[047] Struggle

theme: o47. Stutter.
pair: Sungmin/Sungmin
rate: PG
words: 5955
#: 42/100
(Sequel to Surrender)


Sungmin woke up with the sun in his eye. He raised his hand to block out the morning rays as he rolled out of bed, swinging his legs over. He blinked confusedly at his surroundings before realizing where he was, remember all that had happened. He looked around the room in the daylight, dark cherry wood made up all the furniture in this room. He glanced at the bed which displays obvious proof of midnight sex. He looked around for his clothes - well, his borrowed clothes since his clothes were in the bathroom drying from the rain storm last night. He grabbed a bed sheet and draped it over his shoulders; wearing it like a cloak, he left the bedroom.

The hallway was dim, but the living room was bright with sunlight, which wasn’t too hard since one wall was completely all glass. Upon entering the living room, he caught sight of a figure out on the big balcony. Hesitantly, he walked over to the opened glass door. As he got closer, he began to get glimpses of the city of Seoul below; living in the penthouse definitely had its perks.

He stopped at the door and gently leaned against the frame, “Morning,” the other man said before Sungmin could say anything. Dressed in a simple black robe, he had his elbows propped on the balcony railing, a cup of coffee held between his hands as he looked out at the city and clear morning sky.

“I didn’t even make a sound, Yesung-sshi,” Sungmin stammered,

“You forget I’m one of the best spies in South Korea,” Yesung said simply as he turned to face him, leaning his back against the railing, “I heard the moment that sheet hit your shoulders.”

Sungmin reddened slightly as he walked out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing. His eyes wandered about the scenery below, the sounds of cars and traffic, of stores opening and people talking - sounds of life. “So… you are still a spy.” Yesung hummed an affirmative, “And still for the agency?”

“Indeed, I am,” Yesung replied, “I wondered if you heard me last night. After I said it you passed out from exhaustion.”

“Well… I… that is… I’ve never… and twice in one night,” Sungmin stuttered as he looked over at Yesung. Yesung turned his head to look at him, his eyes dragging over the thin sheet that kept the younger man covered. Sungmin flushed at the undisguised gaze and looked back out at the city. A silence passed between them as Yesung slowly sipped his coffee. Finally, Sungmin broke the silence, “You may think that your confession is all I need… but… I need to understand more than the fact that you are still an agent spy. I need to know the whole story.”

Yesung stared down at his coffee, downed the rest and headed back into the apartment while beckoning, “Over breakfast.”

Sungmin sat at the table, still wearing just a sheet, and waited silently as Yesung cooked them eggs and bacon and toast. He was starving by the time Yesung placed the plate of food and a bowl of rice before him and immediately began eating. Yesung took a seat across from him, but didn’t start eating his own food; instead, he sipped another cup of coffee.

Sungmin then stated between bites, “I may be eating, but I won’t be distracted. What happened?”

“The agency had always longed to bust the mob. They’d sent various spies to infiltrate the mob, but all of them had been found out in the past. That’s when they came up with an idea. A supposed traitor would be cast out from the agency and the mob would take him in. But it had to be done right or they’d end up right back where they started - with no information and another dead agent,” Yesung began, stopping to take a swig of his coffee.

He placed the mug on the table and looked at a spot on the wall past Sungmin as a peculiar light entered his eyes, “They needed a top agent to do it; and I fit the qualifications. So they set up a story that I had been found out to be a double agent. My name was marred, black listed and it was made known throughout the agency - even through the Global Organization that one of the most talented of spies had been a turn coat. Within three days, Kim Yesung went from being one of the most respected and revered spies to the lowest of men - despicable, manipulative. My reputation was dragged through the mud, burned to ashes then melted in acid.”

“Yesung-sshi…” Sungmin muttered as he stopped eating, looking up at him.

“It was the perfect ruse. No one but the head chief of every national agency knew; so close to 100 percent of those in our business thought me a traitor,” Yesung said as he stared down into his coffee again, eyes narrowing as he fought the hot tears stinging his eyes, “Once cast from the agency, rumours were spread by our chief that I had gone through a dark period where I was resentful, bitter, angry. Apparently I drowned myself in alcohol for a good month before picking up the pieces of my life and choosing a different occupation. This time, I became an accountant - my father was one, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch since I learned all my mathematical skills from him. I don’t even remember when I realized that I was a pretty good accountant. I set it up so one of my clients was the wife of a gang leader. He saw what I did for their family, and he also recognized me as the traitor spy.”

“He offered you a job as an accountant for the mob?” Sungmin’s eyes widened in surprise,

“He said it could be seen as some kind of revenge since now I worked for the other side. He was pretty nice, didn’t push me for information while everyone else in the gang did,” Yesung shrugged as he raised the mug to his lips and sipped quietly, the liquid warming his body which had grown cold from his memories, “Whenever I worked and he was around, I’d mutter some things about the agency - false things, but he took them as real. It was soon assumed that in my frustration while working I would spill information about the agency.”

“So when the time’s right, you’ll send for the agency?” Sungmin asked,

Yesung gripped his mug tightly, his knuckles whitening, “That’s an interesting question. I’ve been on this mission for a year now, if you asked me what side I’m on, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. At some point over the months the lies and the truth became fuzzy until they merged at one point. ” He kept his eyes to his mug, refusing to look up at Sungmin as he continued, “I took this mission because I was an agent, it’s my job. I sacrificed everything for my job and what happened? I lost everything else. I lost my identity. People who I had trained with, worked with - they all turned their backs to me. People who I considered friends, colleagues; people who I entrusted my life with on missions - they all assumed the worse of me when this mission started.” He sighed heavily as he looked up, locking gazes with Sungmin, “I ask myself every Friday night in the bar if, when the end of the mission comes, will I be able to complete it? Will I be able to betray my new bonds to those of old bonds who betrayed me first?”

He got up and headed into the kitchen. He downed the rest of his coffee and placed it in the sink. He stood there by the sink, his hands gripping the edge as he fought the urge to shake. He chuckled bitterly, “Bonds I’d formed and built over four years were easily broken within three days. And one year later, an agent who I never even spoke to before now turns out to be the only person who still gives a damn about me to want to hear my side of the story.”

Before Sungmin could say or do anything, Yesung excused himself and retreated to his room to get ready for work. He tried to work everyday, if he kept busy, he couldn’t stop to think about what his life had become.

When he emerged from his room half an hour later, Yesung found Sungmin sitting on the couch reading a magazine, and he was still clad in just his sheet. Sungmin looked up from the magazine just in time to find Yesung drag his eyes across his body appreciatively. When their gazes finally locked, Yesung spoke as if their conversation hadn’t happened earlier,

“Your clothes are already dry, but if you want something fresh, just grab something from my closet,” Yesung stated as he straightened his tie, “I don’t have a set time to get to the headquarters, but I have a lot to get through before the day’s done.”

“So you sleep with a spy then go work for a mob the next morning,” Sungmin chuckled softly, only to stop himself when Yesung threw him a dark look.

Yesung stared hard at him a moment, before sighing. It wasn’t Sungmin’s fault that he had agreed to this mission. It wasn’t Sungmin’s fault that he was confused about his loyalties. He walked to the back of the couch where Sungmin sat and lay his arms over his shoulders, leaning his chin on Sungmin’s shoulder. “Last night was about you and me.” He turned his head slightly so his lips touched Sungmin’s cheek, “But I still want you for more than just a night.”

“And I still want you,” Sungmin admitted quietly as he turned his head until their lips met in a soft and sweet kiss.

When the kiss broke, Yesung straightened and Sungmin leaned his head on the back of the couch to look up at him, “Do you have to work today?” Sungmin shook his head, “Then wait for me… I’ll be home around six.”

Sungmin blinked and looked around the spacious apartment before looking back at him, “Me? Alone in this penthouse?” Yesung nodded, “If… if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t. I’ll see you later,” he leaned down to drop a kiss on Sungmin’s head then started for the door.

Fingers wrapped around the door handle, Yesung was startled when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind, “When… when your mission ends. Whatever side your loyalty decides on, I’ll still be waiting for you here. That has nothing to do with us right?” Sungmin kissed the nape of his neck as he murmured, “I won’t betray you.”

When had he moved? Why hadn’t he heard him? Yesung didn’t care. He turned around in Sungmin’s sheet-clad arms and hugged him back. He pressed his lips against Sungmin’s temple and murmured, “Thank you.”

Yesung stretched his arms as he stood from his chair. He twisted his torso to loosen up the muscles that had tensed after eight hours of just being in a chair and crunching numbers in the office provided him in the secluded mansion where that particular gang kept their business. The door swung open as always at five o’clock, the leader and man who gave him the job, standing in the doorway,

“I don’t know how you always manage to get things done on time,” he said as he leaned against the doorframe, “Then again… you do choose to work on Saturdays and Sundays…” He shook his head, “You know you don’t have to.”

Yesung shook his head as he shut down his computer and put away his files, “Shiwon-sshi, if I don’t keep busy, I dwell on the past too much.”

The boss, Choi Shiwon, tilted his head and regarded him, arms crossed loosely about his torso, “It’s been a year.”

“But it was four years of my life,” Yesung countered as he locked the last of his drawers, “It’s hard to just forget the anger and bitterness.”

The other man nodded his agreement, “We all have our demons. But you know, for the first time since I met you just over a year ago, I finally saw you smile.”

Yesung blinked, his hand holding the strap of his bag, “I haven’t once this past year?”

Shiwon shook his head as he pushed off from the frame and stood straight, “Not until today. You came in with a smile like you held all the happiness in the world. And when I peaked in a couple times today to see if you were doing alright, you were working with a smile on your face.”

“I really never smiled?” Yesung gaped. He was known at the agency for always laughing, always smiling. How far had he diverted from who he really was - no, who he once was?

“I thought you hated your job,” Shiwon replied, “After living the excitement of being a spy, I could understand since you had to settle for being an accountant. But maybe now there’s some shred of happiness in your life after you were thrown out?”

Yesung thought of his night with Sungmin and when he slept in his arms afterwards. He remembered their morning and their embrace before he left. Lastly, he thought of the promise of that night; thought of the person waiting for him when he returned from work. A small, private smile graced his lips again,

“Another smile!” The boss exclaimed, “You did find something to make you happy after being betrayed by the agency.”

Yesung couldn’t help but smile bigger, “I found someone.”

Shiwon clapped a hand to his shoulder as they walked out into the corridor and headed to the mansion’s entrance hall, “Ah, feels good eh? I remember when I first met the love of my life. I was fifteen.”

“You knew your wife for that long?” Yesung gaped,

A peculiar light entered his eyes, “I love my wife… but she is not my first love… nor the one I love the most,” Shiwon took a deep steadying breath, “Come, you’ve been working eight hours and the wife demands you over for dinner.” Shiwon paused a moment before, “You should bring this someone of yours,” He decided as they entered the entrance hall.

Upon entering the mansion’s entrance hall, they came across three of the gang members, one of whom had someone tied up with them.

Shiwon raised his eyebrows curiously, “Is this person involved with the Kim Youngwoon case?”

Yesung looked up at the name, eyes widening to see someone he knew in this place of all places.

The one member who had his hold on the hostage nodded, “His name is Lee Sungmin. Agent spy.”

Sungmin, who had his eyes to the ground, glanced up and was startled to find himself face-to-face with Yesung in the mansion. He glanced back down almost immediately, but he had reacted and someone had seen it.

Shiwon glanced towards Yesung before addressing the members again, “Where’d you find him?”

The other member looked at Yesung, “Hanging around his building,” He stated, “And reports say Lee Sungmin was seen leaving Kim Youngwoon’s bar last night with Yesung-sshi…”

Shiwon turned to look at Yesung. His eyes searched Yesung’s face for a moment before asking, “Do you know this man?”

“No.” Yesung stated as he walked past the members and Sungmin and headed for the door.

“Are you sure about that Yesung-sshi?” Yesung glanced back, horrified to find one of the members holding a gun to Sungmin’s head, “Think about your answer. Now… answer, do you know Lee Sungmin?”

“Reports also say,” the member continued, “That Lee Sungmin was seen on the penthouse balcony of Yesung-sshi’s apartment building… He lives in the penthouse. He’s double crossed us like he did with the agency. Never should trust a traitor.”

“Yesung-sshi?” Shiwon stared hard at Yesung.

In split-seconds, Yesung had kicked the gun into the air. He punched two of the members to the ground, high-kicked one in the face and yanked Sungmin behind his back and caught the gun before it dropped to the floor. He held the gun in his slender fingers, pointing it back and forth between the three other men. It had been so long since he last held a gun and considering it had been an extension of himself for four years, feeling its cool metal in his hand felt like a glorious reunion.

“Don’t do anything rash,” Shiwon stated, holding his hands up in a surrendering motion, “There’s still four of us against you, Yesung.”

“Not to mention the man behind the pillar by the staircase, the other up on the second floor looking down here,” Yesung counted off without even glancing to find them,

“How did-”

“I can hear them breathing,” Yesung interrupted the floored member, “I can also tell you that you have two knives strapped on you - one on your calf, one on your waist. You have a hand gun in a hidden holder on the inside of your suit,” he pointed the gun to another floored member, “You have a hand gun tucked into the back of your pants and a knife strapped to your ankle.” He pointed the gun to the last member on the ground, “You have two guns strapped to your waist.” He then turned the gun towards Shiwon, “And you have one gun in your holder underneath your shirt. But that’s it. That’s all you ever have.”

“You’ve been analyzing us!?” one of the members gapped from the floor,

“No,” Shiwon muttered just loud enough for the others to hear, “He just figured it all out now. He’s not the best for nothing… but we still outnumber you Yesung. You’re good, like I said - the best… but you have another person with you and you’ll be risking their life if you try to escape now.”

“You and I both know I’m more than capable of escaping,” Yesung stated,

“True… but you won’t risk his life,” Shiwon said simply. He held out his hand, “Give me the gun Yesung.”

For the first time, Yesung’s hand trembled with a gun in it. His finger lay shaking on the trigger as he glared hard at Shiwon’s face. Knowing Shiwon was right, he placed the gun in Shiwon’s hand.

“Take them to the wine cellar for holding,” Shiwon said as he gripped the gun and tucked it into his pants, “No one is to do anything to either of them until we learn more.”

“But Boss! You just saw what he did! How can he not be guilty?” A member asked coming from behind a pillar by the stairs,

“He’s admitted to nothing and you threatened his lover; how else is he supposed to react?” Shiwon replied sternly before glaring at the member who stepped out of his hiding spot, “And you! You were detected immediately!”

The two members who were on the floor got to their feet, brushing themselves off. One grabbed Sungmin whose hands were tied behind his back. The other took out their spare gone from the holder in their suit and pointed it to Yesung’s back, urging him to move towards the wine cellar door.

The cellar was dim, lit by what little light came through the small windows near the top of the walls, showing earth and grass. It was cold and smelled of old wood and stone. When the cellar door closed, Yesung went to Sungmin and untied him.

Once untied, Yesung pulled him into his arms, “Are you okay? They didn’t do anything to you, did they?”

Sungmin shook his head, “I was stupid to get caught. I left to buy some groceries and when I came back, they ambushed me in the elevator. Even the security guard was tied up… I should’ve known.”

“They don’t seem it, but they’re smart,” Yesung defended,

“But I’m an agent!” Sungmin argued, “You would’ve been able to detect them from a block away.”

“I also gave up everything when I shouldn’t have,” Yesung replied, “So don’t compare yourself to me.” He stepped away from Sungmin and began to look around the cellar, “We need to get out of here and fast before they find anything out - worse, if they get Youngwoon.”

“Youngwoon will be fine, he’s-”

“An agent too?” Yesung glanced at him quizzically, “How many agents are in my life after ‘leaving’ the agency?”

“Just me… Youngwoon left the agency prematurely. After his first mission he quit,” Sungmin explained, “He and I were on the same mission together.”

Yesung walked over to the shelves with the large barrels of wine, “I never asked… what part of the agency are you from? Political? Narcotics? Stalking?”

“Assassination,” Sungmin answered quickly, “I’m… an assassin.” Yesung turned to look at him fully, “Youngwoon couldn’t handle killing someone. So after his first mission, he quit the agency altogether. So… he’ll be fine if they come knocking on his door. He doesn’t like killing, but he’ll do what he needs to do when the time comes for it.”

“How many of your colleagues have come after me since leaving the agency?” Yesung asked quietly, remembering the numerous attempts on his life over the past year, “How many were so angry at me that they tried to take my life, upset that the agency didn’t do more than just kick me out?”

“Seven,” Sungmin muttered quietly, “I… tried to stop them,” he ventured,

Yesung stared at a moment before turning back to look at the barrels, “Thank you.” He then moved closer to the barrels and knocked on them. When he reached the third barrel, he smiled, “This one still has wine.”

“I understand you habitually drink your sorrows away, but this is hardly the time,” Sungmin stated dryly,

“Wine has more appealing qualities than that. It’s also combustible,” Yesung grinned,

“But we can’t necessarily haul that huge barrel up those stairs and throw them at people,” Sungmin argued, “We may be agents, but we’re not Ultraman.”

Yesung turned to look at him and rolled his eyes, “For an agent, you’re not very resourceful… It’s a lure,” Yesung explained as he began to tug at the barrel. Sungmin hurried over and helped him and, slowly, they lifted the half-full barrel of wine onto the stone ground, “If they see smoke coming from down here, they’ll come down to inspect.”

“Two flaws: they’re not THAT stupid; and we don’t have anything to light it with,” Sungmin countered,

“All we need is two rocks or two stones,” Yesung looked around, “And… we’re inside,” he sighed, “Okay… plan B: we bust out of here.”

“We have no ammunition - let alone weapons,” Sungmin reminded. He cursed at himself, “I usually keep something on me too. I was too absent-minded going to get damn groceries for - by the way your fridge is really empty.”

“We’re agents - that’s ammunition enough,” Yesung interjected as he threw off his suit coat to the floor and took off his button up, clad in just his sleeveless shirt. He knelt on the ground and took up his suit. In the lining of the cuffs, he began to take out the thread with his nails,

“What are you doing?” Sungmin asked,

“I wasn’t the best for just ability. Most of my success is because of small things I did,” Yesung said as he took out half of the hemming in the cuff. He pulled out a bendable piece of sharp metal. Straightening it, he used a corner to cut his button-up shirt into strips.

“You keep that in your jacket!?” Sungmin gaped,

“You should see what I keep in my pants,” Yesung smirked as he picked up one of the strips and wrapped it around his hand, specifically his knuckles and repeated it with his other hand. “Do you know how to pick a lock?”

Sungmin nodded, “I’d have to, to assassinate people properly. You don’t?”

“It’s been awhile,” Yesung shrugged as he went to the breast pocket of the jacket. Using the metal piece from before, he was quickly able to cut through the thin hemming and pulled out two thin metal sticks, one with a hook on the end. He walked over to Sungmin and placed them in his hand, “There you go.”

Sungmin looked down, “What else do you have in that jacket!?”

“Not now,” Yesung said, pushing him towards the wooden stairs, “When we get out of here, we’ll go through my entire wardrobe and…” he paused, looking down at Sungmin’s shoes, “Are those my shoes?”

“I wasn’t paying attention when I put on my shoes,” Sungmin explained sheepishly,

“You need to start paying attention,” Yesung muttered as he got down on a knee, pushed Sungmin back onto the stairs and lifted one foot, taking the shoe off, “But right now, I’m glad you weren’t.” He pulled out the metal piece again and easily sliced off a centimetre of the sole, revealing a dagger. He took the other shoe and did the same. After taking out the daggers, he gave Sungmin back his shoes, “Specially made soles with the daggers for… dire situations.” He held the daggers in his hands, getting use to their weight, “You’ve read my file, so you must know how I do things.”

“Let me guess - you want to get out of here with little to no casualties?” Yesung nodded. Sungmin nodded as he accepted one of the daggers, “Certainly different from my missions,” he said as he went up the stairs to the door. He handed the dagger back to Yesung and, using the metal sticks, began to pick the lock of the cellar door.

“These gangsters… no matter what it is they do - I’ve gotten to know them on a more personal level than I should have,” Yesung explained quietly, “I know their names, celebrated their birthdays, met their families… even received Christmas presents from them. Even if the life I lived was a lie, I was still myself and in memory of the bonds I formed with these men, I can’t kill them.

When Sungmin stood up straight, he turned the knob and pushed it open a crack, “You need to relearn the basics,” Sungmin shook his head as he pocketed the tools and took back his dagger,

Suddenly, the door swung open and one of the members from before was standing in the doorway. “What the- Boss!” He called as he pulled out his gun and shot it at Sungmin.

Sungmin felt his body move of their own accord. His hand gripped the dagger and swung it before his face. He saw a spark before his eyes as the bullet was deflected by the blade. In that moment, he grabbed man’s wrist, twisted into his body and used the hilt of the dagger to jab his wrist. Hit in a pressure point, the man released the gun and Sungmin took it easily, pushing the man away from him with a swift kick to the abdomen.

Movement caught his attention in his peripherals and Sungmin turned towards it immediately. Wrists crossed, the hand with the gun atop the other, he found himself pointing the gun at the gang leader.

“SUNGMIN!”

Sungmin turned to look back just as a dagger whizzed by his head, spinning in the air. From its rotation it speed, the blade was sure to hit the staggering gang member, however at the last minute, it tipped forward and the hilt smashed into his face - right between his eyes.

Yesung came up the stairs behind Sungmin and upon entering the hallway, raised his eyebrows to find Shiwon there. Turning his attention back to the other member who lay on the floor, Yesung stared down at him a moment in silent contemplation. The member grabbed the fallen dagger and went to stab Yesung’s foot. He kicked the dagger from his hand and stepped on his fingers,

“I don’t want to have to kill you,” Yesung said quietly as the man wriggled in pain. He walked over to the dagger and picked it up. Squatting by the man, he pointed the dagger at his temple, “But if you force me to, then I’ll do it.”

The man stared at the dagger from the corner of his eye. He was shaking at the sight of it despite his words, “You wouldn’t dare go through with it. Stop bluffing Yesung-sshi. You’re a washed up agent - a traitor to the world.”

With a swift movement of his arm, Yesung’s fist came in contact with the member’s face, smashing it. He was knocked out immediately, blood dripping from his lips. “You’re right, I wouldn’t,” he stood up, “But you make it damned hard.” He glanced back at Shiwon. He took the gun from Sungmin and shot at the gang leader.

The boss fell back against a wall, his hand crossing over to stop the blood spilling from his wounded shoulder, “You make saving you easy,” Shiwon stammered as he hissed at the pain, “But next time, let’s make it LOOK real, rather than making it BE real.”

“More believable,” Yesung shrugged as he handed the gun back to Sungmin, “Rip your shirt a bit too, actually,” Yesung walked up to Shiwon and sliced at him with his own dagger. It cut the shirt perfectly without nicking Shiwon, “Smear some blood on that too.”

“That won’t be enough Yesung,” Shiwon stated, “If all you’re going to do is hit me in the shoulder - missing all vital points - at least knock me out from the pain.”

Yesung rolled his eyes as he gripped his dagger tightly, “Always make me do all the work.” He raised his hand then paused, “But…I appreciate your help.”

“You became a friend, Yesung… and believe it or not, there are those who you’ve been loyal to who will remain loyal to you,” Shiwon replied as he lifted his hand from his shoulder, seeing how the wound was doing, his hand, shoulder and arm covered in blood, “But this is as far as we go. I can’t help you out after you leave this corridor.” Yesung nodded, “I may be in the hospital tonight, so we’ll have to postpone dinner. The wife complains of not seeing you anymore since I stole you away.”

Yesung smiled graciously at his employer before lowering his arm in a quick movement, the hilt of the dagger making fierce contact with Shiwon’s head. He collapsed against the wall, sliding to the ground unconscious.

In the entrance hall, they were met by two members who were mopping the floor - the same members that Yesung had detected earlier, obviously they were being punished. Upon seeing them, both members dropped their mops and moved to take out their guns. Just as they were doing so, Sungmin dropped to the ground and swung his leg at their ankles, bringing them down. He tossed Yesung his gun and picked up one of the mops. He stood up and kicked where the head was joined, breaking it off.

The two members whipped out their guns while on their backs and shot several times at Yesung and Sungmin. With all his strength, Sungmin spun the mop handle before him and Yesung. The bullets hit the make-shift propeller shield and ricocheted off, two of them heading back towards the members. Yesung grabbed Sungmin’s dagger and threw both daggers. They landed just inches from the members’ heads, each with a bullet pierced at the end. Sungmin stilled his hand as Yesung stared down at the gangsters,

“Consider that redemption for lying to you,” Yesung stated simply before he placed a hand at the small of Sungmin’s back and pushed him towards the front door.

Just as they reached it, it opened, the final two members from the earlier encounter on the front steps of the mansion. Immediately, Yesung released the bullet case from the gun, grabbed it in mid air and whipped it towards one member’s eye. It made contact and he stumbled backwards as he reached for his gun. Sungmin jabbed the mop handle into the ground and, using it as leverage, jumped - kicking the other member in the face. When he landed, he let out a gasp.

Yesung glanced away from the member he had targeted, eyes widening at the sight. The other member had fallen to the side after being kicked, but used a knee to balance himself. When Sungmin landed from the kick, the member already had a knife out waiting for Sungmin. The member pulled out the bloody dagger, Sungmin collapsing onto his backside, his hands abandoning the mop handle to hold the right side of his abdomen where the wound had been caused.

Seeing Sungmin bleeding heavily, Yesung’s body reacted in a way it had not in so long. Instinctively, he grabbed the abandoned mop handle and jabbed it towards the member he had thrown the gun piece at before. He pinned the member against the doorframe hard, securely in the abdomen . The member gasped for air, grasping at the stick trying to get rid of it. Then Yesung kicked the knife from the other member. As it flew up in the air, Yesung grabbed the last member’s shirt and yanked him to the ground painfully, dragging him closer until he was able to kneel one knee onto the man’s stomach. When Yesung caught the knife, the point was millimetres away from one of the man’s eyes.

Yesung adjusted his grip on the knife, tightened his fingers around it and moved his hand so the blade was pressed up against the man’s neck. “Traitor,” he spat,

“I had wanted to end things without anyone getting hurt - without bloodshed,” Yesung muttered angrily, eyes narrowing at him while hot tears sprung to his dark eyes,

“It doesn’t take a knife wound to hurt someone,” The member who was pinned at the door breathed as they gasped for air,

“I didn’t want to hurt any of you… but at this point, you both can die for all I care,” Yesung said darkly as he twisted the stick painfully into the one man’s stomach and pressed the blade harder against the other man’s neck. “You both have no idea who you’re dealing with. Without breaking a sweat, I can impale you with this mop handle using the blunt end… and I can slice your jugular using the hilt of this dagger.”

“Yesung-sshi,” Sungmin breathed, holding his side tightly, “Don’t… don’t… don’t give up your morals.”

As if hearing Sungmin’s voice brought him back, Yesung looked up at him suddenly. Dropping both mop handle and knife, he went to Sungmin’s side, pressing his hand over Sungmin’s to help stop the gushing blood, “I’ll get you help. Just stay with me, okay? Hold on a little bit longer so I can get you to a hospital. I won’t let anything happen to you ever again” Yesung promised, his tears trickling down his face as he slid one arm beneath Sungmin’s knees and the other behind his back.

“I trust you,” Sungmin murmured as he gave up completely into Yesung’s strength, his eyes fluttering close; just keeping them open was too much effort.

With a steadying breath, and his lips pressed to his temple, Yesung stood up, heaving up the younger man with him. Holding him to his heart, he moved towards the stairs. He stopped when he heard a familiar click and felt a gun at his back.

“Goodbye Yesung-sshi.”

Bang.


(For the sequel & final part: Serenity)