for nunino;; (2989 words)

Sungyeol wasn’t naive; he knew exactly what other people said about them. He knew what kind of picture they painted together; Myungsoo was a successful entertainment company executive in his early forties, always wearing full designer suits whether he was attending a meeting or going somewhere as casual as the ice cream shop. Sungyeol on the other hand, well, he was notorious for wearing the same shirt two days in a row - whatever was within reach in the morning - and his jeans were often on the side of being just a little bit too tight. His long almost shoulder length hair was usually messy and unkempt, and he had multiple piercings decorating his ears.

They shouldn’t have worked together, but they did.

Maybe it was the industry, or because Sungyeol was sick of playing around with boys his own age, but when he met Myungsoo, at the after party of some fashion show that he decided to model in on a whim, he had been smitten. Myungsoo was just so… capable, so in tune with his needs and what he wanted. It was a different kind of satisfaction, being taken care of so completely, being able to hand over the control and not worry about making decisions.

However, there were some things that Sungyeol managed to still be stubborn about, and this was one of them. He already felt guilty enough that Myungsoo handled his living expenses - and by handled, he meant paid for everything; clothes, food, education, party favors, and whatever the hell Sungyeol decided he wanted - no matter how much Myungsoo ensured him it wasn’t a problem. He was rich enough to have too much money to know what to do with, and in the beginning it made Sungyeol feel uncomfortable.

But Myungsoo was persuasive - and ridiculously hot - and soon enough he got Sungyeol to accept the fact that he wanted to pamper him like this, wanted to spoil him, dress him up in the latest fashions and parade him around the elite’s most exclusive parties.

You are not a trophy, or a toy, but you are mine.

It gave Sungyeol shivers when Myungsoo got possessive like that, made him run hot all over, and the fact that this thing had been going on for far over a year and didn’t show any signs of slowing down made him smile with pride.

But somewhere along the way he fell in love with Myungsoo; it became more than just good and the comfort of someone he knew would please him, he started to long for Myungsoo during the day, started to make plans for the future. The day when he realized Myungsoo felt the same way, the confident man looking unsure in front of him probably since the first time they met, his eyebrows drawn together in insecurity when he asked Sungyeol to stay, to never leave, to move in so he could always be there for him, was easily one of the best days of his life.

Myungsoo gave him comfort and support, something that was hard to come by in a city as unforgiving as Hollywood. Everyone was trying to become that next big thing, everyone dreamed of becoming a star, and the levels some people sank to in order to achieve their goals truly sickened Sungyeol.

Which is why they were having this argument. Again.

Sungyeol was an actor, trying to make it in a city full of younger, more desperate, and more attractive people trying to make it, and he was more than aware that he was going to experience some disappointments before he reached some success.

But it still didn’t make it hurt any less when he didn’t get a call back after an audition.

He just wanted to have a pity party, maybe eat a couple pints of ice cream and cry a little bit about his misfortune, knock back a couple glasses of wine and call it a day. But Myungsoo’s stern face let him know that his plans weren’t going to be coming to fruition. Myungsoo had that stubborn set to his jaw, and Sungyeol knew when his face looked like that, it meant they were going to argue.

“Can you please just let me be upset Myungsoo, without giving me the lecture?”

Myungsoo scoffed, keeping his standing position as Sungyeol sat on the couch. He could be so obnoxious sometimes with his power posturing. “You think that’s what I want? To come home after a long day at work and give you a lecture? You’re not a child Sungyeol.”

“And you aren’t my Daddy, despite what others may think. So why are you treating me like some little kid who can’t make his own decisions? This is what I want. This is my choice.”

“You’re making things harder on yourself for no reason! That’s not called making a good choice, it’s called being unreasonable.”

“Well maybe that’s just who I am Myungsoo! Maybe I’m young and immature and stupid, maybe you’re wasting your time with me!” Sungyeol usually wasn’t so prone to melodramatics, but he was sad after being rejected, again, and arguing with his lover wasn’t exactly making him feel better.

Myungsoo shook his head, sitting down on the couch next to him. “Sungyeol, you know that’s not what I think.” He ran a hand through Sungyeol’s long hair. “I care… deeply for you. Nothing will change that, especially your career. I just- I wish you would realize how common this all is.”

“What? A man twice my age that’s willing to buy me whatever I want, including my career?”

The older man actually began to look irritated, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “You think that’s how I think of it? How I think of you? That your acting is as trivial as those new Valentino sandals you want or a fancy Corvette to drive around? Because that’s not true. I love your passion for acting. It’s one of the things that made me fall in love with you.”

“Then why won’t you let this go?”

“Because I shouldn’t be the only person who gets to see how wonderful you are!” Myungsoo said angrily, crossing his arms. “Look Yeol; this is LA. Everything in this town comes with a price. You think that Jennifer Lawrence became tinseltown’s latest it girl because of her acting? Or that Dylan O’Brien broke through from television to cinema based on his charm alone? Everyone has a backer Sungyeol. Everyone has an agent, an inside source, some sort of link to the people in power to give them that extra push to the top. Sure these people are talented but in Hollywood, talent is not enough. Whether it’s a family connection, someone that owes someone else a favor, or a significant other talking up their partner, everyone always has an angle.”

“So what is that supposed to mean to me?” Sungyeol asked tiredly.

“It means that I wish you would just let me even the playing field for you. All it takes is one role, just one to get people talking about you. From there, you could handle the rest. I know you’re one of the most talente