Once the Jiang delegation had neared the Cloud Recesses, Wei Ying had slipped away to Caiyi Town. He wanted to get a taste of Emperor’s Smile and it wouldn’t hurt to have a bit of a pick me up before transitioning into the allegedly ascetic lifestyle of the Lans.

The errand didn’t take too long but, since the Jiang delegation had already been set to arrive late in the day, it was already dark by the time he made it to the Cloud Recesses. He didn’t mind, though.

Until he was turned away at the gates.

“Curfew is at 9,” one of the guards said. “No entry until 5.”

“5 in the

morning?

!” Wei Ying was unwilling to believe anyone could be functional so early.

The guard simply nodded, completely stone-faced.

Wei Ying groaned. “Couldn’t you make a little exception? I’m with the Jiang delegation. I didn’t know there was a curfew. Just tonight?”

The guard didn’t even bother to look at him. “No entry after curfew.”

Wei Ying huffed. So rigid! Forget his previous speculations that the rumors about the Cloud Recesses’ discipline was overexaggerated, they were all that he heard and more.

Well, he supposed he might just have to sleep out in the forest tonight. Or…

“Ah, I suppose I must wait, then,” he said, turning around and strolling away.  “I’ll just find a nice patch of leaves, maybe some springy moss…”

He kept on until he deemed himself far enough away, then he turned back, bolting around to a wall out of the guards’ sight. He stared up the wall consideringly, then glanced at a tree that was a few feet away.

All right!

He slung the jars of alcohol over his shoulder, then climbed up the tree. He wiggled across a branch that stuck out towards the wall, eyed the distance, then jumped.

He caught onto the wall and hung there for a moment, heart pounding. Rather than fear though, his blood sang with excitement. He pulled himself up, hitching a leg over to get him full atop the wall, then sat there a moment, looking around the Cloud Recesses from his vantage point.

Wow

, he thought to himself. The Lan might be strict and stuffy but the Cloud Recesses was undeniably beautiful. The buildings were graceful, wood shining faintly in the moonlight. Combine that with the dark green of the plants and the mist hanging low, the scene looked ethereal. He couldn’t help but stare.

“No entry after curfew,” a deep voice stated.

Wei Ying started, head whipping around to the right to see a young man in white. The young man had ebony black hair, in contrast to the stark white of his clothes. When he looked closely, though, he saw that the cloth had a faint pattern of light blue. He wore a cloud-patterned forehead ribbon and his eyes shone a clear gold.

His first thought, oddly enough, was that the people of Gusu were even more beautiful than the scenery.

His second thought was

oh, shit!

The other man had his sword drawn and pointed at Wei Ying. He immediately put his hands up placatingly.

“I’m not an intruder, I swear!”

The man narrowed his eyes.

“Really! I’m with the Jiang delegation. I just had an errand to run and, by the time I got back, it was already past 9.” Wei Ying smiled, channeling all his charm.

It didn’t seem to work, though. The man continued to stare with a blank expression, until his eyes dropped to the jars still slung over Wei Ying’s shoulder. At that, his expression broke into a small frown.

“Drinking alcohol is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses,” he said with an icy voice.

“Ah, but I’m not in Cloud Recesses yet, am I?” Wei Ying gave him a cheeky grin.

“Your alcohol will be confiscated. Hand it over.” The young man stepped towards Wei Ying, hand reaching out to grab the jars.

Wei Ying jumped up and backed away. “No way, I paid good money for this!” He clutched the jars to his chest.

The small frown on the other man’s face deepened. “Hand it over and your punishment will be lenient.”

“Punishment? Well, if I’m going to be punished anyway, might as well drink my Emperor’s Smile.” At that, he opened one of the jars and tipped his head back, pouring the liquid into his mouth. The taste was so delightful, so refreshing, that he barely even heard the other man’s choked “You-!”

But he did hear the whistle of a sword cutting through the air. He glided back, glancing up at the other man with a pout. His eyes widened when they landed on the other man.

A pair of ice blue horns jutted out from just above his forehead ribbon. His gold eyes were somehow even more intense, now with slitted pupils. When he exhaled, a breath of frosty air was released, crystallizing into tiny fractals of ice.

An ice dragon.

He barely had a moment to stare in awe before he had to dodge. The man had leapt into the air and hurtled now toward Wei Ying with his sword aiming for the jars.

“I’ve never seen a dragon before!” He couldn’t help but exclaim even as he danced around to avoid the sword point. “You must be a member of the main Clan, then. Lan Xichen?”

The other man didn’t react.

“No? Maybe Lan Wangji?”

The other man’s shoulder pulled up for a brief second.

“So, you are Lan Wangji! I’m Wei Ying, courtesy Wuxian. You know, I heard so many rumors about you and your brother. Twin Jades with jade-like beauty and all that. You really live up to expectations.” He winked with a sly smile and watched in delight as Lan Wangji’s ears reddened, jaw clenching.

“Shameless!”

Wei Ying laughed, gleeful at the reaction he was able to pull out of the stone-faced man. In that brief moment of distraction, Lan Wangji struck, sword piercing one of the jars, shattering it.

“Hey!”

Lan Wangji lunged forward and Wei Ying tried to back up but found himself with his back pressed against a watch tower. He tried to hold the remaining jar out of reach, but Lan Wangji evidently had longer arms and grabbed it with no trouble, taking it away.

Wei Ying felt a pang of disappointment but it was quickly overshadowed when he saw something that was uncovered when Lan Wangji raised his arm, making his sleeve drop.

A red ribbon. Worn and frayed. And familiar.

He froze, staring at it.

Without even thinking about it, he reached out to try to touch the ribbon, but Lan Wangji jerked his arm away, his other hand coming up to cover the ribbon.

“Don’t touch it!” Lan Wangji glared at him.

Wei Ying didn’t even blink, staring at the hand that covered the ribbon. “But that’s...mine...I gave it to a child in...white.” The realization struck him and it seemed to strike Lan Wangji at the same time.

He moved his hand, uncovering the ribbon.

Wei Ying was certain now that the ribbon was close enough to feel the faintest traces of his mother’s energy, still clinging to the fabric. A protection charm cast over a decade ago and still present.

“You…” He looked at Lan Wangji, seeing the same shocked expression that was undoubtedly on his face, as well.

“Did you...did you come back?” He couldn’t help the vulnerable tremble in his voice.

Lan Wangji nodded, a jerky motion. “I went back to the alley but you were gone.”

“Uncle Jiang-uh-Jiang Fengmian. He found me and took me with him to Lotus Pier.”

Lan Wangji frowned slightly. “I have not heard of a fox among the Jiang.”

Wei Ying tensed, a reflex reaction to years of hiding his shift. “How do you-” He realized immediately. “Ah. You saw my ears that time.”

Lan Wangji nodded. “I listened for any rumor of a fox child but I never heard any. I assumed that the Wens had...gotten you.”

Wei Ying huffed a laugh. “Good to know my efforts worked.” At Lan Wangji’s confused look, he elaborated. “When I got to Lotus Pier, Madame Yu insisted that I hide my fox shift to avoid attracting the Wens' attention. Since then, I haven’t shifted at all.”

Lan Wangji hummed with a faint frown. When he met Wei Ying’s eyes, Wei Ying suddenly noticed how close they were. Lan Wangji seemed to notice as well, jerking back.

“You may join your delegation,” he said, smoothing his features back into a blank expression. “This will be your only warning. Please familiarize yourself with the rules.”

Wei Ying beamed. “I will! Ah, but…”

Lan Wangji looked at him questioningly.

Wei Wuxian scratched his cheek self-consciously. “I don’t know where to go…”

Lan Wangji blinked. “Follow me.”

He turned and jumped down from the wall, landing gracefully. Wei Ying smiled and followed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

As Lan Zhan walked through the Cloud Recesses, heading to the guest quarters, he couldn’t help but sneak glances at Wei Wuxian. The young man walked with a sense of restlessness, his entire body moving. His eyes constantly flitted around, fingers tapping against the hilt of his sword, head turning this way and that.

Lan Zhan thought of the hungry young child he’d met a decade ago and marveled at the vibrant young man he’d become. That child had been skinny and still, curled up tightly to take up as little space as possible. This young man, however, was lean but with a healthy glow to his cheeks and an aura that made his presence enormous. One thing that hadn’t changed, though, was the life within his eyes. Even when he’d been a hungry child, Wei Wuxian’s eyes shone with an unquenchable fire.

Wei Wuxian glanced over at him and met his eyes, smiling brightly when he did.

Ah,

Lan Wangji thought.

So that hasn’t changed, either.

That smile, full of joy and kindness, had lingered in his memory, fed the hope that one day he’d meet the boy again. Now, unexpectedly, here he was.

Lan Wangji didn’t know how to tell him that he’d saved his life.

When he’d been given the ribbon, he could sense the power within it, but he was much too young to be able to identify what it was.

It became clear, though, on a snowy day just a few months later.

He’d been walking through the back mountains after a visit day. The day after his scheduled monthly visit to his mother always left him melancholy. That day, he’d been distracted, upset because his mother was ill and they hadn’t been allowed to visit her.

He hadn’t realized he’d left the boundary of the Cloud Recesses. Until he heard the snarl of a corrupted animal. Before he’d even had the chance to look around, the creature, what used to be a mongoose, leapt at him.

Then, the ribbon he’d tied around his wrist warmed and a wave of energy pulsed out, repelling the creature. While the creature was off-balance and dazed, Lan Wangji had run back within the borders.

It was later, when he’d been clear-headed enough to think about what happened, that he’d figured out the ribbon had some kind of protective charm woven in it.

It had saved him again after that. On his first night hunt, when it let out a pulse of energy to repel a fierce corpse that he didn’t dodge in time. On another hunt, when he had more experience but made the mistake of looking away from the water ghoul for a moment.

He eventually learned that it couldn’t exorcise anything but it could expel small bursts of energy to repel low level creatures. And each time it did, he remembered that bright smile, the cheerful “

now, we’re even

!”

When he reached the guest dorms, he felt a tug of reluctance. He’d just found the boy he’d been looking for, he didn’t want to part again so quickly. Something in his heart ached at the thought of it.

But he shook it off.

“The Jiang delegation is in that building,” he said, with a nod toward the quarters.

“Thank you,” Wei Wuxian said with a smile in his direction. He took a couple of steps to the building, then paused and looked back.

“Um...talk to you tomorrow?”

Wei Wuxian looked apprehensive, eyebrows pulling in slightly. Lan Wangji felt the unease he’d had about parting settle when he realized that Wei Wuxian seemed just as reluctant.

“Mn. Tomorrow.”

Wei Wuxian grinned at him, then continued on his way to the building.

Lan Wangji couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come.

——————————————————————-

Wei Ying wanted to die.

It was 5 in the morning, so early that the sun hadn’t even fully risen and not only had he been woken up but he was expected to start his day.

“Nooooooo,” he groaned into the pillow.

“Wei Wuxian!” He felt a pillow smack into his back as Jiang Cheng berated him. “Get up!”

“Nooooo, too early,” he whined, voice muffled by the pillow.

“I will dump cold water on you, don’t test me,” Jiang Cheng hissed.

“What!” Wei Wuxian jerked his head up. “That would get the bed wet, too! It would take forever to dry, you wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”

“Better get up before you find out.”

“Ughhhh,” he groaned. “My shidi is evil, cruel, heartless.” He looked at Jiang Cheng with his best pout.

Jiang Cheng was utterly unimpressed. “Nice try,” he said drily.

“Fine, fine!” Wei Wuxian said, pulling himself up into a sitting position. “But I hope you know this is physically paining me.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, then chucked a bundle of cloth at Wei Wuxian. “Get dressed, we’re going to be late for breakfast.”

Wei Wuxian sighed but got up to change.

“By the way,” Jiang Cheng said with a steely look in his direction. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you sneaking in late.”

“Ah, that was-“

Jiang Cheng held up a hand. “I don’t want to know. Just...try not to get us kicked out on the first day.”

Wei Ying raised three fingers, looking at Jiang Cheng with his best attempt at a solemn face. “I promise I won’t.”

He must not have been very convincing because Jiang Cheng simply gave him a skeptical look before turning to the door.

Wei Ying grinned and followed behind.

As they walked to the dining hall, Wei Ying thought that the Cloud Recesses were just as beautiful in the day as it was at night.

The morning sun shone gently, scattered by the ever present mist. The greenery that was visible at night was vibrant in the day.

It truly was a place of tranquility.

As he thought about that, he was reminded of the still-faced Lan Wangji, tranquil as his home. At least, until Wei Ying poked the wrong nerve.

I wonder if I’ll see him at breakfast,

he mused to himself. His heart beat a bit faster, palms tingling at the thought. He couldn’t tell if it was nerves or excitement.

Maybe both.

When they entered the dining hall, Wei Ying immediately started scanning the room.

It didn’t take long for him to find Lan Wangji. He sat at the front of the room beside someone who looked remarkably like him, if more expressive. Undoubtedly his brother. Also beside him was an older man, clearly related to the Twin Jades.

Their father? No, Qingheng-Jun is in seclusion. Ah, he must be their uncle. What was his name…?

As he pondered what the name of the older Lan was-he knew he’d heard it-Lan Wangji met his eyes.

Wei Ying froze in place, heartbeat speeding up further. He lifted a hand and waved hesitantly but Lan Wangji simply looked away.

He pouted, a stab of disappointment-was that a bit of hurt?-piercing him.

He looked away and sat beside Jiang Cheng, focusing his attention on the food.

He immediately regretted it.

What the hell is this?!

Breakfast consisted of a bowl of plain rice and a thin broth with a few shreds of some type of leaf floating within it.

He looked around, wondering if there was a plate missing from his table but everyone else had the same. Nobody else seemed bothered, though.

He sighed internally, resigning himself to the bland meal.

When breakfast was over, they were directed to the meditation rooms. Lan Wangji was at the lead, giving Wei Ying no chance to speak with him.

One hour of meditation later (not that Wei Ying really meditated, distracted by his anxious need to speak to Lan Wangji) they were off to lessons with Lan Wangji’s uncle, who Wei Ying finally remembered was named Lan Qiren.

Once again, Lan Wangji was seated at the front, too far for Wei Ying to speak with him or even pass him a note.

He immediately tuned out the lesson, pondering instead how he might get Lan Wangji’s attention.

Oh, I know!

He grabbed a paper, writing a brief note on it, then folding it up into a little bird. He drew a sigil on it, activating it with a small push of energy. The paper bird fluttered up, flying to land on Lan Wangji’s desk.

Lan Wangji’s head turned slightly when the bird landed. He picked it up and examined it, glancing back at Wei Ying, who smiled at him. Instead of opening it, though, he slid it beneath his notes.

Wei Ying pouted. Why wasn’t Lan Wangji talking to him?

“Wei Wuxian!”

The shout startled him, making him sit upright. Lan Qiren glared at him from the front of the room.

“Since you seem to be so knowledgeable that you don’t need my instruction, why don’t you answer the question?”

Wei Ying blinked, staring at Lan Qiren, who simply looked expectantly at him.

Wei Ying spoke hesitantly. “What was the question?”

Lan Qiren’s eyes narrowed. He spoke in a hiss. “What enables shifts?”

Wei Wuxian responded immediately. “An affinity that one is born with combined with cultivation of a more stable and powerful shift.”

Somehow, Lan Qiren didn’t seem pleased that he’d gotten the answer right. “And what kind of cultivation is required?”

“Cultivation of spiritual energy, with stronger cores enabling stronger shifts. Though,” he added, tapping his chin in thought, “one could also use demonic energy to strengthen a shift.”

Lan Qiren scoffed. “That is only true of fox shifts, due to their affinity for resentful energy.”

“Not necessarily,” Wei Ying insisted. “It might be easier for a fox shift but any shifter can do it with enough care and training.”

“You-! Do you seek to encourage the corruption of shifters?”

“Why does it necessarily have to lead to corruption? Anyone with an affinity for one source of energy can learn to use others. It might even-“

He stopped to duck a book that was chucked at his head.

“Get out!” Lan Qiren shouted, face red, a vein in his temple throbbing. “You will copy the precepts thrice for your blasphemous words!”

“Three times?!” Wei Ying protested. “That will take forever!”

“Five times! Now, go!”

Wei Ying opened his mouth, but thought better of it. He simply got up, bowed, gave Jiang Cheng (who was glaring at him) an apologetic look, and left. As he did, he heard Lan Qiren speak. “Wangji, go with him and supervise his punishment.”

His heart skipped a beat when he heard the soft rustle of clothes as Lan Wangji rose and the near-silent sound of his footsteps. He slowed down, allowing the other to catch up. They walked silently, Wei Ying slightly behind Lan Wangji, since he didn’t know the way to the library. He felt the question he wanted to ask burn on his tongue, but he held back, the eyes of others holding him back.

When they got to the library, Lan Wangji led them to a secluded corner, where he laid out papers and a copy of the precepts on a table. Wei Ying watched him, seated at the table, until he sat down as well. Then, the question burst out.

“Why won’t you talk to me?” He blurted out. Lan Wangji looked at him with a slight widening of his eyes but, before, he could speak, Wei Ying continued. “Did I do something that upset you? Uh, other than the thing with the alcohol last night? Do you not want anyone to know we know each other? Did I...did meeting me disappoint you?”

He finally stopped, chest tight and breathing faster than normal. He looked at Lan Wangji, heart in his throat as he waited for an answer, hoping that he hadn’t already run Lan Wangji away.

Lan Wangji’s face was still, eyes blinking slowly. As the seconds went on, We Ying felt his stomach grow heavier. “You don’t need to worry about sparing my feelings,” he said quietly, looking away.

“Wei Wuxian, I wasn’t...intentionally not speaking to you,” Lan Wangji finally said.

Wei Ying looked up, a spark of hope lighting.

Lan Wangj sighed. “Have you read the rules?”

Wei Ying looked away, scratching his cheek sheepishly. “Ah, no, not all of them. We got the booklet before we came and I started looking through it, I swear. I just...never finished.”

Lan Wangji shot him a look of disapproval.

“What? They’re not exactly riveting to read,” Wei Ying defended himself.

Lan Wangji sighed again. “One of the rules is that there is no talking permitted during mealtimes.”

Oh.

“I...didn’t know that,” he said meekly. Then, he remembered his other grievance. “But! What about the note? You didn’t even bother to read it!”

“I was paying attention to the lesson. I intended to read it afterwards.”

“Oh,” Wei Ying said, the wind taken out of his sails. He really got worked up over nothing. Actually, now that he really thought about it, it was a bit odd that he was even that upset over being ignored by someone didn’t really know.

Maybe because we met before, so it feels like I know him better?

“Um,” he said sheepishly, “sorry for attacking you like that.”

Lan Wangji shook his head. “I apologize for giving the wrong impression.”

“Ah, that wasn’t really your fault. I guess I let my worries get the best of me.”

Lan Wangji frowned slightly and opened his mouth, but Wei Ying interrupted, wanting to end the conversation before he let any more vulnerabilities slip. “I should probably start copying! I’ve got a long way to go, after all,” he said with a smile.

Lan Wangji hesitated for a moment, then hummed in agreement. As Wei Ying began copying, he saw Lan Wangji turn his attention to a book and they sat in companionable silence for several minutes.

It didn’t take long for Wei Ying to get bored, though.

“Hey, Lan Wangji.”

“Hm?” Lan Wangji didn’t look up.

“Lan Wangji!” Wei Ying repeated, wanting those gold eyes on him, for reasons he didn’t fully understand.

“Yes?” Lan Wangji still didn’t look up.

Wei Ying decided to try a new method. “Lan Zhan!”

Lan Zhan’s head jerked up, startled eyes meeting Wei Ying’s. Then, he narrowed them. “Shameless.”

Wei Ying grinned, delighted anew at ruffling Lan Zhan’s feathers….or would it be scales? Whatever. “Come on, Lan Zhan, we’re already close, aren’t we? You can call me by my birth name, too.”

Lan Zhan’s ears reddened. “Close?”

“Of course! Basically childhood friends. You already know my most closely guarded secret, after all.” Actually, thinking about it that way, they really did have a...unique relationship. They didn’t really know each other but, at the same time, Lan Zhan already knew about his shift, had seen him at his lowest. Not to mention the odd desire Wei Ying had to have Lan Zhan’s attention on him.

“Then, Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said and Wei Ying immediately froze, brain screeching to a halt.

He really needed to think before he spoke because,

really

, how was he supposed to be functional with Lan Zhan saying his name in that smooth voice?

He almost didn’t hear Lan Zhan continue, brain still reeling.

“...if I may ask, you mentioned that you have not shifted since you were taken in.”

“What?” Wei Ying was taken off guard by the topic. “Yeah, so that the Wens didn’t find out about me.”

“Why did this require that you never shift?”

“What do you mean?”

“You could shift in private. It is detrimental to never shift between forms.”

Wei Ying recoiled internally. He didn’t like to think about his shift, especially not that he was forbidden to shift. Externally, he let out a shaky laugh. “Why does that matter? It’s not a big deal.”

Lan Zhan frowned. “It is not good for a shifter to abandon either form. One can lose the ability to shift entirely.”

“I said it’s not a big deal!” Wei Ying stiffened when he heard his own tone, flinching back at the faint look of surprise on Lan Zhan’s face. “Sorry, I’m sorry. It’s just...Madame Yu doesn’t allow it. And really, you never know who’s watching so, better safe than sorry.”

Lan Zhan pressed his lips together, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. “Do you practice cultivating resentful energy?”

“Of course not, that would give me away as a fox, too.”

“Then, am I to understand that you do not shift to your other form and you do not practice the cultivation that your shift has a unique affinity for?”

Wei Ying crossed his arms. “I would have thought you didn’t like demonic cultivation, with what your uncle said.”

“Demonic cultivation is dangerous for most but it is natural for fox shifts. Your potential-”

“Lan Zhan, it’s fine! I’m fine. I don’t need to shift and I don’t need to practice any other type of cultivation. Just drop it.”

Lan Zhan’s expression stiffened. “As you wish,” he said, icily, returning his eyes to the book.

A knot of guilt twisted inside Wei Ying, but he ignored it.

They passed the rest of the afternoon in silence.


"Let's review what we have," Hotch said, his feet crossed where he sat. The clouds passed them by as they soared through the sky.

"We have potential women missing," Emily offered, sitting across from him in the jet. "But only one confirmed missing woman."

"Kelly Beckett," Reid supplied.

"She used to meet her sister every week at Café Dulché, but last Tuesday she was a no-show." Derek Morgan remained unconvinced.

"Over the last decade, 43% of victims targeted by serial killers have been sex workers," Reid offered. He sat with his legs tucked underneath him, crosslegged, next to JJ. "It's possible there are 200 active serials at any given time. There's a high probability that a large percentage would target sex workers."

"With no bodies it's nearly impossible to determine the type of killer we are dealing with here," Rossi huffed. "We can't review crime scenes, and we can't examine bodies post mortem."

"There's no way to determine if the unsub has a signature," Reid added.

"We don't have enough for a profile," Hotch said, eyes never leaving the tablet in front of him.

"How can we make a profile out of this, man?" Derek asked, annoyed. He turned away, watching out the jet window.

Hotch rubbed his head. "Reid, you're with me. We'll head to the precient, introduce ourselves to Sheriff Locke. See if you can get started on a geographical profile."

Reid nodded.

"Prentiss, Rossi, head to the local shelter. Talk to Rosie Donovan and see what information you can gather about the women she thinks are missing."

Rossi fiddled with the watch on his wrist in answer.

"Morgan, JJ, talk to the owner of Café Dulché, see if the owners have anything to offer. Then swing by and talk to Sarah Beckett in person. Get a statement from her."

"Maybe we can dig up a case," Morgan muttered under his breath.

******

They precinct was small and dismal. A few cops eyed them with barely concealed contempt as they entered.

"Agents," a voice called, and both Hotchner and Reid turned their head to the portly man making his way to them.

He was stout, and balding, with curious splotches of red dotting his face. He offered a hand to Hotch to shake.

"Hello. I'm SSA Hotchner, and this is Dr. Reid." Hotch gestured to Spencer, who in lieu of a shake, raised his hand awkwardly to wave.

"I'm Sheriff Locke," the man replied, tearing his curious gaze from Spencer. "I thought your team would be...larger."

"We wanted to hit the ground running," Hotch assured. "My agents are out questioning potential witnesses now."

"I see." Locke ran a hand over his balding head. "Well, come on ahead back to my office."

He started heading back towards a door near the rear of the building. They passed tables scattered about, cluttered with knick-knack and baubles and a nameplate identifying it's accompanying officer. Many of those men glared at them as they passed.

"Not exactly a warm welcome," Reid muttered, angling to avoid the outstretched shoulder of a cop as he passed by. The man smiled sardonically at him, and Reid caught the name Ritters on his gold nameplate.

"I've warned everyone to be on their best behaviour," Locke said, motioning them inside his office door. The room was small, the tawny carpet here just as stained as the rest of the precinct.

"They're not happy I invited the FBI here to assist," he explained.

"We're simply a tool to be used. Any arrests that need to be made will he handled by your office." Hotch remained standing while Sheriff Locke plopped loudly into his seat.

"Truth be told," the man said, glumly, "I can barely keep these guys under control."

"They're your men," Hotch said, incredulously. "You're the Sheriff."

"Only for a couple months now. And only just barely." Locke motioned to a black and white picture on the wall. A young child sat on the shoulders of a man in uniform. "I got this position because my Daddy had it before me. Until he passed away, he was Sheriff. And so far, if you ask those men out there, I ain't living up to expectations."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Hotch said. "But I'm going to need cooperation from your men on this."

"And like I said, I've warned them to behave." Locke sighed. "Officer Hodges and Ritters have always been some of the best men the precinct has. I'm going to assign them this case to work the closest with you."

Reid couldn't stop his eyebrow from shooting up. Officer Ritters had just tried to shoulder bump him on the way to this room. He suddenly had very low expectations of the best that Paxville had to offer.

"We'll need a room to set up in," Hotch responded. "And an evidence board."

"Done," Locke agreed. "Though, we are small here. It will have to be a small room."

"We'll make due," Hotch said, easily.

Locke nodded, then suddenly screeched, "Ritters!"

Reid startled at the noise. A moment later the office door opened, revealing that same sardonic smile that had tried to trip him on his way in.

"Yes, Sheriff?" Ritters asked. Hotch frowned slightly at the patronizing note in the officer's voice.

"This is Agent Hotchner," Locke pointed a stubby finger at the elder agent, "And Dr. Reid. You and your partner will be working closely with the BAU agents for now."

"My pleasure," Ritters said, offering a hand to both men. His eyes darkened ever so slightly at Reid's small wave. The smile stuck on his face never reached his eyes.

"We'd like to get started, if you don't mind," Hotch implored, turning back to the Sheriff.

"Of course!" He responded. "Ritters, please show the men our spare conference room."

"Sure thing, Sheriff," Ritters said. His blue eyes sparked with indignation. Reid found himself shrinking away as he followed Hotch out the door, the officer following behind.

"Up there, on the left," Ritters spoke, breezing past them. He led them to a room even smaller than Sheriff Locke's office.

"This is it," he said, flicking on a light. It seemed to sputter for a moment before finally igniting. Pale light flicked across the room.

"Thank you." Hotch maintained his impassive facade, but Reid found himself frowning at the dust that covered every surface. Including the evidence board and the map already pinned to it.

"Yep. I know you FBI folks gotta have the best," Ritters practically sneered. His tone caused both Hotch and Reid to turn in his direction.

"We are here to help," Hotch said coolly.

"Of course, of course." The man raised his hands in a gesture of mock peace. "Good luck, agent. You too, doctor."

And then he turned and strolled from the room, locking his fingers through his gun belt.

Frowning, Hotch turned to Reid. "Ignore it," he commanded. "Start working on the map."

"Yes sir," Reid replied, slicking his hair back. "I think I'd rather be interviewing Sarah Beckett."

"You and me both."

*****

"It seems like no one cares about these woman," the woman said, nervously twiddling her thumbs. Her dark hair was pinned up and out of her face, showing off her deep olive skin and large expressive eyes. She wore plain clothes, with an apron tied around her waist, but they felt rich in comparison to the rest of the room.

"It's why I started the Patch Your Heart Foundation," she continued. "I care about these people, even if it seems like society doesn't."

Emily eyed the room, watching as the women who found themselves homeless settled into their temporary resting spot. Many wore clothing that was mere rags at this point, and several had unkempt tangled masses if hair. All held bowls, greedily slurping it's contents into their mouths.

"You seem to be doing a good job helping them," Emily supplied kindly. And it did. Rosie Donovan seemed to be filled with compassion, and she had set up a respectable building here."

"Thank you. Me and my husband Elliot set it up together. It's the least we could do. Paxville used to be such a wonderful place before the drugs."

"Isn't that just the way of it?" Rossi asked in his usual dry way.

"Tell us about the women you think are missing," Emily prodded.

"Well, the nature of homelessness is unpredictable, of course," Rosie began, leading them around the building. "We have room for about 50 here, so our occupants tend to change based on who holds onto their spot. But, we do have regulars."

She stops, squatting by an elderly woman. The woman smiles a toothless grin at the agents, her face wrinkling.

"This is Debbie," Rosie explains. "She's been here every night for months."

The toothless woman waves, then returns to her steamy soup.

"But?" Emily asks, following Rosie as she leads them back to the kitchens.

"But I noticed some of our regular women, like Sheila, haven't shown up in weeks. Or months. And I've overheard some of our, um, working women speaking about the women they've known who've vanished."

"Do you have a list of the woman you think might be missing?" Emily asks. "And names of the women you've overheard talking.

"Oh, yes," Rosie said. "But I can't guarantee that any name you see will be real. We require the woman who sleep here to sign in, but it's not like we double check to see if any of the names are real." She frowned slightly. "And I doubt that they'd speak to the FBI."

"We only want to talk to them and see if they've seen anything suspicious," Rossi assured.

Rosie pulled a folded up piece of paper from her pocket. "These are the names of the woman I think might be missing, along with some descriptions of them."

Rossi took it, eyes widening a little as he read it. "There's 20 names on here," he said, meeting Rosie's eyes. "You think 20 women have gone missing from this area?"

Rosie nodded determinedly. "Yes. I do."

"Well, alright," Emily said, meeting Rossi's look for a moment. "Thank you, this has been a big help."

Smiling, Rosie opened the door to the kitchen. The smells of garlic assaulted their senses.

"Smells good," Rossi said, sniffing the air.

"Elliot is a good cook," Rosie replied, the smile evident in her voice. She led them around a corner, passing a stainless steel shelf.

"This is my husband, Elliot," she said, gesturing to the man who stood by a stovetop ocean, slowly stirring the contents of a saucer. He wore a plain black top and jeans, and had light blonde hair.

Hearing them, his head popped up, and he flashed a questioning look to his wife.

"These are FBI agents," Rosie supplied, carressing his hand softly.

"Ah," he replied, flashing light eyes to both of them. He wiped his hands on his jeans before presenting one to Rossi. "I'm Elliot. I run this place with Rosie."

"I'm Agent Rossi, and this is Agent Prentiss."

"Hello," He cast a polite smile to Emily. "What can I, uh, do for you?"

"Have you seen anything suspicious? Men hanging around here?" Emily watched as Rosie threaded an arm through his.

"No, nothing like that." Elliot carefully extracted his arms. Emily cocked an eyebrow, and shot a look to Rossi. He nodded his head slightly. Marriage trouble.

"But, Elliot isn't here very much," Rosie added, playing with a strand of dark hair that had fallen loose. "Me and Eli created this place together, but I spend most of the time here, running it. Elliot takes care of our home while I'm here."

"I tell her that she spends too much time here," Elliot joked.

Shrugging, Rosie met the agent's eyes. "I have to, you know? Somehow has to care for these women."

"Of course." Rossi fingered the list of names he held. "It's very admirable what you're doing."

It was silent for a moment, penetrated only by the slight sounds of soup bubbling. Elliot frowned towards the stove.

"Well, I'll walk you out," Rosie said. She led them back through the kitchen doors, back to the room holding the unfortunate people who found themselves needing.

"The women," she continued, softly, causing both Rossi and Emily to lean in, "That I overheard talking, one of them goes by Farrah. She's white, and has blonde hair with purple streaks. I haven't seen her in weeks now though." Sadness engulfed Rosie's features. "She's on that list of missing women I gave you."

"Anyone else?" Emily asked. She didn't need Reid here to tell them the statistics of finding Farrah to question her.

"Daisy Cavos. She's a black girl. She was here a couple days ago." Rosie smiled hopefully.

"Thank you." Rossi watched as Prentiss immediately retrieved her phone. "You've helped us tremendously."

"I hope so," Rosie replied, before turning and heading back into the shelter.

"Garcia?" Emily asked, phone pressed to her ear. "I need you to run some names for me. Daisy Cavos. Black woman. And Farrah. Both possibly arrested for solistitation?"

"My vexing compadre," Garcia's chipper voice responded. "I may be amazing and and all knowing and equipped with magic fingers, but even I know the name Farrah will not be enough." Regardless, the telltale sound of Garcia's keyboard filtered through.

"Just see what you can find," Emily tried.

"There is no Daisy Cavos, but there is a Daisy Cavenda, arrested thrice for solisiting?"

"Awesome. An address? Any way to contact her?"

"No dice. But I'll send a picture to you."

"Thanks, Garcia," Emily sighed, opening up the SUV's door.

"As for Farrah, there's nothing. Nada. Zilch. There aren't even any birth records for that name in surrounding counties."

"Okay, thanks anyway." Prentiss wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. The Arizona heat had been oppressive from the moment she stepped off the plane.

Closing her door, she turned to Rossi. "Next time we're going somewhere cold."

He raised a bushy brow, wordlessly turning the AC to full blast. "Reid might disagree."

"Reid can kiss my ass," she muttered, settling into the car.

*******

Sarah Beckett's apartment was small, but it was well kept. Pictures dotted her pale green walls, of Sarah with Kelly, and people who must be their parents. JJ found her eyes kept returning to a picture of Kelly and Sarah together, arms wrapped around each other's faces, smiles lighting their faces.

Sarah herself sat in a plushy seat, holding a trembling mug of steaming tear. She watched them with saddened green eyes, her blonde hair fanned out around her face.

"I don't know what you want to know," she confessed.

"Anything you know about Kelly. Where she spent her time when she wasn't around you. Men she had around," Derek said. He sat on the very edge of Sarah's flowered couch, opposite her. JJ sat beside him.

"She, well. She spent a lot of time with me. Obviously." Sarah avoided eye contact.

"Did you know any of the men she would see?" JJ asked gently.

"No, and I doubt she did, either. They were just men who wanted her….services." The hands holding the cup of tea tightened slightly.

"Where did she stay?" Derek asked.

"Wherever she could. Sometimes at the shelter in town. Sometimes benches in parks."

"Was she on drugs?"

Sarah's eyes flashed to Morgan's, angry. "Yes, alright, she did. But it didn't make her a bad person. She was just a little lost."

"Ma'am," he started, carefully. "We are not here to judge your sister. We are only here to help you find her."

"Rocky," Sarah said, sighing. "I know she bought them from some guy named Rocky. I don't know his last name. Kelly bought drugs from him right outside the café that day, right before she came in. I was biting mad at her that day." She laughed softly, guiltily.

"What did he look like?" JJ laid a comforting hand on her arm.

"White. Tattoos. Like full sleeve. Um, bald."

"Is there anything else you can think of?" Derek had already risen off the couch, but he waited, phone in hand for her thoughts.

"No, I'm sorry," she whispered. "I can't think of anything else."

"You did good," JJ assured. She could hear Derek speaking into the phone.

She rose, heading towards the door, but that picture caught her eye again. Kelly and Sarah, frozen in time, an endless loop of joy on their faces. She turned back to Sarah's huddled form.

"Why did you meet her every Tuesday at the café?" She asked.

"She's my sister," Sarah responded, her stare level. "I couldn't give up on my sister. After our parents died, Kelly and I only had each other. Sure, she's going down a hard path right now. But meeting her at the café? Getting to sit down with her and eat and talk to each other like normal sisters? It means everything to me. It reminds me that just maybe we could have a happy ending."

"I had a sister," JJ said, words slipping forth before she had a chance to filter them. "Roslyn."

"Kelly means everything to me. Sarah closed her eyes. "You don't forget your sister.

JJ found herself lost for words.

*****

"You wanna tell me how we got stuck making two stops?" Derek asked, maneuvering the car into the parking lot of Café Dulché.

"Consider it a compliment," JJ said, taking in the restaurant. Small, like just about everything else in this town, but it was homey and cozy. The exterior was a warm colored wood, framed by a sign declaring it's name in twirling cursive.

"Complement, sure," he scoffed. Donning his dark sunglasses, he stepped out? of the SUV.

"God, it's hot," JJ complained, the heat hitting her like a wave. She fanned her face with her hand.

"Tell me about it. I bet Reid would love this."

A few cars dotted the parking lot, but the resturant appeared mostly empty. Yanking open the café doors, Derek was hit by mercifully chilled air. He sighed in appreciation.

"Can I help you?" A man asked, a tray of food balanced on one hand. He was a large man, and his shaggy blonde hair was held back by the net he wore on his head.

"We got a couple questions to ask you," Derek said, stepping across the mosiac tiled floor. He was already reaching into his pocket for his badge.

The man grunted in response, eyeing both his and JJ's identification.

"I'm busy," he said, gruffly. "I don't got a lot of time here."

"We'll be quick,' JJ promised.

"One sec," the man said, unceremiously dropping the food off to a table where two older women sat. They watched the scene with fascination.

"What do you want?" He asked, rubbing his hands on his pants. They left greasy stains.

"I'm agent Jareau, and this is agent Morgan."

"Darrin Chanders," he replied. "I own Café Dulché."

"Do you know Sarah Beckett?" JJ asked.

"Oh yeah. I know Sarah." Darrin paused, looking to a round table on the left wall of the resturant. "She comes here all the time. Usually sits right there."

"And her sister?" Morgan questioned.

"Kelly." The man nodded to himself. "She's technically a regular, too. Comes in every tuesday with Sarah. Sarah'll buy her a muffin, or bagel or milkshake or something. Kelly looks pretty rough. I wouldn't let her in here if it weren't for Sarah."

"Rough? How?" JJ put her hand on her hip.

"All skinny. Marks on her skin. Pretty obvious she uses."

The door jingled as a man walked in, looking curiously at the two FBI agents.

"Just a minute and I'll be with you," Darrin called to the man, turning back to the agents. "I really am busy here."

"We're almost done." JJ smiled. "Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?"

"Out of the ordinary?" Darrin's lips creased. "How do you mean?"

"Strange men hanging around, either inside or outside. People acting different. New people dining here," Derek offered.

"This is a business in a small town. If a new person shows up to dine here I count myself lucky." Darrin chuckled to himself.

"Did you see anything different about Sarah or Kelly?"

Darrin shrugged, his eyes darting back to the patron. "I got no idea. Nothing I can think of."

"Okay. Thanks for the time." Derek turned on his heels, clearly irratated. This trip had provided them with no new information.

"You work this place on your own?" JJ asked. "That seems….hard."

Darrin laughed, but not in a happy way. "No, usually I have help. Samuel, a friend. He's my server. He called in sick today last minute."

"What's Samuel's last name?"

"Ness." Darrin frowned. "Why? He's a good guy."

"Just protocool." Derek said, his stride paused on the way to the door. "We're covering our bases."

He turned, heading for the door.

"Thanks so much," JJ said. "You've been a big help."

"A server." Hurrying to Morgan, JJ thought aloud. "He could have met Kelly here. That's maybe a connection."

"We might finally be onto something with this case," Morgan agreed, already connecting a call to Garcia.

"Well hello there, my chocolate god," Garcia spoke. "What can I do for you? Please say something dirty."

Morgan couldn't surpress a chuckle. "How about a dirty word? Pyschopath."

"Ugh, ewww," Garcia lamented. "I meant something funner. Sexier."

"Tomorrow, babygirl. There's always tomorrow." Out of the corner of his eye he could see JJ shaking her head with a grin on her face.

"I'm holding you to it," Garcia promised, and Derek could hear the smile on those dirty little lips of hers.

"Look up Samuel Ness for me. N-E-S-S."

"What are you looking for exactly?"

"Anything that could show he's a deranged pyscho."

"Hmm. He's got a record. Assault in '88. Used a bat to beat up an ex-girlfriend. Icky."

"Anything else?"

"That's about it. Born here in Paxville. Works at our Café Dulché. Mother passed away about a year ago. No mention of father."

"Alright, babygirl. Send it over to us."

"Done."

Morgan snapped his phone closed, catching JJ's smirk. "Don't start," he warned, buckling his belt.

"Wouldn't dream of it." But that smirk never left her face.


“i’m still expecting you to talk it out,” he says, eyes focused on sunoo although he’s talking to the both of them.  “the tension in the room is off, i can tell you haven’t without even asking.  you can kiss and mess around all you want, but it won’t change anything.  talk it out, i’m serious, riki-san,” he glances towards niki at the end of his sentence, feeling the need to remind him of that specifically.  “we’ll let you know about your appointment later,” heeseung too, is gone just as quickly as he came. leaving the two younger males alone.

except now, it’s fucking awkward.  great.  will riki even want to talk it out? will he refuse? sunoo feels uneasy again.  still—laying in the younger’s bed. that won’t work.  sunoo goes to pull off the covers, pulling his legs off the bed.  he’s stopped immediately.  what did he think was going to happen?

“i don’t think so,” niki carefully readjusts sunoos body back on his bed, just like before, standing directly next to it with his arms crossed.

“so…”

sunoo trails off, pretending as if he didn’t just give the younger a nasty look.  he crosses his arms—leaning back in nikis bed whilst looking up at him.  sunoo always struggled with maintaining eye contact with anyone, regarding the fact that he was rather confident.  but niki? with niki it just made matters worse.  ten times worse.  niki held a piercing gaze, completely unreadable and sunoo fucking hated that.  he hated it so much that just by looking at the others’ stupid face made him want to lash out.  thus, sunoo shouldn’t hit niki anymore.  he should’ve never.  that wouldn’t set a good example at all, and that’s all he’s wanted to do for niki.

“are you feeling okay?” niki asks quite blankly, blinking down at the boy in his bed.  sunoo slowly maneuvers his head up and down, forming a weak nod.  “i said,” the younger male starts, “are you feeling okay? use your words hyung.  i can't understand you,”

“you can understand me just fine riki,”

sunoo snaps back as if that’s going to help anything.  niki only scoffs in response.

“then we’re done here,”

sunoo swears he sees nikis pupils dilate.  he suddenly became so serious once the other hyung’s intervened.  they ruined a lot of things nowadays.  niki turns on his heels to walk toward the door, but sunoo is quicker.  much quicker.  niki wasn’t necessarily trying to race out of there but—sunoo was still proud for being able to get up and launch himself toward niki with a hurt ankle.  the smaller boy wraps his hands around nikis waist, hugging his body close to his.  he’s putting all of his support into niki, which maybe wasn’t the best idea but he was already here so no there was no going back.

niki stops abruptly of course as there’s now another human hanging onto him.  sunoo pouts, nuzzling his face into nikis back.  riki seems to be puzzled on what to do.  “sunoo hyung,” he calls gently, immediately lifting his hands to place them on sunoos.  he attempts at prying him off but it’s practically no use.  “what’re doing?” he tries, looking for really any response at this point.  he gets it, though one he wasn’t necessarily expecting.  soft sniffles echo throughout the shared bedroom—as if someone had caught a cold and just sneezed.  it was really just sunoo crying.  beginning to, at least.

“please riki-yah, please,”

sunoo pleads in this agony-like tone.  niki doesn’t even know what he’s begging for.

“what’s the matter? let go of me so i can see you—“

“i like you, nishimura riki,”

here we go.

“everything that happened was a mistake.  what i did was wrong, and i regret everything i’ve put you through for the last three months.  but i miss you, miss you so damn much.  i miss playing games with you, your teases, cleaning up after your messes and helping you improve your korean.  i miss your laughs and your giggles, your jokes that never fail to cheer me up.  i miss your scent and your clothes and your bed.  i miss…i miss you.  i need you to understand how hard this was for me.  to process it all, especially with being an idol.  it’s important you take the time to look at both sides of the story, just—anything.”

sunoo chokes back a sob, not wanting to appear as weak or foolish to niki.  he wanted to stay strong, in case the other continued to reject his advances or still not believe him. sunoo also prepared for the worse—though that didn’t seem to be helping since he was certainly expecting niki to understand or hell, at least fucking try.  niki was young and naive.  all the things he thought he knew, the ways he thought were best for handling difficult situations like this weren’t perfect, that was clear.  riki was so damn stubborn.  sunoo couldn’t see how he was in the wrong, rather niki, of course.  thus, sunoo believed he himself was stuck up.

“don’t walk out on me again, i don’t know what else i’ll do.  as much as i love my job, i value whatever relationship we have now way more.  it means practically nothing to me if it’s compared with you,”

sunoos cheeks swell in a rosy red shade, a thick layer of tears running down from his eyes.  they were lonely and sad tears.  just like sunoo was.  he maintained his death grip—not wanting to give niki any way of escape.  the room fell silent and that terrified sunoo.  he was waiting and waiting for what niki would do or say.  waiting for anything.  any sort of rejection or lecture.  whatever he would receive, he’d have to learn to accept.

sunoo loved niki.  meaning he’d respect all of his wishes and desires.  and if that meant sunoo where to stay away from him, then so be it.  so fucking be it.

“what do you want me to say here, hyung?” niki asks in a questioning tone as if sunoo could read his mind.

“i don’t know riki…whatever you want to say, but what i said, is the truth,” sunoo wasn’t sounding very convincing to niki.  but what else was he supposed to do?

“how do you expect me to trust you?”

that’s it, sunoo is fed up and certainly not taking that as an acceptable response.

he cuts riki off in a hurried manner; voice certain.  “no matter how upset you are with me, you can’t possibly say that you don’t reciprocate your feelings,”

niki is quiet after that.

“you wouldn’t have helped me out.  you wouldn’t have let me lay in your bed and you wouldn’t have gotten me medicine and water.  you wouldn’t have pretended to care about me—you wouldn’t have kissed me,” sunoos voice begins to sound whiny, little voice cracks all throughout his sentence, beginning to cry again.  he nuzzles his face right into the clothing niki wears, tears and snot probably rubbing off on it too.  he hiccups.

“you’re right, i wouldn’t have,” nikis fingers run soothingly over sunoos.  perhaps to ease his mind—calm him down.

“but you know that—you knew that.  you’ve known how i felt about you, ever since i first kissed you back in that parking lot.  you don’t just kiss anyone, y’know?” niki turns his head to peer over his shoulder, attempting to get a glimpse towards sunoo.  he’s completely hidden himself, face smooshed into the younger boys back like he’s hiding from a monster.

this time, sunoo remains silent.

“nor would you kiss back if feelings aren't…reciprocated,” niki purposely chooses sunoos previous word choice.  he’s listening.  he pays attention to what his hyung says, and he wants him to know that without outright saying so. he believes sunoo likes him too.

“y-you know i like you too.  i’ve said it a lot,” sunoo finally croaks up a response, sounding as if he hadn’t drank water in days.  his voice was raspy and felt like it was stuck in the back of his throat.  all the crying made him feel dizzy, not to mention the sudden throb his ankle started to possess.  but it was all worth it.  all worth it to get niki back in his arms.

“you need to let go of me,” he starts.  sunoo doesn’t budge, not even a little.  niki tsks, shaking his head from side to side with a little smug smile.  “sunoo-ssi, please, for me? i don’t want you standing on your ankle this long, i’m sure it’s hurting you,”

sunoo rolls his eyes at that stupid nickname.  niki always thought he was all big and mighty when dropping honorifics.  as much as it was adorable, sunoo would still protest.  “why did you have to say it like that?” sunoo pouts.

“huh?” niki barely gets out a mumble before sunoo is speaking again.

“please, for me.  how can i not listen when you say that?” sunoos arms fall to his side, lightly shoving niki off in front of him.  he notices he left his towel behind, forgotten and simply collecting dust, located on nikis bed.  he was in a hurry and bringing something with him to cover himself just wasn’t on the mind.  it didn’t matter, not at all actually, since he was with niki anyway.  sunoo wasn’t a pervert but they’ve participated in worse activities.

thus, sunoo still hurried back to the bed, sitting on the edge of it with the towel lazily thrown over his lap.  it covers what needs to be covered and that was really all that mattered.  he remains seated with his hands laying in his lap.  niki finally turns around, facing sunoo with his arms crossed once again.  why was he acting like he had so much authority? this brat was going to get it.

“can you forgive me…eventually? it doesn’t have to be now, i just—miss you.  every single part,” sunoo trails off, not finishing what he wanted to say.  he figured he’d be able to tell niki another time.  at a more appropriate time.

niki shakes his head, a devilish grin appearing on his lips.  he bites down on his bottom lip, slightly shaking his head from side to side.  niki eventually looks down to the floor, leaving sunoo confused.  he doesn’t even say anything to what the older male just had said.  how strange.

“what?” sunoo questions, eyes curiously observing as much as niki as they possibly could.  fuck teenagers going through puberty.  he blames that on niki not being as readable as he used to be.  thus niki is well out of his puberty stage.  hell, he was almost an adult.  that’ll be a freaky day.  sunoo refuses to believe it or even acknowledge it, in fact.

“it’s just funny…” niki starts, head raising to connect eyes with sunoo once more.  “don’t you realize—no, how couldn’t you? look at you, kim sunoo.” niki speaks so cockily, laughing like a fucking saint.  who does this kid think he is? just because he was hot didn’t mean anything, not one thing.  and sunoo, sunoo was baffled.  what had gotten into him? sunoo swears his dongsaeng is bipolar.

“what’s—what’s wrong with me?” sunoo glances down at himself before looking back up at niki.  he feels how harsh his heart is beating and just how rapidly it does.  his cheeks are definitely hot, polished in red from his sudden blushing.  the things niki did to him.  unacceptable.

“sitting on my bed, tears sprinkling your cheeks that make your eyes all red and glassy.  you’re naked—only thing covering you is a towel, hair still wet and messy whilst you plead for forgiveness? you’re practically begging me to fuck you,” niki shows his big bright beautiful teeth from smiling so silly.  he laughs, chuckles—over and over again.  sunoo can’t recall when niki exactly moved closer to him either.  he was losing his mind.

sunoo gasps at how naughty niki is speaking. he can’t believe he had the balls to just—to just outright say something like that! where did he even get that from? who is he learning from? it’s fucking hot but jesus christ.  who was he kidding, he wanted niki so bad.  he’d do anything.  anything for him.

“what—? cat got your tongue? or is it the way your legs have spread open further and further throughout the course of this conversation?” nikis face becomes dark—dropping to something much more serious.  he approached sunoo now.

“should i just take you right here right now?” nikis fingers find their way on top of sunoos covered thigh, desperately trying to find the opening underneath the towel.  he’s met with soft, milky skin, immediately gripping onto the base of the towel after.  sunoo panics.  mentally and physically—jaw falling slack.

“r-riki,” he breathes out, shaking his head as his gaze moves from the others’ hands to his eyes.  niki cocks his head to the side, eyelids hooded, staring hungrily at sunoo.  at this point, sunoo doesn’t care if niki won’t forgive him after this.  not at this moment of course.  sunoo wants him so badly.  he has for way too long not to go through with this.  “r-riki i—” he stares directly up at niki, lips slightly parted.  they crave to taste him—sunoo wanting to dive into niki, to drown in him.

niki raises his eyebrows; “hm? speak up for me,” he grabs sunoos chin with his free hand, raising the latters head.  sunoo obliges immediately.  “i want you,” although sunoo didn’t intend to beg—that’s exactly how it sounds and looks.  needy and just so whiny.  niki feeds off it.  he adores it.  so, niki plans to give sunoo exactly what he wants.

but he can’t.

“i’m not going to fuck you,” niki begins, turning around and approaching the bedroom door.  he locks it nonchalantly, not wanting anymore unwanted interruptions.  “what? why?” sunoo sounds so panicky, how cute.  “your ankle.  i really don’t want to hurt it more than it already is, especially if it’s already broken or sprained.” niki explains, turning around to walk back in sunoos direction.  sunoo of course, disagrees.  “b-but riki, you won’t—you won’t hurt it, please i really need…”

“i’m still going to give you what you want,” niki cuts sunoos begging spree short.  he could listen to it all day, he really could, but the younger male started to feel bad.  sunoo looked really out of it, especially because of before, when he was in the middle of getting off and couldn’t exactly do so.  niki would be able to drag this on another day, perhaps when they were alone and sunoo wasn’t injured.  but for now, they weren’t as lucky.

“how could you give me what i want? i want you,” sunoo grabs at nikis shirt, tugging the bottom of it anxiously.  he pouts and niki can’t help but chuckle.

“you’re being ungrateful hyung, sounding like a toddler being so demanding.  i could give you nothing, would you want that?” niki cocks his head to the side, much like before, and sunoo wants to fucking rage.  he stares angrily, knowing that he doesn’t have much of a choice.  so he agrees.  desperately, at that.

“n-no! okay okay, i’m sorry.” he didn’t intend to stutter either, yet here he was, practically begging for cock.  must be his favorite thing to do, beg.  he sure was good at it.

“that’s more like it,” niki smirks, running his fingers through sunoos hair affectionately.  and sunoo melts into his grip, practically purring like a cat.  he wants this more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.  he was certain that he was in love with niki.

when niki reconnects their lips this time, it’s much different from all their previous kisses.  it’s slow—niki takes his time with sunoo—it’s passionate—sunoo kisses niki like he’s a painting in a museum, his most prized possession—it’s calm and collected—niki shows just how much sunoo means to him by treating him with care and respect—most importantly, it’s meaningful.  this is something both sunoo and niki have longed for, and now that they’ve finally gotten it uninterrupted, they’re going to take advantage of it.

niki maneuvers onto the bed beside sunoo,  sitting closest to the headboard of the bed.  he skillfully does this all without ever breaking the kiss—bringing sunoo closer so that he’s straddling nikis lap.  at this point, the towel is long forgotten once again, sunoos length laying flat against his tummy that happens to be rubbing against niki each time they move.  it’s killing sunoo.  but he has to be patient.  he knows niki knows.

niki breaks away for only a few seconds, allowing for the two to catch their breaths.  thus he goes in, attacking sunoos neck leaving as many hickeys and kisses as possible.  niki figures that sunoo will have to sit out from activity for a while anyway due to his ankle, so why not leave a few indications that he was there and that they had a good time together? niki was all for it, and figured sunoo was too by the sudden noises he was making.

sunoo moved his head to the side to grant niki better access to his neck.  with each bite—each kiss or even lick, left sunoo in shambles.  he whined and groaned and moaned any chance he got.  he just couldn’t help it, niki made him feel so good.  inside and out.  “r-riki—please, hurry for hyung.  it hurts,” sunoo pleads, and niki will oblige just this one time.  they needed to get a move on anyway.  it was getting late and soon enough, sunghoon or jungwon would come knocking on the door.  or maybe, just maybe, they could take a fucking hint and give them some space.  niki rolls his eyes mentally at that.

“gonna make you feel good,” niki murmurs against sunoos skin, removing his hands from the depths of sunoos body.  he rushes  to undo his belt, pulling at the buttons to remove his blue jeans.  sunoo becomes extremely excited at the sight.

niki finally tears his lips away from sunoos skin; the younger male squirming at the sight of his hyung, naked on top of him.  it practically sends niki off to la la land, his arousal finally catching up to him.  “so pretty…” he coos, trailing his fingertips up and down sunoos skin.  riki had some sort of infatuation with sunoos thighs, the elder not really understanding it.  they were slender and pale, that’s all.

“riki—”

niki cuts sunoo off; “yeah yeah, i know,” he really does.  niki was so precious.

niki takes his cock out from his pants, his plan to satisfy the both of them at once.  he hated rushing but there wasn’t much he could do besides that.  it was late and the others could be coming any minute now.  “i’m going to jerk us off, together,” niki stares at sunoo—wanting to see his reaction.  consent was really important to the younger boy and if that was something sunoo didn’t want then it wasn’t going to happen.  thus, knowing sunoo—he nods eagerly, desperately wanting attention on his cock.  niki coos once again.

“r-riki—yah i can’t—i can’t, i—” sunoo starts to mumble a whole bunch of bullshit once niki wraps his hand around the base of his cock.  he slowly starts to stroke sunoo up and down, thumbing at his tip.  he uses the sudden ooze of pre-cum to make the slide easier, this time picking up the pace at which he jerks sunoo off.  he wants to get the older going before adding his own dick in—just made the experience better in nikis opinion.  he may not have done any of this before, but he’s watched more than enough videos to know what to do.  he even considered himself a professional.  teenagers.

sunoo has his head thrown back already—naughty noises croaking from his throat each time niki strokes him just right.  and the latter finds this absolutely amusing, the effect he had over his hyung was like no other.  he could sit here and watch this for days—observe sunoo unravel on top of him.  but niki was too impatient and they really needed to move along at a steady pace.  curse sharing a room.  it wasn’t fair that heeseung got his own anyway!

“here we go hyung,” niki says as a warning that he’s going to add himself in the situation—slowing his hand movements until it’s at a complete stop.  sunoo is breathing like he just ran a marathon, just nodding as a response.  usually niki wouldn’t take that, wanting something verbal.  but again, they had no time to waste so he just went with it.  niki aligns their cocks together, his being visibly longer and overall thicker.  sunoo just had a cute tiny cock.  niki would take advantage of teasing him for that later—but at the same time adored it so much.

“please please—please riki,” tears spill over sunoos eyes, a few of them flowing down his cheeks at a time.  niki hadn’t a clue sunoo could get this worked up so easily.  it was quite cute, but it made niki want to give sunoo what he wanted immediately.  sunoo always called him the little shit—but it was most definitely the other way around.

“calm down sunoo-ssi, hyung’s got you,” niki emphasizes the hyung, knowing damn well that’d get underneath sunoos skin.  the elder was so against niki not using honorifics.  how would he feel when niki referred to himself as hyung rather than sunoo?  “nishimura riki—d-don’t you start with me,” sunoo gasps, head coming down to rest on nikis shoulder.  holding himself up was hard enough, he couldn’t even imagine how he’d feel once they actually have sex.  probably like floating on clouds and swimming through heaven.  though he already felt that way just by being with niki.

“or should i make you call me oppa? cause’ that’s just what you are, right? a girl? want oppa to fuck you like a girl?” niki flicks his wrist relentlessly—making sunoo scream.  the pleasure was so overwhelming that sunoo didn’t even know what to fucking do with himself.  he blushed and squirmed at nikis filthy words—doing his absolute best not to let it affect him.  it was almost impossible, especially when niki kept pushing on it.

“you’re so wet—so messy, almost like you have a cunt, sunoo-ssi.  are you my little princess? hm?” niki teases viciously and it only makes sunoo turned on even more.  which he didn’t think was possible.  “r-riki i’m cumming—!” sunoo whales, nails digging into nikis bareback.  somehow sunoo managed to wiggle his fingers underneath nikis shirt.  he doesn’t even remember doing so, so don’t ask him.

“i don’t think so.  not until you say my name,” niki removes his hand from their dicks, smirking so evilly it’s practically sinful.  “niki-yah, please, don’t do this to me,” sunoo begs but he knows how stubborn niki is.  he won’t let up until he gets what he wants.

“just say my name, hyungie~”

fuck him.

“p-please let me cum o-oppa,” sunoo then begins to lazily mouth at nikis neck, becoming desperate though he already was.  he squeezes the latter harshly—doing anything in his power to get niki to start moving again.  the younger male seems satisfied in his response, so he begins to stroke them off together again.

and instantly, sunoo cums.  he cums with another scream, which niki tries to muffle with his hand.  warm white liquid squirts from sunoos throbbing cock, and niki follows shortly after.

sunoo lays blissfully on nikis chest, holding the boy close to him as the sudden tiredness takes over his body.  niki knows they can’t just stay there looking like that.  his bed his dirty, as well as both of their bodies.  they needed to wash up.  luckily the hallway is dark and completely empty whilst niki carries sunoos limp body to the bathroom.  he managed to remove his bed sheets and dispose of them properly, all without waking up sunoo, too.  now that was a mission accomplished.

instead of a shower, niki runs a bath for sunoo.  he makes sure it’s warm and bubbly, wanting to keep sunoos skin as soft as a baby’s bottom.  it felt nice when they laid skin to skin, niki wanted to do that more often.

“wake up sleepy head, let me wash your hair,” niki tsks, rolling his sleeves up past his elbows.  sunoo surprisingly blinks a few times, recognizing the change in his surroundings and the fact that he wasn’t in nikis arms anymore.  “do you really have to do all this?” sunoo pouts.  niki rolls his eyes whilst dumping shampoo in his hands.  “do you really have to complain about everything? let me do something nice,” sunoo obliges because what else can he really do in this situation? he liked when niki took care of him anyway.  he liked when the other gave him all of his attention.  made sunoos cheeks flush a deep shade of red.

“i’m not a baby riki, i can wash my own hair,” he closes his eyes and smiles when niki applies the shampoo, scrubbing his hair thoroughly.  niki doesn’t reply, only continues his work.  once he rinses out the shampoo, he adds the conditioner, waiting a little longer to rinse that out.  it’s always good to keep your conditioner longer than the shampoo, in nikis opinion.  makes your hair softer.  “let me wash your body too,”

sunoo was not having that.

“no way,” he immediately protests, turning his body away from niki.  the bubbles thankfully hid all his private parts from anyone being able to see; “as if i haven’t seen it all before,” niki coos, ruffling sunoos wet hair.  it’s almost as if he can read minds. sunoo slowly turns nikis way, a sad pout anchored on his lips.  niki thinks it’s quite adorable—of course he does.  “can we get this over with?” sunoo requests demandly, crossing his arms over his body.  “calm down sunoo-ssi, it’ll only take a bit,” niki rubs the body wash together in his hands.

“don’t call me that,”

“you seemed to enjoy it while i was getting you off just a few minutes ago,”

sunoo gasps.  “don’t you say that out loud,” he glares angrily at niki.  and niki tsks.

“i haven’t even accepted your apology yet and you're already giving me this?” niki says.

“you still don’t forgive me?” sunoo peers up, giving the puppy dog eyes.

“i don’t,” niki smirks.

“asshole,” sunoo splashes niki with some of his bath water.

“so that’s how you wanna play?” niki splashes sunoo right back.

“i’m the one already wet! it’s not as effective for you,” sunoo sticks out his tongue and niki cocks his head to the right.

“you’re right—you were so wet, just like a girl,”

“shut up!”

sunoo splashes much more this time, drenching niki in warm water.  they both start to chuckle—sunoo giggling whilst niki shakes his head to get some of the water out of his hair like a dog.  then, they lock eyes.  so cliché these two.  time practically slows and niki is giving sunoo that same look he did earlier—hunger.  curse him.  sunoo was so in love it wasn’t even funny.

“come in,” sunoo suggests faintly, and niki is already taking off his shirt.  seems as if they both had similar thoughts.  thus, niki smiles innocently and hops in the bathtub, sitting on the opposite side of sunoo.  he pats his lap suggestively.  “so warm,” he gives that boyish smile.  niki is such a boy.  he smells like one, sweats like one, acts dumb and playful like one, dresses like one and behaves like one.  it makes sense because niki is a boy.  but niki is so boy.  sunoo couldn’t explain it but he knew he loved it.  he loved his sweaty smell and his adam’s apple.  he loved niki.  he ate that right up—the fact that niki was a boy.  sunoo was definitely gay.

the latter climbs his way over and up on nikis lap, straddling him much like before.  nothing naughty takes place, sunoo only lays comfortably on the younger’s chest.  it was times like these that sunoo forgot he was an idol in the first place.  like he was free to love niki in public, free to flaunt him and go out with him.  it wasn’t fair that he couldn’t.  he planned to stay with him all the way up until enhypen would finally disband, years into the future, and then finally post pictures of them kissing or something.  that felt so romantic to sunoo.

“what’re you thinking about?” niki asks softly, bringing his hand up to casually run through sunoos hair whilst the other caresses his back.  sunoo smiles—niki knew him so well.

“you,” he says.

“just me?” niki questions.

“us,” sunoo corrects himself.

niki hums in response.

there was so much to talk about with plenty of time to do so.  sunoo was way too sleepy for any of it.  he figured niki could tell, by the way he was replying.  simply.  they were both exhausted.  sunoo really didn’t want to deal with whatever was to come tomorrow, so he takes the opportunity to fall asleep soundly where he always wants to be.

in nikis arms.