[This chapter may contain sexual assault or sexual force and drugs so please be aware of that.]
"Hey."
Zhenya opened his eyes with difficulty at the sound of someone calling him.
A blurry figure appeared at the edges of his hazy vision.
Normally, he would have tensed up at the presence of a stranger, but this time, he remained lying on the bed.
A hand reached out toward him, but
he didn't dodge it.
He simply surrendered to its touch.
The hand on his head began to gently stroke his hair. It was a bit warmer than usual, making it pleasant to the touch.
"Hey, Zhenya,"
the man called again, this time more softly when Zhenya didn't respond.
The hand caressing his hair moved to brush his forehead, almost instinctively.
"I have to go. I'll see you later, okay?"
It was hard to tell if his goodbye was a plea or just a casual farewell.
A faint laugh escaped Zhenya's lips. His mouth moved as if he wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure if any
sound came out.
The only thing he could be certain of was that the shadow above him grew deeper, until soft lips pressed tenderly against his forehead.
"Behave and wait here patiently."
After giving that advice, as if speaking to a child, the man stood up from the bed.
His warmth, scent, and breath—everything that felt like an extension of Zhenya's own being— suddenly became distant.
Zhenya jolted and instinctively reached out to stop him.
The arm he grabbed felt strong and sturdy, as if nothing could easily break it.
In response, the man tousled Zhenya's hair once more.
Feeling the reassuring touch, Zhenya
slowly let go of the arm and murmured his name, though it was barely more than a whisper.
The man's gaze lingered for a moment before he withdrew completely, and his imposing presence vanished.
In the distance, the faint sound of a door closing echoed.
It wasn't until long after that Zhenya finally opened his eyes.
"....."
A familiar ceiling came into view. In the large, spacious house, not even the ticking of a clock could be heard.
Zhenya sat up abruptly.
"... Taekjoo?"
He looked around but couldn't sense anyone else in the room, except himself.
He glanced down at his own body.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for his limbs, which felt as
heavy as soaked cotton balls.
On the contrary, his mind was surprisingly clear and alert. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember how he had fallen asleep the night
before.
He sat there, rummaging through the fog of his memories.
Kwon Taekjoo had come to his house in the afternoon, his hands full of groceries.
Most of them were to fill his empty fridge and pantry.
After that, they'd followed their usual routine: sharing dinner, putting away the dishes, and settling in the living room for some drinks.
A movie played in the background, but neither of them was paying attention to it. Kwon Taekjoo had been unusually affectionate that night.
He'd suggested they visit Ajinoki Island soon, now that the weather was getting nice, and mentioned a cozy Russian restaurant nearby they could visit together.
He'd even asked if there was anything Zhenya wanted to do, a clear sign that bad news was on the horizon.
It was about time for Kwon Taekjoo to be assigned another mission, especially considering how often he had been summoned to the NIS headquarters lately.
Zhenya had resolved to enjoy the compliments—or rather, the anticipatory consolations—as much as he could while they lasted.
Zhenya leaned his entire body against Kwon Taekjoo, who was oddly shy that evening.
Kwon Taekjoo complained that he was too heavy, but fell silent the moment Zhenya looked at him pitifully, murmuring,
"You're going to leave me alone again."
Seizing the moment of calm, Zhenya gently pushed him down and kissed him.
Kwon Taekjoo didn't resist, accepting the heated kiss that stole his breath.
Even as Zhenya pushed his tongue deep into his throat, all Taekjoo did was occasionally stroke Zhenya's ear and chin or tap his cheek, signaling him to slow down.
Although it was clear he was struggling to breathe, with a vein pulsing on his soft forehead, he continued to kiss back eagerly, sliding his trapped tongue alongside Zhenya's, sucking on it.
Suddenly, Kwon Taekjoo grabbed the collar of Zhenya's shirt in the midst of their passionate kiss, causing them both to tumble off the sofa.
With their positions reversed, he straddled Zhenya, hands braced on the floor.
Without saying a word, he stared intensely at Zhenya before taking a slow sip of whiskey from his glass.
Zhenya's throat tightened involuntarily as he watched, and a throbbing sensation began to build in his groin.
Then, Kwon Taekjoo tilted his head and kissed him, intertwining their lips and letting the whiskey spill into Zhenya's mouth.
The warm, fragrant liquor slid down Zhenya's throat, leaving a small object on his tongue... a pill.
Zhenya shot him a questioning look, but Kwon Taekjoo merely breathed against his mouth with a calm expression, urging him to swallow.
Without resisting, Zhenya allowed the pill to dissolve on his tongue and swallowed, feeling it slowly make its way down his throat.
Kwon Taekjoo's eyes followed the movement, watching intently.
Zhenya smiled with satisfaction, lifting his gaze to meet Taekjoo's once
again.
"Taekjoo. What was that?"
"A sleeping pill. It's mild."
Was that supposed to be reassuring?
Zhenya chuckled.
It was already absurd that he'd
drugged his own lover, but now he was casually admitting to giving him a sedative.
And that wasn't even the end of it.
As if daring Zhenya to watch, Kwon Taekjoo stuck out his tongue and placed another small pill on it.
The contrast of his red, whiskey-slicked tongue against the tiny white pill made Zhenya swallow hard.
Kwon Taekjoo slowly leaned in and licked Zhenya's lips.
Unable to watch any longer, Zhenya pulled him in and devoured his tongue completely.
The pill dissolved between their
hot, entwined tongues, disappearing without a trace.
But even after the pill had vanished, Zhenya kept Kwon Taekjoo's mischievous tongue trapped in his mouth, sucking it forcefully.
Kwon Taekjoo's eyebrows knitted as his tongue stretched in tension.
He tried to pull away, but Zhenya only tightened his grip and pressed
their mouths together harder, as if venting all his pent-up frustration.
It wasn't until he tasted the faint trace of blood mixed with their combined saliva that he finally let go.
Panting heavily, Kwon Taekjoo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then leaned over to Zhenya to wipe the excess saliva off his lips with the edge of his shirt.
"You've become way too relaxed, accepting everything I give you so calmly. What if I'd poisoned you?"
"If it were poison, I would've known. It'd take me just seconds to break your neck."
"Were you serious about that whole 'killing me before you die' thing? How romantic,"
Kwon Taekjoo muttered, his tone a bit exasperated as he stood up.
Zhenya tried to grab him, but his arms barely lifted before falling back down, weak and ineffective.
The medication was starting to take effect.
"Come on, get up. You should sleep in bed."
With some difficulty, Kwon Taekjoo managed to pull Zhenya into a sitting position, hefting his limp arm over his shoulder.
They stumbled toward the bedroom, nearly tripping with each step.
Zhenya pressed his face against Taekjoo's ear and grazed his lips over the tense neck, where a vein bulged from the strain of carrying him.
Kwon Taekjoo protested,
"Are you really in the mood for this right now?"
but Zhenya didn't seem to care.
Finally, Kwon Taekjoo dropped him onto the bed and collapsed beside him, breathing heavily from the effort.
Zhenya slowly turned toward him and pulled him close, wrapping a leg
around him to keep him from moving.
Kwon Taekjoo squirmed, trying to get free, but it was no use.
His scent intensified as his
body became soaked with sweat.
"Shit... Was the pill too mild? How are you still this strong?"
With ragged breathing, Kwon Taekjoo laid there, imprisoned.
Zhenya went in search of his scent, gently stroking his cheek against his dark locks of hair. The hardness of his erection began to rub insistently against Kwon Taekjoo's thigh.
"Taekjoo... Taekjoo..."
"God, you have so much strength. Let go of me, you bastard. I'll make you feel better. Okay?"
Kwon Taekjoo said, gently patting Zhenya's arm.
Then, Zhenya loosened his grip. Kwon Taekjoo sat up and pressed his lips gently against Zhenya's, then spread kisses all over his face.
At the same time, he was undressing Zhenya, removing his clothes piece by piece.
Zhenya found the situation unfamiliar, but at the same time pleasurable.
He had never allowed himself to be completely at the mercy of another
person.
The only time he had ever let himself fade unconscious in someone else's arms had been one night, long ago, in a rundown motel with Kwon Taekjoo.
Before long, Kwon Taekjoo had gotten down on his knees over his naked body, beginning to masturbate himself with his fingers.
He reached down to wrap his hand around Zhenya's rigid cock, rubbing their erections together.
A surge of pleasure spread throughout Zhenya, from his crotch to the rest of his body. His breathing became erratic from the sweet, comforting experience, his body relaxing blissfully.
"Mnn… Taekjoo…"
Between groans, he repeatedly uttered Kwon Taekjoo's name.
At that point, his strength had been completely drained away, leaving him only able to blink his eyes with difficulty.
Every so often, Kwon Taekjoo leaned over to kiss him affectionately.
Zhenya's hips squirmed, longing for something more, but before he could move, Kwon Taekjoo grabbed his cock and slowly let himself fall on top of it.
"...Ugh, Mmn."
"Aah, ahh, Taekjoo."
Although Zhenya was hovering on the verge of unconsciousness, he could still clearly feel the intimate sensation of penetrating Kwon Taekjoo.
At first, a tight ache wrapped itself
around his cock, so intense that it felt like it was going to slice it in half, but it was
immediately replaced by a rush of sweet, overwhelming delight.
As a deep moan escaped his lips, Kwon Taekjoo began to ride him gently, his body trembling with his every movement.
"Aaah, aah, nngh..."
"Mmn, Taekjoo.... Taekjoo, mmn, it feels so good."
Zhenya savored the warm sensation through heaving breaths, the pleasure threatening to engulf him completely.
For Zhenya, sex had always been like a hunt.
He would fiercely pin down his partner,
overpowering them into submission before devouring them.
It was akin to the thrilling adrenaline rush he felt when chasing down prey. But this was different.
Despite being the one defenseless beneath Kwon Taekjoo, Zhenya didn't find it unpleasant.
In fact, the unfamiliar pleasure sent shivers across his body. Though he wasn't caught in a violent torrent of lust, the slow warmth spreading through him was tender and comforting, making him feel soft tingles in his stomach.
A faint moan escaped his lips. His mouth quivered before his eyelids finally closed.
A sliver of consciousness remained, but his body lay still, incapable of doing anything.
The last thing he remembered was the image of Kwon Taekjoo arching his back and shaking his hips, followed by a hot splash of semen landing on his face.
"..."
Zhenya ran a hand over his face but found nothing.
If last night hadn't been an erotic dream,
then Kwon Taekjoo must have cleaned him up before leaving.
He got out of bed with a small chuckle, his mind refreshed after a good night's sleep.
The lingering afterglow of sex had left him more rejuvenated than usual.
As he headed toward the kitchen, something caught his eye. On the table sat a plate of microwaveable instant pelmeni.
Was it Kwon Taekjoo's intention to make him breakfast? The meal looked pitiful, but Zhenya snickered.
For a man like Kwon Taekjoo, the gesture was unexpectedly thoughtful.
In search of some water, Zhenya opened the fridge and found the usual assortment of side dishes prepared by Kwon Taekjoo's mother.
She had carefully chosen dishes that wouldn't overwhelm him, steering clear of the fiery Korean meals that tormented his tongue.
What Zhenya didn't know was that most of these dishes were meant for a child's palate.
Whenever Kwon Taekjoo brought him food, he would complain,
"My mom made all of this for you, so you'd better eat every last bite. I'll be checking up on you to make sure you do. Got it?"
Zhenya always found the threat amusing, but he followed Kwon Taekjoo's instructions without protest.
He liked the way Kwon Taekjoo seemed proud of him when he found the empty containers and the fact that he had to visit more often to bring fresh food.
Food had always been a basic necessity for Zhenya, merely fuel to keep his body running.
He ate when he needed to and skipped meals without a second thought. His body had adapted to this habit—he was never hungry, and his weight stayed stable.
However, in the two years he had been living in Korea, he had gained about ten kilos.
It didn't change his physique too much, since everything he ate went straight to his muscles, but the downside was that now, he actually felt hungry whenever he skipped a meal.
"...I should shower first."
He was about to close the fridge when a pan caught his eye.
He pulled it out to check the contents but found a sticky note on the lid that read,
"Eat it if you want,"
in Kwon Taekjoo's unmistakable handwriting. Zhenya skeptically inspected the pan before lifting the lid.
Inside were scrambled eggs, overcooked to the point of browning.
"Taekjoo, always so adorable,"
Zhenya muttered to himself as he took a seat at the table.
He pushed the instant pelmeni aside and began to eat the scrambled eggs, which were cold.
As expected, they were tough and dry, lacking any softness. He even chewed on a few bits of eggshell.
The diced carrots and onions were chopped so finely that he couldn't find a single identifiable piece to chew, though he could still taste them.
As he chewed on the dismal breakfast, Zhenya considered his plans for the day.
Normally, he would be tracking Kwon Taekjoo's whereabouts, but he had promised not to, so only one place came to mind.
Zhenya rang the doorbell again.
The familiar face he expected to greet him didn't appear, though usually, Kwon Taekjoo's mother would be waiting by the elevator as soon as the intercom announced the arrival of his car.
He reached out once more to press the doorbell but stopped.
"Oh..."
He suddenly remembered what Kwon Taekjoo had told him last night while putting the side dishes his mother had mad into the fridge."
"My mom will be staying at my aunt's place for a while."
At that time, Kwon Taekjoo had explained that his aunt, who lived in Canada, was ill and needed surgery.
His mother was going to take care of her and might stay there for a while,
depending on how things went.
Zhenya had heard him clearly but had forgotten because visiting Kwon Taekjoo's mom during her absence had become a habit.
Kwon Taekjoo's mother wasn't much like her son, but the way she always greeted him with a warm, cheerful smile made Zhenya want to behave his best around her.
While it was debatable whether her cooking was as excellent as Kwon Taekjoo claimed, it had definitely
helped him get used to Korean food.
She was attentive and always ready to provide whatever he needed, which made him feel at ease.
Plus, he loved hearing the stories she shared about Kwon Taekjoo's past—things he'd never hear from the man himself.
Of course, Zhenya didn't like her just because she was Kwon Taekjoo's mother; she was genuinely enjoyable to be around.
She laughed often, loved to talk, and there was never a dull moment with her.
Even just watching her lifted his spirits. But the more he saw her, the more
he wondered how she could have given birth to someone like Kwon Taekjoo.
He had been on his way to visit her, looking forward to spending another carefree day with her.
But now, standing in front of the door, he felt an unexpected sense of emptiness.
Not only was Kwon Taekjoo gone, but the little woman who had often kept him company during dull, lonely times was absent too.
"Mm..."
Zhenya paced aimlessly in front of the door.
The boundless energy he had woken up with had vanished, leaving him bored and restless, with nothing to do.
He pulled his phone from his pocket.
He was about to open the GPS tracking app, as he usually did, but hesitated.
"Don't follow me."
Kwon Taekjoo had already made him promise several times not to do that.
It wasn't unusual for Kwon Taekjoo to scold him, making him stay out of his missions until Zhenya's ears were
practically bleeding, but this time, something had felt different.
There was something about the way Kwon Taekjoo kept looking at him, and the tenderness in his actions before leaving, that made it clear something was up.
What exactly was Kwon Taekjoo trying to do without him knowing? It would've been so easy to open the app and satisfy his curiosity, but Zhenya kept staring at the app's icon.
After a while, he put his phone back in his pocket.
"I guess I'll keep that promise for now."
He had never really bothered with personal promises before. Or rather, no one had ever dared to ask him to make such thing.
So he had no idea what was supposed to happen if he actually kept his word, or what benefits, if any, might come from it.
Honestly, he didn't care too much.
But it was a completely different story if the promise was made to Kwon Taekjoo.
He figured he could play the part of an obedient dog for now. What reward would Kwon Taekjoo give him in return?
That thought soothed his frustrated emotions.
Zhenya took the elevator down to the basement parking lot, his wide, energetic strides toward his Bugatti feeling light and almost cheerful.