Luhan knows the small towns of the north like the back of his hand; he’d driven through nearly all of them so many times, he didn’t need a map to navigate though most of them anymore. The ones to the east and south he’d known a little less well, and anything westward was bordering on uncharted territory. People recognised him some of the time, as he revisited the same gas stations to refuel, but he couldn’t, wouldn’t pin their faces to names, even if his life depended on it. He’d been on the road for four years running, but in all that time, had only stopped through the big city twice. This would mark his third time in Seoul, neither malcontent nor pleasure surrounding the visit. His Chevrolet had begun to argue with him over the distance they had driven today, so he’d decided to give the peeling, orange rust-bucket a rest by pulling into the nearest free parking lot he could find; a back alley bay, strictly for patrons of the neighbouring bar.

Why the hell not? Luhan wondered, as he wound up the windows and jumped out, locking the car as the door after it shuddered into its catch. The place had a nice feel about it. The first thing upon entering that caught Luhan’s eye was the interior. To his left were small booths and leather-upholstered seats separated by wooden screen dividers, about four of them lined from the entrance and long the wall to a small stage by a door labeled bathroom. To his right were some more conventional, rectangular dining tables (some round), all chestnut wood with six chairs around each of them (only three around the smaller tables). A man under a head of stray, curly orange hair played soft guitar riffs that formed a pleasant array of melodies as he sat atop the small stage on a bar stool.

Immediately in front of him was a large bar, stocked with an impressive array of spirits and alcoholic assortments. Behind the oaken countertop was two rather tall bartenders, which Luhan thought of as a bit of eye candy for the place. There were about seven stools underneath for bar-side seating, all in the same aged wood, but with cute tartan cushions of varied, somber colors for comfort. The place wasn’t like the traditional shack-type bars he’d been in throughout the country, stained with beer and smelling like the earthy aroma of a mountain base. No, this place had a warm log fire smell to the place (which Luhan later attributed to a real log fire, at the epicenter of the dining tables to the left) and smelled of a wholesome Sunday roast dinner, with faint aromas of orange and apples in the air.

Through an entire empty shelf behind the bar, Luhan could see a pristine and clinically white kitchen, manned by about five staff members wearing giddy smiles and tattooed from the wrists to the shoulders. He later identified the small paper dockets that lined said shelf as orders, and on a night like this, he was surprised there wasn't more orders. Though upon further inspection, the entire establishment wasn’t that heavily occupied either; there was a man on the stage quietly plucking away on his guitar, two couples in the wooden booths, one group of three people around the head of a dinner table, and two highly inebriated men on the far right of the bar. Luhan decided on avoiding them by taking up to the stool second from the left, before being greeted by the more attractive of the two bar tenders. This one had a decently sized, but not too large, tattoo on his left forearm that was of a ribbon laying in an infinite symbol that didn’t quite meet at the centre.

“Drink?” The languid man winked. He placed down the shot glass he had been cleaning and pulled out a bottle of clear spirit from beneath the bar. “And a bowl of house wedges on me.” He smiled.

“I’m not hungry.” Luhan admitted, before being contradicted by the growl of his own body.

“Dirty liar.” The man he’d come to know as Jongin (by his nametag) said. He had that bad-boy-next-door look on his face, but in spite of his charm, Luhan was still confused on which exact signals he was getting from him. Gosh, is this guy flirting with me? He could see the other bartender was struggling to handle the two aforementioned drunks, cleaning his glasses a little too vigorously as they continued to wallow on. When Jongin had brought him his wedges, he downed his shot like the experienced drinker he was, before trying not to splutter it all back over the bar. “What the is that?!” Jongin, looking somewhat pink around the edges, picked up the bottle and examined it with squinted eyes.

“That would be…” he said, looking at the bottle for a label of which it had none. “Oops. JOON!” he yelled at the other, not-so-far-away bartender, catching a jumpy Luhan off-guard.

“What?” the man spat back sourly.

“Stop leaving your ‘shine around the place, I just gave it to a customer!” Jongin chucked the bottle over at Joon, who expertly caught it  in one hand before stashing it under the bar again. “Sorry about that, maybe I should ask what you’d rather like to drink.” Jongin’s civil tone returned, and his flirtatious streak began to show like a bad poker face.

"On second thought, I really shouldn’t drink. I have to drive and find a place to stay.” Luhan explained, thinking he had politely fought off the bartender's advances.

"Eh, what’s a pretty face like you got to care about driving tonight?” He shrugged, so nonchalant, he wondered if this guy had any cares in the world. “So you have a few too many tonight, you can rack up at my place if you want.”

 "Jongin stop trying to get in the poor kid’s pants.” Joon said, before being called on by the two drunks by a word best not repeated.

"Ah!” Jongin flounced. “I would never try such a thing!” He directed at Joon, before turning to Luhan again. “I was only trying to be a gentleman of course.”

"Thank you, but I’d rather find my own place for the night.” Luhan said with the classic, thanks-but-no-thanks expression that he’d had to  all too much experience perfecting.

"Suit youself.” He smirked. Pulling out a pen from his pocket, he grabbed Luhan’s arm as the latter reached for a wedge and began grafitting the wanderer. “Here’s the address.” Slick prick, Luhan thought. “Drop by if you change your mind.” Luhan inspected the writing, and thought for a second that Jongin might be a medical student: doctor's handwriting, that's what had been scribbled on him. Dipping back into his wedges, time seemed to began to ebb and flow irregularly, as the guitarists tune began to add something to the flavor of the bar. Soft, acoustic treble, supported by the harmony of huddled chatter and the lively cracking of the log fire. Things began to pass at normal pace again when the bartender named Joon spoke up.

“I think you guys have reached your limit for the night.” He said to the first drunk, who fumbled with his glass to ask for a refill.

“Whaddya mean limit?” He cackled. “Come on slim, fill ‘er up.”

“I’m sorry but you guys are both at your limit, and frankly, so is your tab.”

“Hey mate, if I cared about my tab or my limit, I wouldn’t be askin’. Fill up, the damn glass.”

"Yeah!” The second drunk egged on cheerily. He seemed to have absolutely no concept of what was going on, only that there was alcohol he still hadn't poisoned his insignificantly-sized brain with. It was when Joon had refused for the fifth time to allow the two men to drink anymore, that the first drunk aim a messy punch at an unsuspecting Joon, squaring him in the jaw, but without enough force to knock him down. Joon rocketed back like a dangerous yo-yo, before throwing himself over the bar and at the first drunk. The two hit the ground and began furiously beating the sense out of each other, Joon landing more successful hits than the drunk. The drunk played dirty, firing off rapid shots into Joon’s side before Joon scored a well-placed crack into the man’s jowl and catapulted the man off of himself. When the second drunk had tried to go for Joon after that, Jongin joined in and holstered the man’s arms behind him, effectively incapacitating him.

“WHAT WAS THAT AND HOW MUCH OF IT IS COMING OUT OF YOUR PAY?” A voice boomed from upstairs.

“Ooh .” Jongin said, holding the squirming drunk in his grasp with relative ease.

“NONE OF IT.” Joon yelled back at the mystery man. Unless it was a woman, in which case she had one tenor of a voice. “I QUIT.” The presiding voice made his appearance from over the balcony, and watched as Joon wiped the blood off of his lip, pulled off his nametag and apron and threw it to the ground where he’d been sitting.

“Well that’s the end of him.” Jongin sighed. “Hey sweetie,” he cooed over to Luhan, “would you mind calling the cops and getting them over here please?” The flirt smiled. “For me?” He winked. Jongin told him the address as Luhan made his first daunting call with emergency services. Within five minutes they were here, taking statements from the couples in the booths and the group by the log fire. They had cuffed the two drunks and hauled them into a van, the officers promising a payment on their tab within a few days, if not a week. When all was said and done, the owner that Luhan had overheard his name was Suho held his hair in his hands and nearly screamed.

“Oh my god that’s the second bar tender in a month!!"

“Sir do you think it’s about time we got some new meat on the wait staff and promoted Sehun to bartender?” Jongin offered, as he closed up with the help of the guitarist Chanyeol, who said he was waiting for a boy named Baekhyun.

“Are you freaking kidding me Jongin? Sehun isn’t even allowed to drink, let alone serve alcohol! In fact, he shouldn’t even be working here…” Suho pondered that last statement, “How did he end up working here when we’ve had like, two health and safety inspectors since we signed him on?”

“Beats me.” Jongin shrugged, flicking the lights off in the bathroom.

“Anyway, we need to find someone soon otherwise…” Suho shuddered at the apparent thought. Luhan hopped off of his stool, set down the appropriate bills for a side of wedges –despite it being on the house– and made his way for the door.

“Hey beautiful,” Jongin waved, leaning coolly against his mop, “you’re just gonna leave without giving me even a kiss goodbye?” he winked.

“Screw you.” Luhan said, before eventually getting to his car and kick starting the engine. Under much protest from the car, they got moving, and Luhan headed for the nearest hotel he could find on what was left of his gas tank. Unaware of the time, which he had spent most of watching Jongin and Chanyeol help close up the bar, he’d realized after coming up to the darkened doorway of a hotel that nothing would be open, and that he’d have to slug it in the back of his car. He’d tricked out the bed of his truck just for this sort of thing, but the prospect of sleeping in his car when he was in the capital was less than appealing. There is always… Luhan thought, looking to the chicken scrawling on his arm. No, I’d get for sure. That sadly (and disturbingly) didn’t seem to deter him, as ten minutes later, he was faced with the poorly lit veranda to Jongin’s flat complex, and its doorbell.

“Oh hey cutie, forget something important?” He cheeked, holding out the side of his face with an expectant expression.

“Will you let me sleep on your couch please?” Luhan pleaded. This was an entirely new experience for him, but according to Luhan logic, this was what he thought would be the best chance of sleeping under a roof tonight.

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. What was that?” Jongin said, not moving his face. Luhan sighed, unimpressed at Jongin’s bravado. and decided to remedy it. With his left hand he grabbed Jongin by the jowl and held his head forward and pushed him into a wall with a fervent kiss, Jongin opening up for some tongue by the time Luhan had already found his way in. He d for Luhan’s , and Luhan had grabbed into Jongin’s hair and threw his head back, biting into the soft skin of his neck, which made the younger, yet taller boy growl for more. It wasn’t until Luhan had one leg around Jongin’s hips and both arms around his neck, that he finally came out of his mouth and spoke.

“Couch?”

“Id’ prefer you in my bed.” Jongin said with difficulty, most of the air being out of his lungs by this point.

“Couch will do fine.” Luhan smiled, leaving Jongin to collapse on the floor with a perpendicular , whilst Luhan went back outside, opened his car door and pulled out one of the two duffels of necessities from the back seat.

“Is that the bucket of bolts you drive?” Jongin laughed.

“Shut up.” Luhan defended. That 'bucket of bolts' had been the only companionship in the last few years of his life, and he hated seeing it belittled.

“What is it?” Jongin asked jokingly, not expecting the response he would get.

“It’s a 1984 Chevrolet C10, two-wheel drive with six-cylinder engine and an M4C transmission. Baby might not pack a punch, but she’s been reliable since I rolled out of home.” Luhan informed. Jongin’s jaw went slack at the barrage of meaningless information; he wasn’t expecting a sweet angel like Luhan to be into cars.

“That is so hot.” Jongin said, smacking Luhan’s as he closed the door behind him.

“Don’t get any ideas, it’s just the night. And I don’t even know you so…” Luhan dumped his bag by the couch and pulled out his toiletries and pyjamas. He’d seen that Jongin had been watching TV, as it was still running on a program he didn’t recogonize, but chose to ignore. “Bathroom?”

“That way.” Jongin pointed, as his head was in the fridge looking for a beer he cursed for not being in there. The bathroom was neat, mainly because it was vacant of much of what normal people kept in their bathrooms. A toothbrush, toothpaste and a razor lay in cup next to a can of shaving cream, and a first aid kit sat by it’s lonesome in the cupboard underneath the sink. Luhan locked the door behind him, afraid that Jongin would try and get in his pants while they were literally around his ankles. Brushing away the taste of salt and potato along with whatever was in Joon’s moonshine, he came back into the living room to see a comforter and a pillow that looked well used on the couch, and the TV turned off. When he attempted to make himself comfortable under the blanket, Jongin had other ideas. “Hey,” he ordered, “upstairs, bedroom. Now.”

“Jongin, for sakes, I am not going to sleep with you!” Luhan huffed.

“First of all, I didn’t say I wanted to sleep with you, today that is…” he admitted, “And second of all, I never said you were sleeping on the couch.”

“Just what do you mea–”

“You, sleep in the bedroom. It’s the only room upstairs.” Jongin said, pointing to the stairs in question. He made his way back to the couch, and after taking off all apparel but his underwear, he made himself comfortable under the blanket. Luhan finally got the picture, and doing as he was told (not something that went down lightly) he made his way to the bedroom.

“Thanks…” He smiled. He had to admit, the bossiness was sort of hot. So was his way with his hips; he could roll anyone over the edge with those, which is one of the reasons Luhan had to stop earlier. He coiled up into Jongin’s sheets, and had to check several times that he wasn’t there, until he realized how much the sheets smelled of Jongin, which was causing his brain the confusion. They were sweet and clean, much like Jongin himself. His skin was like the silk on the covers, soft and pleasant to touch. He could smell caramel and sugar when he pressed his nose to the pillow, as he held in his chest. Sleeping in a double bed for the first time was more than a treat for Luhan, and he was going to relish to opportunity. Falling asleep fast was not his idea of relishing the comforts of such a large bed, but he took it anyway.

When he awoke, he hadn’t regretted falling asleep so easily, as he was well rested and eager to start the day… After staying in bed for just a little longer. A soft voice hummed in his ear, and suddenly he felt like someone else’s pillow, as the voice took a firmer hold around his waist and his hands made their way under his shirt. Luhan could only guess that it would be Jongin, who couldn’t leave well enough alone.

“I knew I’d get you in my bed sooner or later.” He smiled, keeping his eyes closed as Luhan peered over his shoulder to look at him. He was still in nothing but his grey boxers that read Calvin Klein across the elastic waist.

“Oh god, you didn’t drug me and me in my sleep did you?”

“Nope.” Jongin said, rolling his body a bit and stretching out an arm, the other one still under Luhan and wrapped around his body. “What do you want for breakfast?”

Oh , Luhan panicked.

A/N: Ta~da the first installment! I hope you loved it, and that you subscribe :#3 Please comment and give me feedback, even if it's on the tiniest thing ^^ Thank you for reading, it measn a great deal to me that you'd take the time to read my works.

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