal plastic would keep the body from deteriorating and make Jaemin more susceptible to being caught. 

He cleans his trail up from the kitchen down the hallway where he’s left the dead body in the bathroom before coming out to check on Donghyuck, and when he looks at where there was a puddle of blood only an hour or so ago, instead he smells vinegar and a marshmallow coffee candle being burned, seeing Donghyuck standing by the counter with his hand on his hip. 

“Wow,” Jaemin says, genuinely impressed, scanning every bit of space to make sure there are no missed spots, only to look up and see his boyfriend staring at him blankly. “What?”

“You look surprised,” he muses in reply, dropping his hand as he leans down to blow out the candle, Jaemin watching the smoke billow out into the acrid air.

Admittedly he is a bit surprised, seeing as a small part of him had still expected to come out and see cops waiting for him in the living room with Donghyuck half drenched in blood. Though he can’t deny that the much larger part of him that Donghyuck has always occupied felt completely and utterly safe in his hands. “No, just ready to be done. The body’s ready to go if you are.” Jaemin clears his throat, his eyes averting from Donghyuck as he glances past him to the clock. “It’s nearly shift change for highway patrol, if we want to miss them we need to leave now.”

Donghyuck just nods, always nods, not saying anything more. He must be in shock, anyone would be, but still he persists. Jaemin has always known Donghyuck to be strong, and as the seconds pass he’s only affirmed of such a thought. 

Today could have been their downfall, but Donghyuck wasn’t ready to let them down yet. 

☽

The pair huff in exhaustion as they throw the shovels back into Jaemin’s Jeep, climbing up into the trunk to sit and rest for a bit in the quiet night. Jaemin pulls out a cigarette from his pocket, usually only used for long midterm study sessions or the very rare disagreement with Donghyuck, but now he lights it with a bit of a tremble in his hand. Donghyuck snatches it from him before he can even take a drag, and Jaemin lets him, as if the cigarette was for him in the first place.

Donghyuck takes a few drags in silence, only the sound of the occasional desert breeze keeping them company as the situation settles. The sun will be rising soon, and it’ll be a new day. Only time will tell what kind of day it will be for them. 

“I think in a way I always knew,” Donghyuck mumbles while puffing out a cloud of smoke, handing the cigarette back to Jaemin without a second thought. “You killed Mark too, didn’t you?”

Jaemin levels his gaze, inhaling deeply  before exhaling a slow stream of smoke into the cold desert air, shrugging as if to say that Donghyuck had caught him red handed for eating his leftovers. Jaemin doesn’t hold any remorse in his movements, but he does hold remorse in his eyes. When Donghyuck stares back at him he sees the smallest hint of regret, but not because he knows what he did was wrong, because he’s worried Donghyuck is going to leave him for it. 

Donghyuck could leave him, he has quite literally every right to, but he can’t turn Jaemin in, not after he’s helped him bury a body. He knows deep down that Jaemin would let him go, that for all of Jaemin’s evil, all of his immorality, Donghyuck has always been the exception to the rule. But when he looks over at Jaemin once again, seeing him take a controlled drag from his cigarette with shaky fingers, Donghyuck knows that leaving him is the last thing he wants to do.

“You think I’m gonna run away, don’t you?” Donghyuck asks as he shuffles closer to Jaemin on the makeshift bench from the trunk of his Jeep. He reaches his hand down to rest over Jaemin’s that digs into his own thigh, forcing Jaemin to loosen his grip so that their fingers can intertwine. “You don’t care that you killed someone, you’re just afraid that it’s gonna cost you our relationship.” When their gazes meet properly again, Jaemin affirms all of Donghyuck’s words with a single look, and Donghyuck can’t help but scoff in amusement at the sight. “Say something.”

Jaemin intakes a breath laced with none of the nervousness that possessed him only seconds ago, his thumb brushing over Donghyuck’s hand in his affectionately. “You’re right. I don’t care that they’re dead, or that I’m the one that did it,” he replies with slight conviction, putting the cigarette out on a metal bolt in his car before tossing it to the ground. “All I care about is you, and even if you turn around and immediately turn me into the police, or grab the pocket knife on my belt loop that I know you know I have and plunge it directly into my chest, I will still only care about you. I will clean the blood from your hands with my own tongue if it means leaving you unscathed, and I’d do it with a smile on my face.”

These are the confessions of a movie villain, of the man who the audience is almost able to root for until they realize that the protagonist should pick the best friend instead. But for Donghyuck, Jaemin is the only person who’s ever made him feel… like a person. It’s insane, and Donghyuck understands fully the severity of what this all means, he just doesn’t think he really cares. Yangyang is dead. Did he have a family? Friends? A partner? Are there people waiting for him at home? Probably. Most likely. Everyone has someone, at least one person who is waiting for them at the end of the night to come home safely. 

Jaemin is that person to him, and Donghyuck is fully prepared to accept that. 

“Take me away from here, Jaemin,” he starts suddenly, “take me far, far away and make sure we never have to come back, okay?” Donghyuck pleads with a hand fisted in Jaemin’s shirt, pulling him closer until their foreheads are pressed together. There’s desperation in Donghyuck’s movements, in his words, and Jaemin’s hand goes to the small of his back to hold him gently. For once Jaemin is not worried about Donghyuck slipping away, his bones are not laced with urgency the way Donghyuck’s are now, and a disbelieving huff escapes him that’s half laugh half incredulity. 

“Of course, Hyuck,” he replies as he leans in to brush their lips together, both too delirious to kiss properly. “Anywhere you want to go, I’ll take you. I have passports and money and—”

Donghyuck cuts him off with a giggle, Jaemin unable to resist as he chuckles against his lips. “You planned for this?” Donghyuck asks before pulling back to look at Jaemin properly, his eyes glimmering with so much life, as if he’s stolen it from the life he took only hours ago. 

“I planned for the worst, as one has to when they kill…” Jaemin trails off, a bit of reality sinking in as he realizes that Donghyuck is willing to give up everything for him. However, the whole point of this, of all of this, was so that Donghyuck wouldn’t have to sacrifice anything at all. Donghyuck has friends, not much of a family, but people nonetheless that will miss him. No matter how much Jaemin loves him, he’ll never take him away from what truly makes him happy.

“Baby?” Donghyuck asks softly, his voice barely a whisper as he catches Jaemin’s attention once again. “What is it?”

Jaemin feels a lump in his throat, swallowing thickly around nothing as he reaches up to place a hand over the one Donghyuck has placed over his chest. Even though his fear of losing Donghyuck is the most excruciating pain he’s ever felt, he’ll always choose his happiness in the end. “Hyuck, you know you don’t have to do this. I don’t want you throwing away a chance at happiness for me, I—I’ve done all of this for you, love. Don’t think you have to do the same for me.”

Donghyuck’s features tighten in confusion, as if what Jaemin is saying is the most unreasonable statement he’s ever heard. “It’s not just for you, Jaemin. Even though I would do absolutely anything for you, because I love you more than words could ever properly describe, I’m not saying all of this to make you happy. I’m saying this because I… I can’t imagine a life that you’re not in. My happiness is with you, baby, always. So take me away from here, okay? Take me where nobody will find us.”

And that’s all the reassurance Jaemin needs.

☽

By the time they stop for a hotel the sun has risen and set all over again. Jaemin successfully gets them across the border with their real passports, which they ditch in a gas station bathroom in favor of one of their many new ones before finally settling on a quaint bed and breakfast just outside of Montreal. The front desk lady is older, and so very sweet when Jaemin insists they only need one king, not two fulls.

Shuffling into the hotel room with nothing but the duffel bag full of their emergency supplies and a fresh change of clothes, Donghyuck is the first to collapse on the massive bed, exhaling a sigh of pure relief. Even though they’re officially on the run, nobody has made any noise in their local news or otherwise about Yangyang. Donghyuck had called Renjun from his cell phone to let him know he was going to see his cousin that he doesn’t have who might have some information about some fake inheritance before smashing his phone and turning it to nothing but melted metal. Jaemin will take a week or two before withdrawing from university, but he’s told his professors he’s grown extremely ill and will be staying with family until he’s better.

They both have alibi’s, and have covered their tracks. Jaemin has even pre-paid rent for three months to buy them some time to truly disappear. By the time anyone notices they’re well and gone, it’ll be far too late.

“You want to shower, love?” Jaemin asks as he drops his duffle bag onto the comfy chair in the corner of the room, coming over to the bedside to gently rub Donghyuck’s back. “We can get clean before bed.”

Donghyuck groans softly, partly from Jaemin’s insinuation that he has to move , but also because he quite likes the pressure of Jaemin’s fingers on his stiff back. “I don’t want to shower yet, but you can keep doing that,” he grumbles, cradling his head in his arms on the mattress.

Jaemin can’t help but chuckle at him, reaching down with his other hand to give his boyfriend’s shoulders a satisfying squeeze before patting his butt. “Take your clothes off so we can get clean, and then I’ll give you a massage after,” he says as he tugs his own shirt off, ridding himself of the days events as he heads into the bathroom to find a couple bottles of complimentary shampoo and body wash. That stuff always dries out Jaemin’s hair, but it’s better than reeking of pennies and rash decisions.

In the bathroom Jaemin also rids himself of his socks and his jeans, stripping bare and leaving the garments strewn on the floor. He pads over to the shower and turns the water on to just above warm, exactly how Donghyuck likes, before trailing out into the main room once again. 

Thankfully Donghyuck listens to his first request, and is in the middle of unzipping his jeans in the center of the room when Jaemin pauses to watch him. Jaemin leans against the wall with his arms crossed against his bare chest, admiring Donghyuck’s lithe waist and flexing muscles. Every time he sees him it’s like the first time, and images of a flushed Donghyuck with his jeans around his ankles in a study at some random house party flash in his mind’s eye. Jaemin had sucked him off before coming into his hand, and that night after dropping Donghyuck at home Jaemin followed Mark until he found where he lived. And the rest is history.

“You’re staring at me,” Donghyuck murmurs with a smile in his voice, looking up at Jaemin as he slips his boxers off. When did his jeans even come off? Jaemin doesn’t know, too enraptured in his own brain. “I was nice enough to do what you told me, which as you know is a rare occurrence, so shouldn’t I be getting a reward?”

Jaemin can’t help the slightly disbelieving chuckle that escapes him, his features turning up into a smile as he peels away from the wall, descending onto Donghyuck like a rogue wave. Donghyuck of course welcomes him with open arms, pulling their bodies flush together as he captures Jaemin’s lips in an elated kiss.

They’re completely eager to consume each other, as if every second they are able to intake breath relies on their lips touching, on their saliva mixing across the planes of their tongues. Donghyuck hums into Jaemin’s mouth, one of his hands sliding up to grip into Jaemin’s hair and tug at the strands. 

“Bed,” Jaemin grunts into the kiss, guiding Donghyuck back towards the mattress in the center of the room. They move together so easily it’s like a dance, and just as Jaemin’s grip tightens around Donghyuck’s waist to get ready to toss him on the bed, Donghyuck spins their bodies and pushes Jaemin back instead with a good shove to his chest. 

Jaemin lands on the mattress with a small oof , but his features stay bright with curiosity and excitement as he hoists himself up onto his elbows, watching Donghyuck’s every move like a cat to a fly. He has no idea where this has come from, but he supposes that’s just the way things are between them. Donghyuck’s lips curve into a smirk that captures the very air in his lungs, and Jaemin becomes grateful all over again for that drink he ordered from Donghyuck that night he failed his test. 

“I love you, you know that?” Donghyuck asks as he takes a few steps back, holding his hands behind his back as if to act coy. Jaemin can tell he’s got something in his head, an idea that he’s trying to keep hidden for nothing more than dramatic effect. He lets him have it, giving him an inquisitive look in return as he watches Donghyuck disappear into the bathroom.

He’s only gone a moment, and when he emerges he still has one hand behind his back.

Jaemin raises a brow at him, an inquisitive smirk adorning his features as he watches Donghyuck slowly approach the bed once again. His boyfriend slinks like a cat as he climbs onto the mattress, settling right between Jaemin’s spread legs on his knees. 

“What do you have there, love?” Jaemin asks a bit teasingly, looking down to see Donghyuck’s hand not hidden behind his back reaching down to grip onto Jaemin’s thigh. His fingers knead the firm muscle almost absentmindedly, and Jaemin has to stifle a groan at just how good even that small sensation feels. 

Donghyuck unabashedly eyes Jaemin like he’s something to eat, his lips twitching with a smirk as he slowly begins to remove his arm from behind him. “Nothing,” he replies with a small shrug, even as he brings his hand up in front of him and reveals Jaemin’s pocket knife in his grasp. 

Momentarily, Jaemin wonders if he’s dreaming. 

Is this the American Psycho effect finally taking place?

But no, it’s real, and when he reaches his hands out to touch him while trying to sit up, the point of the blade digging into his throat to halt him is real too. Jaemin had said Donghyuck was allowed to plunge the dagger into his heart after all, perhaps he has decided to do so. 

“Whatever you’re thinking, I promise my thoughts are a little more… colorful,” Donghyuck murmurs as he slowly drags the point of the knife down Jaemin’s skin, tracing his collarbones and following the plane of his sternum. Jaemin gasps when Donghyuck circles the knife around his nipple, and he has to keep himself from grabbing Donghyuck and pinning him down onto the bed then and there. “Understand now?” 

Jaemin huffs, his blood running too hot at the sheer intensity of the situation that he understands all too well. In a million years he never could have imagined himself on the other end of a blade, because he’d never let anyone get the upper hand, but now? completely at Donghyuck’s mercy? There’s nowhere else he’d rather be. “Yeah, I do. It’s just—Donghyuck—” Jaemin hisses, throwing his head back into the pillows as he feels the cold, flat side of the knife press against his nipple. 

“You got to have all the fun, Jaem. Won’t you teach me, baby? Gonna let me practice?” Donghyuck practically coos, teasing the point of the knife into Jaemin’s skin as he drags the blade down his chest. Without warning, Donghyuck presses the knife just deep enough to nick Jaemin’s skin, and a breathy moan escapes him against his will. “Oh, you like that?” He emphasises his question by making another purposeful cut, no longer than a centimeter or two, but effective enough to have Jaemin shuddering.

“Donghyuck,” Jaemin breathes out, his hands fisting into the scratchy hotel linens to try and gather some of his composure. “Baby,” he adds with a bit more coherency, his head weakly lifting to look down at his chest. There are two lines where beads of crimson are breaking through Jaemin’s tan skin, and he looks up at his boyfriend through his lashes with a dazed smirk. “Really want me to teach you?”

Donghyuck’s eyes glimmer with hunger and want, his pretty head nodding as he looks back down at Jaemin. “Tell me what to do.”

With Donghyuck’s permission, Jaemin slowly pulls himself into a sitting position, scooting back against the headboard before motioning for Donghyuck to sit in his lap. Immediately Donghyuck does as instructed, crawling up the bed and straddling Jaemin’s thighs with ease. He still has the knife in his hand, but his grip is all wrong, and Jaemin starts by gently placing his hand over his boyfriend's grasp, silently coaxing him to loosen his fingers.

“You’re holding it too harshly. Gentle, okay?” Jaemin murmurs while leaning up to bump his nose against Donghyuck’s jaw affectionately. Donghyuck nods with a small hum, letting Jaemin readjust his hold on the hilt of the knife before he’s released once again. Jaemin has no intention of getting the knife back, and Donghyuck seems to trust him entirely because of it.

“Am I gonna hurt you?” He asks suddenly from above, pulling Jaemin from his thoughts as he lifts his head where it was heading for Donghyuck’s neck. When their eyes meet, Jaemin can feel one of Donghyuck’s fingers tracing over the cut on his chest, and the sting is so miniscule that it is not enough to hurt or feel good. 

Jaemin’s hands come up to gently cup Donghyuck’s jaw, his thumbs lovingly brushing against his cheeks as he leans in to place a chaste kiss against his lips. Donghyuck whimpers at the warmth of Jaemin’s mouth, and immediately cups his neck to pull him back in for more. Jaemin can feel the small slide of his blood on his skin from Donghyuck’s hand before it dries, and he moans softly into Donghyuck’s mouth at the mere idea of what they will look like when they’re done.

“Yes,” Jaemin mutters into the kiss, his hands sliding down Donghyuck’s bare chest before gripping his soft waist. Donghyuck feels so right against him, so warm and malleable even with the glint of sharp metal in his hand. Jaemin’s tongue curiously licks at the seam of Donghyuck’s lips, asking for entry and immediately being granted it with double the enthusiasm. Donghyuck appears insatiable, and Jaemin is hungry to please.

Their tongues glide together slowly, familiarly, but with all the intent of a search for intense pleasure. Donghyuck whimpers into his mouth when Jaemin’s teeth capture his bottom lip, and in retaliation, Donghyuck bites back, hard .

“Fuck—” Jaemin grunts slightly, but he never breaks the kiss, angling his head as one of his hands reaches up to grip into Donghyuck’s hair, holding him steady as blood and saliva mixes between them. It’s good, but it’s not enough, and they both want more. “Again,” he instructs while parting their lips just the slightest with his hold on Donghyuck’s hair, his gut clenching at the sight of blood staining the corner of Donghyuck’s pretty lips. “Cut me again.”

Donghyuck has to blink a few times to understand what’s going on, his tongue darting out to lick the shades of pink from his lips as his eyes finally focus in again. He glances down at the knife in his hand, then at Jaemin’s smooth skin, like a painter assessing his canvas. After a moment he scoots back the slightest on Jaemin’s thighs, and Jaemin loosens his hold on Donghyuck’s hair to allow him to move once more. “Is it dangerous to cut anywhere?”

If it weren’t so endearing how on the line Donghyuck is from wanting to be a force of destruction and not knowing how to be, Jaemin would chuckle at his look of slight confusion. “Not like this. Just avoid the neck, okay? We know how that could end up.”

The joke slips out by accident, Jaemin’s look of amusement slipping from his features as he catches Donghyuck’s gaze once more, assessing his reaction to such a blasé statement so close to the act in question. Donghyuck’s features are bare for a second, his brain catching up to process Jaemin’s words. For a moment, Jaemin is worried he’s completely ruined the intensity of the situation, and he prepares instantly for damage control.

I’m sorry baby, let's just lay down.

Let me run you a warm bath, I know it’s been a long day.

What do you need from me?

“Jaemin?” Donghyuck murmurs softly, his features pleasant and warm when Jaemin focuses back on him. “Where do you go, huh?” One of his hands is placed lovingly on Jaemin’s shoulder, but the other is dragging the blade against his skin in nonsensical patterns, making Jaemin’s entire body shudder as he tries to think of an answer.

“What—what do you mean?” His thoughts are interrupted by the feeling of cold metal, his breath hissing through his teeth when Donghyuck teases another cut, only to leave Jaemin with nothing but an unsatisfying scratch.

“I mean,” Donghyuck begins, pushing the point of the blade in just below Jaemin’s pectoral muscle, right above where the lines of his abdomen begin. “You get so stuck in your head sometimes that I feel like you’re somewhere else entirely. I know these past few days have been… weird, and I’m sure it didn’t go the way you were hoping, but this,” he pauses, leaning in to brush their noses together affectionately while slowly digging the juxtaposing blade into Jaemin’s skin. He makes the deepest cut of the bunch, and Jaemin’s body jolts with a pleased groan as warm blood begins dripping down the planes of his muscles. “This is our life now, and I’m not going anywhere.”

It’s a surreal feeling, tearing through flesh. Jaemin remembers the first time he did it, though nobody but himself was hurt in the process. Then he remembers dissecting frogs and small sharks and sheep hearts in highschool. Those didn’t bleed and they reeked of formaldehyde, but they were good practice for the things Donghyuck struggles with now. How hard to push, where to cut, the angle of the blade. The first time Jaemin killed someone it was truly and wholeheartedly an accident, but the thrill of knowing that he could , that he knew how and was good at it, was enough to convince him that he didn’t need to stop. 

However, the opportunity didn’t present itself again. Nobody was truly worthy of being killed as far as Jaemin was to judge. 

Until he met Donghyuck. 

If it weren’t for the fact that Renjun truly loves Donghyuck, he would’ve been first after that night in Donghyuck’s apartment, but Jaemin could tell how much he mattered to the man he was slowly falling for, so he knew he wasn’t the one. 

Then there was Mark, and that son of a bitch reeked of the kind of man who would try to play mind games with his beautiful Donghyuck, to try and force him to get away. Just like Yangyang.

Life is so inexplicably delicate, so fragile, able to be taken in an instant as Jaemin knows well. There are many times where he stops and thinks about why he does what he does, and it’s because life is inherently out of our control, and anything at any given moment could go horribly wrong unless we intervene where we can.

It’s scary to be so weak, so susceptible to your own horrors, but right now in the dingy glow of the hotel room lights and bathed in streaks of red, Jaemin feels absolutely invincible. 

“Please,” he begs softly, loving the way vulnerability tastes on his tongue as his head falls back against the headboard. “More, Hyuck. More .”

Donghyuck obliges with a small hum, leaning down to lick at the blood beading on Jaemin’s chest before creating another small cut down his sternum. Jaemin moans softly at the warmth of his tongue on his skin, and the swarming of sensations makes him lighthearted. 

“I like seeing you like this,” Donghyuck muses, trailing his finger through the sticky, half-dried mess that coats Jaemin’s skin. “You’re never so desperate.”

Jaemin swallows thickly around nothing as another cut is engraved in his skin, his chest heaving when he feels Donghyuck’s tongue trailing lower and lower. The soft muscle teases at his nipple, and one of his hands shoots up to grip harshly into Donghyuck’s thigh. “That’s not true,” he says breathlessly, body twitching as Donghyuck slides between his thighs once again, tongue smearing the bloody mess that paints him in shades of strawberry red. “I’m always desperate for you, Hyuck. So desperate it drives me crazy.”

With a teasing nip at Jaemin’s stomach, Donghyuck drops the knife onto the bed and gently parts his thighs, squeezing the firm muscle beneath soft flesh. He looks up at Jaemin in awe, mesmerized and painfully turned on by the sight of his irritated skin and flushed cheeks. His beautiful, perfect Jaemin who brings him breakfast in bed and puts towels in the dryer while he’s showering so he’ll have a warm one when he gets out. Jaemin who listens to every single grievance Donghyuck has ever had, and endlessly offers ways to find solutions. “You’re so good to me, Jaem,” he replies softly, one of his hands sliding up the expanse of Jaemin’s smooth thigh before wrapping around the length of his cock, giving him a teasing tug that punches the air from his lungs. “Let me be good to you.”

If Jaemin weren’t already collapsed back against the headboard he’d have folded in half in an instant, his legs tensing as Donghyuck wraps his lips around the head of his cock, teasing at the tip with his tongue. “Fuck—Donghyuck—” He pants as one of his hands reaches for Donghyuck’s hair, tangling with the already messy strands as he tries to keep from bucking his hips. Jaemin knows he doesn’t have to seek his high, because Donghyuck is already sinking down onto his cock, using his hand to stroke what he can’t reach right away. He squeezes the base just how Jaemin likes, and when the head of his cock brushes against the back of his throat, he sits there to allow them both to revel in the feeling.

Donghyuck hums at the heavy weight on his tongue, feeling the way the vibrations make Jaemin shudder from head to toe. He breathes in deeply through his nose before beginning to bob his head slowly, his eyes slipping shut at the pure satisfaction of pleasing Jaemin. The sting on his scalp is perfect, his own nails digging into Jaemin’s thighs as he listens to the pleased groans coming from above like a god in the throes of pleasure. 

“Hyuck—” Jaemin calls through gritted teeth, his nails mindlessly scraping at Donghyuck’s neck trying to keep a hold on reality if only to keep from coming too soon. The feeling of the slick heat around his cock is enough to have him teetering on the edge almost instantly, and he tugs on Donghyuck’s hair to set the pace at a more brutally teasing rhythm, never letting himself get too close to release. There’s a faint glisten of sweat on Jaemin’s brow, and when Donghyuck slowly slides off of his cock with a lewd pop, stroking it with his hand and using his own spit as lube, he feels a rush of heat splotch down his neck. 

“Will you fuck me? Please?” Donghyuck asks with a fake pout, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears and lips prettily swollen. His chest rises and falls slowly as he catches his breath, and his features are drawn up in mischief as he pulls himself back up onto his knees. Donghyuck gives Jaemin’s cock one final, teasing tug before he’s crawling back into Jaemin’s lap, arms wrapping around him in pure and utter trust. 

Jaemin doesn’t even bother answering him, just uses his grip in the man’s hair to tug him closer until their lips are colliding in a bruising kiss. He feels as if he’s just been shoved off a cliff, taken apart piece by piece and put back together again with every swipe of Donghyuck’s tongue against his own. He’s so incredibly tense that he knows once he’s inside Donghyuck he won’t last long, so he savors the remnants of copper in the small threads of saliva that get shared between them, pressing Donghyuck against his chest and feeling the sting of friction on fresh wounds. 

“I love you, Jaem,” Donghyuck sighs into the kiss, his fingers pressing into Jaemin’s shoulders as his lips drag to Jaemin’s jaw. He nips at the smooth expanse of his neck, attaching his lips to the sensitive spot below his ear before sucking a harsh bruise that will stain him in even more shades of purple and red. 

Jaemin groans softly at the added stinging sensation, images of red flashing in his mind’s eye as one of his hands smooths down the expanse of Donghyuck’s back, nails warningly digging into his waist to not get carried away. “I love you too, baby, more than anything in the entire world.”

Donghyuck soothes the burgeoning hickey with kittenish licks, and when he pulls back to look at Jaemin once again, Jaemin swears he sees the universe in his eyes. “More than your own life?” Donghyuck asks as his fingers idly play with the hair at Jaemin’s nape, their cocks brushing together from where they’re pressed between them and making them squirm.

Jaemin knows what Donghyuck is asking for: reassurance that he’s allowed to be as careless as him. Donghyuck needs Jaemin to tell him that what he’s doing is okay, that Jaemin will protect him to the very end because of it.

“More than the pathetic heart beating in my chest,” Jaemin murmurs softly, “now open,” he adds in an affectionate whisper, pushing two fingers past Donghyuck’s plush lips and immediately being welcomed by his soft tongue.

Donghyuck mewls messily in satisfaction as he swirls his tongue around the digits, sucking on them eagerly with the end goal to get them as wet as possible. He knows where Jaemin is going with this, seeing as he’s sure neither of them are too keen on going out to the car to rummage around for lube. The more he lewdly coats his doting boyfriend’s fingers in his spit, the easier it’ll be to convince him to fuck him sooner. For a repeat killer, Jaemin is still completely unwilling to hurt Donghyuck, but there are ways around everything.

“There you go,” Jaemin says affectionately, the hand still at Donghyuck’s waist massaging the smooth, mole-speckled skin with gentle squeezes. He pushes down against Donghyuck’s tongue, loving the way spit pools in the corner of his mouth and drips down his chin. Jaemin wishes that were stained red too. “Want my fingers, love?”

Donghyuck nods instantly, one of his hands reaching for Jaemin’s wrist, holding him in place as he sucks on his fingers eagerly, licking between the two digits while staring directly into Jaemin’s eyes through his lashes. Jaemin groans softly at the sight, and Donghyuck can’t help the pleased smirk that adorns his spit-slick lips when he slides his fingers from his mouth, dragging them down his chin before guiding Jaemin’s hand behind him. He forces Jaemin to his entrance immediately, jolting slightly when the warm and wet pads of his fingers rub against his waiting rim. “Please,” Donghyuck begs quietly, wiggling his hips against the pressure of Jaemin’s fingers for more. He doesn’t need to beg, Jaemin being completely insistent on giving him anything he wants regardless of how he behaves, but he has to admit he never quite gets used to the sound of someone so desperate for his mercy.

Jaemin easily slips the now wet two fingers past Donghyuck’s rim, more familiar with his body than a flower with the sun, and Donghyuck doesn’t wait another breath before fucking himself down onto the intrusion. A high pitched moan escapes him when Jaemin crooks his fingers, and immediately he’s enamored at the sight.

“So good for me baby,” Jaemin murmurs as his free hand strokes Donghyuck’s thigh soothingly, loving the streaks of deep red being left behind with every brush of skin against skin. They’ll have to figure out what they’re going to do with the bedding, but Jaemin knows that’s a tomorrow problem, because right now he’s far too focused on the image of plush lips and pink cheeks before him. Donghyuck rides his fingers just as he would his cock—just as he’s going to once Jaemin has stretched him out enough—and he knows that if this were to be the day he died, he’d go out with a smile on his face. 

“I hate that you’re so careful with me,” Donghyuck utters out in a whine, his nails digging into Jaemin’s shoulders mercilessly. Donghyuck knows how to be brutal, how to hurt and reap the rewards, and Jaemin loves the subtleties of his viciousness. 

“No you don’t,” Jaemin replies with a slightly amused smirk, emphasizing his point by gripping harshly into Donghyuck’s waist, forcing his movements to slow as he languidly fucks Donghyuck down onto his fingers, relinquishing control from him in an instant. “You love that I’m careful with you and nobody else. I think you get off on knowing how powerful you are with me, and how weak you can be, because I’ll always take care of you.”

Donghyuck whimpers at the roughness of his voice, his head drooping and falling into Jaemin’s neck as he squirms in his hold. His skin is too hot, head too fuzzy to formulate a good response, because he knows that Jaemin is right.

“Now c’mon, baby, let’s lay you down so I can fuck you, hm? You’ve been so good to me,” Jaemin says sweetly, even as his fingers slide out of Donghyuck at a tortuously slow pace, watching as the muscles on his abdomen twitch at the sensation. 

With his grip turning gentle, fingers no longer dimpling the beautiful expanse of tan skin, Jaemin carefully leads Donghyuck onto his back on the mattress. Effectively switching their places and putting Jaemin right where he belongs—between Donghyuck’s thighs. 

Donghyuck keeps his arms held around Jaemin’s neck, easily pulling him down into a kiss that Jaemin welcomes with parted lips. Their tongues glide against each other in a sinful greeting, and Donghyuck’s legs wrap around Jaemin’s waist to keep him from being able to pull away. Though when their hips press together suddenly, Donghyuck gasps into the kiss, his neglected cock sensitive and leaking sticky precum between them. He tries to pull back to voice his complaints that once again Jaemin is taking too long , but Jaemin is quick to devour him in another melding of lips, one of his hands reaching up to tug in Donghyuck’s hair while the other slips down between their bodies.

Jaemin knows Donghyuck like his own reflection, knows the map of every mole on his skin, the angle of his hips and perfect slope of his ass. Jaemin can taste his neediness on his tongue, and quite frankly, he’s tired of waiting as well. 

With a teasing nip to Donghyuck’s bottom lip, Jaemin grips onto his own cock and lines it up with Donghyuck’s entrance, still slick with spit and stretched perfectly for Jaemin to slowly begin pushing into him.

Donghyuck moans brokenly into the kiss when the head of Jaemin’s cock slips into him with ease, his fingers clawing at Jaemin’s neck as he angles his hips up in search of more. The slide isn’t easy, spit never being the most effective lube, but Donghyuck likes the subtle sting, likes the bite of pain that wracks his body with a pleased shiver as he arches into Jaemin’s hold. 

“Fuck, Jaemin —” he pants out without shame, eyes practically rolling into the back of his head when Jaemin’s hips meet the back of his thighs, sending perfect jolts of pleasure straight to his gut with every brush of Jaemin’s perfect cock against his prostate.

Jaemin doesn’t wait for anymore begs, rocking into Donghyuck with deep, languid strokes before pulling his hips back slowly, groaning at how fucking tight Donghyuck is, the slide taught and intense. “Let’s hope there’s nobody in the room next to ours,” Jaemin hums in a low whisper, dragging his lips down Donghyuck’s jaw before finding his way to the curve of his neck. Donghyuck still has fading hickeys from whenever they fucked last, and as always Jaemin picks the lightest one to tease with a slow lick, dragging his tongue up until it’s tracing the shell of Donghyuck’s ear. “Because I want you to scream for me, Hyuck. Scream for me like you know this is how you’ll die.”

The blanket of red that consumes Donghyuck at Jaemin’s words like a wave of sin is completely unexplainable. Deep down Donghyuck has always known that Jaemin is much more than how he appears on the surface. Just as Jaemin has been aware of his every whim and wonder, Donghyuck too can see right through Jaemin’s facades. He’s known since the night they got each other off in the little library that he was going to hurt Mark, and he didn’t do a single thing to stop it.

Donghyuck is just as much guilty for these deaths as Jaemin in the end, because if Donghyuck had said no, put his foot down like an owner with it’s puppy who bites just a little too much, then they wouldn’t be where they are now: fucking on a scratchy motel bed, covered in Jaemin’s blood and experiencing the most blissful pleasure of his life.

With a choked off moan, Donghyuck throws his head back into the comforter, his nails digging into Jaemin’s shoulders as he begins a brutal pace, fucking Donghyuck like he too will die by the end of this. Jaemin pants into his neck as he thrusts at a steady, brutal pace, mouthing at the juncture of Donghyuck’s throat and sucking misshapen bruises wherever he can get his teeth to sink in. 

The room is enveloped in the sounds of sex and the smell of life, Donghyuck holding onto Jaemin desperately as his thrusts nearly force him up the bed, but Jaemin’s grip on him is sure, and Donghyuck knows he’s not going anywhere.

“Touch me, p—please, baby,” Donghyuck begs weakly, soft moans being punched from his lungs with every thrust. His cock is painfully hard where it lays against his stomach, precum dripping in a little puddle that collects messily in the divots of his abs. 

Jaemin releases his hold on one of Donghyuck’s thighs to slide his hand down between them once again, but this time his fingers wrap around the length of Donghyuck’s cock, thumbing at the slit and groaning at the little beads of precum that trickle out at even the small touch. 

“God, you’re so fucking perfect,” Jaemin mumbles dazedly against Donghyuck’s cheek before pulling back the slightest to look at him, his hand beginning to stroke Donghyuck’s cock in time with his unrelenting thrusts. “You gonna come for me, baby?”

At the question, Donghyuck unashamedly cries out into the room, his eyes squeezing shut as hot tears spill down his cheeks at finally getting some relief. His hips try to buck up into Jaemin’s hold, but it’s entirely useless, Jaemin too strong and effectively keeping him pinned under the weight of his body. “Please, please , I wanna come,” he mewls loudly, his body shuddering as Jaemin brings him closer and closer to the edge. Every nerve ending in Donghyuck’s body is frayed and sizzling, begging for a shred of mercy in the form of release. It’s a wonderful kind of pain, the kind that has his nails scratching down Jaemin’s back harshly, holding him so tightly against him that their skin sticks with sweat. 

Jaemin too doesn’t think he’s ever felt so alive. His body aches and his skin burns with untreated cuts he knows he’ll need to care for once Donghyuck is asleep, some opening up with the exertion and smearing the smallest bit of blood.  Donghyuck is a dream beneath him, pliant and eager and oh so desperate. Jaemin loves the way he feels around his cock, can barely handle every clench of obscene muscle that has his hips stuttering. Their chests heave with heavy breaths, and like the whipping wind of a hurricane, Jaemin feels his insides twist pleasantly, and he knows he can’t take it anymore.

“Hyuck, I’m—gonna come,” he grits out as his thrusts become uneven, his hand stroking Donghyuck’s cock as his thumb presses into the sensitive slit, teasing all the right places. “You gonna come with me, baby?”

“Yes, please—fuck fuck fuck —” He hears Donghyuck yell out into the room as his back arches off the bed, and Donghyuck clings to him for dear life as both of their bodies seize together. 

The heat is searing, ripping up Jaemin’s insides as he feels Donghyuck’s entire body shudder, ropes of sticky cum releasing between them and getting smeared with every stuttering thrust. Donghyuck’s thighs shake where they’re wrapped around Jaemin’s waist, and with a broken, gravelly moan, Jaemin’s hips still as he’s pushed over the edge, coming into Donghyuck as his body trembles above him. 

☽

“It’s beautiful,” Jaemin murmurs as he hugs Donghyuck from behind, wrapping securely around his waist and shielding him from some of the harsh ocean winds. Donghyuck leans back against him with a content hum, and the rocking of the ship has them naturally swaying side to side.

“Yeah,” Donghyuck agrees softly, a small smile illuminating his features as he thinks about the long month they have ahead of them. “Where are we gonna go?”

The sound of the ocean crashing against the side of the ship occupies the small pause between them, both unsure of the answer to such a question. However, like always, Jaemin is there with a reassuring peck on his cheek and a gentle squeeze, and before he even speaks Donghyuck knows it’ll all be okay.

“Wherever you wanna go, baby,” Jaemin finally says against his ear, placing another chaste kiss to his temple while looking out at the seemingly endless water ahead of them. “We can find the edge of the world, and then I’ll follow you off of it.”

There’s a saying that says blood is thicker than water. It can mean many different things to many people, but to Jaemin? Blood is thicker than water because at the end of the day, the willingness to die, to kill , for someone beloved, is what makes a relationship strong. Jaemin and Donghyuck don’t have anything but each other, nothing but their shared blood and sweat and tears, but that will always be enough.

Down to every last drop.