So.... long time no see everyone.

I feel so bad for taking soooo long before updating. T__T I had been very busy with work and I was working on a long one-shot update (plus another update in my other JunDong series) in between so it's taking much longer than I expected.

Luckily, Donghyuk and June's previews for the SBS Suwon Concert sparked some inspiration in me so here goes an impromptu update: A JunDong "scandalous" and y high-society short AU scenario. Please don't expect much since I wrote this without any plot in particular. Just think of this as an appetizer lol. Also, the long oneshot I'm planning to post will be next. whenever that is.

(Chi, this is for you. Thanks for the link hehe)

In other matters, #GoodbyeRoad5thWin! I'm so proud of our precious boys!

Edit 10/15: Revised part of the ending and changed some wordings

The walls have been repainted and the summer antique decorations have been replaced by ones that obviously reflect the autumn season. Golds, muted oranges, pastel browns and cream are the color choices for the curtain drapings. It’s only been roughly a month since that “Thanksgiving” party and no traces of that summer look could be found now.

Junhwe wonders how much his godparents had spent for everything but disposes the question right away because what did he expect? Uncle and Aunty Kim have always been the type to spend lavishly on social parties as much as they donate to the dozens of charities their conglomerate had pledged to.

Beside him, his mother is busy observing the guests, smiling and greeting the people who come to them while keeping her hands around his arm. Junhwe wants to roll his eyes at that. He’s an adult for ’s sake. He’s not going to bolt out from an important party (like he did during his 18th birthday party) just because he dislikes such gatherings. There’s no need for the leash.

Meanwhile, his dad is busy chatting with Uncle Kim at their usual private corner near the grand balcony of the ballroom. It’s not private in an official sense but it’s separated from the whole area by thick velvet curtains, and there’s a junior butler always on standby to refill their wine. It’s always been a pompous image for Junhwe, on how they had to show everyone they’re talking when they could have done that in their offices. All around, the members of the upper class would gossip in between sips of wine worth more than an ordinary man’s monthly earning, as if it’s an entertainment in itself.

“I heard they decided on a spring date next year.”

“Must be the Koos' insistence. The sooner the better for them.”

“Actually, I heard it’s our hosts’ decision. The son’s been spotted clubbing with that YG rapper and you wouldn’t want trouble when the engagement’s just been announced--

“Useless chatter.” His mother suddenly comments softly so only he would hear. “Don’t mind them, Junhwe.”

Junhwe shrugs, looking down when he felt his mother’s grip tightening slightly on his arm. “I don’t mind. Last time was worse with me apparently making out with Jinhwan-hyung when it was Chanwoo.”

His mother suddenly looks up to him with wide eyes. “It was Chanwoo? Your cousin Chanwoo? With Kim Jinhwan--

They’re interrupted when everyone started murmuring collectively among themselves. He and his mother look on as the mistress of the mansion arrives in a grand entrance through the ballroom’s crystalline doors, accompanied by the Kim family’s only son who just got back from London.

“They’re finally here.” his mother heaves a sigh of relief. She gently tugs him towards their direction. “Let’s greet them now. It’s been 2 months since Donghyuk last saw you and you need to familiarize yourself to him as soon as possible.”

Junhwe wants to laugh. Familiarize? Maybe his mother meant “to seduce”. There’s no logical explanation for the excessive preparation his mother poured into choosing his hairstyle and the kind of clothes he’d be wearing for the party. And it was all done by force.

But just to get it over with, Junhwe leads his mother through the guests. He’ll have to face Donghyuk sooner or later anyway and it’s better to be done with the formal greetings first before anything else.

Donghyuk immediately spots him and his mother, offering a smile to them. It’s one of his trained ones meant to be polite and neutrally friendly, and it’s always been ugly to Junhwe. Their mothers greet each other as if they’re best friends who didn’t see each other for a year or so, while he and Donghyuk wait patiently without moving a step.

He can literally feel the anticipation from their wealthy onlookers, probably wanting them to make a scene. Too bad for them, that’s the kind of entertainment he won’t let them see.

---

“Hi.”

Junhwe looks up from his phone. He closes it right away and puts it back in the inner pocket of his black coat, straightening his stance from leaning on the bookshelf near the desk.

“Did you bring food?”

“Wow, June-ya.” Donghyuk smirks mockingly at him as he closes the door of his study and locks it. “We haven’t seen each other for 2 whole months and that’s the first thing you say to me?”

Junhwe gives him a blank look, consequently earning him an eye-roll. Donghyuk approaches him with confident steps, one hand on the pocket of his black tight-fitting pants. As soon as he’s in a reachable distance, he pulls his hand out and tosses something to Junhwe.

“There. I sneaked around just for that so you better be grateful.” Donghyuk stops at the side of the desk to sit on top of it, his legs dangling a couple of inches above the carpeted floor. Junhwe looks at the item tossed to him. It’s a freaking convenience store hotbar - his favorite snack of all time.

He laughs out loud.

“Where did you get this? Is this London's version of a hotbar?” Wiping small tears from laughing too much, he makes his way to the smaller male.

“No, it's from the maids’ stash from the dirty kitchen.”

“So I don’t get a souvenir from London after all?”

“No, you won’t get a souvenir from London.”

Donghyuk sighs and gives him a once-over. “Anyway, you seem stressed while I was gone. The last time I saw you, your chest isn’t that bulky.”

Junhwe looks down at himself and frowns. “How does a better physique equate to me being stressed?”

“You exercise more intensely when you’re stressed.”

“I’m not stressed. I just did a better workout routine.” Junhwe huffs and regards Donghyuk with a slight jerk of his head as he pushes the snack down his own pocket. “But since we’re on the subject, you lost some weight again. That v-neck and that choker emphasizes it.”

“...”

“Donghyuk-ah.”

“I didn’t do a hardcore diet, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just ran laps around my place in London so I’ll naturally lose weight...”

Donghyuk doesn’t sound convincing with the trail-off in his voice. He looks down and starts playing with the two rings on fingers, one of which is the onyx ancestral engagement ring Junhwe gave during the summer party.

Junhwe sighs too and crosses his arms. “Look. If you’re worried about me being angry with you for clubbing with Bobby, I’m not.”

Donghyuk stopped playing with his rings for a moment before continuing. “He had a concert there and he asked to accompany him--

“To Hanbin’s new club, where he debuted his new trap music and where Bobby officially asked him out.”

Donghyuk looks up to him in a flash, eyes wide. Junhwe gives a lenient smile.

“Hanbin actually called me after that event. He said Bobby dragged you there and some desperate paparazzi took photos.”

“...So you knew all along?”

“Yes? I thought it shouldn’t be a big deal.”

Donghyuk sighs exasperatedly, grabs a pen from the steel case beside him, then throws it straight at his chest. Junhwe just watches the pen bounce and fall to the floor.

“You could have told me you already knew!” he threw another pen. “I wasn’t able to properly sleep for a whole ing week, even lost appetite, because I didn’t hear a word from you and I--”

“Okay, okay.” Junhwe picks both of the pens then walks up to his fiance, stopping just near enough so he could cup Donghyuk’s face in his hands. “I didn't expect you to be stressed about it. I’m sorry.”

“Of course I was stressed.” Donghyuk ducks his head away. “Why would you think I wouldn’t?”

“That was a wrong judgment on my part. Honestly, I was stressed too.”

Donghyuk snorts and shakes his head, still not looking at him. “So the better workout routine--”

“Was a lie. You knew me too well.”

Donghyuk exhales, staring at nothing in particular before finally meeting his eyes again. The silence extends for a few more moments before he reaches up to brush some stray strands of Junhwe’s styled hair off his eyes.

“The stress workout did you good though.” his hand falls down to the collars of Junhwe’s coat, his fingers caressing the material. “That suit too. It looks great on you.”

Junhwe’s tempted to reveal that it’s his mother’s pick for seducing him, but he immediately forgets it. Donghyuk’s exposed collarbones are distracting him too much.

“You too. You look too good with that outfit.” He cups Donghyuk’s cheek. “Welcome back, Donghyuk-ah. I missed you.”

Donghyuk doesn’t answer verbally, opting to let him know by giving him that smile he only gives when he’s truly happy. Junhwe can’t help but smile too.

“Now that’s more like it.” he takes the long end of Donghyuk’s ribbon choker, lifting it to his lips while letting his gaze turn heated. “Anything more we should catch up on?”

Donghyuk scoffs softly at his hint. “Yeah. Come here.”

Junhwe smirks as Donghyuk clasps a hand on his shoulder, pulling him down straight to his lips. The hand snakes up to his nape, caressing his scalp with his fingers and effectively making Junhwe moan into the caverns of Donghyuk’s mouth. God, he loves it when Donghyuk does that.

He pushes himself in between Donghyuk’s legs, grinding on him. Donghyuk lifts his other hand to his jaw while Junhwe holds both of Donghyuk’s thighs, massaging them affectionately as he savors the taste of his fiance’s lips that he’s been deprived from for a couple of months.

“, how on earth did I survive two whole months without you?” he says after they pulled apart for air. “I wish spring can come sooner.”

Donghyuk gives him an honest quizzical look.

“Why spring?”

“Our wedding. It’s in spring.”

“Says who?” Donghyuk chuckles at him then pecks his lips. “I guess the gossip grapevine hasn’t been updated. It’s going to be this Christmas. Our parents are actually announcing it tonight.”

“Oh.” Junhwe nods as he lets the information sink in. He pretends not to see how Donghyuk’s hands are suddenly busy working on the buckles of his Armani belt. “Then shouldn’t we go back now?”

“Let the ones who arranged our coming marriage make the formal announcements in our stead. They live for those moments anyway. "

"True."

"More importantly,” Donghyuk pulls the rest of his belt from his pants and drops it on the floor in quite a dramatic fashion. “Don’t leave me hanging, husband-to-be.”

“Of course not.” Junhwe blurts out, sounding a bit offended.

He completely pushes Donghyuk on the desk, smiling when Donghyuk giggles softly at each butterfly kiss he presses on his face and neck. He nibbles on the black velvet ribbon when his lips reached it, pulling it out with his teeth and throwing it behind him. He starts taking out his coat.

“So, how long do we have before they send a search party?”

Donghyuk grins and wraps his legs around Junhwe’s waist. “As long as you want.”

---

They did come back to the ballroom, sooner than they would have liked. After all, the announcement still involves the two of them primarily, and they should be there showing silent agreement as the date of their wedding is made known to the world.

But not without making a clear, non-verbal statement regarding recent gossips.

Hair purposely left disheveled, designer clothes ruffled, and red marks conspicuously left on each other. There’s also the missing belt from Junhwe’s pants and the haphazardly tied ribbon choker around Donghyuk’s neck.

Their fathers look exasperated. Donghyuk’s mom looked amused more than anything else, while Junhwe’s mom slips him an approving look. She definitely thinks her tactics had been effective.

Not that their family needed any tactics to truly secure the marriage, to begin with. He had been in love with Donghyuk ever since he comforted him after running away from that fateful 18th birthday party of his, and Donghyuk loves Junhwe back just as much as he does. He doesn’t even know why their parents went ahead with the assumption that the arranged marriage will just be business between him and Donghyuk.

But that’s their problem. Junhwe lets Donghyuk pull him to the middle of the ballroom to happily waltz him around. He would rather they do this in private but Donghyuk's smiling and laughing so freely at their antics, it would be a sin to spoil the moment. Meanwhile, the elite’s hungry eyes lay feast on them like they always do, and Junhwe can already predict how the rumor mill’s headlines will go in the next days. It'll be something about propriety, he's sure.

He and Donghyuk will look forward to it.

.

.

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