“We have to be on stage in ten minutes,” Ryeowook murmured, hands resting on the chocolate haired man’s broad chest. Lips pressed against his, fingers popping button after button as he pushed the suit jacket and shirt down slim shoulders. “Donghae…really…there’s no…time,” he said softly between kisses, laughing a little when he earned a growl in reply.

Ryeowook smoothed the other male’s bangs across his forehead, brushing his thumb against Donghae’s smooth, supple lips.

“You say that, but we’re always okay in the end,” he argued absently, arms closing around the slender body straddling his lap. Lowering his head, Donghae pressed a kiss to Ryeowook’s chest, nipping lightly at the soft, firm skin.

His breath hitched, fingers curling into the stunningly handsome man’s jacket sleeves. “This is more important than normal,” Ryeowook frowned, pushing away from those wonderful touches. “Besides, we have time later.”

“If you weren’t arguing right now, we would almost be done,” Donghae remarked, eyes glinting with amusement. He leaned forward, pulling Ryeowook towards him. Crushing their mouths together, he swallowed anymore arguments.

Heat bubbled up, enveloping the space around them. Ryeowook tangled his fingers in his lover’s hair, feeling like his body was melting in that strong embrace. It hadn’t been in the plan to fall in love. Well, maybe it had been in someone else’s plans, but Ryeowook didn’t mean to feel anything more than brotherly affection for his partner.

One Year Ago…

“I can’t do it. I can’t, Donghae,” Ryeowook dropped the gun, hands trembling forcefully. The bound and gagged man before him twitched, head jerking once, then twice. “I-It won’t…I can’t…hah…,” his breaths came out rapidly, unevenly.

Donghae dragged the quaking boy out of the room, slamming the heavy metal door shut behind him. The hallway was empty and silent except for their echoes. “Listen to me,” he spoke quietly, calmly. Leaning down, he looked into the horrified eyes of his companion, “Ryeowook, are you paying attention?”

“N-No,” he shook his head, crumpling under Donghae’s gaze. Squeezing his eyes shut, he drew in a ragged breath. “I don’t want to do it…I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Ryeowook lifted his hands up, covering his face as tears dribbled down. “I know he’s a bad person…I know that he did those t-things to c-children and w-women…m-men probably, too…b-but I can’t do it.”

Warm, strong arms wrapped around him and Ryeowook collapsed into the embrace, crying harder at how childish and weak he was being. They weren’t tears of fear – they were tears of shame. He had promised to do what it took to change the world, yet he couldn’t even eradicate that insect of a man.

“I’ve told you before,” Donghae cooed in a tender, low voice, fingers brushing over Ryeowook’s hair, “I’ll protect you from it all, even this.” He tilted the boy’s face up, pressing forward until their lips met.

The touch was cold and unsteady, but burst after burst of heat spread like wild fire across their bodies, drying the tears and sending embers roaring. Donghae hadn’t expected such a sensation – not after knowing what kisses were like. He was no novice in physical affection, so why was a simple kiss lulling him into such a hazy state?

When they broke apart, Ryeowook was staring up at him with wide, uncomprehending eyes. Ever so slowly, he reached up, tracing the line of Donghae’s face. Sparks rolled through fingertips, chasing all the way down his spine and back up again. “Why…?” he mumbled nearly inaudibly, head shaking back and forth carefully.

Donghae pulled back, looking away. “We still have to finish this.” He kept Ryeowook’s hand, lacing their fingers together with ease.

Entering the room once again, they watched the prisoner flinch and reposition his body on the metal chair. The blindfold kept him from seeing what exactly was going on, but from the language of his figure, it was clear he understood the severity of the situation.

Picking up the gun, Donghae led Ryeowook around to the back of the seated convict. “Don’t close your eyes, understand?” he whispered to the smaller male. Idling up behind Ryeowook, he leaned over his shoulder, curling their entwined hands up to his lips. Brushing a kiss across the knuckles, he kept their bodies securely together as the gun rose up and clicked into place. “I’ll protect you from bloodshed,” Donghae said softly, pressing on the trigger, “but you call the shots. We do things together,” he explained, tightening his grip on those slim fingers, “So command me, Ryeowook. That’s all you have to do. Remember your part in this.”

Softly, delicately, his voice rose in the tense silence. His lips spoke against the knuckles of their interlaced fingers and his eyes stayed painfully open to the moment. “Head.”

Donghae’s faint, humorless smile pressed into Ryeowook’s throat as the bullet found its target.

“Five minutes,” a voice called through the door.

Ryeowook was panting more heavily than expected as he pushed away from the smiling, flushed man. “We can finish this later,” he stated, beginning to button Donghae’s shirt back up.

The latter did the same for Ryeowook, sliding the jacket and collared shirt over his porcelain shoulders. “Yes, we will,” Donghae chuckled, kissing him once more on his chest before getting the last button back in place.

“Are you ready to face the audience?” Ryeowook asked, absently running his fingers through the taller man’s hair to try and fix it. He hadn’t meant to muss it up that much. “They might not take us seriously.”

“Then they’ll be sorely sorry when they try to undermine us in the future,” Donghae replied easily, “Sneak attacks are always more fun.” He stood up as Ryeowook slid off his lap. Adjusting his jacket, Donghae began walking to the door.

Ryeowook buttoned his suit, a few steps behind the confident figure. “Fun or effective?” He frowned.

“Everything we do is effective,” he mused, opening the door and holding it for his lover, “whether or not it’s fun.” Donghae smiled, casually touching the small of Ryeowook’s back as they strode down the hall.

“You trust our abilities too much,” he scolded, eyeing the handsome man skeptically.

“I do,” Donghae admitted, “but for good reason. Can you deny that?”

“I can deny that we’re the best tag team.”

“We will be someday then,” he assured, “it’s only a matter of time.”

Ryeowook shook his head, laughing incredulously. “You’re so much like Siwon,” he muttered, “endless amounts of confidence.”

“And you’re like Yesung, you know,” Donghae returned, lips quirking up, “with all of that worrying and intelligent silence. I always wonder what you’re thinking about.”

“You always know what I’m thinking about,” he corrected, “because I don’t hide it from you.”

It probably wasn’t meant to be a pick-up line in that situation, but Donghae found it sweet nonetheless. Perhaps it was a bit petty, but his thought after the initial happiness had certainly been triumph. No one else had earned Ryeowook’s trust like that. Another person on the planet could have been that person, but he fell short and that mere thought made Donghae more than happy.

The stage appeared to the side of them and suddenly they were being ushered towards it. Cameras flashed incessantly and murmurs of surprise and interest rippled through the crowd. There were mainly reporters, but the entire back of the audience was filled with businessmen and some rather shady fellows.

“I will not waste anymore of your time then,” Siwon announced, making a flourish, “My personal successor stands here today under the name: Kim Ryeowook. He is twenty-one and has been studying with me for two years now. I look forward to his progress and achievements. Though you may think it is a joke, this young man is incredibly reliable,” he smiled, “Kim Ryeowook is my true heir.”

More cameras were flashing as the microphone was handed off to Yesung. The normally quiet man spoke up, dark eyes trained and calm, “This,” he indicated Donghae who nodded slightly at the crowd, “is the new holder of my assets. His name is Lee Donghae and he will be beneficial to the future success of my many endeavors.”

“Kim Ryeowook, how did you come to meet Mr. Choi?” a reporter demanded.

Taking the microphone this time, he said, “I misplaced my phone some years ago, and he kindly returned it to me.”

“Lee Donghae, why were you chosen to succeed such a vast empire?”

He placed his hand over Ryeowook’s, not taking the amplifying device fully. “I suppose it has to be because I’m best fit for the position.”

There were soft chuckles from the group of people. Ryeowook couldn’t help a proud smile. Some more questions flew at them with answers flying back at an equally quick rate.

Donghae was feeling rather good about it all, though he had never really felt bad about any of it. As he peered around at the faces in the crowd, he subconsciously searched for the face that he just knew had to be there. It wasn’t a for sure thing, but it was a pretty good guess. Donghae finally spotted him then – even through the hat and sunglasses disguise.

“Lee Donghae, do you have anyone that you would like to get on better terms with for the sake of greater productivity?”

At the back of the room, Kyuhyun leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his body and a deep, firm line that pressed his lips together. Donghae felt their eyes meet through the distance and darkness. With a smile, he subtly winked at Kyuhyun. “No, I don’t think I have anyone in particular that comes to mind.”