twenty one

We make it to our destination. It is a place actually not too far from our school, a penthouse in a luxury high rise complex not unlike the one my uncle lives in. I’m not too impressed. I’ve grown up around people who do not lack money. Tao however, as far as I know, hasn’t. I remember the state of his rundown apartment across the river and can’t help but glance over at Tao to see how he takes it all in.

He seems unimpressed as well. His face remains impassive.

We cross the lobby and Chen presses the button of the elevator. It arrives swiftly and we board, Tao and I first and Chen right afterwards. He presses the button to the top floor and we go up. As we ride I feel Tao’s hand nudge against mine and I wordlessly take it.

The doors chime as they open signaling our arrival. Kai’s standing right there and we all must have equal expressions of shock across our features. Kai is the first to talk, shoving his hands deep into his uniform pockets and nodding his head over at Tao.

“What is he doing here?”

Tao plasters himself even closer to my side.

Chen sighs, “It’s a long story and none of it is my fault!”

---

We’re directed into the living room where Kai gestures to the deep black leather couches. I make as if to sit down as well but Kai grabs my arm, digging his fingers into one of my wounds causing my to wince.

“You’re an idiot.”

He hisses in my ear and moves to drag me away but Tao starts to stand. Kai glares, a single word dripping from his lips.

“Stay.”

Tao looks lost and glances at myself and Chen. We both nod and he seems to resign himself to inaction and sits back down though the wary look never leaves his eyes.

Kai leads me down a hall before opening a door and shoving me inside so hard I hit the marble countertop with a thud and a groan. My entire body is now feeling sore as if finally registering the wounds across my body that the adrenaline had masked. My ribs are especially sensitive but I don’t get a chance to catch my bearings as Kai manhandles me again, pushing me roughly into a sitting position over the closed toilet seat.

He’s angry. His dark eyes are hard obsidian and his mouth has set firm as he grits his teeth. I sit rigidly as he wrenches open a medicine cabinet and a string of curses fly from his mouth as an avalanche of soaps, sprays and other toiletries rain down over the countertop. He doesn’t bother cleaning it up though and grabs a white box marked with a red cross.

“Take off your clothes.”

He doesn’t look at me while issuing the command and I move as fast as my aching body lets me. I expected a scolding when he pulled me away but he was right to lead me here. My jacket and the shirt beneath it are in tatters. Blood has crusted over the fabric and my wounds making it wince as I peel it off of my body. I ball the now ruined uniform up holding it in my lap. I didn't remove my pants however. I see my pale body marked by wounds and smeared with blood in the mirror across from me. I can see how much I’ve bled despite barely having felt it at all.

“Pants too,” he says.

I blush and don't move and he rolls his eyes.

“Don't be so sensitive. I'm a guy and it's not like I'm not going to see it eventually anyway.”

Kai clicks open the case and pulls out some alcohol and cotton but doesn't say anything as I remain stationed on the toilet seat pants still on. I do not look forward to where this is going but I can read the atmosphere well enough to know complaining would do me no good. He’d just lash out on me rather than the things in the room.

He’s set the things aside and grabbed a wash cloth, wetting it with water and handing it to me.

“Here, I can’t tend to you like that. You’re a mess.”

I accept and begin to scrub at my body. I try not to be aware of the fact that he’s settled with his back against the sink and his arms crossed watching me. I work as I can, scrubbing at the drying, congealing blood covering my torso and wounds. I work the cloth from the top getting my shoulders then down over my chest and sides. It hurts so I only press lightly over my heavily bruised ribs.

“You’re the worst minion ever, you know that?” he asks at length.

I don’t reply and he reaches over snatching the cloth from me and pushing me so that I turn on the seat so my back his facing him. He not so gently scrubs it and when I cry out he actually apologizes and goes softer.

“You really should shower but I don't know if it'd reopen the wound,” he mumbles more to himself than for me.

“If only Lay was here. He'd be able to heal it,” I reply.

Kai immediately pinches the back of my neck.

“You little ,” he curses and then lets go.

“Sorry it was just a joke,” I reply, rubbing my neck which is likely red now.

“Is this how you really are? Is this your true self showing? I thought you were a shy kid,” Kai says but he doesn't sound angry anymore. “So tell me, why the heck is Tao here? And you better tell me the truth now while you can. I'll see how you story checks out with Chen.”

“I went back to my house to check on my mom.”

“You little--”

“And Tao was there. Then a homer attacked us. The three of us defeated it and when Chen found out Tao knew Lay he demanded we leave Tao in the warehouse alone. He said that Tao is big trouble for us, but Tao demanded to come with.”

“Yeah and?”

“And so I said that he could. He looked so helpless, really. And I figured if we brought him back here that means you can question him yourself about Luhan and even Suho... if he really is Suho's that is.”

Kai looked thoughtful, “So do you think he's not Suho's?”

“I think he did something to Luhan,” I say with a shudder. “But I am not sure if he understands the bigger picture of what he's implicated in. Neither do I, really.”

“Hmph.”

Kai snorted and said nothing else, turning to throw the dirtied towel into the sink and opening the bottle of alcohol.

“I suppose we'll see then, since you already brought him.”

“But what about you, huh? Did you accomplish what you went out to do.”

He shrugs noncommittally but doesn't say anything about it.

I don't try to press but I can't help but feel cheated. Is this the difference between being the minion and being an equal. I can't help but think he's going to tell Chen everything later and it leaves me miffed.

After I'm fresh from the shower and he wraps my wounds (the entire time I keep a tight grip on the towel at my waist) I follow him back to his room where he's promised me a fresh set of clothing. My uniform is ruined and so I have no choice but to borrow something. I am curious as to what I'll get considering we always meet each other in our uniforms. I enter his room and it's pitch black. Even when he turns on the light it's only a dim lamp in the corner. The first thing I notice is how bare it seems. There is a chest and a low table with a laptop on it as well as a low and wide shelf of books and CDs. It seems he keeps most things in his closet.

He closes the bedroom door after us and goes to the closet door, sliding it open an pulling out some dark gray sweat pants and a black tshirt, throwing it into my general direction. I reach out the catch it with one hand, still self consciously holding the towel at my waist and fail. They clothing falls to the floor and he turns to look at it with a look of mock annoyance.

“Come on the towel won't fall if you just let go, really,” he says and in less than a blink of an eye he's right in front of me.

It's his teleportation, I remind myself in the split second afterwards when he grabs both of my wrists and leads me back until my body hits the door. My wrists are pinned to both sides of my head and he grins.

“See, it's still in place,” he says, looking straight into my wide eyes.

He lets go of my wrist at that moment to reach for the towel between us and I'm jst as quick and grab his hands before they can pull it off.

“What are you trying to pull?” I say, feeling uncomfortable and he laughs.

He tries again to pull my towel and I'm fighting with him as hard as I can. I know if he really wanted to he likely could take it from me but I'm flustered nonetheless.

“Just trying to get a reaction from you.”

“Well you got it!” I bark, breathing heavily from the strain.

And finally he stops, letting his hands rest on my waist just above the towel, touching the bit of my skin that remains uncovered by bandages. I rest my hands on top of his, just in case and that's when he's leaning in. I know what he aims to do and I let him, closing my eyes.

The kiss is searing and I'm so so aware of how I'm nearly and the feeling of his clothed body pressing against my own. His hands run up my sensitive torso, skimming gently over the bandages before landing at my neck ad then venturing into my wet hair. He pulls my head back and then nips at my jaw up to my ear lobe and I moan. My arms move unconsciously to latch on to his hips, dragging him even closer. I feel even more than ever the shape of him against me as I fall back to let my weight rest against the door and even move one of my legs to hook around his calf.

I'm burning up all over.

“Now isn't the time for this,” I say very much against my own will.

“I think it is,” he replies huskily against my ear, punctuating it with a kiss. “I have to remind you who is boss.”

“I don't need a reminder of something I already know,” I reply.

I gain some control and push him away and move to pick up clothing on the floor. I first put on the pants and let the towel fall to my feet in its place. He takes the opportunity to come up behind me and kiss my shoulder.

“You know... I never wanted to do this with anyone before,” he says, resting his chin against me.

I sigh and glance at him.

“Neither have I,” I lie.

He smiles then and backs away, ruffling my head.

“Good. So get dressed. The sooner we interrogate that friend of yours the sooner we can get him out of here. I'm going to go check on Chen.”

He doesn't even wait for my reply before going out the door leaving me alone in his room. I sigh and turn back to the shirt in my hands, pulling it over my head. I don't know what to say but I do know somehow, vaguely, how I feel.

-to be continued-

AN: thanks for reading even though nothing really happened LOL