the room was dark, sounds of skin slapping and high, throaty whines echoed through from the other rooms. the place smelled like thick cigarette smoke; but that was not what was suffocating him. it was his thoughts.

hongjoong was in the workers room after his shift, a room where the workers could wash up, change and even shower after their shift. it was a room where he'd seen lots of sinful touches amongst the workers themselves.

when he was younger he always felt bad for sex workers, without knowing that one day he too would be one of them; slogging away, ruining his body. and damn did he despise it. he scrubbed himself harder and harder, in hopes that he could forget every single shift he had taken, in hopes that he could forget every single person that treated him like a toy with no feelings. he felt disgusting and unattractive, as if he was only worth for his body and nothing else.

maybe that was because he felt like he didn't seem to peak anyone's interest romantically, and maybe that was because he was a shitty broke parent, he thought.

he felt like shit, like a wilted flower in winter. especially this night, his clients had degraded him without consent and they had also slapped him without consent. he couldn't say a word because then he knew he wouldn't get paid the money they offered. he hated that he couldn't do anything to protect himself.

hongjoong gathered up his things and shoved them in his backpack as tears rolled down his cheeks. he wanted to get out there as quick as he could.

the male strapped the helmet on his head before he twisted the key to start the motorbike. the engine roared as he drove across the quiet streets in the depths of the night. it was around three in the morning-- he didn't exactly know.

when he reached the apartment, san's to be specific, he knocked on the door and waited for the male to answer it.

a very sleepy san opened the door, messy hair and crumpled clothes with a sleeping yechan in his arms.

"hi loves," hongjoong whispered as he gently took his baby back in his arms, placing a tender kiss against his chubby cheek.

"how was work?" san asked

"yea, it was good," he lied through his teeth, a fake smile spread across his lips.

"alright, i'll believe you."

oh, how much did hongjoong wish he could speak to someone about his worries without feeling like a burden to them. oh, how much did he wish he had a partner.

--|--

seonghwa smiled to himself, thinking about the incident that happened not even five hours ago. he met his crush at the convenience store while buying a late night snack.

coincidence? he thinks not.

he might have an expensive shirt ruined but he thinks it's kind of worth it. he would do anything-- even kill to see hongjoong again with eyeliner on, with makeup on. he looked beautiful to say the least.

he stared at the ceiling, making up stupid fake scenarios in his head with a crush he couldn't even act upon. first off; he was definitely too old and second, his crush was the father of a patient, that would be dumb to act upon.

but he did love how gentle hongjoong was when dealing with his son, how tender and soft-spoken he was when talking to everyone around him, how he awkwardly fidgeted with the hem of his soft cotton t-shirts whenever he was nervous or anxious, the way his brown boba eyes scanned around the room whenever he was confused about something and the way his cheeks flushed a shade of pink whenever he got embarrassed. even the way his eyes glistened with stars every time he looked at his precious son.

seonghwa too was embarrassed to realize that he had noticed such small things about someone he didn't know anything about, wishing he could tell the other about it. he wanted to forget about this specific male that always lingered in the back of his mind like a record player that kept playing the same thing again and again and again.

though he was extremely excited for the next therapy session with hongjoong and his son, since he had planned an activity to do with the parent, he was eager to meet hongjoong and hoped to get to know him more.

maybe even get his number, who knows.

--|--

kinda short but seonghwa is finally aware about his crush, we love a self aware king 🙌🙌🙌