He sat in his den, his strong, lean feet resting on the coffee table, eyes closed as he hummed along to the music flitting in the ambience. It was dim, but his tune was not. Approaching footsteps halted the additional melody in the air, and his eyes fluttered open, waiting for the footsteps to halt.

“He called again.”

“Then, refuse him again.” He answered, his voice placid and casual as he reached out for the wineglass he had balanced on the arm of the sofa. “I have done enough for a lifetime.”

“Taemin.”

Straightening up and finally glancing at the standing man, Taemin sighed, “Jonghyun, I have decided.”

Jonghyun sighed, nodding, “I will refuse.”

“If,” Taemin examined the swirling deep red in his glass, “You want to do it of your own accord...let me not hold you back.”

Jonghyun ed his suit and sat beside Taemin, “I would…” He smirked, “If I had wanted to end this perfect life I have.”

Taemin laughed, “You are smart.”

“That, I am.”

“How about we celebrate before we run?”

Jonghyun thought for a moment, “A grand way of kissing it goodbye?”

Taemin chuckled, raising his glass, “Yeah.”

Jonghyun poured himself some wine and raised it to clink with Taemin’s, his grin sly, “To...a grand way of kissing it goodbye.”

The ambience was dim, yet lustrous enough to make the club glow subtly, sensually. Refusing an oncoming drink, Taemin swirled on his stool, his eyes searching for Jonghyun who had slipped past him in mid conversation. On finding him on a lounge, a woman fidgeting with his collar, Taemin smirked, “He wastes no time at all.”

Turning back to face the bartender, he called for a drink, his eyes settling on the fresh entree of the club- a man dressed normal, very normal for the glitz around- a striking contradiction to his own get up- calling for a drink while taking a glance at the dancefloor. Taemin eyed what he could see of him, neat dark hair, faded jeans, a simple jacket and sneakers. On finding the sneakers move in rhythm to the music, Taemin chuckled in amusement, resting his chin in his palm, deciding to watch the handsomely aberrant guest of the night a while longer. A man joined Taemin’s person of interest, interesting Taemin not even the slightest. He left his seat a few short minutes later and Taemin watched woman by woman sit on his stool instead, attempting to get favour from the handsome Mr Dancing Sneakers. Watching them fail, amused Taemin more than it should have and when the fourth woman had climbed off that stool, Taemin walked to it himself, drink in hand and sat without asking for permission.

“You are a popular man.”

Mr Dancing Sneakers’ sneaker dance halted and he smiled at Taemin, “The name’s Choi Minho.”

Taemin smirked, “Lee Taemin.”

“Any reason you seek my company for?”

“You interest me.”

Minho laughed, “How direct.”

“What would we both earn by being indirect?” Taemin asked,  “Wasted time?”

Minho laughed again, “You interest me as well.”

“Don’t waste anymore words or time and ask me to the dancefloor.” Taemin extended his hand, watching Minho’s face revel in his behavior. Minho took it gently with a smile, “How does a dance sound to you, Taemin?”

Taemin raised both his brows, liking how his name sounded in his voice, liking Minho’s gentle hold, liking the glow of lights, liking the bland music of the club...liking the moment in it’s entirety. But the instant he hit the dancefloor, Minho in front of him, both of them swaying closer to each other at every beat, Taemin found it hard to decide which moment he liked better.

His struggle to decide was rendered void when Minho gently wrapped his arms around him slightly more possessively, and Taemin took his cue to do away with the meager distance between them two.

Their lips mingled, slow and gentle, gaining temper as the moments flowed and Taemin settled on these set of moments he liked the best of them all.

Minho broke the kiss but kept his intimate distance, his arms still around Taemin.

“You kiss well.” Taemin spoke, his voice low as he wound his arms around Minho’s neck, the mirth on his face turning ever so slightly playful.

“And you do too.” Minho replied, pecking Taemin’s smirking pout.

Taemin snickered, “How much time would you like to waste with me?”

Minho feigned to be thoughtful, watching Taemin’s enthusiastic gaze on him, “All of it.” He whispered, “And none of it would be a waste.”

Taemin was impressed and he did not hesitate to show it. He grew closer, kissing Minho again, who let him lead, until breaking it off gently to speak.

“But it would end up a waste if I spend my time here any longer.” He pecked Taemin’s cheek and withdrew his arms. “I’d rather have not met you here.”

Taemin raised his brows, “Where would you have rather met me?”

“A place, a moment uncontrolled by this luring environment. A moment not threatened to be shattered a few moments later on.” He gazed at Taemin’s confounded eyes a minute, a charming smile forming on his face and he leaned to whisper, “I hope the next time we’ll meet...will be in that very moment, Taemin.” And he was gone, leaving Taemin amidst the dancefloor, watching him go past the figures swaying in the soft melody of the night.

Taemin smiled, genuine and wide, because he had found the best moment of his life.

Back at his den, Taemin laid on his chaise lounge, imitating Minho’s sneaker rhymes while humming. Approaching footsteps did not halt his tune, despite them being odd.

Jonghyun dropped onto the space beside Taemin’s raised feet, his state a lewd mess.

The tune finally halted on Jonghyun’s sigh, “Was it grand enough?”

Jonghyun groaned in frustration, resting back and thrashing his arms for a few seconds, slumping back into tranquility with a morose face. “I can’t believe this.”

“Believe what?”

“That I slept with a man.” He turned to Taemin, “How could this happen! I don’t do men. Not even when I am hopelessly drunk. Especially not a man like him.”

“Yes, you don’t do men.” Taemin got up, shrugging, “I am pretty sure you didn’t do him as well.” He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl placed on the coffee table and bit in it, “Did he not do you instead?”

Jonghyun kicked Taemin in the shin, his silent yet fiery gesture affirming the latter’s claim. Chuckling, Taemin put an arm around Jonghyun’s neck, “Did you not enjoy it? I bet you did.”

Jonghyun cursed incoherently, his flustered face reclining towards Taemin’s claim again. Taemin laughed louder, letting go of Jonghyun and pushing him off the chaise lounge to lie down again, “Bathe. You smell of the night you’ve had.”

Jonghyun grumbled but began to walk away when Taemin halted him.

“Choi Minho.” He smirked at the ceiling, “Get me everything that name can get you.”

Taemin swiped the screen of the tablet Jonghyun had handed to him and continued to swipe it dispassionately for the minutes that followed. Few more swipes and Taemin’s dull eyes gained a spark, making him swipe back to the page that had passed.

“Found your Choi Minho?” Jonghyun smirked, stirring his cup ramyun.

“Yes.” Taemin handed the tablet back to Jonghyun who took it immediately, setting down his ramyun on the table. His eyes grew wide at what the screen displayed and he looked to Taemin with the same wide eyes. “He’s a cop.”

Taemin’s lips curled upwards, “It fits him well.”

“What is brewing in your mind?”

“Call Kibum. Tell him I accept.” Taemin answered, getting up.

Jonghyun raised his brows, “Consider it done.” He got up as well, “But hadn’t we quit?”

“One last time.”

“Why?”

Taemin smiled, the spark intenser in his eyes, “Choi Minho.”

“All you need.” A sleek briefcase was shoved towards Taemin and he took it, opening it right away. “A kind warning. This is going to be dangerous.”

“Wasn’t it always?” Taemin asked nonchalantly, yawning as he dropped the shutter of the case audibly after checking it’s contents. “And if you had wanted to be any kind, you wouldn’t have sought for me, Kibum.”

“Point.” Kibum smirked, “I’ll slip in more information as this proceeds.” He got up, extending his arm for a handshake, “See you around...Ace.”

Taemin shook his hand, smirking as well, “You wish.”

Familiar sneakers shook in a silent rhythm, their wearer sipping on filter coffee, waiting for a meeting to start. The door began opening aperiodically, letting men and women enter with a greeting. Finding the room full with the expected attendance, the swaying sneakers paused, and their wearer was on his feet, walking to the whiteboard at the head of the cabin.

“My name is Choi Minho,” He spoke, “And I will be leading this investigation hereon. For the new additions to our team, I will condense the case. All details will be in the file ahead of you.” He turned to the board and wrote down a word with the marker, “Ace.” He turned back and let everyone go through  their files for a couple of minutes before beginning to speak again. “An infamous criminal that rose to his peak three years ago and is yet to be prosecuted. We have enough statements to convict him, but no evidence or means  whatsoever to get to him.”

“How is that possible, Sir?”

Minho nodded slightly to his question, leaning at the desk, “We don’t know who Ace is, if he is a man or a woman, a single person or an organization...nor do we know how and from where he operates.” He paused, “His transactions leave no traceable records nor does his means of communication and the only he has ever revealed to anyone he works with, is nothing but this alias,” Minho pointed to the board, “Ace.”

“His work is simple,” Minho continued, “He robs and sells. Sometimes at request. Crime lords and proprietors of illegal or dubious businesses seek him quite often, offering a fat sum for his loot, or to make him loot.”

“So,” Minho sighed, straightening up, “We have been gathered here as a team to capture Ace, not to set right his crimes. Other detectives will see to that.” He kept back the marker in it’s place, “An hour. For lunch, or for rethinking your participation in this case. This is the last chance for withdrawal.” He smiled, “Happy thinking.”

The bunch of detectives began to disperse leaving one still seated. He got up with a small smirk, buttoning up his suit and approached Minho. “You do make up for the unimpressive way you dress.”

“There is a reason we are allowed to dress normally.” Minho answered nonchalantly.

“Formally.” The man corrected, “It’s a professional requirement.”

“A useless one.” Minho shrugged, “Being formal is not going to get us detectives anywhere.”

The man’s lips curled downwards, but he nodded with raised brows, “So, how did that night go? Sorry I wasn’t around to watch more than you dancing with that cute guy.”

“The night was pleasant and thank you for taking me out for a drink, although I paid my own bill.”

The man laughed, “I’ll make it up another night, don’t you worry. By the way, stop changing the topic and tell me more about that guy. You never ever entertain anyone. What made you do so?”

Minho sighed softly, deciding to not answer the question and instead began to collect his files from his spot.

“Hey.” The man followed him, “Why aren’t you telling?”

“I never ever entertain anyone.” Minho replied, giving in to his persistence, “Unless I am serious about it.”

The man was slightly taken aback, “I see.” He pondered a while, “So did you bed him?”

“Jinki.” Minho clicked his tongue, “Stop your indecent interrogation.”

Jinki smirked, “You couldn’t!” He began chortling, “I knew it! You couldn’t!”

“I wouldn’t.” Minho corrected him in a firm voice, “Do you want to grab some lunch?”

Jinki nodded and Minho left, uttering something about getting them sandwiches, leaving Jinki to stare at him leave.

“You wouldn’t.” He repeated to himself, amused, “That guy must really be something.”

“What’s the plan?” Jonghyun asked, his fingers fluid on the sleek keyboard in his lap, making similar images of urban landscape flash one by one on the large suspended screen, related text accompanying it.

Taemin was focused on the screen, sitting crosslegged beside Jonghyun, a tub of popcorn in his lap, brows knitted together, “Let’s not have one.”

Jonghyun chuckled in disbelief, “You kidding?”

“Not at all. It’s a bit annoying to set lines. I feel like crossing them all the time.” Taemin got up, holding the tub in one hand, walked to the screen and enlarged a certain image with his other hand. “Out of the list, this one seems fun. What do you think?”

“The casino?” Jonghyun raised his brows, “The profit’s good, no doubt...but the security is intimidating.”

“We can handle that. Employ the best men from the list.” He smirked, “The name should be enough to convince them.”

“Got it.” Jonghyun’s fingers glided on his keyboard and Taemin watched the process on the screen, satisfied with every choice the man made for their apprentices. “Done.”

Taemin dropped onto the couch beside Jonghyun his eyes on the screen while he munched some popcorn, his stuffed face gaining amusement at the replies pooling in.

Jonghyun raised his brows, impressed, “A name was enough, indeed.”

Taemin swallowed the popcorn, excitement glinting from his eyes, “Choi Minho...here I come.”

“A tip-off.” Jinki smirked, entering the cabin, making every head glance to him with interest, “We’ve got a tip-off.”

Minho folded his arms, smirking, “Spit it out.”

Jinki walked to whiteboard and stood primly beside Minho, his face smug, “Casino Trésor.” He paused, “Ace is going to be there. To do what, we don’t know, but it is an easy guess.”

“How did we managed to be tipped off?” Minho raised a brow.

“It came in today’s mail. Only two words written. Casino Trésor. Stamped by his signature.”

“A prank? Or a challenge?” Another detective asked.

“Or a grudge.” Jinki replied, thoughtfully, “Casino Trésor was involved in Ace’s very first assignment. The one which made him famous and got him to where he is now. There must be a reason Ace is planning to rob them when he had worked for them three years ago.”

“Thieves have no pride. He may have been offered something far more precious than his sentiments for Trésor. Notifying the police may also have been a request by his current employer. It may not be Ace holding a grudge, but the party he’s accepted the offer from.”

Minho banged the desk lightly, halting the conversation, “Impressive reasoning.” He smirked,  “But, remember, our target is Ace, not preempting or investigating the robbery.” He grabbed his jacket, “All of you and uniforms, undercover 24x7 at the casino within an hour.”

“Is the bug ready?” Taemin asked as he slumped into the passenger seat, putting on a uniform over his bulletproof bodysuit.

“Yep. It will self-destruct after rigging the machines for good.” He smirked, “Our good.” He turned their car into a small lane behind the casino. They both left the car after an affirming glance at each other and jumped the walls to raid the casino in their own sorts.

Taemin got inside easily from the main entrance, avoiding every camera on Jonghyun’s instructions from the earpiece.

“I got the bug running. The men have done their job and are positioned.” Jonghyun’s voice came as Taemin stood in wait, pretending to clean in a hallway. “The moment you enter that elevator, you don’t need to heed the cameras.”

“Okay.” Taemin whispered, and entered the room he had been observing all this while on finding the last of the janitors leave. He stripped himself off his extra layer of clothing, threw them in the fireplace and made sure no traceable remnants were left unburnt before pulling the mask down his face. He extinguished the fire and waited a few minutes before pressing the button on his wrist and ankle grip gear and began climbing up the chimney.

“Climb out.” Jonghyun’s voice came after he had climbed for a while and Taemin pulled himself out into another empty room, glancing around before exiting the room and getting into the elevator right away. “Top floor.” Taemin pressed the button and relaxed in the corner till the elevator pinged.

“Are the police in the building?” Taemin asked softly, exiting the elevator and taking a glance at the dimmed lounge ahead of him. Two guards stood at the door, whom he approached stealthily and knocked out within a blink of the eye.

Jonghyun waited for the groans of the guards to quieten before he answered, “They got in just two minutes after you did.”

“I’ll wait for them to catch up.” Taemin smirked, dropping onto a couch, watching the unconscious guards on the floor.

“Hey. You need to be