TAP DANCERS! NOMIN/MOBSTER! RENJUN

huang renjun is feared throughout the flourishing city of seoul, seeing as he is a well known mobster. one night, he's invited to his client's birthday party only to get captivated by a pair of charming tap dancers.

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being a mobster seemed to be the life, with the overload of money, drugs, sex, and a sense of superiority over others. at one point, huang renjun did enjoy life. coming from a poor family and having to claw his way up to the top was, one could say, fulfilling. no one could kick him around anymore just because of his status. no one could defy him despite his young age. or else a target will be placed on their backs; a promise that they will be met with a cruel end.

after his parents were not able to support the three of them anymore, they kicked him out and left him for dead. bold of them to assume renjun would rot like they would. renjun managed to survive on the streets of his home town before hearing that a trade ship was set en route to seoul, korea. the name of the flourishing city was already familiar to him thanks to the countless days listening to the radio in a run down noodle shop and picking up the daily newspapers. by then, he made a plan to escape this place and to start anew in foreign lands. some may say he was foolish to leave his motherland, which he was, but all that work paid off in the end. now, he had built an empire for himself, running seoul from its roots up.

the people who were living in lavish mansions? that was because they had his help. need to kill someone without dirtying your hands? renjun's got it covered. but that doesn't mean his favors were given without a price now. that would be ridiculous if his clients didn't have targets on their backs as well. one wrong move, they can be long gone as well, and no one would be able to concretely trace it back to him.

in his line of work, you had to know how to read people like the back of your hand, and over years of experience, renjun could know if people were lying by just looking into their eyes. you also could not show that you were afraid in any way. keep yourself calm and collected; breaking that mask would only mean that you are weak. renjun swore to himself that he was never going to be that scared little kid barely getting by in the streets of jilin ever again. he was going to show that knocking him down only made him get back up ten times stronger.

no one could shatter his perfect mask. that poor soldier couldn't. that widow couldn't. neither did that old man could shatter his perfect, ruthless mask. then why, oh why did two stupidly charming tap dancers break it with only a click of their shoes? he didn't understand how his perfectly constructed walls were knocked down so easily and it infuriated him. he was supposed to be the one who could read through a person like it was the morning newspaper. he was supposed to have the upper hand. not the other way around.

but let's rewind a bit to when one of his more favored clients extended him an invitation to their birthday banquet. lee donghyuck was a client that he could relate to half the time, and wasn't so bland with his requests unlike his other clients. the latter was refreshing to say the least. not only that, they could relate to the fact that women weren't quite their choice of palette.

being in seoul for a good decade or so now, he could tell that the people weren't so fond of homosexuality. more often than not, people were shamed if they showed interest in the same gender, which led to donghyuck organizing his birthday banquet that was open to create a safe space for all of them. his invite list had also included none other than huang renjun himself, because it wasn't going to be a secret homo party without him now.

"so you are basically inviting me to your attempt in finding your prince charming-which would obviously fail no less, seeing as your streak for falling for straight men is sky high-"

"stop being mean junnie! you know how hard it is trying to find someone who doesn't just claim that their gay so that they can get a good fuck behind their wive's backs, then leave the next morning without a single trace." donghyuck pouted petulantly, while sprawled out on renjun's couch. "by doing this, i might actually get a chance."

"then why drag me along? unlike you, i'm not a hopeless romantic." renjun states matter of factly, leaning back on the loveseat adjacent of the couch. "i also don't understand why you slept with those men in the first place. don't you have like a homosexual detector or something?"

"okay, then you're not coming to find someone you fancy. just be there for me, your favorite client. c'mon, it's my birthday, can you at least give me that much?" not wanting to see anymore of donghyuck's puppy eyes, he agreed to the terms. with a high pitched cheer he continued on with, "and to answer your question, my 'homosexual detector' doesn't really work when i'm drowned in booze just to let you know."

renjun rolled his eyes. "of course, what else did i expect from you?"

the banquet didn't seem like that bad of an idea. besides, he's been working nonstop for the last few months, barely being able to sit down and relax for once. maybe this was the small break that he needed.

-

when the night of donghyuck's birthday came around, he was dressed according to the dress code on the invitation ('the theme is sexy chic!' renjun rolled his eyes at the curly inked text. 'every invitation also has a random accessory you have to incorporate into your attire, so get creative ladies and gents!'). the only thing that really irked him was donghyuck's extra ass. in the invitation that was sent out to him, there was a ribbon of what he can assume are small diamonds with clasps holding all four lines together at the end of it. for the longest time he had thought the damn thing was a bracelet, so along with his watch, he wrapped the jewels twice around his wrists before securing it with the clasps.

that was until he got to donghyuck's estate and was told that his 'bracelet' is actually a necklace. renjun could only look at donghyuck incredulously. "this? a necklace? are you sure you aren't gowed-up already?"

donghyuck could only sigh in disappointment. "you're so wrapped up in your little mob business that you don't even know what a choker is. here honey, let me help you with that." the latter then unclasped the choker from renjun wrists, securing it around renjun's neck instead. after making sure each gem was in line, he stood back with a satisfactory grin. "now that is what ups your chances of getting fucked."

his comment wasn't complete without renjun slapping his arm while giving his trademark death glare. "don't push your luck, lee. you may be one of my more favored clients but one wrong move can and will end you."

"okay okay! but if you do plan on killing me, do it after my birthday party, please and thank you very much." and with that, he bounded off somewhere into the crowd, probably looking for his prince charming as renjun reckons.

being left alone shouldn't be that much of a problem for renjun as he usually kept on the low anyways. he picked up a flute of champagne from one of the severs walking around the place, then went to find a nice and secluded space for a quick smoke.

wandering around the place, he found there were a decent amount of people attending the party. they were all dressed in fanciful wear, clearly trying to impress. also definitely something you wouldn't wear to a regular banquet hosted by the rich and famous. while they mingled about with one another, the soft thrum of jazz music echoed around the room nicely. donghyuck's estate was one that renjun frequented compared to his other clients, so he knew the place well, but sometimes he wished he didn't know the place so well. (let's just say renjun found a particularly interesting room in donghyuck's personal library. he will never understand donghyuck's bizarre interest in odd things.)

venturing up to the second floor, he found an empty balcony that had a great view of donghyuck's backyard garden—his favorite part of the whole estate really. just something about the natural grandeur and whatnot. the nightly breeze greeted him gently, brushing back a bit of his inky locks. renjun basked in the dewy air as he fumbled out a cigarette and lighter, after placing his flute of champagne onto the stone railing. clamping the cigarette in-between his lips, he flipped open the lighter and lit it ablaze, watching as the flame colored the end of the blunt a bright amber. he let the silence encompass the space around him, as he sucked in his first draw, letting the familiar scent invade his senses.

"fancy seeing a pretty daisy like you out here smoking a blunt without sharing with the rest of us." renjun whipped his head around towards the voice behind him and immediately glared out of habit. though, he was quickly taken back a bit by the man standing in front of him. not only was he drop dead gorgeous, but renjun felt slightly intimidated for once. that second bit surprised him to no end, because when was the last time he had genuinely felt intimidated by another human being? nonetheless by someone who looked like he just stepped right out of a mainstream broadway feature.

"why would i share if there are plenty of them downstairs?" renjun quips back, quirking up a brow. "besides, i'd rather not share it with a stranger i know nothing of." lies, he kind of knew who he was just because donghyuck would not stop talking about him and his partner performing at his birthday banquet. it was quite annoying to say the least. ("the na jaemin and lee jeno are performing a number at my birthday banquet! can you believe it? the tap dancing legends that so happen to be also dating each other! if that isn't a win for the homosexuals, i don't know what is.")

the black haired man, whom renjun would assume to be na jaemin from the various news clippings donghyuck had shoved in his face before, only chuckled before walking up to the spot near renjun's, a foxy grin still plastered onto his lips. "would you share if we got to know each other then? that way, we aren't strangers anymore."

renjun lazily let out another puff of smoke, propping his arms up on the stone railing, careful not to knock over his glass still half full of the sparkly liquid. "aren't you a bold one? openly flirting with a stranger whom you know little of."

"please, who wouldn't want to approach a daisy like you. and since you're attending lee donghyuck's party, i shouldn't have to assume your preference no?"

"i'm only here for moral support, so don't get ahead of yourself here." renjun sighs heavily, turning his head to face the other man. "there are plenty of others in the room whom i'm sure would love your company, so why don't you move along."

in the time of their short exchange, jaemin had walked closer to renjun, ultimately taking the spot right next to him. renjun really shouldn't be bothered by how persistent jaemin is, yet here his gut was, telling him that something was definitely strange about him. the air around him felt more dangerous, or maybe that's just renjun being paranoid. he didn't know. he couldn't read him.

"but i want yours though." jaemin stepped forward towards renjun and renjun couldn't help but secretly admire how handsome he looked under the moonlight. raven locks were effortlessly windswept as the moon gave it a bluish sheen. skin almost smooth as porcelain. eyes dark like a black hole just waiting to suck him in and never let go. lashes that any lady would be jealous of. that stupid quirk of his lips that renjun so desperately want to punch off his face, but didn't have the strength to at the moment.

he took slow steps until he was able to cage renjun against the stone railing, leaning in way too close for his liking, but far enough from the cigarette still resting in between his lips. "say...renjunnie, do you mind doing me a little favor? as a pretty well known mobster, i would only expect as much." a mischievous smile bloomed across his face, slightly showing off his perfect pearly whites. jaemin reminded him of a fox; cunning, mischievous, dangerous.

renjun's eyes twitched at the nickname the man produced for him. so he did know who he was. at least they both were on the same page with identities here.

he slowly removed the cigarette and kept the roll between his fingers. "depends what the favor is." the bit of smoke curled up to jaemin, creating a wispy frame around the latter's face.

"there's someone i want to kill."

oh now they were talking.

"who may that be then?"

"my partner, lee jeno."

-

renjun couldn't stop thinking about na jaemin (that fucking bastard practically stole his cigarette after, so it wasn't that odd that he was thinking of him.) even when the latter left to prepare for a performance, renjun's mind lingered on everything about him. from that troublesome twinkle in his eyes, to his rather bold choice of words. this only escalated when he saw the pair perform their tap dancing routine.

tap dancing was something renjun was aware of, but never really indulged in. yet never was he as entranced by a performance as the one put on by na jaemin and lee jeno. their moves were fluid, but powerful nonetheless; pulling the audience's attention like moths to a fire. every beat was perfectly in sync—there was no room for mistake, only perfection. renjun had a hard time looking away. they were a force to be reckoned with, those two. they worked so well, not to mention the pure chemistry; each gaze was filled with a feverish desire with faint undertones of fondness. it was as if they were made for each other, renjun concluded from where he sat in the spectating crowd. soulmates. two sides of the same coin.

that left renjun with one thought. exactly why did jaemin want jeno killed then? it didn't make much sense at all but then again what he did for a living was built off of nonsensical things.

on his way out of the estate, he swore he saw the two through a window in the middle of a rather lewd act. they obviously had something going on, so renjun was bewildered. he let out a light scoff into the night. those two were a mystery that renjun looked forward to tearing apart until he had left no stones unturned.

usually, hits were influenced by jealousy, rage, and vengeance. but this...this was different. so different, renjun just had to take on this offer personally. he was intrigued to say the least.

he'd never had to step onto the field much since he had people do it for him. that's just how things worked once he found his spot in this city of his, but he'll make an acceptance of this once. only because these two were an interesting pair and renjun could take a little more spice in his life.

༄

PT. II

how did he end up lying on jeno's bed with jeno on top of him, he had no clue.

well, actually, he may have had the tiniest tidbit as to why but everything flashed by so fast, he didn't really didn't get to process much of anything. all he remembers is meeting up with jaemin at a popular bar joint he frequented at, so details could be discussed. at the time, renjun swore he took all the precautions. his switchblade was tucked in a small pocket on the inside of his coat, while his revolver was tucked neatly in the holster on his belt. he surely wasn't dumb enough to go alone so he had back up disguised as regular civilians around the area, and a few in the bar itself.

he could never be too careful, as he learned from previous mistakes that lead to rather unpleasant outcomes.

the two had met in the evening, when the city got livelier through its growing nightlife. people could be seen in the streets, drunk and singing songs about who knows what. men and women would be sneaking out to seek some kind of relief, kids would be tucked into their beds with or without a bedtime story, and crimes would be shadowed with the moon being its sole witness.

when renjun walked into the bar, he could spot na jaemin immediately from his boisterous attire. the blazer he sported had delicate lines of glimmering gems that anyone would die to get their hands on, while his slacks were fitted around his legs nicely. the polished leather of his shoes glinted every time jaemin tapped his feet against the barstool's legs. he could get why anyone would fall for the latter, but sadly, 'anyone' didn't include him.

marching up to the stool beside jaemin, he ordered himself a light gin blend, nodding to the bartender as a thanks afterwards.

"you know...i can't help but wonder as to why you want your partner dead. could you, perhaps enlighten me on the matter?" renjun asks, watching for any type of reaction on jaemin's face, only to see none. "i'm quite a curious cat if i'd say so myself."

"my reason shouldn't concern you huang. if i want him dead, then i want him dead." the words floated out of his mouth so casually, renjun could have been convinced that they were just talking about the weather. he looked over at jaemin to try and spot anything that can allude to an answer. his facial expression, his eyes, his body language—it all seemed relaxed, nonchalant even.

if anything, the lack of emotions added on to renjun's frustrations. just peachy.

he couldn't help but remember the intimate moment he stumbled upon while leaving the party a few nights prior. the two looked to be drowned within one another, not letting their eyes or hands slip away from the other's body.

the fact that he was staring was enough for him to feel the slight warmth traveling up to his cheeks. when he turned away, he scolded himself for being so childish. as if he's never seen or partaken in such acts before.

but now, sitting in front of jaemin, thoughts of that night came flooding back along with questions.

renjun sighed, "i guess a hit is a hit, as long as you pay the price."

jaemin grinned at the latter's words. "and what may that be?" his tone was playful, almost mocking if renjun thought about it hard enough.

"a hundred grand."

"okay, deal. jeno is usually home alone on fridays since i'm off running errands, so do as you may." jaemin raised his hand towards renjun, and without thinking much of it, they met in the middle and shook on it.

"so you're saying you want it carried out tonight?"

"the sooner the better, and an absolute pleasure doing business with you, darling." jaemin then leaned in close, causing renjun's brain to temporarily short circuit for a second, and pressed a tender kiss onto the apples of his cheek. "hope to see you soon."

the way renjun never saw it coming made him want to sock himself in the face even more, because after the meeting he really thought everything was alright. he glazed over the mischievous glint in his eyes, believing that it was just the man's nature to act like such.

he would head back to his place, grab the necessary equipment to carry out the hit. it wasn't like jaemin's request was odd or anything. he's received requests to kill a person within the hour before, yet he still did it with ease. this should be a simple walk in the park.

he had some of his underlings check out the place jaemin and jeno were staying at beforehand, and to be quite frank, having a balcony connected to the bedroom seemed too easy. but renjun didn't question further because he knew he would be in and out in no time. unlike some, he didn't revel in the sight of a dead corpse any time of the day.

as rare as it was for renjun to carry out a hit himself, he had to blame it on his relentless boredom. he found excitement in participating in these jobs, and it beat listening to donghyuck rant about his boy problems any day.

perched on the balcony, renjun made sure to stay in the blind spot where the railings extended a bit more to make space behind the glass doors. from where he stood, he could make out his target's hazy shadow across the balcony floor.

he waited silently for anymore movement, making sure he also had eyes on his backup in the apartment across from jeno's. a few more minutes of watching jeno's figure retire into what seems like a robe, his shadow got bigger while the soft fall of his footsteps could be heard nearing the balcony.

in a blur, renjun watched from the shadows as jeno walked right past him and towards the railings. renjun had to stifle a gasp because, gods, was he gorgeous too. he didn't know why these two men had such an effect on him and he absolutely despised it with a passion.

the robe he had on was made of what renjun recognized as silk. a pearlescent gleam reflected off of the thin fabric, giving jeno this soft glow all over his body. renjun has to mentally slap himself out of his ludicrous daze as he pulls out his switchblade. having to carry out murder with a knife was deemed a bit more tricky, but he couldn't possibly fire a gun in the dead of night now with civilians surrounding him at all sides. witnesses were the last thing renjun wanted right now.

holding his knife steady, he took a calculated step towards the man, right up until he was only a foot away from him. jeno seemed to not notice him yet, eyes still lazily trained up in the sky. renjun brought up his blade only to have himself stop midway when jeno spoke.

"took you long enough." jeno's voice took renjun by surprise, causing him to hesitate. a mistake he wholeheartedly regrets once jeno successfully disarms him like it was child's play. his blade fell with a faint 'clank' from when it hit the concrete below, and renjun realized that, fuck, he needed to act fast. he tried to reel in a punch to the latter's gut but his attempt was futile as jeno grabbed ahold of his wrist, twisting him around so that his arm was uncomfortably positioned on his back. "not so fast darling."

next thing he knew, he was forcefully pushed back into the room, making him stumble and fall right onto his face. renjun groaned in annoyance once he flipped himself over to meet eye to eye with his target. the balcony door closed with a click and there lee jeno stood in front of him with a piercing glare. in other circumstances, renjun might've found the glare attractive, but in this case it irked him to no end. behind him, he caught a glimpse of a figure in the apartment across from them fall before the lights completely cut out.

once renjun finally got his head back on straight, he tried to sweep jeno off his feet but was met with a rather painful hit to the head from behind, causing him to lose consciousness altogether. the last thing he heard was an irritatingly familiar chuckle and the words, "looks like someone became a little too cocky, jen."

which leads him to the present, where he was being pinned down by lee jeno of all people. his body felt heavy, as if each of his limbs had sandbags tied to them (not to mention the additional weight added on by jeno practically sitting on his fucking torso.) his mind was hazy, but still clear enough to see and comprehend what was going on. though that didn't mean his head wasn't pounding from the hit responsible for his total knockout.

"oh would you look at that. looks like our little daisy woke up from his nap." jeno's voice still rang out clearly to him. smooth yet teasing. renjun felt jeno's hand cup his cheek, running his thumb over his reddened skin and all he could think about was how utterly stupid he was. renjun tried to turn his head to the side to avoid his touch, only to have jeno use his other hand to keep him in place. he probably looked so pathetic right now, lying there helpless under the control of two handsome men whose identities were much more than dancers at this point.

from his periferal, he could see jaemin's slightly blurred figure observing the sight before him. renjun could practically feel the latter's smirk.

"you know...it's a shame that such a pretty daisy like you has such a high bounty over your head. the fact that we have to kill you is equally sad too, really."

kill him?

renjun slowly connected the dots, coming to the conclusion that this was none other than a damn trap. the fact that he fell right into it made him want to laugh hysterically at himself. god, and to think he prides himself in reading into people's true intentions. now, he must be seen as a fucking joke.

by now, jaemin walked over and sat himself on the bed, right beside them. he reached out a hand and started to thread his fingers through renjun's hair. renjun wanted jaemin's hands nowhere near him, but remembered jeno's hold on him. fucking bastards.

"do we have to kill him, nana? we can always keep him to ourselves and stage his death or something." jeno suggests, eyes still on the dazed man underneath him.

"hmm, that's not—"

"let me go, you bastards." renjun finally grits out, trying to give his best glare but was only returned with lighthearted chuckles from the two.

"oh darling, that's the last thing we'll be doing."

renjun really thought, well fuck, i'm about to become a little play thing for the rest of my life now huh? he was so caught up in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed how jaemin had slumped onto his side, falling right beside him. or how jeno was in the middle of yelling something before becoming deadweight as well.

the sudden weight falling onto his chest made renjun snap out of it, wheezing and gasping for air because he couldn't fucking breathe.

"ohmygodohmygodohmygod—" he didn't know whether to thank the heavens or hope for a faster death when hearing the familiar voice rambling madness into the once silent room. "i can't believe i just tranquilized my two favorite performers of all time—ugh! you're lucky i find you worth my time huang renjun."

jeno's unconscious body was finally lifted off of him and the sweet sensation of air filling his lungs was enough to elicit a tiny grin on his face. never in his life has he thought he'd be relieved to see lee donghyuck of all people. his mildly irritated face came into view and renjun saw him squint at him before saying, "you look like you're gowed out of your wits."

"just get me the fuck out of here." he mumbled, trying to reach out for the other man.

"okay okay, sheesh! not even a 'thank you donghyuck! you're my most valued friend and i would never ever make fun of your utterly disastrous love life ever again'—" while donghyuck kept on blabbering on and on as he heaved renjun's body onto his shoulder like a sack of rice. "hell! how are you so heavy for someone who is as short as a gremlin?"

"you're just weak." renjun weakly quips back, as he sees the last of jaemin and jeno's limp bodies in the room he was almost murdered in.

"right," they exit the apartment and are now standing in the middle of the hallway. "so that is why i'm giving you to my bodyguard."

a moment later, he was handed over to donghyuck's bodyguard. through his bangs, he could see the familiar face and visibly relaxed as mark lee was to be trusted. the man was with donghyuck from the moment the two met, always by donghyuck's side. and through time, he's learned to trust him a bit as well.

"now let's go. chop chop, i have lots to tell you about this other guy i met the other day—oh, not to mention i totally have to find my new favorite performers, because those pigs almost killed my favorite personal relationship therapist—" oh boy, this was going to be one hell of a ride.

-🍾-

it's been a while since i've finished a oneshot in my drafts haha. so, here we have something a little self indulgent cause at the beginning of the month i was mesmerized by a tap dancing routine being incorporated into a performance, which was the start of the whole idea. then i was like, mobster or gang leader renjun, cause i rarely see that anywhere.

this should take place somewhere around the early 1900s, though i don't think i depicted it well so i'm hoping to improve on that factor in the future. but still, i hope y'all enjoyed nonetheless :))