Work Text:
Kai takes a long, deep breath as he steps through the gates. Maybe it’s just his imagination but the air feels different now that he’s free again.
He counts his possessions, a few coins, some gum and – Kai nearly chokes up – the ring. Taehyun’s promise, hanging on a makeshift chain he always used to carry around his neck. He wonders if Taehyun still has the equivalent.
God, he really fucked that up beyond repair. In a flash of regret, he slips the chain over his head and tucks the ring under his shirt, close to his heart.
He digs around in his pocket for the scrunched-up piece of paper he shoved in there after changing from the jumpsuit into his baggy jeans and big white shirt.
Yeonjun’s diner - tell them Changbin sent you
xxxx – xxxx
He needs a phone first, but he clutches the piece of paper in his hands and memorizes the number. If it’s in his head, he can’t lose it, and nobody can take it from him.
“Kai.”
Kai freezes in his tracks, not daring to look up. That voice... it can’t be...
What reason does he have to show up here if not for... what? Vengeance? Self-justice?
Kai hears his steps approaching him, but he only looks up when he sees two clunky boots coming to a halt right in front of his dirty white sneakers.
Taehyun’s eyes still seem to hold a galaxy within them, big and brown and so soft, Kai almost fears the whiplash he’s going to get when Taehyun reveals why he’s here.
“Taehyun,” he breathes, shocked, “I– I’m–”
Kai lets out a grunt, surprised when the force of Taehyun’s weight cuts him off mid-sentence. Contrary to his assumption, however, he’s not being tackled to the ground, punches raining down on him...
No...
Taehyun is hugging him.
“Kai...” he says again.
It’s the exact same tone of voice he used to address him with before. Warm, fond, loving. None of which Kai thinks he deserves after what he did.
Confusion spelled out all over his features, he gently pulls away and looks at Taehyun. He still looks the same he did all these months ago, simply with slightly longer hair which he also dyed black and cut into a mullet. He’s beautiful. He’s everything.
Still, Kai can’t help but wonder... “Wh– What are you doing here?”
“I knew you’d get released today, so I... well, I’ve kinda been spending the entire day out here, waiting...” Taehyun looks sheepish, as though he’s scared Kai will laugh at him.
On the contrary, Kai expected many things upon seeing Taehyun out here. Kindness wasn’t one of them. So, laughing at him is the last thing on Kai’s mind.
“Oh...” Kai says uselessly.
Taehyun nods, gnawing at his bottom lip. Kai still doesn’t really know what he wants. Closure perhaps? They never officially broke up, after all.
“Do you have a place to stay?”
Kai thinks bitterly about the last letter he got from his parents six months ago. They expressed their disappointment and decided not to “waste their time” on him anymore now that he successfully flushed his future down the drain.
“I’m still figuring that out,” Kai says sheepishly, averting his eyes. He feels a deep sense of shame admitting this to Taehyun. Like, oh, look at the consequences of my own stupid actions...
Taehyun takes his hand gingerly, gazing up at him. “Stop figuring. You’re moving in with me.”
“But...” Kai trails off, looking at Taehyun wide-eyed. “Why?”
Out of every single thing Taehyun could have responded with, suggesting to be roommates didn’t even make the list in Kai’s mind. Why would he be so generous to him after everything? What on earth did Kai do to deserve to even be in Taehyun’s presence right now?
Taehyun tilts his head in question. “What do you mean, ‘why?’”
“Why would you help me when I almost killed your father? Why don't you hate me?”
Taehyun looks genuinely surprised at the question. Kai, on the other hand, thinks it’s rather justified.
“You don't seriously think I would hate you for something you did to protect me. Or did you forget how it happened?”
As if Kai could ever forget. Taehyun’s father – a man he had known and feared ever since he was four or five years old – caught them kissing in Taehyun’s car. Taehyun’s sexuality was never exactly a secret, but his father always chose to ignore it instead of dealing with it or, god forbid, accepting it.
Apparently, he saw red when he saw his son sitting in Kai’s lap with his tongue down his throat.
Kai would never forget the jarring crack of bones after Taehyun's father pulled his son from the car and punched him square in the face with an expression of blank hatred on his face; Taehyun cowering, trying to shield himself from his father’s wrath to no avail.
The only thing Kai can’t explain is where the pipe came from and how he got out of the car from one moment to the next.
All he knows is Mr. Kang’s fists wouldn’t stop flying, wouldn’t stop hurting the one person Kai loved most in the world.
So he did the only thing he could do in that moment.
He remembers the blood pooling on the ground where Taehyun’s father fell unconscious.
He remembers staring, shocked, until Taehyun got to his feet shakily and took Kai’s hand, bruised and bleeding and scared.
He remembers the police showing up and taking him away.
And he remembers making up his mind and denying any and all visits the minute he set foot into his cell just a little while later.
A few months jail, probation, freedom.
For bashing a man’s head in.
Luckily, his parents didn’t cut him off before getting him a good lawyer who reduced his sentence from its original five years.
“He's gone,” Taehyun tells him when Kai doesn’t answer.
Kai snaps out of his gruesome reverie. “What do you mean?”
“My mom and I got a restraining order when he was still in the hospital which he violated – twice. We got lucky and he was thrown in jail. My mom took the chance and moved away,” Taehyun explains.
“And you?”
Taehyun’s face takes on that look of determination Kai has always been extremely fond of; little crease between his furrowed brows, lips in a half-pout. Even when he’s like this, he’s nothing short of cute.
“I waited.”
“For me?”
“Of course,” Taehyun tells him, timidly reaching for his hand once more. “You wouldn’t let me see you and I didn’t know what it meant. I figured... well, I figured, if you don’t love me anymore, I want to hear it directly from you.”
Kai’s heart nearly shatters on the spot. The last thing he ever wanted was to make Taehyun believe he doesn’t love him. Not when Kai spent his entire life knowing nothing else.
“I still love you, Taehyun. Of course, I still love you. I just didn’t know how I could face you after what I did.”
Taehyun’s eyes are brimming with tears when he throws his arms around Kai's neck. “You’re such an idiot...”
“I know,” Kai retorts, a heavy weight dropping from his chest when he circles his arms around Taehyun’s smaller frame, holding him close. He breathes in Taehyun’s familiar scent of cigarette smoke and strawberry shampoo and he almost crumples at the sheer familiarity.
“I love you,” Taehyun says into the fabric of Kai’s shirt.
“I love you too, Taehyun. I’m so sorry...” Kai dares to tighten his hold, really letting himself feel Taehyun again after countless sleepless nights in a cold, impersonal bed, convinced he would never have this again.
Granted, Kai adjusted to jail fairly well but after years of having Taehyun by his side nearly every night, sleep didn’t come easy.
“Come home with me...” Taehyun says, pulling back just enough to look up at him. “I finally got a place...”
Kai smiles and wipes Taehyun’s tears. “I'll come home with you. Only if you stop crying, though.”
Taehyun chuckles and sniffles. “No deal, I only just got you back. You gotta go with me anyway.”
“I'd go anywhere with you.”
Taehyun leads him to his car but before they get in, Kai gently holds him back by the wrist. When Taehyun looks at him, his questioning gaze turns into understanding as he reads his face.
Regardless, Kai speaks up.
“Can I kiss you?”
Taehyun pulls him closer again. “You don’t have to ask. Ever.”
When he kisses Kai, it’s like everything is alright again. He can do jail, he figures, if he has Taehyun to come home to.
He cups Taehyun’s soft cheeks, deepening the kiss. It's hard not to get too intense right here out in the open but holy shit, it's been over six months. How did he ever go without Taehyun’s soft, plush lips, his skilled tongue and those pretty little whimpers he makes whenever Kai squeezes his hips or sucks on his tongue.
“Kai,” Taehyun pants against his lips, his tone sounds much needier than it did five minutes ago. “Come home with me.”
Kai doesn’t let himself be told another time.
*
Kai maps the planes of Taehyun’s skin with his tongue. He remembers every mole, every scar, every freckle but that doesn’t stop him from letting himself get reacquainted with Taehyun’s body.
Frankly, he never thought he would ever get to have him like this again.
His breath hitched the second Taehyun took off his shirt earlier to reveal his abs.
“Damn, you kept busy...” Kai said, this close to dropping to his knees.
Taehyun pulled him on top of him, laughing. “I needed an outlet.”
“I'm all for this outlet,” Kai told him before beginning his roaming across Taehyun’s toned body, exploring him, kissing him all over like he’s something precious.
Taehyun is fully naked and properly flushed by the time Kai gets to shedding his shirt, kneeling over his boyfriend. Taehyun leans back on his elbows, pretty eyes raking over Kai’s torso only to stop short at his side. He reaches out, fingertips tracing over a purple bruise.
“What’s that?”
Kai follows his gaze, though he knows exactly what Taehyun is talking about. “You don't exactly get a farewell party when it seeps through that you're getting released.”
Taehyun sits up, hands on Kai’s hips as he brings his lips to the bruise. Kai’s breath stutters at the feeling of having Taehyun’s lips on his body again. Taehyun tenderly kisses around his bruise.
“I never got to say thank you...” Taehyun mutters the words into his skin.
Kai’s hand finds Taehyun’s shoulder, holding on for dear life. “What?”
“You probably saved my life,” Taehyun tells him. “So thank you!”
Taehyun’s mouth wanders from Kai’s ribs to his nipple, wrapping around the bud. Kai’s resulting moan sounds through the otherwise quiet apartment. The sound turns into a whimper when Taehyun stops.
“You still have it...” Taehyun says, awed when his eyes fall on the ring dangling between Kai’s pecs.
Kai looks down, tracing Taehyun’s jaw. “Of course, I do.”
Taehyun kisses him tenderly, hand trailing down his side as his fingertips leave a trail of goosebumps on Kai’s skin.
“Oh!” Kai gasps when Taehyun cups his clothed erection. “Fuck, Tyun, I can’t...”
“Can’t what?” Taehyun asks with a mirthful little smile.
“Tyun...” Kai pants, nails digging into Taehyun’s shoulder. “Fuck... I’m–”
He cuts himself off with another moan when Taehyun takes his nipple between his teeth and tugs. His hand comes up to play with the other one. Kai’s knees finally buckle, and he fully lands in Taehyun’s lap.
Taehyun’s mouth hangs open as he peers up at Kai and he wastes no more time, pulling him into a searing kiss.
Kai’s hips move on their own accord, grinding down against Taehyun, causing them both to whimper into each other’s mouths. Taehyun’s noises paired with his hands all over Kai’s body ignite a fire in his gut.
“Tyun...” he starts again. “Fuck me...”
At his words, Taehyun sucks a sharp breath in through his teeth. “You sure?”
It wasn’t their usual dynamic before, but Kai needs to be full of Taehyun right now. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if he doesn’t get fucked immediately.
“Please, Tyun, I need it so bad.”
“Fuck, okay,” Taehyun pants, snapping out of his surprise.
He tugs at Kai’s waistband slipping one hand inside. Kai’s hips stutter at the sudden touch and he watches with rapt attention as Taehyun pulls his cock from his pants. He grunts when Taehyun’s hand wraps around both of their cocks, stroking them in unison. His head drops back automatically as he bucks into the tight grip.
“Tyunnie...” His tone is pleading, and his cheeks are hot with humiliation from being so needy for his lover, but Taehyun takes mercy on him.
He reaches under his pillow and fetches a bottle of lube. “I’ve got you.”
When Taehyun brings a hand between his legs, grazing his slicked-up fingers over Kai's hole, it's a miracle it doesn't end right there. It's been so long since Kai was touched like this; gentle, loving, careful. He expected himself to cum within seconds.
Taehyun’s eyes are trained on his face, scanning for discomfort as he opens him up. He stops his movements, making Kai whine. “Are you okay?”
It is only then that Kai realizes the tears running down his cheeks. Regardless, he nods frantically, moving down on Taehyun's fingers.
“Just need you...” he pants.
Taehyun's face flushes but he continues, curling his fingers and making Kai ascend. He's never felt like this before. Back then before he went away, Taehyun usually bottomed, and Kai never experienced much more than wandering hands.
This, however, Taehyun knuckles-deep inside him with three fingers, teasing his prostate, Taehyun being close to him like this again, Kai can't help but keen and moan without shame.
“Fuck me...” he pleads desperately. “Fuck me, Tyunnie, please...”
Taehyun curses under his breath and pulls his fingers free, carelessly wiping them on the sheets. He's a little clumsy as he rips open a condom package and rolls it down on his cock, making Kai's chest bloom with warmth.
His breath hitches when one of Taehyun's hands gently holds on to his waist while the other guides his cock to Kai's entrance, lining up. Taehyun is careful, almost painfully slow as he slides in, still keeping his eyes trained on Kai’s face.
Kai clutches Taehyun’s shoulders, lips parting in a desperate whine as Taehyun fills him up. It’s so new, so unfamiliar, but so fucking good. It’s just what he needed, he needs to feel every inch of Taehyun, needs him in his guts, needs him to leave a permanent mark on his soul.
Taehyun reaches up, gently cupping his face and grazing his thumb along his cheek, wiping away Kai’s steadily falling tears. He guides Kai with the hand on his hip as he rolls his hips upwards without strain.
“You’re stunning...” Taehyun says, kissing along Kai’s jaw, fingers of his other hand digging into the meat of Kai’s ass cheek. “I missed you.”
Kai sniffles, leaning down to bump their noses together slightly. Taehyun smiles as he bridges the rest of the gap between them, kissing him tenderly. Their tongues move against each other while Taehyun gently rocks Kai in his lap, drawing desperate little sounds from him with every thrust.
Kai is hot all over, he’s so full and he clenches around Taehyun making him groan quietly and break the kiss. Taehyun looks up at him when he grabs both of his hips and guides him up and down his cock with a tad more vigor, their need starting to overwhelm them both.
Kai cries out when Taehyun switches up the angle and hits a spot that makes him ascend. He whines Taehyun’s name, trying to meet his thrusts but his thighs are weak and quivering, so he lets himself be manhandled. The one thing he can do is slide a hand down his torso and wrap it around his neglected cock. Tears are falling onto his chest, but he doesn’t care; he’s never felt better in his life.
“God,” he pants weakly, his voice shaking. “I’m so...”
“Me too,” Taehyun says, resting his forehead on Kai’s shoulder, their skin covered with sheens of sweat. Taehyun looks ethereal like this, Kai thinks.
He’d kill for him, almost has killed for him.
Anything to protect his love, anything to keep being close to Taehyun in every sense of the word.
“I love you,” Kai whimpers as he topples over the edge, quivering as he strokes himself through it to the point of sensitivity. Taehyun kisses his shoulder as he follows, filling up the condom before wrapping his arms around Kai’s waist and just holding him close, neither of them willing to let go of each other.
Kai goes fully pliant against Taehyun’s toned, muscular body, feeling safe and secure. Feeling loved.
“I love you...” Taehyun says, his voice low and tired but no less sincere. Kai nuzzles him, his tears still falling quietly.
*
Hours later when the high has subsided and they cleaned up and cuddled for a long time before deciding to order the greasiest food known to man, Taehyun wipes his mouth with a napkin and fidgets.
“Something wrong?” Kai asks, carefully observing Taehyun’s nervous demeanor.
“While you were in there... did you... um, you know... with anyone.?” Taehyun stammers, not looking Kai in the eye.
“No,” Kai tells him honestly. He takes Taehyun’s hand, linking their fingers. “There was never anyone but you, Tyun.”
He never even dreamed of being with anybody but Taehyun. He’s all he’s ever known.
Kang Taehyun is all his firsts and if he has anything to say about it, Kang Taehyun will be all his lasts as well.
Taehyun looks up at him, bottom lip quivering slightly as he tears up again. “I missed you so much I thought I would die.”
Kai hugs him close, his own eyes burning with fresh tears again. “I missed you too... I don’t know how I survived in there without you. But I spent every moment of my time in there thinking about you, Tyun. I thought I’d lost you forever. I should have never shut you out, love. I’m sorry...”
Taehyun clings to him, shaking his head. “It’s not your fault. What matters is that you’re home and we’re safe and I love you...”
Kai smiles, pressing a kiss to the crown of Taehyun’s head. “I love you too. And I’ll make sure we’re safe for the rest of our lives.”