Chapter Text
"Payment first, please. Standard practice in the industry."
"Oh, right. Just a second." Eunseok dug out his wallet from his jeans with clumsy fingers, cheeks growing red. 'The industry', as in the sex work industry. Only a few days ago a world he would not have associated with himself.
Eunseok took out the exact sum in cash. Card would have been fine, too, but he absolutely didn't want to leave behind any electronic traces or bank records. What would the bank statement even say? Welfare services? No, he was most certainly not risking an account entry. Using cash would leave him with at least an illusion of privacy.
The massager — he had given his name as Wonbin — accepted the bills without any awkwardness and put them into a small safe in the drawer, unlocked. The metallic lid made a tingling sound as it clicked shut. "Did you find your way here okay?"
"Yeah, with a navigator. The construction site at the end of road confused me a bit." Amazing how normal he sounded, and how absurd. Like his brain and mouth were not in sync. It should be impossible to have a relaxed conversation with a complete stranger you were about to be naked with. He couldn't decide whether to run for the door or burst into laughter.
"Have you ever had an erotic massage before?" Wonbin asked, looking at him in the eyes like he'd just asked if Eunseok wanted milk or sugar in his coffee.
Eunseok turned his eyes away, looking at the wall, the carpet, the bed - no, not the bed, definitely not the bed. "No, it's my first time. I'm... pretty nervous."
"That's OK. We'll start slowly, and we can stop any time you, if you feel like it. Just tell me if I'm doing something you don't like. You can take off your clothes and put them on the chair."
Stomach tightening, palms cold and clammy, Eunseok looked at the wooden chair next to him, painted a strange shade of green. A DIY job, judging by the slightly uneven coat of the paint. Slowly, he pulled down the zipper of his jeans, one of his business casual pairs — dark-washed, non-distressed. He had paired it with a plain black jumper and a recently bought t-shirt.
It had probably been silly to put so much thought into what to wear when meeting with a sex worker, seeing as he was already being asked to strip, but he was glad of it since Wonbin had clearly put in an effort, too. He was attractive to begin with — much more attractive than Eunseok had anticipated, having pictured a burly older man — but the yoga shorts, tight t-shirt and subtle make-up made him downright lethal. His hair was on the longer side and shiny, matching his somewhat androgynous face. Next to him Eunseok felt like the uncle next door.
"You should take off everything," Wonbin encouraged him, wide, liquid eyes unwavering.
Eunseok peeled off his shirt, a little clumsily, not having expected to be watched, and turned his back before removing his jeans and boxers. Avoiding eye contact, he climbed on the massage table, covered with a coarse paper sheet, the kind he associated with doctor's visits. This was a mistake, flashed in his mind.
Wonbin put on music, humming quietly to the vaguely jazzy tune. "Everything okay? Should I lower the arm rests?"
"It's fine," Eunseok mumbled to the floor, face mushed against the padded sides of the face hole. The room felt warm despite his nudity, uncomfortably so.
"I'm going to use some massage oil. Scented or scent-free?" Wonbin crouched to present him with two small bottles, peering under the table like it really mattered.
Eunseok mindlessly picked the one with sandalwood and listened, with a rising pulse, at the wet sounds of Wonbin rubbing his hands together. His mind had separated from his corporeal form like a runaway balloon, standing next to the massage table with a judgmental look. A pair of cool hands on his shoulders jolted him back into his body.
"Sorry, my hands are a little cold. I have poor circulation. They'll warm up quickly, though."
The hands moved around his shoulder blades in large, slow circles, then down along the muscles of his back, and ever so gradually Eunseok's mind stopped whirring. It was just a massage. Wonbin kept humming as he worked, every once in a while murmuring something appreciative under his breath. His hands feel much warmer now.
"You have a nice arse."
A strangled laugh escaped Eunseok, and he closed his eyes, murmuring an awkward "thank you", hot blood throbbing in his face and neck. What the fuck was he doing here? People like him shouldn't resort to sex work. He had a nice, white collar job, friends and family. He wasn't out and didn't know any other gay men, but knew where to go, hypothetically, to meet some.
Wonbin massaged his buttocks for a long moment, thumbs grazing the recesses between, rhythmically, almost clinically, separating the cheeks with each squeeze. Every once in a while his hands ventured along the insides of his thighs, caressing his balls, and despite his embarrassment and misgivings, Eunseok grew hard against the massage table.
"Would you like to turn around?"
Eunseok did, finding himself not caring much anymore about Wonbin's eyes scanning his body, resigned to his fate and aching for release.
"Can I massage your chest?"
Can't you just jerk me off, Eunseok thought wearily, but nodded, forcing himself to stay relaxed as Wonbin rounded the table to stand behind his head, leaning over him. He kept his eyes closed as hands made contact with his chest, smoothing down his ribcage before returning with intent, settling on his chest muscles. Eunseok shuddered and gasped at the first brush of thumb against his nipples, his eyes fluttering open, meeting Wonbin's smiling ones.
"Your skin is very smooth," Wonbin commented in a hushed voice, soft palms gliding over Eunseok's nipples in hypnotic circles. He looked beautiful even from this angle, and through the woody cloud of sandalwood he got a whiff of what must have been Wonbin's own perfume, something sickly sweet and floral.
"What a nice way to say I have the muscle definition of a pre-teen," Eunseok joked nervously.
Wonbin laughed, a surprised little raspy gasp and flashes a row of perfect white teeth, before switching spots, now standing next to Eunseok, a hand resting on his sternum. They gazed into each other's eyes, Eunseok's hesitations and shyness waning. "Can I kiss you?" Wonbin asked, almost whispering.
Eunseok hadn't been expecting any kissing, but Wonbin's eyes held a dark spell that could not be refuted. Their lips touched softly at first, Wonbin's hair falling on Eunseok's face like a caress, and an old, much neglected need surged in Eunseok, his fingers curling into fists on the massage table. Before Eunseok's rational mind could insert itself and remind him he was paying for the experience, Wonbin destroyed his last bastion of reason by deepening the kiss and sliding a hand down his stomach to wrap around his erection.
Unlike his lips, Wonbin's hand were firm and commanding and finished Eunseok off in mere moments, squeezing his wilting cock until Eunseok made a whiny noise in protest.
"I'm sorry if it felt a little rushed," Wonbin said as he retreated to a side table, cleaning his hand with a wet wipe. "We agreed on half an hour, so."
"No, I..." Eunseok cleared his dry throat, pleasure giving way to a rush of confusion and embarrassment. "It was good. Really good."
"I'm glad." Wonbin turned around with a smile. "Would you like to shower before you leave? So you won't get oil on your clothes."
Eunseok pushed himself up, swinging his jellyfied legs off the table, back to feeling awkward about his nakedness. What he wanted was to get in his car and drive home, take a shower in his own bathroom rather than spend another second making small talk with this total stranger he just paid to touch his dick.
"No. I'll just... use the bathroom, I think." He gathered his clothes off the painted chair and followed Wonbin's instructions down the hallway, shutting himself in with a deep sigh. In the mirror he looked the same as before, but also completely different, someone who knew what it was like to be touched by a man. And what it was like to buy sex. Quickly wiping off the cum on his stomach, he got dressed, returning to the living room where Wonbin stood waiting.
Perhaps sensing his inner turmoil, Wonbin only talked about trivial matters as he walked Eunseok into the foyer and helped him with his coat. The plummeting temperatures, slippery roads, something along those lines. At the door, when Eunseok awkwardly contemplated between a hand shake and a polite hug, he stepped in close and kissed him softly, saying, "Come again."
No fucking way I will, Eunseok thought as he stumbled down the stairs and across the yard to his waiting car, opening the door with shaking fingers. He never wanted to see Wonbin, this house, this neighbourhood, again. What would people say if they knew? How could he live with himself, knowing?
And yet. He could still feel the phantom tingle of Wonbin's lips on his. His soft hair. His firm grip around Eunseok's dick.
Sparing one more glance at the door he just walked out of, Eunseok started the car.