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Kim Dokja stepped into the hall filled with Constellations, looking up at the screens displaying various Stories and Incarnations. There was a crowd gathered, some gazing upwards, some just chatting amongst themselves. There was an anticipatory tension in the air– the other constellations must have been just as curious about the promised spectacle as Kim Dokja himself.
When he received the invitation from Persephone, he had initially been hesitant, but she told him that all the invited constellations had been promised a grand event that none of them would want to miss. Apparently, it had been insinuated that some extremely valuable items would be available, so even if Kim Dokja felt nervous about leaving his companions and being among powerful, hostile constellations again, he knew he could hardly turn down the opportunity. He remembered from TWSA that the upcoming scenario was going to be on the harder side, so he needed to prepare.
As the constellations filtered into the room, Dokja found himself a seat to the side, where he had a clear view of the screens and podium while being out of the way. He recognized a few constellations– Persephone waved at him as she passed, and he thought he caught a glimpse of Asmodeus, but he wasn’t sure.
Eventually, everyone settled down, and a vaguely familiar constellation took the podium. A woman with green hair… her clothing seemed reminiscent of the Asgard nebula, but he didn’t recognize her.
She began her introduction, thanking the Gourmet Association for allowing her to provide the entertainment for this banquet, before the screens suddenly changed. No longer did they display different Stories playing out live, but they were suddenly overtaken by a grid of different Incarnation profiles. Each one had a picture, a name, and the name of their Constellation sponsor, with their most important skills and Stories cycling across the bottom. There were more than he could count, Incarnations from both the Korean peninsula and elsewhere, some he recognized and many he didn’t. They seemed to be mostly less-powerful Incarnations, though– he saw a few decently strong ones, but they were few and far between.
“Thanks to the generosity of our fellow constellations, for tonight’s event, we will be holding an auction. Each of you will have the opportunity to make a lasting mark on the Stories you hold so dearly by temporarily ‘stealing’ your favorite Incarnations from their Constellation sponsors. If you are the highest bidder, you will get 24 hours to interact with said Incarnation as you please, face-to-face– no indirect messages required. There are some restrictions– Incarnations cannot be killed during this period, nor will any physical alterations persist after it ends. Sponsor Constellations can choose to lock specific Stories such that they cannot be traded or given away during this period, but any other Stories are up for grabs– if you can find a way to convince them, of course. Additional items which you may want to use during this period are available for purchase after bidding concludes. Bidding begins in five minutes.”
A window appeared in front of each constellation with the different Incarnation profiles, and many of the constellations around Kim Dokja quickly started scrolling through the profiles and checking the different Stories listed below.
A similar window appeared in front of Kim Dokja, but instead of using it, he stood up with a scoff. This is barbaric. I’m not going to stoop to their levels for a few measly Stories, he thought to himself. He was about to leave, when he heard a hushed whisper of a name he recognized.
“The Supreme King is on here? I’m definitely putting all my coins on him,” one constellation murmured to another.
“You really think you have a chance?”
“Probably not, but it isn’t like any of the others are any good.”
Kim Dokja stiffened. Why would Joonghyuk be on the list of Incarnations up for auction? It had seemed like they were all the Incarnations of low-level constellations desperate for coins, and although he didn’t know much about the Oldest Dream, they didn’t give him that impression at all.
He sat down again, hurriedly scrolling until he came across Joonghyuk’s familiar scowling face.
He’ll be fine, Kim Dokja tried to tell himself. He’s strong, and he wouldn’t let some random constellation bully him into handing over any of his Stories. Still, he couldn’t help himself but open his profile, just to check that nothing important had been left unlocked. Most of the stories he had acquired at this point had a little lock icon by their names, but he stopped when he noticed one that didn’t.
“Life and Death Companions”, the story of Kim Dokja and Joonghyuk’s unlikely bond, was unprotected.
Surely he wouldn’t give that one up, would he?
Kim Dokja’s worrying was interrupted by the screens above the woman changing again– now, each profile had a box below reading “BID:”.
“Your five minutes are up,” the woman announced. “Bidding begins now.”
The first few names that were shouted out Kim Dokja didn’t recognize, and the boxes below the Incarnations’ names began to fill up. Maybe no one else had noticed Joonghyuk? If that were the case, Kim Dokja wouldn’t bid either.
He hoped so, but knew it would be futile in the end, as proven when a voice called out, “one million coins for Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk.”
A hush fell across the room– no other Incarnation had nearly as large of a bid yet.
Another voice quickly followed. “One and a half million!”
“Two million!”
Kim Dokja nervously checked his coin balance. He had plenty of coins and was still in the running, but none of these constellations seemed powerful enough for Joonghyuk to need protection from them.
“Five million coins on Yoo Joonghyuk,” called out a voice that Kim Dokja definitely recognized.
He turned to see Asmodeus, still in the body of Han Myungoh’s daughter, smiling smugly. No one else spoke up to challenge his offer.
“Five million coins, going once, going twice…”
“Ten million,” Kim Dokja blurted out, standing up from his seat. “Ten million coins for Yoo Joonghyuk.”
A hush fell over the room, and quite a few heads turned to him. The woman repeated her spiel, and this time, no one else spoke up. Asmodeus glared at him, but apparently wasn’t willing to top Kim Dokja’s offer.
“Sold!” the woman called out. Joonghyuk’s profile on the screen turned grey, and the bidding continued for other incarnations.
Kim Dokja stared at the window in front of him, a button prompting him to begin the 24 hour period.
[The constellation ‘Demonic Judge of Fire’ says she has donated an item for your use!]
Kim Dokja shuddered. He hadn’t looked at the item menu, but anything that got Uriel excited could hardly be good news.
The window didn’t disappear no matter how long he waited, so Kim Dokja braced himself and pressed the button.
For a second, he was too dizzy to properly register anything going on around him, until he felt a strong hand covering his eyes and pushing him back against a wall.
“What did you do?” Joonghyuk’s voice growled out.
“W-wait, I can explain!” Dokja raised his hands in surrender. “Just let go of me.”
“Give me your coat first.” The hand on his face pressed harder, and Dokja felt his head starting to ache.
“Alright, alright,” he responded, shimmying off the garment the best he could without being able to see before blindly offering it in front of him. Joonghyuk’s hand not on his face took it out of his hands, and he released Dokja, quickly turning his back to the older man as he pulled it on.
When he seemed satisfied with it, he turned back around, Dokja’s white coat tied tightly around his waist. He didn’t have any pants on as far as Dokja could tell, but up to where the coat hit his knees, his skin was covered by a tight, semi-transparent black fabric. A black leather strap was wrapped around the base of his neck with two thinner straps coming down from the middle and disappearing below Dokja’s coat.
“Don’t say a word,” Joonghyuk said with a snarl. “Just– Explain.”
“How can I do that without saying anything?”
Joonghyuk didn’t dignify that with a response, only narrowing his eyes further.
“Fine, fine, I’ll tell you what happened without mentioning your… wardrobe issues.” Dokja told Joonghyuk about the Incarnation auction, and how he had intended to stay out of it until bids started being placed on Joonghyuk, and that if he hadn’t joined in the betting, it would be Asmodeus in Dokja’s current position. Joonghyuk’s expression went from barely-contained rage to suspicion to begrudging acceptance as he spoke. Although he didn’t seem entirely satisfied with Dokja’s words, he held his tongue until he had gotten all the words out that he wanted to.
“Care to explain this, though?” Joonghyuk tugged on the leather strap around his neck.
“O-oh, there was also a temporary item shop available,” Dokja explained hastily. “I didn’t buy anything, but Uriel gifted me something. I didn’t get a chance to see what it was, though.”
Joonghyuk huffed, crossing his arms, but didn’t question his answer further.
Finally having a moment to look around uninterrupted, Dokja realized how sparse the room they were in really was. The walls were smooth, blank concrete, and there was no furniture besides a pair of chairs and a plain cot in the corner.
“We’ve got 24 hours in here,” Dokja added after a minute. “No other scenarios, and the Star Stream doesn’t reach here either.”
“What are you trying to suggest?”
“Well, we haven’t had a moment alone at the Industrial Complex in a while,” he continued, moving to sit down on the cot. “It might be nice to have a bit of a break, no?” He smiled up at Joonghyuk, and patted the space next to him. “Come sit down?”
Joonghyuk looked away, face red, but after a moment he came to sit down next to Dokja, posture stiff.
“Good boy,” Dokja said with a laugh, ruffling Joonghyuk’s hair and pulling him onto his back so that they could both rest with their heads on the pillow, ignoring his sound of protest. “Why don’t we just rest for a bit?”
Joonghyuk looked away for a bit, making a face as if he was going to argue, but eventually sighed and leaned further into the pillow. “I guess a bit more sleep can’t hurt. That goes for you as well.”
“Of course,” Dokja said. “Did you expect me to just watch you while you slept?”
“I wouldn’t put it past you,” Joonghyuk grumbled. Rude, but fair.
Dokja undid the top few buttons of his shirt, pulling off his shoes and socks before tossing them over onto the ground. “You might want to take off the coat,” he suggested. “I can’t imagine it would be comfortable to sleep in.”
“I–” Joonghyuk looked away again, looking uncomfortable. “Only if you don’t look at me. Or touch me, either.”
“If that’s what you want, Joonghyuk-ah,” Dokja said with a teasing smile. “Although you’ve been glad to let me touch you many times before. I can’t imagine what’s so different this time around.”
Joonghyuk’s face turned even redder. “Shut up and turn around,” he growled.
Dokja complied with a smile, pulling the thin blanket over himself and turning to face the wall. He heard the rustling of fabric behind him, before the soft thump of clothing hitting the floor. The blanket was lifted up and the cot dipped slightly as someone else climbed on. Finally, the movement stopped. “You can open your eyes now if you want,” Joonghyuk muttered, “but stay on your side of the bed.”
Dokja rolled over silently, gazing at Joonghyuk as the younger man closed his eyes, blanket tucked almost up to his ears. Even when he was acting prickly, Dokja couldn’t help but find him endearing.
It was a few hours later when Dokja awoke– as far as he could tell, anyways, since there was no outside light coming in to tell him the time. As they slept, he and Joonghyuk must have shifted, as he was now plastered against the man’s back despite his earlier promise not to touch him.
He tried to pull himself away, before his hand met a strange texture on Joonghyuk’s skin. It almost felt like–
“–Lace?”
Joonghyuk stiffened, startling awake. “Kim Dokja. I told you not to touch me,” he growled, ears red even though he didn’t turn to face Dokja. “Get your hands off of me.”
Dokja complied, pulling away. “Seriously, what are you wearing? If it’s so bad, why don’t you just take it off?” he suggested with a teasing lilt.
“…I can’t.”
“Hm?”
“It’s not just a normal item of clothing,” Joonghyuk explained reluctantly. “I was transported here before you, and my clothing was… automatically replaced by the item Uriel purchased. I attempted to take it off on my own, but it didn’t move.”
“Maybe I’ll be able to take it off for you,” Dokja offered. He meant it as a genuine, compassionate gesture, but Joonghyuk stiffened.
“No.”
“Really? Getting shy? I’ve seen you naked plenty of times before,” Dokja retorted. “You’re really afraid of a little bit of nudity even after I’ve–”
“Shut up.” Joonghyuk took a deep breath. “I don’t care about you seeing me without clothes on, I just don’t want you to see me with… this on.”
The frustration and humiliation in his voice didn’t seem to just be the usual performative hostility he sent Dokja’s way when he was embarrassed. Dokja took pity on him, reaching out a hand to card through his hair. “C’mon. I won’t judge you for what Uriel did of her own accord. You trust me that much, right?”
Joonghyuk hesitated for a moment, but eventually rolled onto his back, sighing. “Alright, fine.”
Dokja pulled off the covers, moving over to straddle Joonghyuk, before looking down and seeing…
“Oh, wow.” It was lingerie– a black dress, if it could even be called that since it barely reached his mid-thighs, with slits that went all the way to the top, sides laced together with ribbon around his bust. The top was held up by two thinner straps connecting to the leather around Joonghyuk’s neck, and beneath were thigh garters holding up the tights he had seen before, and the whole thing was decorated with intricate lace accents. Dokja didn’t even realize he’d reached out to touch until he felt Joonghyuk’s shaky, agitated breath below his hand, the firmness of his pec and bud of his nipple pressing against his palm.
“I can’t take it off,” Joonghyuk explained, face red. He pulled his hand up to the lace at his side to demonstrate, pulling on the end to no avail.
“Let me try.” Dokja reached out, his free hand taking the place of Joonghyuk’s, and the ribbon came undone almost instantly. Joonghyuk exhaled a bit, relieved, and Dokja pulled out the ribbons from both sides. He rubbed his hands along Joonghyuk’s sides comfortingly as the younger man took deep breaths– the dress must have been rather constrictive, angry red lines left on the sides of his ribs.
He then leaned up to undo the strap around his neck, finding a clasp in the back and trying his best to undo it, although he fumbled a bit as he couldn’t see what he was doing.
As his hands wrapped around his neck, Joonghyuk let out a small gasp, hips bucking up and almost knocking Dokja off the cot.
“You like that?” Dokja asked after a moment. “Like I said before, we’re going to be here the full 24 hours either way… I guess I haven’t had the time to give you the proper attention in a while, have I? I’ll have to rectify that while I can.”
Joonghyuk flushed deeper, squeezing his eyes shut. “…Fine. But this… thing comes off as soon as you’re done.”
“Absolutely,” Dokja assured him with a smile he couldn’t see. Then, he reached a hand under the front panel of the dress, feeling Joonghyuk’s cock already stiff beneath. He could feel his own starting to harden in his slacks, and he quickly opened the Dokkaebi Shop window, purchasing a small bottle of lubricant. “Just relax, Joonghyuk-ah, I’ll take care of you.”
He spread the oil onto his fingers, reaching forwards to caress Joonghyuk’s hole, slipping two fingers inside after a moment. He was extremely tight– they hadn’t had a moment to themselves in weeks, and Dokja knew he rarely touched himself here on his own– but quickly relaxed as Dokja prodded his sensitive interior.
“It’s–” Joonghyuk’s words were cut off by a groan as Dokja pressed his fingers hard at his sweet spot, a knowing smirk adorning his face. “That’s enough, you can put it in.”
“Alright, if you say so.” Dokja pulled his fingers out, wiping them on the fabric covering the cleave of Joonghyuk’s pecs before pulling off his own slacks and underwear and fully unbuttoning his shirt. He grabbed Joonghyuk’s muscular thighs, wrapping them around his waist before smearing more oil on his now fully-erect cock and, without warning, taking hold of Joonghyuk’s hips and pulling them flush to his own in one harsh motion.
Joonghyuk let out a strangled shout, thighs clenching around Dokja’s waist. Dokja could barely register it, too consumed by the tight, comforting heat he had missed so dearly.
After a few minutes, the fog seemed to clear from both of their minds. Dokja began to grind their hips together, while Joonghyuk furrowed his brow and complained, “Just start moving already.”
Dokja smiled, and instead of responding with words, he leant down to where Joonghyuk’s nipple was poking through the black fabric and pressed his tongue flat against it, just as he pulled out and slammed back in. Joonghyuk gasped, and his hand grabbed Dokja’s hair roughly, pressing his head firmly against his pec. Dokja continued to thrust, Joonghyuk’s insides gripping onto him as though they didn’t want to let go, and at the same worked his mouth harder against Joonghyuk’s nipple, even biting at it a few times throughout the fabric.
“D-Dokja…”
“Is the other one feeling left out?” Dokja teased, lifting up his head to see Joonghyuk’s disgruntled expression. “No problem, I’ll make it right.” His mouth moved to the other side just as his hand slipped under the fabric, intermittently groping his chest or rolling and pinching the younger man’s already sore nipple.
“I– I’m close,” Joonghyuk muttered, and he tried to reach a hand down to his cock.
“Eh-eh-eh, not so fast.” Before Joonghyuk could react, Dokja sat up, cock still buried in Joonghyuk’s insides, and grabbed the discarded ribbon laying next to them on the bed. He gripped Joonghyuk’s wrists and in one smooth motion wrapped the silky black fabric around them, tying it into a knot that was loose enough not to dig into Joonghyuk’s skin but that didn’t provide any space to shift around in– and, if Dokja understood the special properties of this garment as well as he thought he did, Joonghyuk wouldn’t be able to untie himself even if he could get a strong grasp on the ends of the ribbon. For good measure, he took the second ribbon and used it to tie Joonghyuk’s hands to one of the short posts in the middle of the headboard.
“There, that’s much better. Now you can just relax and let me do all the work, okay?” Dokja said with a smile. Joonghyuk didn’t respond, squeezing his eyes shut with an embarrassed huff.
Suddenly, Dokja had an idea. He grabbed both of Joongyuk’s knees and hauled them over his shoulders before leaning in, Joonghyuk’s muscular body almost folded in half. Joonghyuk made a sound of surprise which was cut off by a moan as Dokja began thrusting again, now hitting his prostrate head-on.
Joonghyuk was rarely vocal in bed, muffling his noises when he could, so if Dokja ever wanted the opportunity to hear the broken sounds of pleasure that were so alluring in his velvety voice, he had to startle them out of him. By all accounts, Joonghyuk should have gotten used to his tricks by now, but Dokja somehow managed to stay a step ahead.
After going so long without feeling the touch of the younger’s body, Dokja reached the edge embarrassingly quickly. With a final gasp, he dug his hands into Joonghyuk’s sides and pulled him closer as heat flooded the space around his cock, continuing to grind against him through the aftershocks. He stroked Joonghyuk firmly with one hand while continuing to fondle his chest with the other, until he let out a gasp, body clenching and trembling around Dokja’s cock when he reached his own climax.
After giving them both a minute to catch their breaths, Dokja pulled out, watching his spend trickle out of Joonghyuk’s still-twitching hole. Idly, he pushed some of it back in with a finger, only for Joonghyuk to gasp. “You- you said you would–”
Oh, right. Dokja had almost forgotten his promise to help him fully rid himself of the cursed garment. He removed the ribbons holding Joonghyuk’s wrists up, then undid the clasp of the leather strap around his neck, pulling away the black silk of the dress and tossing it all onto the floor. “How’s that?”
Joonghyuk rubbed weakly at his neck, taking in a deep breath. “Better,” he said after a minute.
“Well, we’ve still got…” Dokja quickly opened the status window, “...Fifteen hours here, so why don’t we rest for a bit then go back for round two?”
Joonghyuk glared at him. “Insatiable bastard.” He paused for a moment. “Alright.”
Thus, the two of them spent a full, luxurious day alternating between sleep and sex, pausing only to eat and drink water, both of which Dokja insisted on even if he had to buy them from the Dokkaebi Shop. When the time ran out and they were returned to the Industrial Complex, Dokja felt more rejuvenated than he had in months, and although Joonghyuk was walking awkwardly for the first few hours, he seemed more relaxed than any of the other members of Kim Dokja’s Company had seen him ever. Dokja was disappointed to not have any new gear or stories to bring back for his companions, but they insisted that seeing him rested and Joonghyuk in a good mood was windfall enough, so attending the Gourmet Association’s meeting turned out worthwhile after all.