It’s been a long time guys! (and I’m really sorry about that. I’ve been writers blocked and kind of still am.)

Since it’s been so long I’m sure you’ve forgotten what has happened. So…

Previously on THE BOSS: Chanyeol returns from Hong Kong only to find that he feels awkward around his girlfriend after kissing and being kissed by Baekhyun. While he tells Sehun of his adventures, Baekhyun and Crew take the two boys to some of their clubs to investigate a mole. They rule out two women and then flip over the last two suspects. Sehun ends up with the man and Chanyeol the woman. However, what he doesn’t expect is for Baekhyun to find him in the arms of said woman, or for his boss to replace the woman and kiss him instead.

Now onto the continuation…

The bar had been bumping to wordless electronic tunes for what felt like endless hours, but by now Kyungsoo had learned to tell how far he was into his shift easily without a watch. He’d been hit on approximately four times already by belligerently drunk middle-aged men and a singular lonely housewife so by his estimate his work shift was almost complete. His phone showed that his estimate was correct, but it gave him no relief.

He’d messaged Chanyeol hours ago but had received no response. Of course, there was always the off-chance that the tall lug would ignore a message from a blocked number, but surely he wasn’t stupid enough not to realize it was from Kyungsoo, right? Either way he clicked the side button so his screen turned dark again and then put his phone into his back pocket with a sigh.

“You’ve sighed every time you’ve looked at your phone tonight. Why the long face, Seunghoon?” questioned a low voice from his right.

Kyungsoo looked with a deadpan expression to the tan boy leaning his chin onto the counter. “Jongin,” he greeted with a curt nod. “Does this mean you’ve been watching me all night?”

The question went ignored with a non-committal shrug. “Girl troubles?”

“No,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Then boy troubles. I knew you weren’t completely straight as an arrow.”

His eyebrow twitched in annoyance at Jongin’s cheeky smirk. “How’s your lip doing?” he fired back sarcastically. “Last time I saw you it seemed like you might have gotten on someone’s bad side.”

Jongin sighed dramatically and shifted till his chin was leaning on his hand. He batted his eyelashes innocently. “My lip has made a full recovery, but it really took one for the team.” He shrugged. “I guess sometimes you really have to show someone what you want to make them understand.”

“With that kind of logic you’re going the right way for a pair of bruised balls and a black eye.”

“If it’s you doing the bruising then I don’t mind.”

Kyungsoo stared at the boy dumbfounded until another patron called for an order, then he was snapped out of his thoughts. His mind returned to Park Chanyeol, his asset, and why he hadn’t seen him recently.

He was well aware that the boy had gone with his superiors to Hong Kong, but he didn’t know yet to what end he had become involved in their business. He had some serious information to gather and that’s what he had intended to do tonight. Yet Chanyeol still hadn’t replied to him.

“Hey, Hyuna,” he tapped his female coworker on the shoulder – a sleazy looking girl with heavy makeup and short blonde hair. “Have you seen Chanyeol around lately? He’s a tall guy with dark hair, big ears. He works with the bouncers.”

“Yeah, I know him,” she replied with a pop of her gum. “But I haven’t seen him since last week. I heard he’s on vacation, but I thought you two were friends. So, what’s the deal? You hooking up?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes narrowed. “No. Never mind then. It’s nothing.” Why did people always assume?

“Hey, bartender!” a familiar voice rang out across the counter. “Can I get some Tequila?”

He turned with a roll of his eyes to see Jongin, hand outstretched expectantly. So instead he pulled out a can of coke from the fridge and stuck a straw through the tab.

“Here,” he said, and placed the can down in front of the kid with more force than necessary.

“I asked for alcohol,” Jongin said with a skeptical raise of his brow.

“And you got a coke. It’s perfect for a kid like you.”

“I’m a-“

“A kid. And kids don’t get alcohol.”

“By law I’m an adult.”

“Yeah, and by law I can rent a Port-o-Potty but you don’t see me doing unnecessary things do you?”

Jongin narrowed his eyes and stared the other down, but much to his surprise Kyungsoo returned his glare in full. He felt it again, that spark of electricity when his eyes met the other’s, and he had to suppress a shiver that went down his spine. Reluctantly, he took the straw between his lips and gave into the soda. Only then did Kyungsoo release the hold of his stare and return to his other customers.

Even though his back was turned he could still feel Jongin watching his every move, especially when the younger’s coke ran out and he could very distinctly hear slurping indicating that the can was empty. He ran a hand over his face with a sigh when he checked his phone again. It was 1AM and his shift was over.

As he passed under the bar and turned toward the back rooms, he saw Jongin hop off his barstool from the corner of his eye and trip over his feet to follow him. He released another sigh. If the kid was going to insist then the least he could do was be useful.

When he reached the hallway that lead to the employees’ rooms he abruptly turned around and Jongin halted in his tracks, almost running into him.

Kyungsoo placed his hands on his hips. “Jongin, have you seen Park Chanyeol around anywhere? You know him right? Tall, dark hair, big-“

“I know him,” Jongin interrupted with an uncharacteristic scowl. “And I haven’t seen him.”

“Oh,” replied Kyungsoo with a bit of surprise. “Well, then never mind.” He made to turn on his heel and continue but Jongin caught him by the wrist and pulled him back around.

“What do you need him for? Is he the reason you’ve been looking at your phone all night?”

Kyungsoo pressed his lips into a tight line. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Are you dating?” Jongin asked lowly, grip on Kyungsoo’s wrist slowly tightening.

The smaller slowly pried Jongin’s fingers from his arm and took a step back. “I’ll say it once more. What I do or do not do with Chanyeol isn’t any of your business.”

“It is my business,” he insisted with a glare.

Kyungsoo scoffed at the boy’s brashness aloud. “Why? You’re just a kid. You and I don’t know each other. We aren’t friends. And you certainly aren’t friends with Chanyeol.”

“It is my business when a cop tries to get in with one of my coworkers for information!” he shouted.

The silence between them was heated and his fists trembled at his sides, until Jongin realized what he’d just said. Then he slapped a hand over his mouth and his entire demeanor changed. He was very much a scared young boy in those seconds but Kyungsoo could hardly notice.

He was slowly backing away already, his eyes as wide as they went in utter shock. Jongin reached towards him, but with no mind to his action.

“Stay-“ Kyungsoo stuttered, and threw a hand out in front of him. “S-stay back, Jongin.”

The younger froze, and when he did Kyungsoo his heel and made a mad rush down the hall.

Over the pounding of his own footsteps he heard more fall behind him, growing louder with each passing second. He bolted around the crowded dancers in the back rooms and made a break for the emergency exit door in the back. He paid no attention to how wild he looked as he darted around bewildered men. His only thought was to escape.

However, as soon as he reached the final hallway – the exit door within sight – those clashing footsteps caught up with him and a hand was thrown over his mouth. Without even the opportunity to struggle or scream he was pulled into a maintenance closet and pressed into the wall of the tight space.

With only the light that breached the gap in the door to illuminate them, he could hardly tell that it was Kim Jongin who’d certainly captured him. But the body pressed to his was vaguely familiar from their most recent incident, and the voice that shushed him he recognized instantly.

Even so, his fists pounded against the other’s broad chest and he cried out against the hand that covered his mouth.

“Shh,” Jongin cooed insistently, panic coloring his tone. “Seunghoon, it’s okay. It’s okay. Please don’t scream.”

Slowly, he removed his hand from Kyungsoo’s mouth, and the elder waited only a second before questioning him in a hushed voice. “What are you going to do with me now Jongin?” He struggled against the taller’s iron grip on his arms.

“Do with you?” asked the other dumbly.

In the darkness Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow, but while he was at the other’s mercy he dare not voice it. “You know what I am and why I’m here, so I suppose your Boss told you to kill me.”

“What? No! Jongdae and Bae- I mean, Mr. Byun doesn’t know anything.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m serious! I found out on my own Seunghoon. You have to believe me. No one knows anything.” Jongin prayed silently in his head that the elder man would believe the lies he was telling. His standing with Baekhyun depended on it, but more importantly, his standing with the man in front of him must be restored. If he were to leave Jongin’s sight, he didn’t know why, but it would hurt – especially if it were because of him. “It’s just me. I won’t tell anyone. You’re safe with me, Seunghoon.”

Kyungsoo bit his lip and stopped trying to escape Jongin’s grasp. It caused the latter to loosen his hold slightly. “What makes you think I’ll believe you or trust you? This could be a trick. Give me one reason I shouldn’t just break your nose, make a run for it, and never return.”

“Because… because despite what I know about you, I think I like you. And why would I want to ruin my chances with you by breaking your trust?”

Kyungsoo was admittedly bewildered. “Chances with me? What do you mean?”

“I mean that somehow, even though you are what you are, you caught my eye. I was watching you to make sure you didn’t interfere in the business, but in the middle of that I found myself watching you in a different sort of way.” Even in the dark Kyungsoo could tell that Jongin was rubbing the back of his neck shyly. He could hear the nervousness in his voice. “I don’t really know what this is, but every time you talk about that guy, or do something with him-“

“Do you mean Chanyeol? Why suddenly-”

“Yeah, him. Every time you do something with him I just want to… I want to wring his neck, honestly.”

So Jongin was… jealous of Chanyeol? He could have laughed aloud of the thought, but what jealousy implied his feelings were made Kyungsoo’s gut churn with horrible anxiety. He backed further away from Jongin until his back hit the wall of the cramped space.

“Jongin,” he started.

“I know what you’re going to say,” he said quickly. “Or maybe I don’t. But the point is, Seunghoon, that I don’t want to hurt you or for you to be hurt, and you can trust in that.”

“I can’t stay,” Kyungsoo finished softly.

Jongin was silent. “Because of me?” he asked.

Kyungsoo nodded in the dark. “It’s not because of your feelings, but protocol states-“

Jongin slammed his hand on the wall beside Kyungsoo’s head, effectively silencing the smaller. “Dammit,” he muttered. “Dammit, I’m sorry.”

Despite himself, Kyungsoo felt himself place a hand on Jongin’s shoulder and comfort the boy. “It’s okay, Jongin. It’s alright.”

It was an odd situation to say the least, for the man with nothing to give to offer condolences to the man who could ruin him. But nevertheless, something about the boy’s shaking shoulders made Kyungsoo want to soothe and comfort him, especially when he knew he couldn’t return the boy’s feelings. He had suspected fraud and he had been weary, but he was surprised at how sincere Jongin had seemed.

“Seunghoon,” he muttered again. “I’m so sorry.”

“Kyungsoo,” he corrected after some thought. “My name is Kyungsoo.”

His hands were shaking when he moved his hand from the wall to Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Kyung..soo?” he asked slowly.

“That’s…right,” the smaller returned. As soon as that warm hand found its way to his face the situation changed completely. The room was hot and smaller than ever, and Jongin’s shaking seemed to cease.

“I don’t want you to leave,” warms lips admitted before pressing softly onto Kyungsoo’s forehead.

The smaller shook his head repeatedly. “Goodb-“

Before he could get the word out he was stopped by those same lips, pressing insistently but tenderly against his own mouth. Kyungsoo was caught in bewilderment at the chaste kiss, but unlike the last time he didn’t fight back. He let Jongin have his moment, and he even pressed back against the boy for a few brief seconds. But as soon as it was over, his hand was on the door handle and he was whispering “Take care,” into the tall boy’s ear, before he quietly slipped out the door and out the back of the club.

---

“Excuse me?” asked Sehun rather flatly as he tapped on the larger man’s shoulder. “I’m looking for Daquan. He’s here tonight right?”

The bouncer merely nodded and pointed a rude thumb to the line of stanchions with red velvet ropes in between, indicating Sehun to wait. The man pulled aside one of the curtains behind the queue and disappeared inside for a moment without a single look in Sehun’s direction.

The tall, lanky man rolled his eyes but stood in the non-existent line anyways. Instead of dreading what he was about to do – which beginning with Baekhyun’s entrance at his own bar had seemed like a nightmare – he focused on the crowd gathered on the dance floor under the fluorescent lights and began to people-watch.

He squinted into the mass of people surging in the strobe lights and his eyes rested on something familiar, but in the haze of the club it was hard to determine what it was. When the techno beat faded into something slower and more sensual the strobe lights stopped and instead the crowd was flooded in a murky green light.

It might have been hazy but Sehun could clearly see the eyes peeking at him from between the crowd, a familiar twinkle glinting in the corners of the irises.

He took a step forward and opened his mouth to call a name but exactly then a large hand patted his shoulder a