Later in the evening when most people have left and started to leave, Luhan convinces Minseok that it would be best for him to just spend the night in Luhan’s large apartment. Luhan thinks that a multitude of things, causes Minseok to agree without much fight, ranging from his slightly inebriated state to the fact that the last train had long departed and the Capital City’s subway system wouldn’t be back to running until 5am in the morning.

The two same-aged men share Luhan’s bed without much fuss, snuggled deep into the blankets and pillows, each on their respective side and not really touching as much as one would expect them to. They’re both too tired to feel awkward about being in the same bed, or to even entertain ideas of doing more than just sleeping. However Luhan still manages to pat himself on the back. It’s the second time, in under a month where he is sharing his bed with someone he isn’t doing more than just sleeping with.

In the morning, Luhan wakes to Minseok’s moving around his bedroom. He doesn’t open his eyes, but he makes a show of groaning loudly and putting a pillow over his head.

“Luhan I need clothes,” Minseok tells him, walking over to Luhan’s side of the bed.

“Wear a suit,” Luhan mumbles, he’s so tired that he doesn’t even think about how natural things feel. Instead he waves his hand flippantly in the direction of his closet. Minseok doesn’t say much more after that and surprisingly enough Luhan falls back to sleep right after.

Half an hour later Luhan wakes a second time. The sweet aroma of food seeps through every crevice of his apartment and draws him out of his slumber. He climbs out of bed, and runs his fingers through his sleep destroyed hair.  Instead of going to the kitchen he heads to his bathroom to quickly fix himself up.

When he finally leaves the bathroom Minseok is in the kitchen setting down two sizzling plates of food. "You made me breakfast," Luhan states and that’s when he registers just how weird things feel. It’s oddly domestic which he isn’t used to. Luhan can’t remember the last time anyone has ever made him more than just a cup of coffee.

"As a thank you for letting me spend the night and borrow the suit," Minseok replies. Luhan looks from the food to the boy making his way around the counter. It's not a perfect fit, but Minseok still looks great.

"I like this," Luhan admits, stepping forward to eat his breakfast. "Are you sure you don't want to move in with me?" He thinks that if Minseok were to agree to move in with him, he’d probably get spoiled, not that he wasn’t already.

"You do have a nice view," Minseok muses, his little crooked grin on, "but I'm sure that's against the rules."

"How do you know that," Luhan asks. The party thing had been something that the general public knew, anyone who ever experienced one of Luhan's parties had found out about President Kim's restriction on that. Only those in his inner circle knew about his other restrictions.

"I'm President Kim's secretary," Minseok answers. "I was given a personal warning about you."

"What did he say," Luhan asks.

"Well I know I'm not the first person from Nessen you've been interested in."

"That's," Luhan begins but Minseok interrupts.

"I don't mind," Minseok says with a shrug. "Anyway he explicitly told me that you tended to seduce and destroy people. You make them fall for you, move in with you and then kick them out when you get bored. I’m sure that’s not the full story, but I don’t really think that matters at the moment."

Luhan is quietly picking at his food, wondering if that’s a sign of rejection while waiting for Minseok to say more. He doesn’t, instead Minseok glances down to the food, and starts a brand new conversation. “You don't eat a lot, do you?"

"I can't eat certain foods and my metabolism is pretty slow so I'm rather conscientious of what I eat," Luhan admits, his slow metabolism and weak stomach are other signs of the flaws that come with being a First Gen. In the past he was a picky eater, but when he found his favorite foods he ate without a care to his appearance, as he got older, worries of weight gain prevented him from being so careless.

"Can you eat what I've made,” Minseok asks, and Luhan remembers that’s another reason why he used to have only coffee made for him in the mornings. Many of his past lovers knew he didn’t eat much despite him never given them the reason, so many opted out of fixing him food that would eventually be tossed in the trash.

"Not all of it," Luhan says, almost feeling guilty. He stands suddenly, remembering his hidden place for the pills that were prescribed to him. He takes both white bottles out, reading the title before putting one back and taking a pill out of the other.

What's that," Minseok asks, watching as Luhan swallows down the pill.

"This helps me stay awake throughout the day," Luhan says giving a simple explanation for the pill. He puts it back in his cabinet and takes out the other one. "This one helps me sleep,” he says next shaking the pill bottle slightly. Usually Luhan is a lot more cautious about revealing his flaws to others, but Minseok seems like a First Gen, and even if he isn’t, he doesn’t seem like the type that would exploit another’s flaws.

“Like Alice,” he hears Minseok mutters.

“Who’s Alice,” Luhan asks, the silence of his apartment making the words clear. “A girlfriend,” he asks next when he notices Minseok go rigid.

“No,” the older boy says shaking his head. “Alice is, well she’s from a children’s tale.”

“What tale,” Luhan asks. He remembers most fairy tales but he doesn’t remember any about a girl named Alice.

“It’s not a fairy tale,” Minseok admits softly. “It’s the tale of a young girl that follows a rabbit down a rabbit’s hole and finds herself in a mythical place called Wonderland.”

“How are we similar,” Luhan asks tilting his head. He knows that if it’s not a fairy tale then it doesn’t and shouldn’t exist in written form since all fiction books had been lost years ago, and the move to a more wired-in world had people relying on television to provide them with new and modern stories.

“It’s,” Minseok starts, he still appears openly uncomfortable about diverging onto such a topic, so Luhan gives him a reassuring smile. “The contradiction just stood out to me,” Minseok explains. “In the tale, Alice comes across a drink that says Drink Me, and a cake that says Eat Me. One makes her shrink, while the other makes her grow. I’m not sure why I brought it up.”

“You should tell me the full tale,” Luhan says, going back to his seat. “I already have a lot of questions.”

“I don’t want to,” Minseok says, “It’s a long tale, and I have to get to work soon. Maybe next time?”

“Now’s as good a time as any,” Luhan says, taking small cautious bites of his breakfast. “You can tell me now and as I drive you to work. If it’s so long you can tell me in installments.”

He knows he’s being a bit cruel with the way he’s asking Minseok to do something that makes him uncomfortable, but he’s curious about the tale and how Minseok knows it. Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to announce to the world that Minseok told him some children’s story that he could have very well made up himself. There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with telling such a thing to someone, anyway. Sure if Minseok told it to the wrong person they might look upon him with suspicion of what else he might know, but Luhan wouldn't tell a soul about Minseok's weird words and strange tales if it could get him into trouble.

Minseok cheeks puff just the slightest as his lips purse together and he narrows his eyes at Luhan. Luhan on the other hand has to stop himself from gaping at the sudden onslaught of cute behavior coming from the older male. He didn’t know if it was on purpose, or a subconscious act, but it was surprising nonetheless. Every person that Luhan surrounded himself with seemed to have a serious personality, and tended to avoid doing things that would be considered too cute so openly.

“Fine,” Luhan mumbles a moment later, watching as Minseok’s pout turns into a grin. He’s still a bit dumbstruck, not because he gave into Minseok’s wishes so easily, but because he was surprised at Minseok’s behavior. “You’ll tell me later won’t you?”

“Maybe,” Minseok says, looking down to his own food as he begins to eat as well. Luhan begins to change the topic when suddenly the pair hear Luhan’s apartment door open and close.

“,” Luhan mutters the amusement slipping from his features as he stands quickly in alarm.

There’s only one person that would enter his home without any signs of prior notice, and Luhan finds himself panicking as the sound of footsteps resound louder and louder as the person in his apartment makes their way from the entrance to the kitchen. Across from Luhan, Minseok freezes in terror as he locks eyes with his boss.

“What are you doing here,” President Kim asks, the question is directed to Minseok. President Kim stares at him in curiosity, eyes trained on the obviously expensive suit the boy has on.

“I’m taking him to work,” Luhan answers for Minseok, his hands are gripping the edge of the table as he stares directly at President Kim, attempting to appear stronger than he feels.

“I should have just waited for you to come to me then,” President Kim says drily. He turns towards Minseok and leers. “You go wait in my car, you’ll come with me to work.”

Minseok nods his head and quickly makes to leave but Luhan stops him. “That’s not necessary,” Luhan says grabbing onto the boy’s wrist quickly. “I’ve already promised him, and…” He trails off and President Kim steps forward.

“Luhan let go of his hand,” President Kim tells him coldly. He crosses his arms across his body and glares hard at Luhan. “We need to talk.” Luhan reluctantly releases Minseok’s wrist and watches as the boy scurries out of kitchen. He bows his head and keeps silent as he waits to hear the open and close of the apartment door.

“Don’t punish him,” Luhan says once he’s sure that Minseok has left and he’s all alone with President Kim. There’s a please that lingers on his lips. As much as he doesn’t want Minseok to get into trouble for doing as Luhan wishes, he knows that there isn’t much that President Kim would do to him.

“Why would I punish him,” President Kim asks, his eyes drop to the two plates of food on the counter as he speaks. “He’s not the one that decided to blatantly ignore my words.”

“Junmyeon and Yixing are back,” Luhan explains. “It was a party for them, to celebrate their return.”

“Unless Great Ruler himself purposely asked you to throw a party it was still breaking my rules,” President Kim states. “Your punishment will come in due time. I just figured you should know that I know.”

His words are said as if he’s just stating facts instead of threatening Luhan, and he knows it’s because to President Kim Luhan is just another appointment he’ll have to work in. He’s like a pet that’s been disobedient. President Kim turns to leave and Luhan speaks up, “what about Minseok,” he asks.

“Minseok,” President Kim asks as well. “Oh you mean my secretary.” His eyes flash with the tell-tale signs of amusement as his lips pull into a cruel little smile. “Well he’s not exactly who you think he is.”

Luhan frowns himself, while Kyungsoo’s words suddenly ring through his mind. He wants President Kim to leave his apartment as quickly as possible, but he can’t stop from asking President Kim what exactly he means.

“He’ll stay,” President Kim says, the same little smile lingering on his lips telling Luhan that he’s got something planned. “He’ll be fine, only if you abide by my rules. If you break another rule, I’ll have to assume that this defiance is a result of that man, and I’ll have to let him go. If he goes, then you won’t see him ever again Luhan.”

“You said you wouldn’t punish him,” Luhan states weakly. He feels like a child again, remembering all the things he’d lost because he was a bad child, because he wasn’t the perfect Perfect.

“Punish,” President Kim repeats as if Luhan has said a foreign word. “I won’t be punishing him, I’ll be doing him a well-deserved favor.”

President Kim leaves just as he’d come, the slapping of his leather shoes loud against the floor breaking the peace and silence of Luhan’s apartment.

Luhan stands motionless even after the door of his apartment closes with a slam. His bottom lip is red and glistening from the way his teeth had abused it. There’s a burning humiliation that runs through him, as he feels worse than a child reprimanded. The air is suffocating, but it isn’t until he’s scrapping his and Minseok’s breakfast into the trash, that the fact that he’s alone now in a too large apartment catches up to him, making him feel even worse.

Once all the dishes are in the sink, Luhan wonders what he should do next. His first thought is to call Kris, or Junmyeon, or anyone of his other friends in high places. He knows they’re the ones that have enough connections to help him figure out what exactly Kim Minseok was hiding. He’d thought that Minseok was simply President Kim’s newest secretary, but from President Kim’s words it seemed as if Minseok did more than answer calls and make appointments.

Those thoughts quickly erase when he notices the amount of missed calls he has from Yixing. He quickly dials the younger boy’s number not even bothering to have a video call. He’s sure he still looks spooked and honestly speaking he doesn’t even want to talk to another person anytime soon.

“Please tell me you’ve been calling to deliver good news,” Luhan says the very moment Yixing answers the call.

Yixing’s silent for a moment, and begins to speak choosing to ignore what Luhan has said. “How’s Minseok,” Yixing asks. “He spent the night right?”

“We didn’t do anything,” Luhan says, feeling sick all over again as his mind remembers the event from only moments ago. “And he’s at work right now. Did you really call me to ask about Minseok?”

“No, sorry,” Yixing says voice sounding remorseful even over the phone. “It’s about that blond model I met at that photo shoot.”

“Sehun,” Luhan asks, his blood running cold at the thought of anything happening to the younger boy.

“Mhm,” Yixing hums. “Look Lu, I don’t know fully what I saw or what it even means, I just figured you probably needed to know.”

“Just get to the point,” Luhan says, he doesn’t add on that Yixing’s words are scaring him after he’d never gotten the chance to recover from President Kim’s surprise visit. He doesn't want to let his weakness be known.

“That day we left the factory together, I saw him heading to the Red Light District,” Yixing says. Luhan’s quiet, his eyebrows furrow together and a deep frown sets across his features.

“Are you sure,” Luhan asks.

“There was a taxi and I told him I’d pay for us both, but he said he didn’t need it,” Yixing says. “I got in and when I looked back I saw him heading in the direction of the Red Light District. Unless he had a job in a neighboring factory, I can’t understand why he’d walked in that direction.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to take a taxi with you,” Luhan suggests, “or he wanted to walk around for a bit.”

“The kid made it seem like wherever he had to be was urgent,” Yixing retorts. “He looked just about ready to dash down the street till the taxi came, then he tried to pretend like he was calm. I know how to read people Lu. It was suspicious.”

“Yixing,” Luhan says voice lifting in warning. “You’re not…”

“I’m not going to do anything,” Yixing says. “I’m not here to dictate some model’s life, and if he’s stepping out of line District Police will handle it.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Luhan says sighing softly. “I’ll talk to him, just…thank you for telling me Xing.”

“Course,” Yixing mutters. “You better give me a detail report on what happened with Minseok. He’s too cute for you”

Luhan wrinkles his nose in disdain and laughs a bit, “Bye, Yixing.”

****

Luhan arrives at Kai and Sehun’s apartment in the late afternoon. Luhan doesn’t like anger. Anger is an extremely uncontrollable emotion, and Luhan likes control. He likes having the chance to think through things and assess the situation, thinking of the best approach. With anger he couldn’t do that. With anger, he was rash and dangerous to all those around him.

He wasn’t a physical person, he was cruel with his tongue. When he hadn’t mastered his control of his anger, he instead mastered his words. He had welded the ability to cut through stone with his words though it was something that had only given him satisfaction in the moment. Luhan was reckless and hurtful when he was angry, but when that haze of anger evaporated he was left regretful and ashamed.

Luhan’s not angry when he knocks roughly on Kai and Sehun’s apartment door. The emotion he feels falls into that spectrum but it’s low on the scale. He can control it and use clear-headed thinking.

The door opens to a frowning Kai, and Luhan nearly glares as the boy’s face contorts into surprise. “Luhan-hyung what are you doing here,” he asks, he pushes his body in the open space between the door and its hinge. Luhan frowns trying to peer over the boy’s shoulder but Kai doesn’t permit him.

“Where’s Sehun,” Luhan asks, his voice doesn’t betray him. He sounds a lot calmer than he feels.

“He’s in his bedroom hyung,” Kai says. “He’s not feeling well, so if you need to tell him something you can tell me. I’ll relay the message.”

“Let me see him Kai,” Luhan says, he’s not asking, he’s demanding the younger male to let him in and if he doesn’t let him in within the next minute he’ll be forcing his way in.

“Hyung,” Kai says, suddenly standing at full height, pulling the door closed a bit more as he does so. “I know you came all the way out here to see him, but he’s really not well Luhan hyung. The thing with his family from last night, it has him feeling really bad.”

“What exactly is that thing with his family,” Luhan asks.

“His parents are in desperate need of money,” Kai says. “He’s saved some of his earnings but he blew the majority of them and his savings aren’t enough.”

“I’ll write him a check,” Luhan retorts before he’s pushing hard into Kai catching the younger by surprise.  Kai stumbles back a bit, and Luhan kicks the apartment door open causing it to slam into the nearest wall with a resounding bang. He walks deeper into the apartment just as Sehun appears in front of him.

“What are you doing here Luhan,” Sehun asks, he’s dressed in flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt and he has a small smile on his lips.

The thing about anger, the thing about Luhan’s anger at least, is that it doesn’t take much for it to flare. All it takes is a brat trying to dissuade him from talking to the other brat, and then having that brat, that blond-headed stupid little brat, smile at him as if Luhan’s a fool, and his temper’s flaring and his heart his pumping the anger to every inch of his body.

He smiles, the smile is probably bordering on insane, but he smiles just as Kai comes in behind him. “Sehunnie, Kai told me you need money help,” he says moving in closer to the boy.

“He did,” Sehun asks eyes flickering up to meet Kai. Luhan eyes narrow as he starts to walk pass the youngest only to have the boy grab at his arm. “Luhan where are you going?”

Luhan swallows thickly. He’s done with the games and lets the calmness he once held slip from his grasp. He glares at Sehun, smile gone and eyes filled with rage. “Get him out now,” Luhan says.

“I don’t know what you’re talking–“

“Don’t kid with me now Oh Sehun,” Luhan says voice dark as he glares at blond. “Get him the hell out or I will personally report you.” Sehun shuffles to his bedroom, opening and closing the door behind him. With Sehun gone, Luhan finds himself staring at Kai.

“A school friend,” Luhan says, sitting down on the brown leather sofa in the middle of the living room. The television is on but had been muted possibly from his arrival.

Kai shuffles beside the furniture, eyes down casted as he stares at the ground, guilt keeping him from meeting Luhan’s eyes. “I didn’t lie,” he says, using such a petty excuse.

“You didn’t tell the whole truth,” Luhan replies. “You don’t know what this can do to him, to you. Are either of you even aware of the people you’re connected to?”

"I’m aware,” Jongin says, “I’ve never stopped being aware, it’s just Sehun is…Sehun is like a brother to me. Even if I don't approve completely I'm not going to turn my back on him."

Luhan starts to reprimand him when Sehun's bedroom door squeaks open. He turns in his seat, eyes narrowing as Sehun exits first. Luhan can see the male behind Sehun, fingers holding tightly onto Sehun's sleeve like a child afraid of being abandoned.

The male mumbles, his voice low and the language foreign. Luhan frowns deepen just as Sehun gazes up to meet his eyes. "If he leaves, I need to take him," Sehun says, "he doesn't have much money and this is his first time outside of the Red Light."

Luhan gazes from Sehun to the boy that stands beside the youngest with his eyes directed towards the ground. The Imperfect boy is tall even though his posture has him pulled into himself.  His shoulders are broad and he looks a little underweight, but the only thing that seems fragile about him was the fearful expression he wore on his face.

Luhan had wondered about the Imperfect Sehun was risking his life for, he expected the person to be small, smaller than Sehun and possibly even himself, underweight to the point where bones looked like they were fighting their way to the surface of his skin. He'd expected someone that was the utter image of fragility, a person that could make even the coldest man's heart twist in sympathy. He wasn't expecting a man that looked like he could and has been taking decent care of himself. The only thing weak about this Imperfect was the way he held himself, he could easily be spotted as a lesser being not because of his DNA, but because of his near submissive stance.

Luhan wants to scream at Sehun, the anger is coursing through his body again, it's like molten lava with the way it moves under him, burning and setting fire to his insides. He wants to beat sense into Sehun, but instead he can only say "he doesn't speak our language." His voice is low and slightly hoarse as if all the internal screaming has already taken its toll on his vocal cords.

"He understands the language," Sehun says. "He can speak pretty well too."

"What's your name," Luhan asks, glaring intently at the boy. The boy's hand tightens on Sehun sleeve and Sehun starts to speak until Luhan turns his glare onto him. "I was asking your pet." Sehun quickly closes his mouth and Luhan turns back to the boy, "your name?"

"T-Tao," the boy answers softly, stuttering just slightly.

"Tao," he says sneering, nearly rolling his eyes in disgust. Tao, is the name of Sehun's future downfall, rather he's executed or imprisoned it will all be because he was enchanted by a too tall, too broad Imperfect named Tao.

"What language do you speak Tao?" The boy answers, but Luhan doesn't understand him of course. When Luhan had first heard him speak, the language had seemed familiar but he figured that recognition came from his few visits to brothels.

Suddenly the anger leaves and all that's left is a sense of despair, he'd done so much to be an older brother figure to the boys, he'd worked to keep them as far away from the harshness of life, and now it was backfiring in the worse kind of way, this wasn't two kids partying in the Red Light, this was law breaking.

"I can't," he breathes out, feeling the fire leave his body. His eyes flicker to Kai, who’s still standing quietly beside the sofa, before allowing his gaze to linger on Sehun. "I can't," he repeats the sadness and exhaustion catching up to him. "My friend is...my best friend he'll..." he drops his gaze then, hands curling into tight fists as he forms words in his head.

"Do what you want," Luhan finally says. "I can't stop you, but I can't protect you as well. My friend works for National Security, if there's a chance that I have to choose between you and..." He trails off, squeezing his eyes shut, and swallowing deepily to dislodge the words in his throat. "If I have to choose, I'll choose what's right."

He glances up then to meet Sehun's eyes and is stunned at the amount of sadness he sees pooling in his dark brown irises. He closes his eyes and breathes in deeply once more before heading towards the apartment's exit with Kai on his heels.

"You're not going to tell are you," Kai asks.

"Of course not," Luhan answers. "I wouldn't go out of my way to see you get hurt."

"But you won't help us if we get caught," Kai asks.

"You remember Yixing," Luhan asks. "I've known him since I was eleven. It's not like knowing each other since diaper days, but he means to me what Sehun means to you. He works for CNS and decided to turn a blind eye on this. If something happens, I can't betray him."

Luhan breathes in deeply and gives the smallest smile to Kai. "Look out for him okay? Look out for yourself as well. I don't want to hear about you in the news unless it's entertainment reports."

"We'll be fine," Kai promises. The smile he flashes Luhan is so full of naivety that it pains him to see it.

CNS=Caelum's National Security

So anyway I had this chapter written like a long time ago, but the update took forever because editing and making it readable was killer. I'm a lazy loser who doesn't read comments until days later and then feels bad about replying so late so I just leave them, but I thought this was a pretty interesting chapter. So if you have any questions or just want to leave a random comment, I'll try to answer them all even if I just put reply with something like thanks because I also kind of at talking to people.