XI. IT ALL SEEMS LIKE A FANTASY

A cold November evening rain spilled on the streets of Seoul – biting through clothing and piercing the vulnerable flesh beneath. It was the sort of day where it was best to stay inside, curled up with that special someone, and spend the day lazing about. And while many of the citizens of Seoul were engaged in such languorous activities, a lone figure trotted down the nearly barren sidewalk with his hood pulled down over his face in a meager attempt to protect it from the rain. He winced as his sneaker connected with a puddle; he could feel the wet seeping through his sock. It was just his luck. With a roll of his eyes, the man slipped into the warmth of the bakery: the heat and delectable scents reaching out to wrap around his frozen body. Reaching up, he pulled his hood down and pushed his scarf off his nose.

But the usual sassy greeting did not come.

Instead, Mino was treated to the forlorn sounds of “Yesterday” by The Beatles playing on a seemingly endless repeat. A deep frown etched itself onto the man’s normally smiling lips, and he peered around the shop in hopes of spotting the illusive diva baker.

Taehyun was seated by the window – at Seunghyun’ table – with a green tea latte hanging loosely between his long fingers. His hair hung messily about his face, as though he had run his hands through it countless time, and a frown turned his delicately bowed lips downwards. Judging by the half-eaten macaroons on the plate in front of him, Taehyun was distracted and unsettled; Mino knew of very little that could stop him from eating. “Taehyun.” No response. “NamTae.” Not even a twitch. “Hey gorgeous.”

That got Taehyun to turn towards him, blinking like a cat newly woken from a nap. His droopy brows lifted as he took in the dripping brunette and the small puddle he had created on the linoleum. “Did you just call me gorgeous?”

Mino laughed easily and slid his coat off. “Yeah. You weren’t responding to anything else, so I thought it might work.”

A tiny flash of a smile darted across the baker’s lip before disappearing like a sliver of lightning. “Well, you know how much I adore being worshipped,” he drawled.

The brunette hung his coat on one of the hooks that rested near the door before moving to sit at Taehyun’s table. “So, what has you so distracted?” Reaching over, he picked up the pistachio macaroon and began to nibble on it.

The baker’s thin chest rose and feel in a heavy, dramatic sigh. “I get ridiculously pouty when I get dumped,” he murmured.

Mino’s thick brows attempted to crawl up into his hairline, he lifted them so high. “What? You got dumped?” He really tried to sound like he was concerned, but his voice could not help but warm a little with excitement. A single Taehyun was a Taehyun he could flirt with and even ask out.

Taehyun sighed. “Seunghoon did not think it was working out. So he ended it.” The lithe brunette tipped his head in a quickly dismissive gesture. “I wasn’t even particularly invested in dating him, we were very casual, but it still hurts to have been dumped. It’s like my ego can’t handle the thought of someone not wanting to spend all of their time with me. I get ridiculously moody and end up buying far too many books. And shoes.”

Reaching over, Mino gave Taehyun’s hand a squeeze. “I understand. But, hey, at least you have the opportunity to date new people – people who’d be willing to go shopping with you. And eat your delicious macaroons.”

Taehyun turned his dark gaze on Mino, and the artist suddenly realized he understood how a mouse must feel when cornered by a cat. The delicate, almond eyes curved slightly upwards at the ends as something of a smile turned Taehyun’s lips; he was giving Mino the most thoughtful examination the brunette had ever undergone. It was like he was being weighed and measured – for what he did not know. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the moment was gone. Taehyun gave his fingers a little squeeze before dropping his gaze down to the table. “Thanks, Mino. You really are wonderful.”

Mino rubbed at the back of his head even as a shy smile tugged his lips. “I don’t know about that,” he protested gently. But he could not help the blush that managed to heat his tanned skin at the thought of Taehyun liking something about him. “But, you really should believe in yourself, Taehyun. I am sure there are lots of people who want to be with you.”

The baker hesitated for a moment before leaning his elbows onto the table. “Even someone like you?”

The brunette’s eyes went wide as he gaped at Taehyun. “Well, yes,” he admitted in a rush. “But I also want to give you time to get over Seunghoon before asking you out. I’d hate to move too fast.”

A crooked little smile turned Taehyun’s lips. “For someone who looks so intimidating, you really are just a teddy bear, aren’t you?” His long, slim fingers ran lightly through his hair, disturbing his middle part. “Would you at least be willing to share a dance with me? As I recall, I wasn’t able to give you one because I was attached at the time.”

Mino’s mouth hung slightly open. “Right now?”

“Yes,” Taehyun nodded. “Right now. I don’t think anyone will be coming in this evening. Not with this weather. And it’s nearly closing time anyway.”

Mino thought about that for a long, hard moment. “How about I help you close things up…and then we can have that dance?”

“Deal!” Taehyun grinned at him and rose to his feet. “As a reward for your help, I might have to send you home with some snacks. I sold out of most everything that I needed to, but I have the feeling you’d be willing to help me with what I didn’t.”

Wrinkling his nose, Mino laughed and trailed after Taehyun. “You know me too well. Depending on what it is, I might even drop some off to Seunghyun. We Chois are naturally sweet-tooths.”

The baker smirked at him over his shoulder. “Good thing you’re not the baker, then. You’d gorge yourself on your own creations.”

An acute sadness flickered across Mino’s features. “I’ve been down that kind of road before. It’s not one even being a baker-“ or a baker’s boyfriend, “could get me down again. I have self-control when I need it.”

A frown settled on Taehyun’s lips. “What do you mean?” What he had meant as a joke had apparently missed its mark by miles, judging by the way Mino had begun to fidget.

“Seunghyun and I were both really chubby growing up. It wasn’t until our parents died and food became harder to come by that either of us slimmed down,” he admitted. “And…I don’t want to be that guy again. I don't want to be the fat kid, Hugeboy Mino.”

“Skies, I’m sorry.” Taehyun ducked his head in shame. “I just meant to be funny. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

Walking over to the baker, Mino clapped a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I know you didn’t, NamTae. There’s no way you could’ve known.” He gave him a little shake. “Come on. Let’s clean up so I can get that dance you owe me.”

Seunghyun felt like he was spiraling out of control. He felt as though he were running backwards – rushing towards the very that made him miserable. And, worst of all, he invited the poison back into his life. It was as though he had signed over all of his self-control to the smirking blond whose face haunted him at every turn. Seunghyun could barely think without some hint of Zico taking over his thoughts and overwhelming him with the need to see the man again. Each day, each hour, made it harder to resist the pull to find his way back to the bar – back to Zico. Hanging his head, Seunghyun choked on the stale sensation of air entering his lungs. He could barely breathe the need to be near Zico was so strong. Even the comfort of Daesung’s cologne sprayed on the pillowcase was only enough to dispel thoughts of the other man for a few minutes. It scared Seunghyun just how quickly Zico overwhelmed him. Owned him. Controlled him. He barely felt like himself anymore.

A frown curled Youngbae’s lips as he watched Seunghyun begin to drown in the tempest of his emotions. The man had managed to drop a good bit of weight in the scant weeks since Zico had been chased out of his apartment; he looked like a man hunted, even as he drug himself through the business of each day. Youngbae could see so much of himself in the way Seunghyun trembled at the thought of temptation, except that they were haunted by different vices. While the demon had been driven by wrath, Seunghyun was the victim of an obsessive lust. In a way, it was astounding just how good Seungri was at finding a person’s weakness and turning it against them. He wondered if his own transformation from Youngbae to Taeyang had been so unsettling for those watching from the outside. Some corner of his heart reminded him of Daesung’s words: that Youngbae had been the one to give up on himself. If that were the case – not that it were – then the brunette seemed to be going through something similar. It was as though, slowly, he were giving up the will to fight the relentless tug of Seungri’s influence. Youngbae was fascinated. 

Was this what it took to be a demon lord? A ruthless disregard for the worth of a human soul and a willingness to destroy anyone in order to save yourself a little pain. The cynical voice in the back of Youngbae’s thoughts noted that Jiyong would have made a truly spectacular demon; he was an ace when it came to tearing people apart for his own gain. But Youngbae could feel the first fingers of doubt working their way into the crystalline core of his heart. Was destroying Seunghyun honestly worth it? Those thoughts were quickly pushed aside at the remembered sensation of barbed wire and blazing fire against his skin, but it was becoming harder to ignore that distinct tug inside of his ribcage. His conscience. 

Hands trembling, Taeyang placed them on Seunghyun’s shoulder. “Go to the bar,” he murmured. “Go find Zico. You won’t be able to rest until you’ve seen him.”

Seunghyun groaned beneath his fingertips and buried his face in his hands. There it was again: thoughts of Zico. He wanted to sluff off the chains of his addiction, even if it meant death, but the pull was too strong for the man to resist. His legs quaked beneath the fullness of his weight as he fell out of his chair, and he barely remembered to grab his affects before stumbling into the night. Seunghyun hated himself.

As Taehyun and Mino continued their work, the lights in the bakery began to flicker. Taehyun frowned. “What on –“ The power went out, plunging them into shadowed darkness. Pulling out his phone, Taehyun went to check the breaker and frowned to find nothing amiss. “The grid must be down,” he called. “There is a lighter in my coat pocket. Could you light some of the candles in the shop?” When he stayed late to work on creations, he loved having the warmth of candlelight because he claimed it inspired his creativity. Artificial light was just not the same. Thanks to Taehyun’s love of candlelight, he at least had hordes of them scattered throughout the bakery – handy at a time like that.

“Got it,” Mino replied. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and lighter before beginning to go about the bakery, lighting each candle he found. By the time Taehyun walked out, the room was awash in a gentle golden glow; it felt a bit like a movie set. Somehow the blush worked its way back onto Mino's cheeks.

Taehyun paused at the sight of Mino in the candlelight; it made his beautiful bronze skin seem to shimmer in the flickering glow. It was breathtaking. He could not help but admire how singular Mino was: Where Seunghyun had an intense beauty, Mino was a brooding – almost melancholy – handsome. The pair were similar and yet so different in the feelings they inspired, yet Taehyun could not help but be entranced by the younger brother’s charms. Seunghyun was eye candy; Mino was bewitching. “You do good work,” he managed to quip. “I guess I’ll keep you around.”

After the intense way Taehyun had stared him down, Mino could not help but feel self-conscious in his soggy sneakers, mud-hemmed jeans, and slouchy shirt. He wondered how someone as fashionable as Taehyun put up with someone who was the opposite of everything Gucchi and Chanel. Some corner of his mind imagined it was like Paris and Los Angeles attempting to see eye-to-eye, which was a given failure. And yet, Taehyun’s eyes did not reflect disdain. If anything, there was a gentleness in them that Mino was discomfited by. “Thanks,” the brunette breathed at least. “Though…I realized we’ve got a problem.”

One of those endearingly droopy brows arched. “Oh?”

Mino pointed up towards the speakers. “No power means no music.”

Taehyun laughed. “I’ve got that covered.” Going to his phone, he pulled up his music collection and began to scroll through it. While he did that, Mino pulled down the blinds and moved the tables so there was a clear space in the middle of the shop. Suddenly nervous, Mino rubbed the sweaty palms of his hands against his jeans in the hopes they would not be too clammy. Taehyun made a pleased sound in the back of his throat and turned up the volume on his phone. “Found it.” He pushed play and sat the phone on the table closest to their impromptu dance floor.

The easy melody of an unfamiliar song swept through the phone’s speakers before giving way to a rich, honeyed female voice. As the English words poured past Mino’s ears, he took a deep breath and stepped closer to Taehyun. “Can I have this dance?” he asked, flashing the other man a particularly cheesy smile.

“I’d give it to no one else,” Taehyun pretended to huff. And then, his hand slid into the warmth of Mino’s grip. They both let out a slow breath. Mino pulled Taehyun into his arms and began to move to the languid beat of the jazz song. His skin crackled with an awareness of the beauty whose head had come to rest on his shoulder, and a dopey smile snuck onto the man’s lips as he adjusted his arm around Taehyun’s waist. He let his cheek rest lightly on the silken strands of the baker’s hair, allowing Mino an up-close encounter with the distinct combination of sandalwood, green tea, and musk that were all a part of Taehyun’s favorite cologne. The movements of their bodies across the linoleum were simple – just swaying steps – but Mino felt like he was dancing right up to heaven’s doors; holding Taehyun was even better than he had ever imagined. Taehyun, meanwhile, was completely lost in the crisp, heady scent of Mino. After spending his day surrounded by the miasma of sweet smells inherent to a bakery, Taehyun found himself becoming easily lost in the strong, masculine scent of the man whose arms felt so right around him. Seunghoon had been nice to snuggle with, sure, but there was something about Mino that seemed more grounded and solid – as though he were a man you could count on. He smiled a little at the thought. Mino was everything he wished for, right down to the way he’d bounce around like a child at the sight of a new treat. In a word, the artist made life fun. He breathed life into everything around him - coloring the world in beautiful highlights of laughter. Now it was just a matter of convincing Mino that he was not a rebound and that they should go on countless dates, just like Taehyun had imagined the first time their eyes had met all those weeks ago.

The moment Seunghyun set foot in the bar, he could practical sense where Zico was. Yet again, the man was at the epicenter of the dance floor – writhing wildly to the music. Seunghyun’s eyes darkened in hue as he knifed his way through the press of bodies until he stood behind the slightly taller man. He took a breath, overwhelmed by the buzzing heat in his veins. One of his arms slid around Zico’s waist, drawing him flush against his chest, as he moved to match the pace the man set. Tilting his head, the blond looked over his shoulder, and his entire face seemed to light up at the sight of Seunghyun. Without a word, Seunghyun turned Zico around in his arms and crashed their lips together in a nearly brutal meeting of teeth and tongue. I deserve to go to Hell, Seunghyun thought.

gif credit syugaah

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Yay NamSong. Boo ... ZTop? What are we going to call this strange thing? I dunno. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that chapter (as much as you could). We're actually hurtling closer and closer to the end of this fic; I think we'll be done in the next four chapters. As always, thank you so much for reading. I'd love to hear your comments, feedback, predictions, and other musings below: They give me life.