Hyukjae fidgeted uncomfortably on the door step, frowning nervously as Donghae turned his back to him, going back inside the small flat. The young heir seemed to hesitate for a fraction of second before he let out a long, resigned sigh, finally joining the barman inside, clutching his many folders and administrative papers against his chest. He bit on his lower lip, silently watching the other man invite him to sit down on the couch while he proposed him a can of beer. After Donghae momentarily disappeared in the kitchen, Hyukjae let himself fall down on the couch, stiff with awkwardness. It wasn't exactly the first time he visited the place – he had woke up in the very same sofa-bed no later than this morning, after all –, but after all the events the both of them had went through today, Hyukjae couldn't help but to feel slightly uncomfortable. He let out another small sigh, almost glowering upon realizing he had spent the last two days worrying and sighing, before he carefully put his folders on the coffee table. Shortly after, Donghae finally came back with two cans of beer in hands and a packet of chips. He sat down next to him wordlessly, handing him his cold drink before opening his own. They took a first sip in a tensed silence, neither of them daring to meet the other's eyes – or rather, Hyukjae was too much of a coward to meet Donghae's eyes. Deciding to settle down with working a little, he awkwardly nodded to the other before he busied himself with a few folders, neatly displaying them on the coffee table before he took a pencil out of his satchel. Next to him, Donghae watched him silently, his eyes reading the few titles of each documents while glancing every once in a while to the young heir. Playing with his can in one hand, he brought his legs up on the couch, leaning back comfortably before he stared at the other who seemed unaware of his attention.

Hyukjae looked almost peaceful while working, Donghae noticed. It seemed as if everything else had faded to the back of his mind while all his focus was centered on his current task. Even his shoulders looked less tensed compared to earlier when he had reluctantly went in the small apartment. Only a small frown plastered on his face and the way he absently nibbled on the tip of his pen showed how concentrated he was. It almost reminded Donghae of himself, a few years ago when working on his thesis for the university ; a pang of sorrow hit him as he smiled bitterly, pushing his dark thoughts aside.

Sungmin had told him beforehand that Yoona and he wouldn't be there tonight ; the former was out partying with some of their old friends – Donghae had refused when they had proposed him to come, stating that he wasn't feeling ready enough yet –, while Yoona was sleeping over one of her friends. Which meant that they were completely alone. Even if he was clearly reluctant about it, a small part of his brain whispered to him that they had the whole flat for themselves and that a whole lot of possibilities just opened up in front of him. After all, it had been exactly seven years, maybe even more, that the brunette didn't have any... proper physical relations with anybody. During his time in jail, Donghae had made sure that nobody would touch him in any sorts of way, even if it meant that he had to fight for his life ; his body was his and he didn't want to go around while perfectly knowing that he would definitely regret it later on. But now the situation was different and Hyukjae seemed to be a quite decent guy – he was the future heir of Leesan Corporation, for God's sake. Donghae was sure that if any other ex-convicts would have been in his shoes, surely Hyukjae wouldn't even have made it to the couch without being violently stripped out of his clothes. The thought made him shudder with disgust – he wasn't the type to initiate anything if both parties weren't clearly consenting. Donghae sighed heavily, trying to keep his ragging hormones asleep while finally finishing his first can of beer of the night.

Next to him, Hyukjae shot him a curious glance upon hearing the other brunette sighing. He blinked a little before he focused back on his work. Despite his obvious love for his job, all those numbers were currently giving him a headache ; it was late and the small but still present amount of alcohol in the drink that he had took was slowly getting in his head. However, he knew how important this task was ; he definitely had to save the Leesan Resort implanted in France, no matter what it would take. In fact, Leesan Corporation had built numerous buildings and resorts all around the world – though mostly in Asia. Hyukjae had grown up watching all those constructions, standing by his father's sides while watching everything with amazed eyes. The French resort was particularly important for him because it had been where his father and he had spent most of their vacations together ; the place held so much memories, from the wide floral garden at the back to the coffee shop fitted out on the rooftop. It was their resort. However, because of the economic crisis the world was currently stuck in, Leesan Corporation was forced to make some sacrifices, one of them being to sell one of their implanted buildings. At first, Hyukjae had managed to make a contract with a Japanese society, almost earning a pretty good amount of money in exchange of their few factories in Taiwan. But of course, Siwon decided to meddle with it, as always. Ignoring the months of negotiation Hyukjae had went through, his step-father had refused the Japanese offer, redirecting their goal on selling the French resort.

It was one of the many reasons why Hyukjae loathed the man.

His only chance to save the resort was now to find a way to fill the billions of won Leesan Corporation needed to stay comfortable enough on an economic basis. It actually seemed impossible but never Hyukjae would give up.

“You really should stop biting on your lip like that,” A soft voice spoke to him.

Hyukjae looked up, surprised. He had almost forgot that he was at Donghae's.

“Oh sorry,” He mumbled, absentmindedly his lower lip, swollen because of his continuous nibbling. “Just an old habit.”

“Well quit it,” Donghae grumbled with a sniff. “It's distracting.”

“Distract – What?” Hyukjae frowned, confused.

Donghae rolled his eyes at him before he picked up one of the papers. Swallowing a chip, he silently read it before he looked up. “Le Bijoux d'Argent Resort? Doesn't it mean something like 'silver jewel'?”

“Yeah,” Hyukjae replied with a surprised expression. “How do you know that?”

“Learned it at school,” he shrugged. “So what's so important about this Silver Jewel Resort?”

Hyukjae stared at him with hesitation then let himself fall back on the couch. He envisaged refusing to talk but something told him that he didn't risk anything if he decided to tell Donghae. Holding his now empty can between his hands, he absentmindedly stared at its brand, before he muttered “It was my father's. My step-father is trying to sell it to a Hong Kong company. Or a Taiwanese one. Whichever.”

Donghae watched the other frown with frustration before he studied the papers sprawled on the coffee table, carefully listening to Hyukjae.

“I mean, I wouldn't care if it was another resort,” Hyukjae exclaimed angrily. “I was ready to sell the Japanese one, if I had to – God knows it was the first thing I've ever took care of by myself and how much I cherish it! But the Silver Jewel was more... personal. It was something between Dad and I. Like – like –...”

“A secret,” Donghae finished softly.

“Yes. A secret,” Hyukjae snorted bitterly. “And now Dad is no longer alive and that Siwon dude wants to give away the last thing that still hold so much memories about him.”

“Let me guess,” The barman raised an eyebrow at him, though not unkindly. “You're trying to find the funds so you can buy it to yourself, right?”

“Yes, that's basically what I – wait, how do you know it?” Hyukjae blinked while his frown deepened.

Donghae smirked at him almost arrogantly, resting one of his arms on the top of the couch while propping his face with his palm. His brown eyes were almost glittering with mischief as he stared right into Hyukjae's eyes. The latter looked back at him confused, only making Donghae chuckle slightly. Hyukjae blushed softly under his teasing gaze, immediately averting his eyes.

The way he was currently looking at him, almost as if playfully taunting him, made the young heir feel slightly nervous though not uncomfortably. He hated to admit it, but Donghae was really an attractive man, all the jail history and such put aside. The way his deep brown orbs were currently scrutinizing him so intensely made his knees wobbly and weak – it was a good thing he was already seated.

“I'm not that stupid, Hyukjae,” Donghae stated with an amused tone.

“I thought you said you were pants at economics.”

“Maybe I was lying,” Donghae shrugged before he snickered upon noting Hyukjae's offended expression. “Kidding. I am pants at it, considering I've mastered in Literature and Philosophy. I'm not really good at it but I do well with numbers and logic. That's enough to understand your dilemma.”

“You mastered in Literature and Philosophy?” Hyukjae asked with raised eyebrow, genuinely surprised. And maybe positively interested, but that was only a little. “I didn't know.”

“Of course you don't,” Donghae snorted. He got up, taking Hyukjae's empty can before he strolled back to the kitchen while continuing to talk about himself. “When I graduated from high school, I had two choices ; Literature or Mathematics. That's basically it. My parents wanted me to take the scientific course but I was more interested into the literary one. I was working on my doctorate thesis when I was sent in –... Well, when things turned wrong, I guess.” He paused, frowning unhappily as if bad memories were resurfacing. “I was quite good with numbers, too. Economics were a little too... theoretical, maybe. I might be wrong, though. My teacher was completely nuts and annoying, so it wasn't like I really tried to like the subject either.”

“You were going to take your doctorate?” Hyukjae gaped at him, clearly impressed. “That's – I mean, wow.”

Donghae playfully rolled his eyes at him, handing him a fresh drink. “Not really. It's just because I didn't know what to do afterward. So I continued my studies. It wasn't really exciting all the time either, you know?”

“Still,” Hyukaje grumbled. “I'd be so proud of myself if I had a doctorate of something. Mother just assumed that since I'm supposed to take over the company, I didn't need to take long studies. Dad wanted me to, though.”

Donghae noted silently the unconscious difference Hyukjae made between Mother and Dad. It was clear how close the other must have been with his father in the past. It somehow made anger boil in his veins, knowing that Siwon was trying to take something so precious away from Hyukjae. He sighed, trying to control his annoyance before he wordlessly sipped from his own can.

“Why don't you go back to university and try it, then?” He asked softly. “Like your Dad wanted you to?”

Hyukjae's head snapped up, eyes wide and looking flustered. “I – Why would I – I mean, I'm already –...”

“I'm just saying,” Donghae shrugged, not feeling awkward in the slightest. He had learned to go straight to the point throughout the past years. “It's not like your mother really has anything to say with it. And she can't control all the company by herself therefore she can't fire you or something. You can – well, I don't know, alternate between both, company and studies?”

“And Siwon, then?” Hyukjae retorted, looking frustrated this time. “I'm sure he'll grasp the opportunity as soon as I step out, even if it's only partially.”

“Right,” Donghae frowned as well. “Siwon.”

“That guy is a real er,” Hyukjae grumbled.

Donghae didn't reply verbally but didn't think any otherwise. On his part, Hyukjae nibbled on his lower lip thoughtfully ; going back to university actually didn't seem like a bad idea at all. He perfectly knew that as one of the highest-ranked worker of the company he wasn't allowed to slack off his responsibilities, but the idea was tempting. As he had told Donghae earlier, his father had always hoped that he would make long and admirable studies ; he could remember the way his father had beamed at him when Hyukjae had announced a few years ago that he had been accepted at Seoul University of Economy. However, because of his father's early death and his mother's demand, Hyukjae didn't get to stay in the university more than a year and half before he was already enrolled in the company. He knew that he shouldn't be picky or selfish but he couldn't help but to feel a little upset, as if he had betrayed his own father's wish. The thought made his chest clench painfully as his frown deepened, still worrying on his lower lip.

From the corner of his eyes, Donghae glanced at the other without a word. He wasn't one to meddle with other's business but it seemed awfully unfair that Hyukjae couldn't realize his dreams only because a bastard like Siwon held him back. However, Donghae knew that it wasn't his place to speak up, therefore he stayed silent, wordlessly empathizing with him. When his second can of the night was empty, he got up and went back to the kitchen to retrieve a full pack of beers. He put it on the floor, carefully cleaned the coffee table of the folders and papers then put the pack on it. Hyukjae watched him curiously, gladly accepting another can before he met Donghae's eyes. The way his brown orbs were glittering playfully, despite the lack of any traces that would lead to a smile, made Hyukjae think that maybe this night wouldn't be too bad.

Time went by without neither of them noticing it ; they chatted and they drank, sometimes sharing short and random conversations. The mood was getting lighter and more comfortable between the two of them and quickly Hyukjae found himself appreciating Donghae's company ; the latter, after drinking a pretty good amount of alcohol, could be much more fun and peppy.

Hyukjae didn't know how long it had been since he showed up at Donghae's flat or when they started drinking like old time buddies ; all he knew was that it had to be quite late already, judging by the lack of city night lights. The clock wall stated that it was already past two in the morning, making him groan tiredly. His mind was clouded because of the alcohol, dizziness and haziness getting the best of him despite the fact he was still seated. He could already foresight a terrible hangover the next morning but he was feeling too exhausted and confused to truly care about it. Instead, he tried to lean back further in the couch, trying to focus his half-lidded gaze and clear his blurry mind. It wasn't until his head softly hit Donghae's shoulder that he realized he had been falling sideways. The thought made him giggle lightly, looking up until he met the other's eyes. Donghae raised a surprised eyebrow at him but didn't push him away, which Hyukjae was thankful for – it seemed as if he would have threw up right away if someone shoved him too harshly. He didn't make any moves to straighten up either, only staring into Donghae's brown orbs with curiosity. Even when looking at him from below, Donghae was undeniably handsome. The random thought made Hyukjae giggle louder, clumsily taking another sip of his twelfth beer in hands. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes trailing from Donghae's manly jaw line to his thin, pink lips. He grinned almost bashfully, nibbling on his own lower one.

Donghae watched the young heir silently, as always, wondering what he was up to. However, the way Hyukjae was messily giggling while resting his head on his shoulder indicated that he was way too drunk to think clearly. He sighed heavily, reluctantly putting his unfinished can on the floor next to the couch before he straightened up, making the other squeal in surprise. He glanced at him quickly, noting the way Hyukjae was unconsciously biting on his lower lip again, then tried to force him to stand up. The young heir grumbled unhappily, colorfully cussing at him. Donghae rolled his eyes before harshly pulling on his two arms. Hyukjae gasped a little, his body crashing into Donghae's as they stumbled backwards clumsily. He chuckled brightly, his single-lidded eyes narrowing into happy half-moons. His hot breath hit the other's face, smelling a combination of alcohol and apples. The young barman blinked slightly, almost leaning into the sweet scent but sternly stared into Hyukjae's eyes instead. He was about to open his mouth and retort something spiteful to him before the latter suddenly pressed his lips against his.

Donghae widened his eyes in shock while Hyukjae sneaked his arms around his neck. He stood stiffly in his embrace, not daring to answer the unexpected kiss. The other seemed to dislike his lack of response and grumbled incoherently against his lips ; he pressed his mouth harder against his, moving his lips slowly with demand. Donghae gripped the back of Hyukjae's shirt as sudden and familiar sparks of pleasure shot through his body when the latter slipped his tongue outside and ran it along his lips. He squeezed his eyes hut, gathering all his will power to hold him back from ravishing the alluring and very drunk man in his arms. He took a deep breath – which was more mental than physical since Hyukjae was still trying to sneak his tongue past the barrier of his lips. Hesitantly, as if testing his weak boundaries, Donghae opened his mouth, gasping softly when the other sighed in pleasure and lazily twirled his pink, sweet muscle inside. It slid over the backs of his teeth, the roof of his mouth, exploring relentlessly, almost as if demanding a fight. And as soon as Donghae snapped out of his daze, it was what he exactly gave him ; he kissed back with determination and passion, sensually entwining their tongue together. He let out a low groan, successfully making Hyukjae shiver in delight, then tilted his head to the side to deepen their heated kiss. The other moaned softly, one of his hand running through his brown locks before harshly pulling on them, shoving his sleek, wet muscle into Donghae's hot cavern more enthusiastically, obviously enjoyed by the latter's response. They reluctantly broke apart, but only for a tiny second until Hyukjae trailed light but alluring kisses along his faces, making the other shiver in pleasure. They managed to walk back to the couch, their mouth never quite breaking from their intense lip-lock until they both fell back on the soft cushions of the sofa-bed. Donghae's teeth closed around the young heir's bottom lip before pleasantly soothing the pleasurable pain with sensual wet . Hyukjae groaned loudly and threw his head back when their groin brushed against one another, then giggled.

“I think I'm drunk,” He whispered with a silly chuckle, as if it was a big secret.

Donghae straightened up a little, his hair disheveled and his eyes darkened with lust and need, before he stared at the man underneath him and rolled his eyes. Guilt flashed in his eyes as he silently agreed with the man laying underneath him.

“Thanks Sherlock, I already noticed it.” He grumbled, the wonderful daze that had took possession of his brain slowly fading.

Hyukjae laughed again, tightening his hold around Donghae's neck and pulled him down, sharing another sloppy kiss. The latter grimaced uncomfortably as his clothed, hard accidentally – or not, judging by Hyukjae's delighted moan and satisfied half-lidded gaze – bumped against the latter's arousal. The latter mewled uncontrollably, trying to buck his hips against Donghae's into a wild and sultry dance, his fists tightly clenching the back of his shirt.

As much as Donghae currently wanted Hyukjae underneath him at this very moment, writhing and begging for him to roughly take him and him into the mattress, he perfectly knew that they were both too drunk to think clearly about the situation. Although Hyukjae was definitely handsome and attractive, he wasn't very sure that the latter would be so pleased to wake up learning that an ex-convict had took advantage of him during the night. And Donghae liked to believe he was still a respectable gentleman ; shagging an obviously drunk man wasn't the best example.

He shivered violently when Hyukjae decided to on a random spot on his neck, purring contently while marking him with a possessive lovebite. His eyes seemed to turn in their sockets as he unconsciously pressed himself harder against Hyukaje ; it had been too long since he had felt the thrill of physical pleasure rush through his veins, making him light-headed and confused with need and lust. He wanted nothing more than to ravish and take this man, to finally release all the ual frustration he had held in those past years. He wanted to see Hyukaje moan and shout his pleasure, to watch him come undone only because of him.

Even though, Donghae decided against it – he didn't know the reason why, but he really didn't feel like taking advantage of the other. Therefore, heaving out a long, frustrated sigh, he forced himself to sit up between the other's parted thighs, careful not to accidentally brush against Hyukjae's hardening groin. The latter whined childishly, posing his lust-filled eyes on him with a scowl. Donghae mentally patted himself, inwardly praising whatever self control he had left.

“What are you doing?” He murmured with a husky voice that almost broke Donghae's resolution.

“We're not doing this now,” He simply replied.

Hyukjae's protests got louder, weakly trying to pull him down for another breathtaking kiss.

“You're such a party-pooper, Lee Donghae!” He hissed unhappily, glaring at him through his half-lidded, sleepy gaze then whined ; “Why can't we?”

“I'd prefer not to you when you're drunk, kiddoh,” Donghae smirked teasingly. “Maybe next time.”

“But I'm consenting!” Hyukjae insisted, bucking his hips forward in an attempt to find back the delicious sensation that was caused by the friction of their respective arousal. “See?”

Donghae raised an eyebrow at him, doing his best to ignore his aching confined in his jeans.

“It's been seven years since I didn't have any kind of ual relationship,” He stated, emotionless, but the tight grip he had on Hyukjae's wrists betrayed his current bothered state. “If I'm having with you now, you will probably regret it for the rest of your life. If I don't kill you before. I'm not looking for gentle and caring – I want to take you hard and rough. Many, many times. Probably until you break screaming my name.”

Hyukjae tilted his head to the side, his hair falling in his eyes which sent him a heavily sultry look. “Sounds awfully good,” He mumbled.

“Yeah, well, I'm not sure if you can stand it while being drunk. And I'm pretty sure you won't be as eager as you are right now when you wake up all sober.” Donghae got up, forcing Hyukjae to step aside while he prepared the sofa-bed. The latter continued to grumble and whine, folding his arms on his chest childishly. When Donghae was done, he turned around, shoving clothes in Hyukjae's hands before he pointed the bed with authority. “Now, go to bed.”

Hyukjae smirked slightly, stalking toward him seductively until his lips were merely an inch apart from his own.

“I like it when you boss me around,” He purred sensually.

A violent shiver of longing for the seductive man shook him from head to toe, making his eyes turn even darker than before. Donghae gritted his teeth painfully, throwing a menacing glare to Hyukjae who only chuckled, letting himself fall down on the mattress. He lazily smirked at him, crossing his hands behind his back.

One minute later, he was deep asleep. And Donghae boiling in frustration and need.

Calm down, Donghae. Just calm down.

A harsh pain suddenly throbbed in Hyukjae's head, jerking him awake with a pained groan. Squeezing his eyes shut, he rolled on his stomach, trying to shut out the glaring light of the sun by burying his head into his pillow. He let out another pitiful whine, pulling on the covers until he was hidden under them. As his awful headache mercilessly kept on thumping in his temples, Hyukjae then realized for the second time this week that he wasn't laying in his bed. Confused, he peeked over the warm blankets, immediately smelling the good scent of breakfast. He blinked a little, trying to adjust his eyes to the daylights until he spotted Donghae in the kitchen. Hyukjae slightly furrowed his eyebrows, trying hard to remember whatever had happened the prior night, until every single memory came back to him like a bag of bricks crashing into his head. He dramatically widened his eyes, squealing pitifully as images of himself trying to dry-hump the other man popped up in his mind. He blushed furiously, doing his best to recall if they had took it to the higher level.

I don't remember, he exclaimed inwardly, panicked. I don't ing remember what happened next?! As he was about to stand up and maybe hyperventilate a little, Donghae was suddenly next to him, staring at him sternly. Hyukjae sputtered incoherently, trying to glare at him but failing miserably, if the quirked eyebrow Donghae shot him was any indications.

“Did – Did anything happened?” was the first thing he successfully managed to say – although it sounded more like a stammer than anything else. “Please tell me nothing happened.”

Donghae narrowed his eyes at him. “As much as I don't fancy blue balls,” He grumbled and Hyukjae winced apologetically. “I'm no , Hyukjae. You, however, did try to get in my pants. Rather eagerly, I must say.”

“Shut up,” Hyukjae snapped. “I was drunk, ok?”

“Whatever you say, kiddoh,” Donghae shrugged as he grabbed a pile of clothes and carelessly shoved them into a sport bag.

Hyukjae continued to mumble unhappily, shooting hard glares toward the other man who was doing an amazing good job at ignoring him. He wasn't exactly sure if he was supposed to feel mortified or relieved of whatever event had occurred between them the previous night. A part of him was comforted to know that nothing truly ual – except a few heated kisses and a bit of dry-humping – happened between them ; ex-convict or not, Hyukjae didn't want to share his first experience with someone while being drunk out of his mind. He was grateful that Donghae didn't grasp the opportunity to release all the frustration he surely had piled up all those past years stuck into a menacing jail. A small blush crept on Hyukjae's face upon imagining all the wild and doubtlessly pleasurable things they could have done together if only Donghae hadn't managed to stop himself at the last second.

Which lead to the other part of his brain, the most erted one, who was actually sulking ; why did Donghae decide to stop, knowing that he must have wanted to shag him more than anything? Another frown appeared on his face as indignity washed through him, his ego taking a rough hit from it. Maybe he wasn't handsome and desirable enough for the other man.

Hyukjae glowered at Donghae who was finishing to pack his bag.

“What are you doing?” Hyukjae asked into a pouting grumble.

“My bag,” Donghae simply stated. “You should do the same, too.”

“Why? Are you going somewhere?”

“Not me, but us,” Donghae smirked maliciously at him, straightening up while shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans.

Despite his strong wish to erase any kind of attraction toward the other man – they were barely friends, after all –, even if tiny small, Hyukjae couldn't help but to find him extremely handsome.

“Sorry, w – what? What do you mean, 'us'?” Hyukaje blinked incredulously upon finally grasping Donghae's words. “Where the hell are we going?”

Donghae's smirk widened as he leaned against the wall behind him, before he merely stated in a nonchalant voice ;

“France.”

“I can't believe I agreed to this.”

Hyukjae impatiently tapped his foot on the floor of the plane, his arms folded on his chest while he continued to scowl at the man next to him. He let out an angry sigh, glaring outside the window at the distant airport while the stewardess enthusiastically recited the usual safety instructions.

It had already been five hours since Hyukjae had woke up and that Donghae had randomly announced that they would be going to France the very same day. At first, the young heir had thought it was only a joke, until Donghae had showed him the tickets which had been bought online. Hyukjae had been too bemused to protest against the other man's sudden decision and had quietly followed him through the city to the international airport where they had checked-in. It was only when Hyukjae found his seat and sat down, watching around his surroundings and landing his eyes on the still talking stewardess that he finally caught on what was happening to him.

It's a kidnapping! That was exactly what it was – a kidnapping! Donghae had to do this for money, or worst ; for his body. It must explain why the man had refused his body the other night ; he didn't only want a single fling, but to own him completely and his plans to go to France were probably because he had some relatives in the country who would easily hide them both.

Although this theory sounded very much acceptable to him, Hyukaje knew that it was perfectly absurd. Even after looking at Donghae for hours, he still couldn't find any traces of evilness in his behavior.

“I can't believe it,” He repeated under his breath, mostly so he wouldn't forget about his anger.

It was obvious as to why Donghae decided to go to France with him – it seemed like the man wanted to help with saving the French resort, although Hyukjae wasn't sure how he would proceed. The thought was nice and a part of him felt grateful, though it still didn't explain the reason why Donghae would give so much efforts to help someone he barely knew.

“If you want to go back home, you still can,” Donghae commented while leaning his head back tiredly. “It's not like I forced you into doing anything.” Hyukjae briefly thought about denying but he knew it was the truth. “I only want to help.”

“Why?” Hyukjae softly asked. “It's... nice. Really. But I don't understand why you would do such things for me. We don't even knew each other that well and still you – you bought two tickets to France only because I told you about personal issues.”

“I don't know,” Donghae replied with an equally gentle tone. “I just felt like it.”

It was actually the truth ; Donghae didn't know why he had came up with this idea either. He had first thought that it would only be one of his tricks to harm Siwon, to find a way that would affect him badly. Yet, after thinking about the matter over and over again, this sole reason didn't appear to be enough anymore. Hyukjae had somehow managed to trigger something in his heart, something that he had badly tried to thoroughly hide away from people. It wasn't pity or sympathy that he felt for the other anymore, but something stronger. He couldn't quite say that he actual feelings for Hyukjae yet but he knew that if he kept hanging around him, one day he would have them.

Feelings. Nowadays, Donghae feared them more than anything. While he used to cherish them in the past, he was now aware of how much pain and sorrow they could cause and he was too scared to walk on this particular path again. He wanted to protect his heart, build up shields and spell charms that would keep away everything that could cause him any more harms. Upon realizing where his odd relationship with Hyukjae was leading him, Donghae had been beyond terrified. The man didn't want to repeat the same stupid mistakes of the past. He had thought about running away and erasing the memories of the young heir out of his mind. It was true that it was still far from romantic feelings, but it was slowly getting there, somehow ; it was the way Hyukjae fought for his principles, for what he thought was right that attracted him. And it scared him.

Nonetheless, his longing for revenge was still too strong in his mind to truly care about those still somehow non-existent feelings – he knew they would appear, but he still had time. He still had time to run away and crush Siwon's life into pieces. Donghae tried as hard as he can to hide behind this motive, inwardly stating over and over again that it was only because of Siwon.

Because everything had always been because of Siwon.

Donghae drew out a sigh, ignoring Hyukjae's insistent and curious gaze on him. He fluttered his eyes shut, trying to block out everything out of his head and calm himself.

It was going to be a long trip.

It took them around twenty hours of traveling by air and a halt in China before the plane finally landed at the Charles de Gaulle airport. The trip had been long and backbreaking, many times disturbed by turbulence which ended up giving Donghae a harsh headache. The two men didn't talk much upon stepping out of the huge machine, too exhausted, and directly headed outside after retrieving their few luggage. They quickly jumped into a taxi, silently watching the landscape while the driver babbled into an incoherent English. They drove for two hours until the car finally reached Paris. It was early in the morning in France which explained the very few people and cars they could spot in the streets.

After Hyukjae quickly repeated the address of the resort, he slightly turned around, gazing at the other man who seemed to be amazed by everything he saw at the other side of the window.

“Your first time in France?” He asked with an amused smile.

Donghae faced him expressionlessly but the way his eyes were glittering excitedly told Hyukjae that he was right.

“It's actually my first time out of the country,” The barman replied. He paused, frowning in thoughts. “Actually, I almost went to Japan when I was in my last year of high school. But the teacher got sick in the airport just before we were supposed to depart. Thousands of won wasted, I tell you,” He sniffled with a dark expression. “Since then, I never really had the opportunity to travel really far.”

Hyukjae nodded thoughtfully. “Personally, I spent my childhood traveling since Dad had all those companies he had implanted in other countries. I went with him whenever I could. It was nice.”

“I guess it was,” Donghae gave him a small smile. “I guess you speak a little bit of French, then?”

“Just a little,” Hyukjae mumbled embarrassingly. “I usually talk in English, it's easier. All those grammar rules and conjugation were too complicated and annoying for me to learn, so I just gave up.”

“What a promising businessman you make,” Donghae snorted, though not unkindly. “I learned at school because I wanted to take an extra language. Never practiced it in real-time, though.”

“Guess it's your chance, then,” Hyukjae chuckled with a genuine grin. “Oh, we're here!”

The car parked in front of a high building that radiated French high-class. Two valets were standing in front of the main entrance, politely smiling at whoever went in the resort. Hyukjae payed the taxi-driver before he went out of the car excitedly. Donghae followed him quietly, picking up their bags before they went in together, greeting the staff. Everybody seemed to recognize the future heir of Leesan Corporation, showing their complete respect toward the man, despite the fact that some of them were obviously older than Hyukjae. Donghae watched those interactions wordlessly, silent as always.

They finally stopped in front of a large and sophisticated counter made of dark wood. It only took one glance for the barman to notice that it was an expensive piece of furniture. Everything in the lobby radiated the high and respectable level of the resort ; the soft music was enough to relax the customers without being too annoying, while a few smiling waiters were offering drinks to the newly arrived customers, politely proposing them to sit down while waiting for their turn. The floor seemed to have been made with marble and reflected the soft lights of the ceiling light made of crystal. Donghae felt oddly uncomfortable in this place, feeling as if he wasn't where he should be ; he was an ex-convict, he thought bitterly, not a rich gentleman who wished to spend a few days in the supposedly most beautiful and romantic capital of the world. He shuffled awkwardly, never leaving Hyukjae's sides as he nibbled on his lower lip. Donghae didn't quite like the oppressing atmosphere of the resort, although he couldn't deny its beauty and quality.

Hyukjae finally stopped in front of the familiar wooden counter, a small smile on his lips. He softly ran a finger on its edge, remembering of many memories he had shared with his father in this place.

“Bonjour, Messieurs,” A man then talked to them.

Hyukjae glanced up, thankful that he didn't forget this usual French greeting, even after all those years. Good morning, gentlemen, he inwardly translated before he smiled at the head of the resort.

“Bonjour,” Donghae spoke up next to him before he could utter a word, making him jolt a little in surprise. Hyukjae blinked, noticing how fluent he talked. “It is nice to meet you,” Donghae continued in French. “I'm sure you know Lee Hyukjae. He is the future head of Leesan Corporation.”

“Of course, I do,” The man replied with a light chuckle before continuing in English. “It is a honor, Mister Lee. My name is Thomas Goussu. How can I help you?”

Getting his acts together, Hyukaje faced Thomas with a determined gleam shining in his single-lidded eyes. He glanced a last time at Donghae, as if looking for support, before he spoke up.

“First, please book me a suite for my friend and I. We'll share,” He said with a tone that implied no objections. “As for the reason of my presence, Sir ; I'm actually here to save this resort.”

Paris, huh? Sungmin quirked a surprised eyebrow upon reading for the fifth time the small note Donghae had left on the kitchen table. The strawberry blonde man shrugged, running a hand through his hair as he grabbed a cup of fuming coffee. He absentmindedly sipped from his hot drink while strolling back to the small living-room, staring still at the note. Yoona was watching TV while hugging a pillow, her long hair prettily falling around her round face. Sungmin softly smiled at her before he sat next to the girl, putting his drink on the coffee table. He folded his arms on his chest, wondering the reason why Donghae would suddenly decide to travel to the other side of the world. He tilted his head to the side in reflection, vaguely remembering Kyuhyun telling him that Hyukjae had also went out of Korea. Sungmin and he had stayed in contact, mostly because the was amazing. Moreover, it seemed like a good opportunity for the strawberry man to keep an eye on Siwon, knowing that the latter was somehow linked to both Kyuhyun and Lee Hyukjae.

He knew that Donghae was up to something but Sungmin preferred not to pay too much thoughts around the matter ; he only hoped that nothing bad would result out of it. However, despite his strong wish to stay out of this mess, Sungmin couldn't help but to feel worried for his best friend. Donghae was, after all, still emotionally unstable and pained. He probably was capable of hurting this Hyukjae guy without even realizing it – or worse, with full conscience of his acts. The thought made him shiver with discomfort ; Donghae used to be a harmless and joyful kid, always smiling and looking happy. Now, only anger and sorrow could be seen on his handsome face.

Sungmin let out a perplexed sigh, glancing at the young girl seated next to him on the couch. Yoona truly looked like her brother, only more feminine and with unique traits that made her beautiful. The poor teenage girl had went through a lot despite her young age, only because of Siwon. Although Sungming liked to believe he wasn't a violent man, he couldn't help but to loathe the man since he knew how much he had affected Yoona and Donghae.

As he was about to get up and take a long, soothing shower to calm his nerves, he heard the faint sound of someone knocking at the door. Wondering who would show up at his flat at this ungodly hour, Sungmin walked to the door tiredly, opening it without looking through the peephole.

“Yes, who is – ”

He stopped dead in his tracks, widening his eyes in shock. His hand holding the door clenched tightly around the wood, his knuckles almost turning completely white as different emotions hit him all at once – confusion, anger, fear. He blinked, wondering if it only was a silly joke or a terrible nightmare.

The person standing at the other side of the door frame gently smiled at him, as if they had been friends all along. Sungmin couldn't utter a word, too stunned to even breath properly as his eyes quickly traveled from the man to the two other people standing at each sides of him, like bodyguards.

“Siwon,” He finally said, pleased to hear that his tone was firm and unwavering. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Likewise, Sungmin,” Choi Siwon replied with a soft grin. “How have you been?”

“Great,” He retorted. “Until you decided to show up at my place. You didn't even give me a call, that's rude.”

“And I sincerely apologize. Can I come in?”

“Certainly not,” The strawberry blonde man scoffed, his hold on the door tightening even more. “Get the hell out of here, Siwon. Nobody wants you here.”

The said man let out a tired sigh before frowning sadly. “Let's not go on this way, Sungmin. We were friends.”

“Exactly, Siwon. We were friends,” He hissed, his voice laced with venom. “And I'm pretty sure you understand why I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore.”

Siwon's eyes darkened menacingly, his gaze turning cold as any semblance of friendly behavior disappeared. With a quick motion of fingers, he instructed the two bodyguards to push Sungmin aside. The latter tried to resist but they were two strong, forcefully walking past him until he stumbled back into the living-room. He glared at them with all his might, immediately standing protectively in front of Yoona who hugged her pillow tighter, obviously shocked and scared.

“S – Sungmin oppa, w – who –”

“Well, well,” Siwon smirked coldly. “Isn't it the little Yoona, hmm?”

The teenage girl shrank in her position, obviously afraid of Siwon.

“Aren't you going to say hi? I thought you were more polite than that, young girl.”

“Don't you dare tell her what to do,” Sungmin snarled angrily. “You lost that right many years ago.”

Siwon quirked a contemptuous eyebrow before he lazily watched around his surroundings, scrunching his nose in disgust at the cheap pieces of furniture, as if he never experienced poverty himself. It made anger boil in Sungmin's veins who tried his best not to lunge at the despicable man. Yoona gripped on the back of his t-shirt, whimpering quietly in fear. He glanced at her, trying to smile reassuringly at her.

“Where's Donghae?” Siwon then asked, turning sideways to stare at them. “I need to talk to him. Now.”

“I don't know where the hell he is,” Sungmin lied, hoping the man wouldn't notice the note which had fell on under the coffee table. “Why do you want to know, it's not like you care about him anymore.”

“It's none of your business, Sungmin,” Siwon sneered. “Stop meddling with things that doesn't concern you and at least try to freshen up this miserable flat instead. I thought you had better taste than that, truthfully.”

“That was before you took everything away from us,” Sungmin wheezed, shooting him a deadly glare.

“Please, Sungmin. I didn't take anything. I only made a choice, which was the best.”

“Right. Money over love.” He spat

Siwon frowned, obviously not pleased by Sungmin's sarcastic tone of voice. “No,” He retorted calmly. “But you wouldn't understand anyway. Please tell Donghae that I need to talk to him quickly. Or else, there will be consequences.” He paused, meaningfully landing his thoughtful gaze on Yoona who sobbed louder.

“Don't you dare blackmail us, Siwon, or I'll –”

“I don't care, Sungmin, honestly. Just tell him that. I have my ways, and you know it. I need to talk to him about a few things. I wouldn't want him to meddle with my business.”

He finally spun around, walking back toward the door, closely followed by his body guards. Sungmin's whole body was tensed and ready for any kind of attacks, still standing protectively in front of Yoona who shivered in fear.

Siwon then stopped in his tracks, turning his head slightly to the side while his back still faced them. His gaze was dark and icy cold, almost making Sungmin step back. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, glaring at him menacingly. The other man nodded at the two bodyguards before saying ;

“Make sure they remember this conversation,” He stated softly, as if talking about a harmless matter. “Break everything.”

Ha, look at that, I'm apparently still an author. I'm honestly sorry for all the wait I put you guys in. But here comes another chapter, and there's action in it! I hope you lovely readers enjoyed it <3 Please tell me what you think!

Thank you for reading <3

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