Chapter Text
“Oh, this one is just marvelous.”
“Are you sure?” Hwei looks dubiously at the grotesque statue about the height of his forearm, presented on a marble pedestal. He is not even sure what it is supposed to represent. Is that the point?
“Absolutely.” Jhin leans over it to study the details. Hwei does the same, hopeful to notice something more from a different angle. Now, the strange, steel curves seem more like thick, interlacing vines. Or maybe intestines. “It would fit wonderfully on the cupboard near the entrance to my flat, don’t you think? I’ve always thought it needs something to liven it up.”
Hwei stares at the statue for a moment longer, but eventually gives up on understanding its appeal. Their tastes very often do not line up, but in the end it always turns out that Jhin can just see the vision Hwei stays blind to until it is realized.
Like with the suit. At first, the idea of it seemed simply horrendous to Hwei: how a nearly magenta coloured jacket could work well with black dress pants was beyond him, but Jhin insisted on having it made especially for this occasion. At the moment, he still cannot believe his own eyes, how the extravagance of it only adds to Jhin’s magnetic appeal. It could be that his figure is just perfect for it: the vivid jacket made by the renowned local tailor brings attention to his broad shoulders and slim waist that Hwei so badly wants to feel up. It was truly money well spent.
“So, Hwei… Would you be so kind?”
Hwei looks up only to see Jhin’s confident smile, tempting him with all the unsaid promises Hwei knows can be fulfilled. Jhin’s bangs, the perfect length of ‘slightly too long’, are carefully styled over his forehead to add the extra allure to the black-lined eyes. Hwei knows all of this is precisely prepared, just as tailor-made as the suit to lure him closer, catch him, keep him weak. He still cannot resist.
“Of course, if that’s really what you want.” Hwei smiles back, unable to deny him, too eager to see his reaction.
In return, Jhin closes the distance. His hand gently grazes Hwei’s cheekbone as he gives him a kiss, just a small peck appropriate for public space. Hwei still feels the heat of it spreading over his face from the touch of lips sticky with barely visible gloss.
“Yes, that is what I want,” Jhin murmurs into the narrow space between their lips. “I will thank you properly later.”
Promises said aloud; that is how their deals are made.
Luckily for Hwei, this particular sculpture is not bidded too high. Jhin’s taste is nothing but unique, after all. After the charity auction has ended, Hwei provides the administration with the address to Jhin's flat for shipping. Throughout the event, his companion stands by his side with a slim glass of champagne he sips from time to time just for show, taking the bulk of any conversation with other guests that approach them during the gala. Always smiling, charming, getting everyone wrapped around his finger with a few well-placed jokes and comments. It all seems effortless to him, as if planned and rehearsed beforehand. One could think that he has researched for this; all the attendees are public figures and their partners. Maybe he has. Hwei would not put it past him, the perfectionist that he is.
He plays the role of a dream partner so well it is difficult for Hwei not to immerse himself in this fantasy. Especially with the way his tender, sweet smiles go in turn with the heavy, lingering looks. Or the way they touch each other: fix each others’ suits, brush fingers, casually put hands on arms or waists. This is the song and dance they know by heart at this point, and Jhin always makes it so smooth that nobody could detect even a single false note.
Sometimes it makes Hwei wonder how many false notes there are even left, on each side. He is not delusional; he is more than conscious of the nature of this relationship, but…
As soon as it could be considered appropriate to leave the charity gala, they bid their farewells and head towards the parking lot, where Hwei calls for his chauffeur waiting nearby. In the chilly evening wind, Jhin's arms wrapped around his shoulders and the warm chest pressed to his back feel like a blessing. Same as the hot cheek touching his temple and the slow breaths fanning his brow in comfortable silence.
Hwei does not even have to say their destination once they sit at the backseat of the car. It is a strange place, as the dimming barrier between them and the driver provides the first bit of privacy this evening despite the acute awareness of not being alone in the vehicle. They sit side by side, no seatbelts, nothing keeping them from each other outside of decency. After a few tense minutes, Hwei shyly reaches out to Jhin's face to pull him closer for a long, yet shallow kiss. The hand is put on his leg, which could be necessary for balance, but the subtle squeeze of it and the slow, circular motion of Jhin's thumb on the inside of his thigh tell another, secret story.
As they arrive in front of the tenement house, Jhin leaves the car while Hwei has the last few words with the chauffeur.
“Thank you. Don’t expect my call for the next hour at least,” he says before exiting the car himself.
Jhin has already opened the front door to the building and now Hwei trails impatiently behind him up the dark, steep staircase. On the last floor there is a space hidden behind another door, unique just like its tenant. They enter it together and turn on the light. As usual, Hwei does not look around the spacious interior, cannot pay attention to it for the time being.
Because as the door behind him clicks shut, the act is dropped to free what is covered beneath.
Before Hwei can even close the distance between them, his back is pressed against the nearest wall and lips claimed in a kiss so unlike the ones he has received throughout the evening. His hands that he tried to keep restrained for so long, roam up and down Jhin’s sides, relishing in the touch of the soft fabric and the shape of the body underneath it. There is not much gloss left on the lips that now slide against Hwei’s. He opens them with a sigh and their tongues meet as he feels his own suit being unbuttoned. Jhin’s hands, strong and precise from exercising all the various crafts, travel across Hwei’s slim chest.
It is all feverish, the way he loves it, with just a bit too much strength put into it, enough for his lips to bruise and for skin to redden under the shirt. There is only one more thing that he has dreamt of for the last few days that could make it even better.
“Can you…” Hwei turns his head to break the kiss. He cannot move it back the way it is pressed against the wall. “Mm… Can you please wear…?”
He does not even need to finish the sentence. Jhin nips his earlobe and traces the edge of it with his tongue.
“Anything you want.” The words breathed so close to his ear cause an involuntary shiver to travel down his back and stoke the fire already present in his abdomen. “I’ll be back in a second.”
The weight pinning him to the wall lets up and Jhin disappears behind the bathroom door.
Hwei gives himself a moment to calm down his quickened breath and hastily take off his shoes. Before he manages to move anywhere, Jhin comes back, his jacket discarded somewhere on the way. Hwei is guided by his hand to the wide sofa in the open living room.
Jhin is on him the moment he lands on the cushioned seat. He straddles Hwei, careful not to put too much weight on his lap. With arms on the backrest on the sides of Hwei, almost a head taller than him in this position, his presence overwhelms Hwei’s senses. Jhin’s chest and shoulders are all he can see, as if there were only them, as if this tiny secluded space was the entire existing world. Hwei’s head is pulled back by the hair, gently, yet decisively, to lie against the top of the backrest. The gleam in Jhin’s irises, almost black in the dim light, is the last thing he sees before they meet yet again in an open mouthed kiss.
A moan blooms at the back of Hwei's throat when the tiny, metal ball at the top of Jhin's tongue slides against his bottom lip. The odd feeling of it, something that should not be there, has always shamefully excited him. He should really know better than to get turned on by some unusual piercing as a man nearing thirty, but the brash nonconformity of it acts like a spark tingling his nerves. His head is held firmly in place; all he can focus on is the harsh kiss and the piercing touching his own tongue. It hooks for a second on his upper lip, digging slightly into the sensitive flesh.
“Jhin… How do you know me so well?” he pants nonsensically. Jhin has already moved his attention to his neck. He nips it, sucks kisses with the metal ball scraping Hwei's skin, as he descends down towards the clavicles. Hwei's shirt got unbuttoned and opened wide without him even noticing sometime earlier.
“I've had a lot of opportunities to learn, don't you think?” Jhin's lips leave Hwei's skin, which is met with a regretful sigh. Jhin chuckles as he lifts himself up from the sofa. Hwei's mouth goes dry at the sight of him kneeling down on the floor in front of him. “Now, undress for me, so that I can do what you were about to ask me for anyway.”
He does not need to wait even a second too long for his request to be fulfilled. Hwei's pants and underwear land discarded somewhere in no time, and he sits back on the plush fabric of the sofa, dressed only in the unbuttoned shirt. His entire body tenses with anticipation, as Jhin spreads his legs apart by the knees, and with a small smirk leans over Hwei's hard, twitching cock.
But he would not be himself without a bit of teasing. With eyes locked with Hwei, he caresses the soft skin of the insides of his thighs, from the knees and slowly up, stopping just shy of where he wants to be touched the most. The gesture is followed by the kiss in the juncture of his hip, which later turns into a soft bite. The sensation travels through Hwei, makes his hips thrust uncontrollably forward and his cock jerk from need. It touches Jhin's cheek for a second and the first spark of promised pleasure strips away the last shred of his pride.
“Can you… Jhin, please, don't be like this…” Another bite, this time harsher, on the other side of his throbbing sex. He gasps, digs his nails in the upholstery. “I've been waiting for this… Thought of it each day since we last met.”
That seems enough for Jhin to proceed. He lifts his head up and opens his mouth wide. The piercing flashes gold at the top of his tongue for Hwei to admire, yet another promise of the experience he cannot get from anyone else. Then he leans forward and slowly takes Hwei's length in, inch by blissful inch.
Hwei would love to look. He would love to study Jhin's features: brow furrowed in focus, closed eyes and long bangs moving as he bobs his head. The way his cheeks hollow when he swallows around him. It is impossible, however, after only a few seconds of it, as the overwhelming intensity of pleasure building between his legs slowly overtakes his entire body.
He only knows he moans at the first touch of metal on the underside of his cock. His back arches and thighs tremble when it slides towards the head and digs into the incredibly sensitive slit. If there is pain, he does not mind, it mixes so well with the cocktail of his feelings. There are words spoken into the silence around them, feverish affirmations and pleas, but their sense gets lost in the heat of the moment.
As the climax approaches, Hwei is too lost to verbally warn Jhin, so he just clumsily grabs the shirt on his shoulder. Jhin immediately pulls back, satisfaction clear in the set of his parted lips. He does not move away, just puts the tip of Hwei's pulsing cock on his stuck out tongue and finishes him with a few strokes of his tight fist.
The view is almost as pleasant as the climax rushing through him like a wave. White cum covers Jhin's tongue in spurts, pours down towards his throat over the tiny, golden ball. Due to the orgasmic shake of his hips, a thin stream of it does not find its mark and lands in the corner of Jhin's smiling lips instead. It runs down his chin in the most beautiful and obscene display Hwei has been lucky to see in his life.
The frenzied pace of it finally makes itself known, as Hwei's body, previously strung up so tight, now falls limply on the sofa. The world around him feels like a huge, soft cushion he can relax in. Jhin manages to leave, get himself in order, dress in some more comfortable, yet equally sexy housewear and come back before Hwei even opens his eyes again. Only then he sheepishly dresses back up and looks at Jhin who has just sat next to him.
“Thank you…” he starts, but Jhin interrupts him:
“It was supposed to be my ‘thank you', do you remember?” There is a teasing note in his voice, but Hwei has learned already that any kind of praise puts Jhin in a better mood.
“I just want to make sure you know how much I loved that.” He cannot stop his look from lingering on Jhin's lips. “It’s so stupid…”
“Human desires are rarely logical. There is no harm satisfying these ones. But forgive me, I've already taken it out.” He sticks his tongue out for a second to reveal a small, dark dot at a place the piercing has been. “It's quite annoying to have it on for longer, even if keeping the hole from healing turns out useful sometimes.”
Hwei laughs lightly. Jhin always so easily alleviates his doubts and self-consciousness. It is so natural for Hwei to speak his mind with him.
“I love you in piercing, all kinds of jewelry really. It always looks gorgeous on you, as if you were born to wear it. It's a shame you do it so rarely.”
“I simply don't have much of it to wear. It's not easy to find one that would meet my standards.” He caresses Hwei's cheek and puts a few strands of dark hair behind his ear. No matter how many times they touch, it never fails to make Hwei's breath hitch. “But we can change that, if you'd like. I know an excellent goldsmith working nearby. Her jewelry is a true work of art, she never fails to astound me.”
“Who is that? Do you know her personally?” It is so rare for Jhin to praise a work of another, it immediately ignites Hwei's curiosity.
“So many questions… You will know once we visit her ourselves.” Jhin twirls a strand of Hwei's hair around his finger, but his eyes never leave his face. “So… Will we make a commision for a piece?”
“Yes.” Hwei sees no reason to deny him. It is something that will benefit them both, and there is an added bonus of learning something more about Jhin himself, possibly his past. It is such a rare opportunity, it would be a shame to pass it up.
A small kiss seals another deal. When Jhin pulls back, the smile is back on his lips.
“I'll make an appointment then, some time that will fit your schedule.”
Hwei just nods.
“Do you have any more plans for the evening?” he asks.
“I have a painting to finish.” Jhin gestures towards the corner of the large, open space that is his flat, which he uses as a workspace. “I want to get it over with today, if possible.”
“Can I stay and watch?”
“Sure,” answers Jhin after a moment's pause. “Make yourself at home.”
Hwei knows very well what he means. There are strict rules that he needs to adhere to in this house if he wants to be allowed to stay, even if technically he is paying for all of this. But Jhin's privacy has never been a subject of dispute for him. If anything, Jhin's confidence and certainty about his preferences became another feature to respect.
There are no inner walls or doors in the flat apart from the bathroom, so Hwei could observe him working from any part of the house if he wanted to. But if he could choose to be as close as possible, why would he even consider anything else? There is a small, comfortable armchair in the art studio area of the flat, which tends to be his usual spot. He sits there right now as well and falls into their silent routine.
These moments are probably his favorite out of all the time they spend together. Probably favorite ones in his daily life in general. The quiet hours spent in Jhin's flat like on an island with just the two of them, sitting there and watching him create. Today it is painting, but Hwei has seen him sculpt, model, draw, even design some architectural pieces on a sheet of paper and then transfer them onto the specialistic computer program. Sometimes it feels like there is not a single craft Jhin has not taken up at least for a while. When asked about it he said:
“Art is not a limited thing. It's the intertextuality that can make for pieces that are truly one of a kind. It gives you insight and fills you with ideas that would not be possible within one technique.”
They talk sometimes too. It is mostly Hwei asking questions, curious about Jhin's insight into the world of art he has never before had access to. As a child he was encouraged even, had private lessons with some esteemed tutors, but the moment it was clear he showed signs of true talent and passion towards the subject, the art lessons were immediately stopped and never allowed again. It could be a harmless hobby, but not a course of career that would distract him from what he was destined to do.
Take over the billion dollar family company one day.
As the sole heir of the family who founded Koyehn Inc., now the main shareholders, he has not much to say in the matter. His life got drawn out in front of him: private schools with the best teachers and students from equally wealthy environments, an economic degree despite him struggling with math his entire life and then the managerial position at the top layer of the family business, where all his duties are monitored and fixed if need be by people much more suitable for the job. A perfect life, a comfortable life of luxury he is grateful for. Only bland and not exactly fulfilling.
And then there is Jhin. When they met, he was a freelance artist with a vivid vision and not much money to realize it. Also, his sharp and grotesque style did not exactly land him a lot of sponsors. So it started like that, from a small sponsorship, and step by step it has developed to the point that they are at right now.
The painting Jhin is working on is a curious scene. Hwei knows his style well at this point and loves the sharp edges and shapes he gives to all the subjects of his art. This one shows a body, though it is barely recognizable as such, as it is all covered in flowers blooming directly from the flesh. The more he looks at it, the more intimate it seems, almost erotic, the way the tip of Jhin's brush grazes the outlines of the figure with utmost care, lovingly adding the details to make it match his desired perfection.
Despite its beauty, there is a strange feeling that stirs in Hwei's chest, slowly threatening to reach an unpleasant spot. The unrest eventually spurs him to action. He stands up from the armchair, quite noisily, but Jhin does not even flinch, too focused on the canvas in front of him. The odd stinging only grows at the lack of reaction, so he closes in with a few steps and embraces Jhin's chest from behind.
That makes the man tense and look back inquiringly. Hwei presses his cheek to the shoulder in front of him, hiding his face in Jhin's neck. He feels foolish yet again. But Jhin just hums, and it sounds amused, which he only confirms by tickling Hwei's hand lying on his sternum with a paint-covered brush.
Hwei lets out a breath trapped in his lungs for too long. It is fine, he is just too sensitive. Jhin's love for his craft is one of his most charming and appealing features, Hwei would not like to change it in the slightest. Which makes it even sweeter when his whole attention is directed at Hwei, when he proves his interest and dedication to him. When he shows that Hwei is an important part of his life as well.
“That week… It was quite rough for me,” mumbles Hwei into the shoulder. “There was an issue in the marketing branch. I tried to get to the bottom of it, but the structure of it and the way it works is completely different from ours. I was so lost, but I still tried my best. And then, after a few days of struggling, one of my subordinates just explained it all to me in one meeting. She could solve this problem all by herself. It made me feel so redundant. There is still so much in this company I have no clue about.” Saying it out loud lifted a weight he has been carrying for the last week. Not entirely, but enough for the tenseness in his neck to palpably relax. “I'm glad I have you.”
“I'm here to help you.” The brush tickles his hand again, this time in a more purposeful way. Hwei pulls it back from Jhin's chest to find a tiny, four-petaled flower painted on it. “Is there anything more you'd like me to do?”
“No, thank you.” He smiles, admiring the gift. “It's already perfect.”
“Then I have some good news I'd like to share with you,” says Jhin, his eyes not leaving the painting, as now he is adding some finishing touches. “I was contacted regarding a new commission. I don't know the full details yet, but it seems like it's going to be a complex one. Many various pieces meant to create a captivating interior.”
“Oh, that sounds… amazing. It is great, right?”
“Yes, it is great.” Jhin laughs and his entire body shakes with it in Hwei's embrace. “It is exactly the kind of work that I dream of; designing and realizing multi-part projects by myself, hopefully without many prerequisites. I work best when I can let my creativity loose.”
“I'm happy for you then.” Hwei hugs him tighter for a second.
The comfortable silence envelopes them for the next few minutes.
“I'm finished,” announces Jhin. He cocks his head. “I'll revisit it tomorrow in daylight, but that is all I can do right now.” He turns his head to glance back at Hwei. “I'll go to sleep now.”
“Alright, I'll be going then.” It is one of their rules established early on: Hwei does not stay the night. Jhin needs these hours to remain private. Hwei lets go of him and takes a step back. “Thank you again for coming with me to the gala. It would be hell without you.”
“Not a problem. I also got a new ornament for my flat, so I would count that as a success.”
They exchange their goodbyes by the door. Feeling especially needy today, Hwei climbs on his toes and gives Jhin the last, prolonged kiss. He is met with the sensation of lips curving upwards under his touch.
He barely remembers to call the chauffeur on his way down.
They will meet soon again, probably in a few days, once Jhin gets the appointment with the goldsmith. Even if that does not work out, they always spend the Thursday evenings together and attend some formal event on one of the weekend days. This schedule has worked perfectly well for them for the last year. The longing in-between the meetings make the time spent together that more rewarding.
Just a few minutes later, Hwei enters the backseat of the car, ready to face another week. The memory of Jhin's taste still lingers on his tongue.