A/N: It took a little longer to update, but hardly as long as the last time. 

And this chapter is twice as big as the previous one ;). 

A kiss to the old followers of this story and hugs for the new subbies. Thanks guys. 

I'll do my best!

“Oh for the love of-” Kai groaned and shot up from his seat. “Do Kyungsoo, take your hands out of your pants.”

The most shocking part about this situation, Kyungsoo realized in horror, was not that his swindler friend just used a ual innuendo towards him, but rather the fact that it was completely justified.

Kyungsoo looked up at Kai and then slowly down at himself – more specifically at his hand that was deep down his black dress trousers. He took a long moment to feel awkward and scream inwardly, before willing the blush out of his face and staring back at the younger guy.

“I was tucking in my shirt. It keeps coming out.” He explained in the calmest voice he could muster.

“Tao already fixed it for you. If you hadn’t tried to tie your shoelaces before, it would still look perfect.” The swindler bit back.

“But they were undone. I had to tie them.”  Otherwise, Kyungsoo was sure, he would end up head first on the marble floor of whatever dining hall Kai would sneak him in to seduce Kim Junmyun. “Didn’t you say I have to act like this is a formal dinner? Am I supposed to go tripping on my own feet, when I meet Kim Junmyun?”

Kai’s overbearing secretary, Zitao, had called Kyungsoo that morning, ordering him to meet them at the office in Hongdae with his new suit (his designer and subsequently very expensive new suit) for ‘Simulation’. 

‘Simulation’, as Kyungsoo discovered upon arriving to the office, involved everything from table manners (which knife goes first and how to not end up with soup on his dress shirt) to basic etiquette for super luxurious parties. It was also accompanied with Kai’s guide to flirting for dummies.

This lesson was supposed to improve Kyungsoo’s social skills, yet as he stood there, hand in his pants, Kyungsoo was starting to think it had the opposite effect.

“If you needed to tie your laces, you should go to the bathroom.” The dark-skinned boy said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Who goes to the bathroom to tie their laces?” In turn, Kyungsoo crossed his arms (he’d already taken them off his pants) defensively.

“People who don’t want Kim Junmyun to see their cartooned underwear. Which is exactly what I saw, right before I witnessed you putting your hands down your pants.” The blush that the singer had been holding back all this time flashed on his face at these words.

“Stop saying that I had my hands down my pants.” He muttered indignantly. “I was tucking my shirt in.”

“Do that in the bathroom too! You fix your clothes and your hair in the bathroom. Got it?” Kai seemed impatient and maybe it had something to do with the singer’s complete lack of grace, but Kyungsoo didn’t care. He had been forced to become mute, except for the times he sang stupid pop songs and argued with the swindler, so Kai had better put up with him as well.

“Does that mean that I can’t touch myself at all in public?” Kyungsoo watched the swindler’s face freeze in a remarkably surprised expression.

Then Kai nodded, a lopsided smirk blooming on his mouth.  “That’s the general rule, yes. Touching usually takes place in the bathroom or, even better, the bedroom.”

The singer was torn between dying of shame and punching Kai in the face. “That’s not what I meant. Shut up.”

And Kai made that face again. Eyes narrowed to slits, left eyebrow raised and lips pursed together. Something resembling a glare, but with hints of a challenge in it, like he was daring Kyungsoo to say that again. 

“Did you just tell me to shut up, Do Kyungsoo?” Just as the shorter guy had expected, Kai was acting offended again. Acting, because Kyungsoo was pretty sure by now, that it would take more than a ‘shut up’ to actually anger Kai. Despite that, probably to live up to his swindler title, the younger guy was used to glare and pretend to be furious.

Kyungsoo wasn’t sure when he had started to feel that way, but by the third week of working with Kai, he already found that childish temper of his somewhat cute and not one bit scary.

“And what if I did? You’re telling me to shut up all the time.” Kyungsoo retorted. “Even though I’m a hyung ...”

It looked like Kai was practically swallowing down his temper, as he sat back down on the couch and motioned for the singer to continue with ‘Simulation’.

“Your problem is that you’re too conscious about your appearance.” The younger boy continued. “If Tao says- no… If I say you look good, it means you look good. So stop fretting and hunching your back and trying to evaporate.”

Kyungsoo straightened up, startled, because he had kind of been trying to become invisible for the past hour and Kai had noticed.

“I’m not used to been looked at, like I’m on display.” He pointed out, refusing to feel bad about it. So he didn’t like to be stared at, so what?

“Well, get used to it, cause that’s what you’re getting at the party next week.” Kyungsoo almost dropped a glass of champagne he was holding.

“N-Next week?!” He stuttered.

“Of course. A friend of mine’s who comes from old money is hosting a formal party next Saturday and Kim Junmyun will be there.” Kai announces. “I got you an invitation.”

“I’m not ready.” It was probably the truth, since Kyungsoo had his hand down his pants during today’s dinner ‘Simulation’. And despite being extremely embarrassed about it, he was willing to use that argument against Kai, if need presented itself.

“If you do as I say, you’ll be ready by next week.” Kai looked confident, judging by the devious grin he was demonstrating.

“Will you come to the party with me?” It seemed like the question had taken Kai by surprise and Kyungsoo was also shocked by his own words. Nevertheless, his sweaty palms and thundering heartbeat indicated that he could use all the help he could get at that party.

“There’s no way I can go there on my own.” He added, eyeing Kai pleadingly for the effect.

“Yah, Stupid Kyungsoo, have you ever seen a swindler in a formal party?” Again, the dark-skinned boy looked like he just swallowed whatever he really wanted to say and replaced it with some defensive nonsense.

In his state of panic, Kyungsoo didn’t really appreciate the dishonesty.

“You said your friend is throwing the party, so I bet you’re invited too.” He argued.

“Fine. Let me rephrase that. I don’t want to go to that freaking party. And your sorry insecurities are certainly not going to change my mind.” Something dark flashed in Kai’s eyes and the singer felt his speeding heartbeat slowing down and almost stopping for a second.

“I mean, it’s bad enough that I have to dress you up and explain every simple detail to you, but now you actually expect me to babysit you in the party too? Can’t you even do that much?” Kyungsoo’s stomach twisted painfully -a reaction he wasn’t used to having in front of Kai recently- and he thought he really was an idiot for thinking a swindler could ever be nice to him.

Just because they had started being comfortable with each other and the older guy didn’t’ jump out of his skin every time Kai glared at him, it didn’t mean this was something more than a business transaction (and a shady one at that). It didn’t mean that Kai was not a heartless swindler who had taken away his voice. And it definitely didn’t mean they were friends who helped one another.

“Right. You’re not coming. Got it. Sorry for asking.” Kyungsoo took a step back, even though he was already far away from Kai. Somehow, adding some distance felt appropriate. No, more than that, he thought that keeping a distance was what he was supposed to do in this situation; what Kai had just asked him to do with those words.

Kyungsoo took the glass of champagne and tried to drink in a refined way. But, either because he was a tiny bit upset, or simply because if his natural clumsiness, he ended up with champagne running down his face.

“I’m probably going to spend the whole night in the bathroom.” He mumbled. “Actually, don’t you think that might be a good idea?” No reply came from Kai at that.

As a result, the next hour passed in silence, except for some chill-inducing sounds of forks running on empty plates and Kyungsoo’s whispered complaints that followed. Kai had handed the singer a book titled ‘Savoir Vivre’ and left him to deal with table manners alone.

Admittedly, learning from a book was better than listening to Kai. Books didn’t argue, or insult Kyungsoo’s skills. Books would never make ual jokes about Kyungsoo. And books would probably agree to go with Kyungsoo to a stupid party, if the books knew how stressed he was about it.

Therefore, Kyungsoo was a huge idiot for preferring Kai’s childish behavior instead of the neat lines of that book. A huge idiot.

“I finished the chapter about table manners. And I’m sure that this is as good as I’ll ever get with the cheese fork. So I’m calling it a day,” Kyungsoo said adding pointedly, “if that’s okay with you.”

He told himself that he wasn’t throwing a tantrum. Admittedly, he could have been nicer about leaving, had Kai actually said a word to him for the past hour. But he hadn’t, so Kyungsoo didn’t think politeness was necessary.

Then, the singer observed that Kai wasn’t even looking at him anymore. He had moved to the couch that was facing away from the desk where Kyungoo was sitting and all he could see was the back of Kai’s head. On top of that, Kai didn’t even turn to look his way when Kyungsoo was talking directly to him.

“Okay, don’t talk to me. See if I care.” The singer stood up pushing the chair back with extra force, because even poor waiters were allowed to get mad every once in a while.

He was all the way to the door, twisting the doorknob in his hand, when he realized that he couldn’t leave so easily. Because he was angry and slightly disappointed and he still had a lot of things to complain about. 

He wanted to say that Kai hadn’t been much help today. That, sure, they were only doing business together, but that didn’t mean Kyungsoo was okay with getting yelled at and ignored. He wanted to remind the boy that he was in fact older than him, so he would not accept being called ‘Stupid Kyungsoo’ and ‘Oblivious Kyungsoo’ anymore.

He turned around and walked towards the couch, prepared to throw a real tantrum this time. Yet the words withered on his lips.

Kai was asleep.

His arms and feet were sprawled all over the leather couch and –something that Kyungsoo hadn’t noticed until then- the boy’s head was tilted to the front,  hanging loosely in that uncomfortable position. Without really looking for a good reason behind his actions, Kyungsoo leapt forward and fixed Kai’s head on the back of the leather couch. He pushed some hair away from the boy’s face and, as he held his breath and covered Kai’s torso with a jacket (which he barely registered being his own), he forgot a little bit of his anger.

Now that he could see him properly, Kyungsoo noticed that Kai looked tired somehow, even though there was no expression on his sleeping face to prove it. Like the lines on his forehead had become deeper and the skin under his eyes darker since the last time Kyungsoo had seen him. Kai was tired and at this one time when he didn’t even try to look wicked, he had the biggest shadow on his face.

Kyungsoo stared displeased.

Why was Kai tired, when he was the one working hard for so long?

He hadn’t even asked Kyungsoo to fulfill his part of the deal that day. Not that the older guy was actually looking forward to singing stupid pop songs; still he had been prepared to do it. Gone as far as asking Chanyeol to lend him his guitar, in case Kai wanted to hear another song. It was a good thing Kyungsoo had left his house in a hurry and hadn’t taken the guitar with him.

“You’re such a jerk. I worked my of f and you were sleeping!” He muttered close to the boy’s face, in hopes that cursing would make him feel better. Which it didn’t.

“I’m never singing Girls Generation for you again. You’re not worth it.” Still no improvement in Kyungsoo’s mood.

It was almost like, seeing the shadows on Kai’s face dampened his spirits as well. Kai clenched his fists in his sleep and Kyungsoo felt his chest tightening. Kai sighed and Kyungsoo became dizzy from the hot air. Kai’s complexion got darker and brought out a darkness in Kyungsoo.

There was a song.

Kyungsoo was a singer, so there was always a song. He struggled with the lyrics inside his head, before finally sitting down and letting his voice out confidently.

(A/N: The song is called Lightless by Beast and you can listen to it here.)

This time, perhaps Kyungsoo was singing more about himself than Kai. And that, he thought begrudgingly, was okay, seeing as Kai had fallen asleep during ‘Simulation’.

Kyungsoo needed to let out this frustration and this depressing sensation. Practice with Kai was not meant to be so distressing, or so full of hurtful words and uncomfortable silences. This was supposed to be the easy part and yet it had managed to mess with Kyungsoo’s head somehow.

The few times he had heard this song by Beast, Kyungsoo remembered it to be soft and relaxing. However, as he sang it, his voice came out edgy and the words vibrated down his throat. Unexpectedly, there were feelings flowing out of his mouth that he didn’t even know he had. Every note was trembling and barely hanging onto the previous one and the next one, trying to create something – something that Kyungsoo didn’t know he wished to create.

He watched Kai, while he sang, secretly hoping that the dark-skinned boy would wake up and at the same time feeling happy that he didn’t.

Maybe, if Kai was awake, Kyungsoo would have to confront him. And maybe if Kai was awake, he would tell Kyungsoo that he didn’t want to hear him sing anymore. Because they weren’t even friends and he couldn’t care less about Kyungsoo.

Kai stirred in his sleep and the singer’s voice faltered mid-song. The trembling sound stopped completely and the notes that were clinging onto each other to create something bigger, crumbled down.

The strange feelings that were crawling out of him whenever he sang to Kai, crumpled as well.

Kyungsoo stood up again, this time opening the door and closing it behind him properly as he left the office. He walked out in the chilly night, letting the lights of the clubs shine on him while he headed quickly towards the subway.

Only after he had reached the bar did he realize he had left his jacket with Kai.