"What the Hell do you mean 'I'm backing out'?"

"Sorry, Hyuk," Ravi shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets. They were both lurking in a backstreet behind some run-down club, the streetlamps their only source of light and muffled thumping of the music the only other sound behind their hushed voices. 
The hitman grimaced as he realised the cologne Hyuk was wearing was the one they had stolen in the alley when he'd jumped Leo. He really was a piece of work. "I'm just not into business this anymore. I'm actually thinking of asking him to marry me."
The younger man's face scrunched up in anger and he snarled "Marry? It's been three months! He's already ing seduced you!" He waited for a reply but Ravi stayed silent. So he continued "What is it, huh? Is it his money? Or has he spread his legs for you like a rich little ?"

"Hey!" Ravi shouted gruffly, raising his fist and catching the younger man full in the face "Watch your mouth." He didn't care if Hyuk was just doing his job, or that he didn't know what had been going on between him and Leo, nobody talked about him like that. Nobody. Hyuk held his nose, trying to stop the thick, dark red liquid seeping between his fingers "God, I hate the sight of blood."

"Maybe you shouldn''t kill for a living then."

Hyuk looked at him for a second, eyes wide and jaw dropped, before he began to laugh. His slow, quiet chuckles soon morphed into a loud, uncontrollable cackle as he threw his head back, tears visibly springing to his eyes.

Ravi stood, waiting for him to stop. The laughter, despite all the physical signs, didn't seem genuine. It sounded nervous, almost scared.

After a few moments, Hyuk sighed and wiped the dampness on his cheeks with his free hand, shaking his head slowly. "So, you've fallen for the target, huh?"
"I guess you could say that," Ravi answered, forcing himself to keep his cool and not punch his partner in the face again. "Tell the boss-"

"The old man doesn't want excuses," Hyuk cut in, shaking his head and rolling his eyes, as if what he was saying were obvious. Ravi supposed it was. The boss wasn't known for his generosity. "If he finds out you won't go through with his little scheme anymore, he'll hire in more men to kill both us and your little boyfriend."


___________


Those last words echoed in Ravi's head for the next few days. Honestly, they scared him. He was stupid for thinking he could get out of it that easily. They had a mission to complete and, of course, Hyuk would want to get it done. There was twenty thousand dollars each in it for them, who wouldn't kill for that sort of money?

But Ravi just... couldn't. He hated it. He hated the way that every time he looked at Leo, he would imagine some new and terrible way the young heir would die- Hyuk and he had been known to get quite creative in their methods. Would Hyuk want to kidnap and torture the poor man? The boss had said he wanted a show. Would Ravi have to look into his eyes while he was tied to a chair in a dark room somewhere and beat the living daylights out of him?

How would they kill him? Would Hyuk give Ravi a small white pill to slip into Leo's drink when he wasn't looking? Would he be expected to smother him in his sleep? Or, maybe, end their relationship and leave Leo heartbroken; then Hyuk would come and make his death look like suicide- he had done that. He'd made the poor girl write her own suicide note and everything.

"Ravi?"

A soft voice drew him from his stupor and he realised he had been staring as the grey waves of the ocean all this time. It really wasn't a day to be on the beach; it was cloudy and the wind carried a bitter chill, the ocean was violent and there was nobody else around. He turned just as Leo got down on the damp sand beside him. Despite the cold, he hadn't bothered to put a shirt on, deciding to only come out in his jeans. "You're going to get sick," Ravi mumbled, hugging his knees closer to his chest.

Leo pouted and leant his head on his shoulder "When I woke up, you weren't there. I was worried you'd left me."

"No." He would never. Leo was the only pure thing in his Godforsaken life now.

This was how they had been spending their time. They'd lounge around during the day, sometimes staying around the villa and watching movies; sometimes going for short walks in the area, observing the wild life on and around the beach and such. The nights were Ravi's favourite time though. Several, long, passionate hours were spent in the king size bed in the master bedroom. He loved the sight of the clothes strewn on the floor, the sound of the night wind blowing through the open window, the smell of Leo’s expensive fragrance; the warmth of his embrace.

Since they’d spent that first night together, Ravi was trapped, totally enamoured by the young heir. Even before he had begun to be interested in him as a person (which hadn’t genuinely happened until a month into their so-called ‘relationship’), he was always hungry for Leo’s touch. It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair how he would kiss him, beginning slow, light and teasing, before opening his mouth and inviting Ravi to entangle their tongues. He'd wrap his arms round his lover's neck and pull on the shorter strands of the younger man's hair at the base of his neck as Ravi would rest his hands on the elder's narrow hips. 

It wasn't fair how he would whisper sweet nothings in his ear when he didn't think anybody was around. Sometimes the whispers would be childish and innocent- the utterings of a man who had fallen in love for the first time. But sometimes they were enough to make even Ravi blush. 

And it certainly wasn't fair how he made Ravi feel better than he really was- like he wasn't some criminal, a murderer. Leo would spoil him. They'd eat out almost every afternoon at fancy resturaunts while Ravi wore designer suits lent to him by the young heir. He had practically moved into the villa too, with staff to wait on him hand and foot while he sat with Leo curled up on his lap. Their conversations were long (sometimes pointless) and slow paced. There was no urgency there; Leo had all the time in the world in his own mind and Ravi... Ravi was just trying to stall as much as he could. 


________


"The boss is getting impatient. Really impatient."

"I can't, Hyuk... I really can't do this."

"You have to. I'm sorry, man. But either we kill him swiftly or we leave it to people who are going to be a Hell of a lot less sympathetic."

Ravi bit his lip and looked down, staring at the amber liquid in his glass. He could feel Hyuk's eyes boring into his from across the table. He knew his partner's gaze was softened but he couldn't help but feel somewhat intimidated- he'd never felt intimidated by him before. 

They stayed like that for a while before Hyuk sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "I'll tell you what," he started, drumming his fingers slowly on the table; thoughtfully, hesitantly. "You don't have to kill the guy..."

Ravi's eyes widened as his heart swelled "What?"

"But," his partner continued "You have to get him in a position where I can. You were going to propose, right?"

The elder instantly felt himself deflate and he bit his lip once more; harder. Leading Leo into it, like a lamb to the slaughter, was almost worse than having to do it himself. Using a wedding, of all things... Leo trusted him so much; to betray him was just evil.
A sudden, ghostly image appeared in his head: his lover sat on the veranda of the villa in one of his bilowy white shirts, hair messy and staring at the ocean, the biggest smile on his face. 

He sat silently as Hyuk explained "I'll do it as quick and painlessly as I can," he promised "It'll be clean. He won't even know what hit him."


___________


He didn't get back to the villa until eleven o'clock that evening, having left at three in the afternoon. Leo had been texting and trying to call him non-stop but he hadn't answered any of his attempts, either too preoccupied or too scared. Now he knew he was in for it. 

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the living room (which took up almost half of the first floor) and found his lover curled up in one of the big leather sofas in front of the window. The TV was still on, playing the late night news despite Leo having dozed off, the remote on the floor where it had slipped out of his open palm. Ravi huffed and shook his head "Idiot. You shouldn't have waited up."

He came forward and put his car keys in his pocket before scooping the elder into his arms and lifting him off the sofa. It never ceased to amaze him how light Leo