(no subject)

[annapeace.livejournal.com]

Title: Fool Me Three Times, Fuck the Peace Signs (part 3)
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Infinite
Summary: Sometimes, bad guys are the only good guys.

--

“...and done.”

The last of the money transferred into their various accounts with a happy green wink from L’s phone. On the overhead screen, breaking news bulletins were cutting into regular programming to report the shocking arrest of a member of the National Assembly. Sunggyu smiled faintly and switched the TV off. Then he reached over and gave Myungsoo’s shoulder a light squeeze.

“Good job.”

Myungsoo couldn’t help doing a little happy squiggle at the compliment, much to Sunggyu’s amusement. Myungsoo just loved those little touches. When Sunggyu recruited L, the cold, ruthless, faceless shade, he didn’t know he’d actually end up with Myungsoo, warm fuzzy kitten. Not that Sunggyu minded. He got a professional when the situation required, and the rest of the time he got adorable.

He also got Lee Sungyeol because the hacker and grifter were a package deal. If he was being honest, Sunggyu hadn’t been sure about Sungyeol at first. Sungyeol just seemed so loud and variable. But over time, Sunggyu had come to respect, if not downright appreciate, the other man and his work ethic.

Even if he was often still loud and variable.

“Let’s go for beer and chicken.” Sungyeol stood, stretching his long limbs. For some reason, he was still wearing his Luna wig. The hair swished around distractingly as he twisted to kick at Myungsoo’s legs.

“You can’t go out as Luna, she’s dead,” Myungsoo pointed out as he stood. “I wrote her obituary and everything. I set up a foundation for kids with leukemia in her memory.”

“I know, it was a beautiful obituary. I almost cried.” Sungyeol grinned and grabbed Myungsoo’s arm to pull him out of the room. “Come on, you owe me a date, anyway.”

Myungsoo followed Sungyeol out without complaint. Once they were gone, Sungjong shrugged and hopped off the stool where he’d been perching.

“Well, this has been fun but I think I’m going to look into those emerald earrings.”

Sunggyu didn’t bother to warn the thief to stop or be careful. He trusted Sungjong to know better than to do anything truly dumb because deep, deep (deep, deep) down, Sunggyu knew the truth: Sungjong was a good kid.

On the other side of the room, Dongwoo and Hoya were grabbing their jackets. Dongwoo had been the only one Sunggyu hadn’t personally recruited. At the time, it wasn’t because he thought Hoya was better. It was just that he didn’t think he’d need two hitters, and Sunggyu already knew and trusted Hoya. But he was glad now to have both of them on the team. Dongwoo was water where Hoya was fire; they were a matched set and Sunggyu couldn’t imagine pulling off the jobs they did without either of them.

“Don’t you have a date with Amy tonight, hyung?” Hoya was asking.

“Yep, I’m thinking of taking her someplace really nice to celebrate.” Dongwoo nodded but glanced towards Sunggyu, almost like he was requesting permission. Out of all of them, Dongwoo was the most formal and respectful, and it was sort of touching that he cared what Sunggyu thought. Of course, Dongwoo didn’t really need Sunggyu’s approval. Dongwoo was an adult (and okay, Sunggyu had already had Myungsoo run a full background check on Amy just in case).

“Have fun,” Sunggyu called, waving lazily at them as he slumped deeper into the couch. “And Howon-ah, please don’t use your share to buy any more swords. We’re running out of storage in here.”

“I have my own storage,” Hoya snarked back before ducking out. Dongwoo laughed and escaped after him, leaving Sunggyu alone with Woohyun.

Woohyun rolled off the armchair he’d been lounging in and flopped next to Sunggyu on the couch instead. Before Sunggyu could work up the energy to groan in protest, Sungyeol popped back in the doorway. His dead model makeup had been touched up so he looked pale and mysterious and less like a cadaver.

“Hey...you guys want to come with us?” He spoke to both of them but his eyes cut awkwardly to Woohyun. Clearly this was a peace offering of some sort.

“Thanks, but we’re good,” Woohyun took the liberty of answering for Sunggyu as well.

“Okay, bye.” Sungyeol didn’t bother to hide his relief at the response and vanished with a flip of his hair.

“What if I’d wanted some chicken and beer?” Sunggyu grumbled, shooting Woohyun a cross look. Woohyun rolled into Sunggyu until his body was plastered to Sunggyu’s side.

“Haven’t you had enough to drink this week?” Woohyun said softly, his cheek pressed against Sunggyu’s shoulder.

“Myungsoo buys the soju.”

“Gyu-hyung.”

Sunggyu sighed, tilting his head back so he could stare at the ceiling. “And I bought the vodka.”

He didn’t normally drink quite so much. It just happened that the anniversary of his father’s death had just passed, his mother’s was coming up and his sister had called to give her annual reminder that he’d been the one to turn his back on Dad when Mom begged him not to so everything that followed was still entirely his fault. Anyone who said you couldn’t die from grief was a liar because his entire family had.

And Woohyun knew that. He might not completely understand how Sunggyu felt — Woohyun had never been unloved a day in his life — but it was enough that he stuck around anyway. He was the first one Sunggyu had recruited, the one Sunggyu trusted with all of his secrets.

“If you need something to distract you, I’m right here.” He burrowed in closer until Sunggyu shifted his arm to wrap around Woohyun. Woohyun was solid and soft and a better warmth than the burn of alcohol. Sunggyu turned his head so he could kiss the top of Woohyun’s head.

“I want to take a nap.”

Woohyun snorted and elbowed him none too gently in the ribs as he settled in. “My youth is wasted on you.”

“But I’ll still love you when you’re old and wrinkly and gross.”

Sunggyu felt, more than saw, Woohyun smile at the word ‘love.’

“Aww, Gyu, when you talk like that it makes me want to go steal the whole world for you.”

Sunggyu rolled his eyes and tucked Woohyun against him. “Shh. It’s nap time.”