Jongin stirs to an irritating buzz by his ear and the distinct smell of chemicals in the air. He tries to place where he is, but finds he has no clue unless he opens his eyes to take a look — something he isn’t keen on right now.

Am I in a hospital?

Jongin winces but tries not to let it show on his face. There’s a tight pressure around his wrists before someone tugs his arms up so that they lie above his head awkwardly. It’s uncomfortable, and he wants out of this set-up.

“There, that should do it.”

It’s an unfamiliar voice. Jongin is so tempted to see who it is, but his gut feeling tells him not to. He feels some movement beside his face before the irritating buzz is cut off a second later.

What in the world is going on?

It feels like he’s tied down to a cool surface and there are eyes on him. Oddly, this feels straight out of a horror movie where an evil doctor slices the main character open and rips out his organs, sacrificing him to the alien gods.

Wait… am I going to die?! I don’t want to die.

Jongin lets out a soft whimper, panic building in his mind from not knowing where he is and who he is with.

Silence fills the room when he has good mind to quieten down and he worries he’d given his act away, but soon after, he hears footsteps and then fingers typing enthusiastically on a keyboard. Jongin breathes easy again. Since no one has called him out, he continues to assume no one knows he’s awake.  

A slight roll of his ankles tells him that his feet are also bound. Jongin takes a couple of seconds to remind himself of what had happened before he had passed out, and when his mind finally catches up, he almost jumps up in panic.

Kyungsoo!

The other had shot at him, (and instead of using a cupid’s bow, which Jongin would have much preferred) he had stunned him with what must be a tranquiliser dart instead.

“Are all these ropes and cuffs really necessary, Merlin? I didn’t know you were into such kinks. Besides, what was in that gun you gave me? It’s about time Jongin woke up, don’t you think?”

Oh. Speaking of daddy the perpetrator.

Jongin knows this deep smooth voice. It’s Kyungsoo. He hadn’t known he was in the room too and that there were more than one person watching him. Jongin wants to feel less worried now that he has identified a familiar presence, but then he remembers the side of the guy who had killed off those two masked men and shot at him in the alley, and he knows Kyungsoo is not to be trusted too.

What if he’s working with the mad doctor to sacrifice me to the alien gods?

Jongin tries to even his breathing to continue to pretend he’s still sleeping. Perhaps he can make a break for it when the opportunity presents itself. He’s not sure how he’s going to outrun Kyungsoo though. The man looked extremely fit from how he handled things back in the alley.

“Chanyeol and I play with more than just ropes and cuffs, I should let you know,” the Merlin dude replies pointedly. “Don’t worry. Your puppy should be awake soon. It’s odd he’s been out for some time now. The tranquiliser contained a new formula I was developing… thought I could get you to test for side effects.”

“You gave me a gun that hasn’t been tested?” Jongin hears the growl in Kyungsoo’s voice before what sounds like an umbrella opening. “Give me a reason not to shoot you now.”

“No need to be so worked up, Galahad. Why are you so concerned he isn’t waking? You know this is standard protocol bringing them in. Are you turning soft now that I’ve got your puppy all laid out looking pretty on my table?”   

Oh me, they have guns on them now? Jongin lets out a tiny whimper again. There goes his 1% chance of knocking Kyungsoo and the other guy out, and escaping the room.

“Please.” He hears Kyungsoo scoff before continuing in a teasing voice. “If anything, it’s the exact opposite. So can I start now?”

Jongin tenses immediately. The suggestive undertone lining Kyungsoo’s comment is not lost on him.

“You might want to start with the shirt,” Merlin says.

the horror movie. This is straight up B-grade o.

First the discussion on kinks like , then Kyungsoo insinuating that he’s hard. (A small part of Jongin’s brain cheers the fact that he’s the one responsible for turning the other on.) He can imagine how he looks right now — tied down and vulnerable; there for the taking. At least his clothes are still on him, but not for long he thinks? If only he could move his arms, they would be forming a big X across his chest by now.

So Kyungsoo is in the industry. Great. Just great. He’s not a CEO, nor is he a tailor.

As usual, Jongin loves jumping to conclusions. He had heard the name ‘Merlin’ back at the alley too, so in his mind he thinks maybe this is all part of an elaborate scene where Kyungsoo pretends to kill the two masked men in the alley and save Jongin so he can have his way with him after — the whole “oh, my hero, how shall I ever repay you? Here, my instead” narrative.

It sounds ed up, he knows. But isn’t that the standard of the industry nowadays — exaggerated plots? At least, this being a scene is the only explanation Jongin can think of right now if the sacrificial alien gods idea is a no fly.

“Hold on… okay, cameras are in place. You’re good to go,” Merlin says.

They have cameras ready to film us too?

That just solidifies his scene argument even more. Jongin wants to die at the thought of being featured on hub’s main page.

Shouldn’t they ask for my permission to be a part of this first?

He tenses when he feels a light touch on his cheeks. He really ought to make known he’s awake now. It’s Kyungsoo. It’s definitely him caressing his face. Jongin knows it. And for a second, he thinks maybe this is alright; maybe this is alright if it’s with Kyungsoo.

Why is he holding my face? Is this for the thumbnail? He hopes they capture a flattering angle and not one of his barely there double chin.

That thought soon flies out of the window when Jongin feels the other jumping onto the table. Kyungsoo’s legs come to settle against his sides so the latter knows he is hovering above his chest, just short of sitting.

Wow. Okay, so he’s the type to skip and jump straight into the nasties. Point to note for future reference.

Jongin totally panics at their sudden close skinship and how forward Kyungsoo is. “Wait, I’m a !” He yells out, opening his eyes at once. He’s done pretending he’s still asleep. “And I don’t want to be a part of your o!” He glares defiantly at the two men in the room.

The silence after Jongin shuts his mouth stretches on awkwardly and he sees Kyungsoo exchange a confused glance with the other guy called Merlin before his attention shifts back to Jongin.

“What?” Kyungsoo greets him with a bemused smile.

It’s Jongin’s turn to be confused. Was I mistaken afterall? He quickly glances around the room and notes he’s in an office of sorts, not a hospital. Weird. So what’s with the smell of chemicals? The guy called Merlin is sitting before quite a number of surveillance monitors, which is an unusual sight in itself. But there aren’t any of those cameras he’s expecting around; bulky ones used by film crews.

“T-This... isn’t part of a o?” Jongin mumbles the last words shyly and averts his gaze quickly because he finally realises how inappropriate his and Kyungsoo’s current position is. If he looks straight, the other’s crotch is right in front of his face from how the other is now sitting on Jongin’s pecs (or lack thereof). And my oh my what a distracting bulge Kyungsoo has. He quite likes the weight of the other man on him as well.

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Kyungsoo throws his head back and laughs. “I know you hit your head pretty hard when I stunned you. I’m so sorry, Jongin.” The man shifts forward slightly and Jongin squeaks, eyes widening at once, alarmed.

“Please don’t sit on my face,” he whimpers. His comment takes Kyungsoo by surprise again and the latter almost falls off the table laughing. Jongin is certain his face is blushing up a storm. Where did that come from, you idiot? (Perhaps he secretly desired it.)

“Side effects — hallucinations or loss of brain cells,” Merlin drawls, jotting down notes on a laptop. “Alright, that’s enough.” Jongin startles when he slams his open palm down on the desk he was working on and walks over to join Kyungsoo. “Galahad can ride your face later all you want after I leave.” Merlin sneers.

Jongin isn’t given the chance to protest his innocence when the other waves him off dismissively. Kyungsoo isn’t of much help too for he only watches on silently, the amusement in his eyes waning, allowing Merlin to instil seriousness in their conversation.

Jongin gulps when Merlin sticks his face too close to his own and gives him a beady look. “Now look here, wannabe star. I’m the smartest man in the UK and I’m not used to not having answers. So you’re going to tell me what I want to hear. Got it?”

Jongin is so confused right now. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, okay? Why did you guys kidnap me? Where am I? Who are you?” He asks, looking over at Kyungsoo who was staring at him with a frown on his face. “If by some chance this is still part of the scene. I want out, okay? Let me go before I call the police!” Jongin tries to free himself from his restraints, but to no avail. He gives up with a huff, glaring at Merlin who is starting to look incredibly smug right now.

“Let me go before I call the police,” the latter echoes Jongin in a high-pitched whiny voice. “As if they’re even in the position to command us what to—” Merlin rolls his eyes and spins around on his office chair.

“Have you heard of EXODUS, Jongin?” Kyungso