A/N: This is a sequel to the previous one-shot, Taken. I didn't really think of a specific age for Sungyeol in this AU, but he's around the same age as a senior university student, so 23-24. Just leaving this here in case people mistakenly thought he's underage or something.

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Sunggyu had almost managed to doze off again, lulled by the background buzz of the TV and the warm weight of Jureumi perched on his foot (the little devil seemed to have decided he made a good enough pillow in Sungyeol's absence) when he heard it—the familiar jangle of keys, the lock turning; creaking, shuffling, and then the dull sound of the door closing again. All the ruckus roused him, and for a moment he felt annoyed at whomever had disturbed his peace. But then Jureumi, ever so lethargic, perked up and jumped off Sunggyu's foot and pattered towards the entrance, all in the course of a few seconds, the way she only did for him.

Which made two of them, because Sunggyu didn't think he would ever force himself to get up and leave the comfort of a warm couch for anyone else, either.

"Jureummmi, baby~" he heard Sungyeol coo before he even saw him. "Daddy's home~"

Anyone else would have made Sunggyu grimace and roll his eyes in disgust, but all he felt now was a prickling jealousy. It wouldn't be the first time he wished he could be a cat, so that Sungyeol would look at him with the same adoration he reserved to that wrinkly monster.

At the moment, Sungyeol was busy peppering the ugly thing's head with kisses, which Jureumi stoically put up with, the ungrateful little bastard. "Where's my kiss?" Sunggyu asked as a way of greeting.

Sungyeol kept kissing the monster, ignoring him. "Should be grateful I'm not punching you in the face," he muttered in between pecks. He stepped into his slippers and walked right past Sunggyu, cat still in his arms, without even sparing him a glance.

Sunggyu groaned internally. There it was.

"So what, are you angry at me now?" he asked as he followed Sungyeol into the kitchen.

"Do you even need to ask?" Sungyeol deposited Jureumi on the counter and started pouring himself a drink of something.

"Oh, come on," Sunggyu rolled his eyes. He knew he was going to get it once Sungyeol came back home, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad. "All this for a little kiss?"

He saw Sungyeol stiffen, hand grasping the glass tightly, and he immediately knew he had said the wrong thing. Once again. "A little kiss?" Sungyeol turned around, eyes wide with anger as he looked at Sunggyu. "A little kiss?"

"Yeah?" Sunggyu looked right back at him, arms crossed. He could already feel the beginning of a headache as he braced himself for the the shouts and recriminations that he knew were about to come. For a moment, he felt a wave of nostalgia—for a time when his flat had been his only, when a burned bulb or a clogged drain had been the biggest problems that could befall him. That Sunggyu could deal with; Sungyeol's moods, though, were a different story. "If you have something to say, just say it."

Predictably enough, that's all it took for Sungyeol to start yelling.

"Do you have any idea how you made me feel? You embarrassed me in front of the whole café! What the hell were you thinking?"

"Well, what did you expect me to do? That kid was all over you–"

"What are you talking about? He's just a customer, he wasn't doing anything! And even if he was, it still wouldn't justify what you did!"

"Geez, it's not like we started making out in front of them or som–oh wait, that's exactly what we did–"

"It was utterly, absolutely unprofessional! Hell, I shouldn't be telling you this–you're the boss here–"

"Yeah, yeah. You weren't complaining while I was kissing you, though."

Sungyeol stared at him. "… God, you're such an ."

"What?"

Sungyeol ignored him. He made to walk away, past Sunggyu, but the elder grabbed his arm. "Listen kid, I know I let a lot of things go because you're cute and all, but if you think you can get away with this kind of disrespectful–"

"If you want my respect, earn it!"

"Sungyeol! I'm your boss, and your elder–"

"Then act like it!" Sungyeol snapped. "I'm not going to respect you just because of that, and you know it. You knew it when we started dating. If you want a lapdog–someone who will worship the ground you walk on just because you're older, then–then maybe you should look for someone else."

He jerked his arm free from Sunggyu's grasp and stalked to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. For a moment Sunggyu just stood staring after him, not quite believing that he had just been spoken to in such a manner–and by someone younger and in a lower position than him–but then Sungyeol's words finally hit him.

The ing little–

Indignation kicked in, scorching, propelling Sunggyu forward, making him jerk the bathroom door open and–

Sunggyu stared.

Sungyeol had his back to him–his , smooth back, slightly bent as he slipped out of his shirt. He let it fall to the floor before moving on to his trousers, unbuckling the belt and ping them–

Sungyeol was discarding his boxers when Sunggyu finally found it in himself to speak.

"What are you doing?"

Sungyeol didn't even turn around to look at him. "Taking my clothes off. To take a shower."

He was completely now, inch after inch of bare skin beckoning to Sunggyu as he moved around the room.

Sunggyu gulped.

"…You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?"

Sungyeol finally turned around to face him, although it was only to give his most indignant look. "What?"

Sunggyu blinked, finding it hard to speak now that Sungyeol's body was facing him full-front, but Sungyeol was already turning away.

"Look–I've had a long day. I'm tired. And now I'm going to take a long, relaxing shower. That's all."

And with that he disappeared inside the shower, the glass panels sliding shut behind him. It was smeared glass, blurring out the details of Sungyeol's body, but not so much that Sunggyu's couldn't see its outline–the graceful curve of his back and the long, slender legs.

Sunggyu swallowed again, throat suddenly dry.

They were both silent for a while, running water the only sound filling the room. Sunggyu leaned back against the wall, eyes never leaving the dim shape of Sungyeol's body, and sighed.

"So… Uh… How was your day?"

Even through all the noise of the running shower, Sungyeol's snort was clear enough.

"What?"

"Do you actually care?"

Sunggyu threw his hands up in frustration. "Seriously, you–you complain about me being an , but when I actually try to be nice–"

"You're right," Sungyeol said, unexpectedly. "Sorry." Water filled the silence for a moment. "Today was… OK, I guess. Pretty uneventful, except for your lovely appearance. Ah, yeah–the guy came around again–"

Sunggyu's ears perked up. "Guy? What guy?"

"Calm your horses. It's just that guy–the one I told you about before. Jiae's 'friend'."

Sunggyu could hear the quotation marks. "Didn't he come yesterday, too?"

"Yeah. And the day before that, and the one before–"

"The hell? Does he live there, or something?"

"I know. He says he has something to settle with Jiae. I've been holding him off with coffee so far, but–don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if they started fighting each other in the middle of the shop." A sigh. "Seriously, did you have to hire an ex-thug as the café manager of all people? And the ex part is debatable, by the way."

"I owed her." And then, before Sunggyu could stop himself, "And I need someone to keep an eye on you."

.

He expected Sungyeol to get all mad again, but the younger just snorted. "Right. Wouldn't want Myungsoo to steal me away, huh?"

"Myungsoo's fine," Sunggyu admitted reluctantly. "Not everyone's like him, though."

"Hyung–" Sungyeol sighed. "You know, this relationship would work a lot better if you actually treated me like a person."

"What? I don't treat you like a person now? Is this your complaint of the day?"

"You don't," Sungyeol said. "You treat me like I'm your property. Hyung, I'm my own person. I don't need protection. And no one's going to steal me away from you or anything. Unless I want to be stolen. Which I don't. Got it?"

Sunggyu was silent for a while, fingers worrying the hem of his shirt. "… I just worry, that's all." A pause. "You know, that Myungsoo guy–"

"Again? What did the poor kid ever do to–"

"He's really nice."

"… He is, bless him."

"And… he's young. Around your age, right?"

"Hyung, what are you–"

"His face's good, too."

"His face? Hyung, I didn't even look at his face. Not that way." A sigh. "Seriously, you… why are you even worrying about stuff like that? Isn't it obvious?"

"Isn't what obvious?"

"I mean–isn't it obvious that I only like you?"

Sunggyu blinked. Water again, mixing with the sound of his own heart, thumping weirdly in his ears.

"What?"

"Uh?"

"What did you say? I don't think I heard you well. Can you repeat it?"

Sungyeol didn't reply. "Idiot," Sunggyu thought he heard him murmur, but it didn't sound too angry. Good.

"So…" Sunggyu eyed Sungyeol's shadow through the glass, the familiar mixture of longing and frustration in his chest. "How long are you going to stay in there exactly?"

"Didn't say you had to wait for me," Sungyeol replied. But then the sound of running water suddenly stopped. "Anyway–I'm done now."

Sunggyu straightened up. He stared at the sliding doors, anticipating the moment they were going to open and reveal the one thing he'd been waiting for all along. But to his disappointment, they only parted a tiny bit, just enough to let Sungyeol's long arm through, the fingers reaching out to him.

"Can you pass me the bathrobe, hyung?"

Sunggyu frowned.

"What?"

"The bathrobe. Can you pass it?"

Sunggyu looked at the outstretched hand. Then he looked at the bathrobe, hanging limply on its hook. He smirked.

"Which one?"

"Uh?"

"There's two. I don't know which one you want."

"Either is fine. Just give it."

"The white one, or the pink one?"

"I said it doesn't matter! Can't you just do me a favor and pass me the damn bathrobe?"

Sunggyu was silent for a moment, considering. "... Sure." He grabbed the bathrobe and walked up to the shower. "Here you are." But just as Sungyeol was about to take the bathrobe from him, Sunggyu slid the doors open with a sudden, abrupt movement.

And–finally–there Sungyeol was, and dripping wet in front of him. Sunggyu took him in–his face, eyes widened slightly and wet hair plastered to his scalp, rivulets edging slowly down his cheeks, nose, lips. Sunggyu followed their journey down Sungyeol's body, taking his time admiring the delicate line of his neck, the smooth chest and stomach, the cute round belly button where the drops pooled, and lower–

"Haven't you looked enough?"

Sunggyu looked up. Sungyeol was looking right back at him, gaze firm despite the fact that he was standing stark in front of Sunggyu, completely vulnerable. Or at least in theory. There was nothing vulnerable about Sungyeol, really.

Doesn't need protection, indeed.

"Lift your arms." Sunggyu helped Sungyeol into the bathrobe, reaching out to tie it at the waist, then turned around and grabbed a towel, covering Sungyeol's head with it.

"What–"

"Let's dry your hair up."

"I can do it myself–ugh–ah–hyung–"

Sunggyu ignored his protests, holding Sungyeol's head still as he rubbed it vigorously. OK, maybe a bit too hard, more than was necessary. "Here," he said when he thought he'd rubbed long enough, draping the towel around Sungyeol's neck. "All done."

"Well, thank you very much," Sungyeol scoffed. "You just rubbed my scalp raw."

Sunggyu looked at him, smiling. Face flushed, damp hair sticking this way and that. He looked so… young like that. For all of Sunggyu's talk of the age difference between them and how Sungyeol should respect him and so on and so forth, the truth was that often times, it didn't feel like Sungyeol was younger than him. It was easy to forget, with how self-assured and mature Sungyeol always acted (way more mature than him, too, Sunggyu knew).

And Sunggyu wasn't sure how, or why, but before he knew it he was leaning in, Sungyeol's lips meeting his halfway. The kiss was slower this time, surprisingly so, lips only just brushing against each other, gently.

Sungyeol was his bottom lip now, trying to deepen the kiss–the same guy who had been complaining about Sunggyu kissing him only minutes ago, Sunggyu thought amusedly–but Sunggyu pulled back. He reached out to touch Sungyeol's face, fingers tracing the line of his jaw, his cheekbones as he gazed at him, ignoring the slightly annoyed look Sungyeol was giving him.

"What?" the younger snapped.

Sunggyu looked up at him. And grinned.

"Where did your eyebrows go?"

The jet of water hit him right in the face.

______________________

Sunggyu snuggled closer, letting out a content sigh.

The low buzz of the TV, the couch, Jureumi. Back to the beginning. Only that Sungyeol was now there, too, slumped next to him, and Juremi was huddled on his thigh, the one Sunggyu wasn't , claiming her share of Sungyeol's cuddles and attention. Sunggyu would have been annoyed by it once, would have tried to push her off or something, but he had learned by now that if you wanted Lee Sungyeol you had to share him with the cat, too; and so he just put up with it, glaring half-heartedly at Jureumi from across Sungyeol's lap. And if his hand strayed a bit sometimes, reaching out to scratch Jureumi behind the ear or rub her belly, well, it was simply an accident–a reflex. Nothing more.

Eyesore of a cat aside, Sunggyu thought he had it pretty good, all things considered. He had Sungyeol by his side, it was warm, comfortable, and most importantly, dry. He really appreciated that, after what had happened.

Sunggyu had eventually managed to snatch the shower head from Sungyeol, earlier (although that was only after Sungyeol had completely drenched him with it) and point it right back at him. Sungyeol had tried to snatch it back, of course, and they had ended up jostling on the floor, a mess of soaking wet clothes and hair and limbs, the abandoned shower head creating pools of water around them; one thing had led to another, and–well. They'd had to take another shower afterwards, one that had lasted a long, long time, hot water enveloping them as they melted into each other, so that Sunggyu wasn't sure where he ended and Sungyeol began. In short, Sunggyu had had enough activity for the day, and now he was more than happy to be back on the couch, arms and legs wrapped around Sungyeol's long body and head resting on his shoulder as they watched TV.

Sunggyu looked down at Sungyeol's hand, intertwined with his as it rested on his thigh. He brought it to his lips and kissed its back awkwardly. It was still weird for him, to show affection like that, but he would do it a thousand times if it meant he got to hear the cute amused sounds Sungyeol made every time (he didn't even care that it probably meant Sungyeol was laughing at him), or how he reciprocated by squeezing Sunggyu's hand or kissing the top of his head. Sometimes Sunggyu would raise his head and look up at him, and keep looking until Sungyeol got the message and gave him a kiss, a smile lingering on his lips as he pressed them to Sunggyu's.

When he saw Sungyeol smile like that, face lighting up and gums showing, Sunggyu thought that he was really, really lucky.

"What time's your shift tomorrow?"

"Seriously? You haven't learned it yet?"

"Can't you just answer the question?"

"It's 9 am, hyung."

A groan.

"What?"

"… So early."

"Well, I'm not the one who made my schedule–"

"Go later."

"What?"

"Go in the afternoon. Just for tomorrow."

"Trust me, I'd love to, but I'm afraid my boss wouldn't be too happy about that."

"Your boss won't mind."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. He has quite a temper, you know."

Look who's talking, Sunggyu thought. "I'll talk to your boss. Just go later."

"Hyung, I can't. Jiae–"

"She can manage."

"She can't. Morning is the busiest time of the day. You know that."

Sunggyu let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

Sungyeol leaned in to kiss the shell of his ear. "Come by at lunch break," he whispered. "We can have lunch together."

"Just lunch?"

"… You're one big baby hyung, you know that?"

The room was comfortably warm as he and Sungyeol kept bickering, throwing jabs at each other that neither of them really meant (… maybe), the sound of their voices mixing with the reassuring one of the TV and Jureumi's purring. Yeah, Sunggyu thought distantly; a warm, comfortable couch, the TV, Frankenstein's cat, Sungyeol. As good as it gets.