♊︎Year 5067, Month 8, Day 7, Time 10:02 pm♊︎
☯︎︎
Tap. tap. tap.
Playing with the pen in his hand, San's leg bounces up and down nervously where he sits on the chair, biting his lip ring.
Tap. tap. tap.
The music playing on the small radio in the room, owned by Wooyoung, begins to irritate San who's currently mulling over his recent trip to Butterfly Cafe with Kurenai.
Tap. tap. tap.
There's a faint aching in his chest that becomes stronger when he thinks about his relationship with Kurenai and how she denied their past so quickly, crushing his hope that he'd get a second chance.
Tap. tap. tap. Tap. tap. tap.
He suddenly shoots up from the chair, slamming the pen down on the desk and walking over to the door, startling his blond friend with the sudden action.
Wooyoung watches as the mulleted man walks back and forth from the door to the desk as if contemplating whether to leave or stay. He watches San do this a couple more times before getting tired of watching him pace the room.
"Is there something wrong?" Stopping his pacing for a brief moment, San snaps his head toward his best friend who's watching him from the floor in front of his bed, reading a magazine.
"N-No, nothing is wrong," San replies quickly, going back to pacing. Pursing his lips, wooyoung turns off the music. He's had enough of his friend's anxiety.
"Stop lying, idiot. I can tell something's bothering you, so either you tell me what's going on, or I'll make you tell me." The blonde man sets the magazine aside to cross his arms challengingly, meeting the narrow stare of the mulleted man.
After a moment of thought, with fists clenched and jaw tensed, San finally decides to tell him.
"I'm worried."
"Okay... that's obvious." Wooyoung deadpans. "What exactly are you worried about?" San curls and uncurls his fingers.
"Kurenai." There's a moment of silence between the two when Wooyoung finally decides to get up off the floor, walking over to San and sitting on the desk next to where he's standing.
"Is it because of your memories?" Currently, Wooyoung was the only other person besides Kurenai, Seonghwa, and San to know about San and Kurenai's connection. All thanks to San and his inability to keep things to himself.
San sighs. "No, not that. It's— I don't know. Remember how I told you about recovering my missing memories?" The other man hums along, listening intently to his friend's current dilemma. "Turns out all of the memories I was missing were memories I shared with her from when I first met her to when I... tricked her into killing me—."
"And there you go again with your crazy ass story! San, we talked about this already and we decided that there's no way you could've been magically killed and revived."
"But I was!" San counters frustrated that his best friend isn't listening to him. "I saw the evidence with my own eyes that day I stopped by the cafeteria with Kurenai and even she saw it!" Wooyoung rubs his temples with a tired sigh.
"Okay, fine. Let's say, you were killed and revived and all of that is true. What does this have to do with your current problem?"
"It has everything to do with it because along with those memories came feelings to accompany them." The mulleted man waits for the tattoo artists to give a reaction, but all he does is blink blankly. "Oh my— Wooyoung, don't you see it?! Those lost memories of my relationship with Kurenai brought back the feelings I had for her, but I can't act on them because she doesn't remember us at all!"
When San's done sharing, the younger giggles to himself, smiling knowingly which irritates San.
"Well, would you look at that?" Wooyoung starts, poking San on the side of his ribs. "Someone's lovesick."
"What?" San quickly snaps, looking at Wooyoung like he's grown the third eye. The latter rolls his eyes, disappointed in his friend for not seeing this before him.
"Oh, don't act dumb. I can see right through you. You're lovesick over her and you don't even realize it." The mulleted man sputters, trying to find an answer but only opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.
"I am not." He finally declares, crossing his arms and glaring at the blond man. "Even if I was, we have no chance at being together. You know the rules."
"Like that's really stopping you," Wooyoung scoffs, ignores everything San just told him. "Lemme guess. You're scared she just doesn't like you? No, that can't be it. Oh! You're scared she'll be unimpressed by you after being with Mingi!"
"I'm sorry, WHAT?" The younger man cackles when he sees San's eyes fly as wide as saucers, taking advantage to tease him even more. "You heard about it, didn't you? Mingi and her were together. Well, not together together— more like friends with benefits. Either way, he sure as hell is a big competition. I almost feel bad for you."
San hangs his head resulting in more unrestrained laughter from the mischievous tattoo artist. Before this piece of information that he was already suspecting because of the clear connection between Kurenai and the model, San was worried that he'd make a mistake and end up getting both him and Kurenai killed, but now he's been given another detail to overthink.
"On the bright side," Wooyoung attempts to cheer up his friend. "You and Kurenai already have a strong bond. I'd say it's even stronger than her and Mingi's."
"You think so?" San asks hopefully, his eyes lighting up slightly at the thought. "But she hates it when I bring up our past at all. She refuses it even though we both know we had something. What if she knows but she doesn't want to admit it because she has feelings for Mingi?"
"So?" The other retorts. "You said yourself that there's chemistry between you two. If you can manage to bring back all of her memories there's a chance that the feelings she had for you will return just like yours did."
"And just how am I supposed to do that?" San crosses his arms and Wooyoung shrugs.
"That all depends on you, my good man. Now," Wooyoung stands up suddenly from where he was sitting next to San, getting behind the mulleted man and pushing him toward the door which confuses the hell out of him. "You're gonna go out there, get off of your sorry bum, grow a pair, and confront her."
"W-what?! Right now?!" San stammers as he struggles against the man pushing him out of the door.
"Yes!" Wooyoung answers back nonchalantly, shoving him out of the door and waving at him as he regains his balance from being thrown out of his best friend's room. "Have fun!"
"Wooyoung, wait—!" Sadly, he gets cut off by the blond-haired man slamming the door to his room shut, leaving San to contemplate his options by himself.
Surveying the dorms and letting his eyes fall on the elevator, he battles on whether or not to do what Wooyoung was telling him to do and after thinking it thoroughly, he sets off to find Kurenai.
It takes him a bit to get to the elevator and then to the room she was being placed in, all the while feeling the pendulum in his brain swinging back and forth on whether he should bring up their past or not. He doesn't understand why she flat out denied the truth they both know, and that's been eating at him since they last discussed it.
Since then, he's tried to avoid the topic as a whole but it's become increasingly harder to do when every moment they share now reminds him of the past: of the endless nights they'd stay awake together, murmuring in each other's ears over nonsensical things; of the childish moments they'd yell their heads off at each other in loud, trifling banter.
But at least they were happy. And that's all he's asking for again. Their happiness.
He finally reaches her temporary room and sees the door left slightly cracked open, allowing for a slither of the candle lights inside to spill out into the dark hallway. As he nears the door, he tries to listen in on what's going on inside when he realizes that there is no sound coming from her room at all.
Knocking on the door once, then twice, San doesn't receive a response so he pushes the door in some more to get a view of the inside but is confused when he sees no one inside.
He knits his eyebrows together, pushing his lips out into a pout and looking around the hall when he hears someone cursing down to his left. The noise piques his curiosity so, going against his best judgment, he follows it to the source.
He takes a couple of turns here and there, noticing that the lights to Jongho's garage are turned on striking him as odd, but the closer he gets to the garage, the louder the cursing and talking becomes.
As he nears the entertainer to the garage, it becomes clearer to San that the person talking is in fact Kurenai, and she sounds pretty upset. Pressing himself against the door to listen in, San gets a little too drawn into the conversation.
"Yes, I am aware of the consequences this might have but I don't care— No! That's not my problem... okay, I understand that and I'm saying that I need this damned meeting so that I can— ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I KNOW HE DIDN'T JUST HANG UP ON ME!" San hears Kurenai suddenly bang on the roof of the car and it startles him, causing him to hit his head on the door in surprise which ultimately gave away his position to the sharp woman. "WHO'S THERE?!" She bellows, making a tiny shiver run down San's spine. He had almost forgotten how terrifying she could be when upset. "WHOEVER THE HELL IS BACK THERE, I SUGGEST YOU STEP OUT RIGHT THIS FREAKING INSTANT BEFORE I DRAG YOUR ASS OUT OF THERE—!"
"Okay, okay. I'm out. Please don't drag me." San steps out timidly from behind the doors, instantly putting a stop to her temper tantrum.
"Oh, it's just you." Kurenai's expression goes through a series of emotional transitions, from anger to confusion to nothing, before she speaks up again. "I thought it'd be someone else."
"Were you expecting someone else?"
"I dunno." She shrugs pensively. "Seonghwa maybe. He's been stalking me since I came back."
San's stare trails down her figure, taking in the neon green bob that sits atop her head. The black cross-top she has on with matching bell-bottom leggings that show off her cleavage and curves makes the man take a gulp, not used to seeing her in such outfits.
"What— uh, who's p-phone is that?" The mulleted man's jaw stutters as he tries to redirect his attention elsewhere, focusing on the phone in her hand. She looks down at it momentarily, pressing her lips together.
"It's one of Hongjoong's extras. It's doesn't have a tracker on it and it pings off of multiple cell towers so that the calls can't be tracked."
"Now, why would you need something like that?" He prods a bit deeper which causes her to become fidgety. "Kurenai, just what are planning—?"
"Ugh, just shut up and get inside the car." The tattooed woman walks quickly over to him and drags him by the hand into the car, pushing him through the driver's seat and into the passenger side.
San realizes then that the car isn't like the usual cars Jongho stores in here; its date and model being very different from the other types. The most striking feature being that the front seats aren't separated but connected like a booth.
"Who's car is this?"
"Someone's, but that's not important." Kurenai waves him off.
"Wow, first you steal a phone from Hongjoong and now you steal a car? What's next?" He chides, making Kurenai roll her eyes in exasperation.
"You know, for someone who steals things for a living for other criminals, you sure do whine about thievery a lot."
"Well, maybe I don't actually want to steal." San folds his arms over his chest childishly.
"Right," Kurenai scoffs, "Then why haven't you left?" For once, San is at a loss for words, silently watching as Kurenai fumbles around for something when she opens the sun visor, letting the key hiding inside fall into her palm. "Anyways, to answer your question, I got a hold of a contact that can hint me in on where the Meisters may be keeping Candy and what Project Gemini really is."
"Project Gemini..." San echoes, feeling Kurenai's eyes on him as he thinks about it. "You're not buying it either, huh?" She takes a sharp breath.
"I don't know what to believe anymore." She slumps down in her seat, staring up at the roof of the car. "After coming across Gemini and being tortured by the Meisters, I found myself at a standstill. The only people that had given me a life turned out to be my worst enemies." Her head lolls to the side to get a better look at a worried San. "I just want to know the truth."
San nods understandingly, sucking in an anxious breath and running his hands up and down his thighs as he looks outside of the car they're in.
He finds it crazy and hypocritical that she wants to find her 'truth' but denies it when it presents itself to her like their past relationship, but who is he to tell her what she can and can't believe?
"Okay... so where are you going to get to this... contact? Because if it's the person you were talking to on the phone, I don't think you'll get much out of them."
"Ha, yeah it'll probably be a bit hard now that I think of it but with the right promises it's doable." Kurenai reasons unconvincingly. "I would've been harder to do all alone but now that you're here, I don't think it'll be as hard."
"Woah woah woah, hold on there. What do you mean 'now that you're here'? I never agreed to go with you. Heck, you haven't even told me where you're going." San tries to deter her although it's impossible at this point. Once she has her mind set, it'll take a miracle to get her off track.
"Well, I don't think you'd knowingly let me go alone to The Succubus—."
"The Succubus?!" San exclaims, his eyes flying wide open and filling up with worry. "Are you out of your damn mind? Why in the world would you go there alone?!"
"But I'm not going alone." Kurenai shoots back coolly, sitting up straighter and starting the car's engine with a slight smirk. "You're coming, too."
"Oho, now that's funny. See that? That was a good one." He shakes his head in humorless laughter, attempting to hide his irritation at her stubbornness. It really does nothing though when he sees her deadpan expression, realizing what this means."You're not kidding at all, are you?"
"Nope." She chirps.
"Do I even have an option?" He tries one last time. "I never agreed to this."
"I never gave you an option. Besides, who knows, maybe you'll finally be able to pick up a chick or two." Kurenai teases, pulling out of the parking slot and taking off with San to their destination begrudgingly.
☯︎︎
"We're here." The tattooed woman softly nudges San who was lulled to sleep on the drive to their destination. In all, it had taken them about an hour or so to arrive at their location and in the time they hadn't said a word to each other because of San's sulking.
At some point, he had fallen asleep which brings them to the now. The now that includes being parked across the street from the absolute worst place they could be in all of Answer District: The Succubus.
"Great." San remarks sarcastically as he stirs awake, stretching out as best he can in his seat with a loud yawn before rubbing his eyes to wake up fully. "So what's the... plan?" He had drifted off slightly when his eyes land on Kurenai's face which looks a lot different than usual.
"What?" Kurenai catches on to the hesitance in his words, furrowing her brows in confusion. "What's wrong? Do I look bad?"
"No, no, that's not— that's not it." San shakes his head a little too aggressively, taking the sight of her face with makeup. Her sharp, feminine features were greatly enhanced with the makeup she'd applied and had done expertly if he may add, making her look stunning. But what drew his attention the most were her wine-red lips that looked a little too inviting to him. "You look... hot?"
"Mm, you don't sound so sure." She giggles a bit at his flustered state, noticing the way he can't seem to take his eyes off of her lips. "Am I really that breathtaking?"
"A bit." He admits with a shy chuckle, regaining his composure when he comes back to reality and out of his grogginess. "I'm staring too hard, aren't I?"
"A bit." She scrunches her nose when she responds this time and they both laugh, getting increasingly flustered with each other. "Ahem, well, if you're done drooling, I think it'd be best to get going. I've only got so much time before my contact leaves."
"Right, right. Who did you say your contact was again?" San pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to remember but soon realizes that she hasn't told him at all.
"Let's just say they're someone that may or may not be so happy to see me. But that's not important, what's important is getting info on Candy." She avoids the question by diverting to another topic.
"Okay, and how will we do that?" San quirks an eyebrow this time, a bit unsure of where she's headed or if she even knows where to go from here.
"I was thinking maybe we could offer them the information we have on Project Gemini, kind of like a trade deal." Kurenai proposes, reaching over the back of her seat to pick up a duffel bag that she sets between her and San. "We would give them what we know and what Hongjoong dug up from the USB I was given in return for the information want."
"Don't you think that they'd already have this information though?" San counters, putting his thinking cap on. "This is just basic information about the Project. They're sure to have this already."
"You're right." Kurenai concedes, bringing her thumb up to her mouth and chewing on her nail while crossing her other hand over her stomach. "Then what will we trade? We need something."
"But we don't have anything. Look, Kurenai, I understand that you want to help the team, but this is just too dangerous." San reaches out to grab the hand she's chewing the nail off of, sliding his hand into hers to try to convince her. "This place is not somewhere you should be right now."
"You don't think I know that? I know what the risks are in doing this, but I have to. Candy is missing and the longer we wait around and do nothing, there's a bigger chance that she'll be dead."
"She's not dead and she won't die. We'll find her, I know it, but I really don't think this is the way."
"But it is! This is the way!" Kurenai grabs the hand that's holding her with both hands, trying to make San see what she sees. "San, I found out that you weren't the only person I hurt in my past life when I was being held by the Meisters. Seonghwa and Candy, my best friends back then, were also affected by my choices and hurt. It's too late to save Seonghwa because he's too caught up in serving the Meisters, but it's not too late to save Candy. Please, just let me do what I couldn't do in my past life for her. Let me save her."
San's face grows conflicted as he sees the look of hopefulness and desperation woven in Kurenai's eyes, a look that hurts him to see on her features. He genuinely wishes that he could flat out reject what she's asking of him but it would be hypocritical of him to deny her his help when he too is trying to make up for what he lacked in his past life which was the ability to protect Kurenai.
It's a hard decision for him to make but time is running out and the look Kurenai is giving him really isn't helping at all, so he gives in to her pleas.
"Fine. If you really think that this connection will help us get closer to Candy, I'll help you. But if even one thing goes wrong in that place and it puts you in danger, I don't care how much you cry or kick or scream; we will leave this place immediately. That's my only condition."
"So, you're in?" Kurenai becomes a bit skeptical.
"Yes," San sighs tiredly, knowing full well he will regret this. "I'm in."
"Okay... okay. Yes, that works. I promise I will do as you say."
"Pinky Promise?" He sticks out his pinky and she grabs it with her own a little too eagerly.
"Pinky Promise." She repeats after him, sealing the deal when she suddenly feels her mind becoming a blank canvas, soon to be filled up with a bright memory just like this one with their pinkies wrapped around each other with stupid smiles plastered on each other's faces.
It was a quick memory but a strong one nonetheless that left behind a trail of nostalgia and something extra with it. When Kurenai comes back from where her mind had taken her, she sees that San is in a similar state, with eyes hazy and brows furrowed.
"Did you—?"
"Yeah, you too?"
"Yeah." They communicate with vague words and phrases but understand each other perfectly fine, having been through this more than once.
They experienced another flashback.
"Do you still think that we didn't know each other before now?" San questions her with a hint of smugness that bothers Kurenai.
"I told you I don't want to talk about this."
"Then when will we? You have to face the truth at some point."
"I know, but not right now. Not when we're about to do something risky." She manages to persuade him, digging deep into the duffel bag she had brought out for a specific item.
While she does that, San looks out of the window, taking count of the security and other people entering and exiting the establishment.
This wouldn't be his first trip to the infamous nightclub, The Succubus, which he just now registered is the reason why Kurenai was dressed the way she was. In fact, this was a place he and Wooyoung frequently visited out of the latter's constant need to socialize and go out.
Because of their frequent visitations, San also became quite familiar with the place's ambiance and it was not a good one at all.
At first sight, The Succubus seemed like every other nightclub there is with its flashy light, its stagnant smell of sex, and its drunken party-goers, but hidden behind the chaos and alcohol lies a very different purpose.
Much like El Dorado, The Succubus was a place where dirty people came to do dirty things. High-stakes gambling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and just about any other downright disgusting thing humans can do. And where there are bad people, there is MALUS.
A lot of MALUS subjects and staff attend this nightclub because of tasks they're assigned to or because of the familiarity with the place. This doesn't include the bounty hunters and other paid assassins that may lounge around in there which will definitely create a problem for Kurenai who's been blacklisted. The whole reason why San was opposed to this idea.
But there's no going back now. He's already made a promise.
"There we go." Kurenai snaps San out of his mindless stupor, bringing out a small box she had stored in the duffel bag. "These are our earpieces in case we get split up or something although I doubt that'll happen. I also brought some weapons, so you can choose what you want to take in."
She expounds as she pulls out her pack of cards, placing them inside of her handbag that was also in the duffel bag, along with some throwing knives she hides in her top and a cylindrical object about the size of a pen she straps to her calf, hidden by the bell-bottom design of her leggings.
San decides that he too should arm up so he readies a glock and tucks it at the back of his jeans under his leather jacket so that it will stay hidden, patting himself down after to feel for his hidden needles and senbons that he carries at all times. Once he feels ready, he gives Kurenai the okay and they slowly make their way to the club's entrance together.
At first glance, the nightclub didn't seem like much. Sure, it has its bright, neon pink sign hanging above when you first enter with two bouncers and a red velour rope stopping unwanted guests, but the building was rundown and ugly all over from the outside.
It looked like it could fall apart any minute with its people prancing around inside, blasting EDM music. But it was also a very deceptive place, so it's only natural that its outside would make many steer clear from here unless you knew its real purpose.
Kurenai and San arrive at the entrance after crossing the street, waiting patiently in line until it's their turn to meet the bouncers, and when they do, they come across their first obstacle of the night.
"What's your purpose here?" The first bouncer utter in a very demanding tone, that matches perfectly with his looks. He has a hair of sandy blond hair which is the only light feature on him, the rest being all muscles and robustness.
The jumper to his left is much less built and shorter in height, but their piercing glare makes up for everything they're missing in physicality. San decides to take the role of talking to the bouncers and Kurenai doesn't mind, letting her attention drift to the smaller bouncer of the two.
It's then that Kurenai notices the bouncer is a woman which strikes her as odd. The Succubus usually only keeps male bouncers around so if there's a woman bouncer here, she must be lethal. And that spells trouble.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not allowed to let you in today if you don't specify why you're here. I was given special orders and I cannot defy them. Please move to make room for the next in line." The first bouncer waved San off, catching Kurenai's attention just in time for her to intervene.
"We're here for 'The Gamble'." She spurts, catching the smaller bouncers attention.
"Pardon? Did you say 'The Gamble'?" The bouncer asks to double-check and Kurenai affirms it, leaving San in total befuddlement.
"Yes, we're here for 'The Gamble' on behalf of The Grim Reaper." The female bouncer eyes her for a socomd, her eyes lingering on the multiple tattooed linking her arms that Lirenai decided not to cover with the concealment bracelet. After a moment of thought, the bouncer nods.
"Let them in." She orders the robust man who begins to put up a protest but with one good glare he settles down. "Don't make me repeat myself."
With a timid bob of his head, the robust bouncer lets the couple pass through to San's surprise. The whole time, both bouncers eye them very closely, their stares boring into their napes as they pick their way through the crowd of the club.
In less than a minute, they're swept away by the turbulent crowd, Desperately reaching for each other when Kurenai takes a hold of his hand to drag him to the sidebar.
Loud music blares from the speakers at every corner of the large room, the musty smell of sweat, perfume, and lust stinging their nostrils. They make it to the bar on the side, separating themselves from the rest of the entranced party guests to speak about their next step in the plan when a more pressing question enters San's mind
"What's 'The Gamble'?" Kurenai sits on one of the stools, beckoning San to do the same as she calls the bartender over.
"It's an underground fight club held in the bunkers of this nightclub. Ismael sent me here often to get information or to simply watch some of the fights if there was a fighter that was marked for assassination so that I could get the hang of their fighting style." She informs him, smiling at the bartender when he nears. "Two cosmopolitans, please."
"Oh no, I don't want any—."
"They're for me." Kurenai cuts the mulleted man off and the bartender sets off to prepare her drink, paying no mind to their conversation. "As I was saying, Security gets tighter whenever there's a scheduled fight which results in them limiting the number of people they let in although everyone is already packed in here like sardines." She makes a face as her eyes drift to the dance floor where everyone's sweaty bodies and sticky skin are pressed against each other, grinding and rubbing to no end.
"We're not here for that, though, are we?" San frowns and Kurenai rolls her eyes.
"Of course not. We had to get in somehow, so I told them that." Her drinks are finally slid to her and she thanks the bartender, picking up the first one and taking a big gulp of it. "What we're here for is actually up there." The tattooed woman points to the rooms above where many party-goers line the railings in front of the rooms. The platforms above them extra door from the walls to create enough room for the people to lounge about but also walk through without getting pushed over the edge.
"Those are the blue rooms, right?" Kurenai nods. "Aren't those restricted to special guests?"
"They are. Usually, only investors and VIPs are allowed up there which is exactly where my contact is hiding. To get up there, you need to be on the list." She muses, a small smile threatening to breakthrough.
"There's a but somewhere, isn't there?" San suspect and he's right.
"There is indeed, you know me so well." Kurenai sets a hand over her heart in feigned content. "The other way to get in is by grabbing an investors or VIPs attention. Once you do, They'll then extend an invite for you to join them up there."
"And how do we get their attention?" San inquires, taking note of the change in Kurenai's eyes as they glaze over with something akin to greed. Her lip twitches but she reserved what she was going to say, turning to the idle bartender instead.
"Do me a favor, would you, and send a Bloody Mary up to room 33 for me." The bartender grins eerily, nodding along to her order pleasantly.
"Sure thing. Would you like me to send a message, too?" Kurenai thinks about it
"Tell them I'm waiting." She states confidently, turning to San and eyeing him up and down which makes him squirm. "This won't do." She mutters, her hands flying to fix his appearance as best she can.
She disposes of the leather jacket he had on over his black button-down, unbuttoning the first couple of buttons to show more of his toned chest muscles and folding up the sleeves of the shirt. Ruffling his hair to give it a messy look, Kurenai steps back to admire her work with a smug grin.
"That's better."
"Why about the gun?" San reminds her, pulling it out of where he had hidden it at the back of the waistband of his jeans. "Anyone will take it if I don't have my jacket on."
"Leave it with the bartender." Kurenai shrugs, ushering him to hand it over. "You have your needles anyway so the gun isn't a must-have. On a more important note, can you dance?"
"What? Yes, I can dance, what kind of a question is that—?" He doesn't get the chance to finish his dialogue because she drags him off to the dance floor, downing her last drink in one gulp that makes some of it spill down the sides of her mouth.
The vodka in the drink makes her eyes prickle and grow watery but it's dulled by the sourness of the lime juice and other ingredients. Wiping her mouth clean, she heads straight into the middle of the dance floor, turning to look at San who's face is slightly perturbed and wrinkled in disgust at the sight of everyone's bodies grinding against each other.
Kurenai laughs at his distressed state, pulling him in a little closer and bringing a hand to cup his right cheek, her other hand placed firmly on his tensed shoulder.
"You look scared!" She yells over the loud EDM music the DJ is blasting which brings out a vigorous nod from San.
"I don't usually like nightclubs!" He answers her, trying to keep from touching or accidentally bumping into anyone. "Wooyoung drags me here all the time, but I usually stay on the sidelines."
He watches as Kurenai throws her head back in laughter, most of it being drowned out by the blaring music but bits and pieces of it making their way to his ears. She almost loses her balance so he has to bring his hands to her waist to steady her, feeling her hands fly to his biceps to steady herself.
"That explains why you're so stiff!" She mocks him, sliding the hand at his shoulder up a little more slowly this time to his face, and leaning in which makes him freeze up in shock. He starts to panic when he sees her face getting closer and closer to his, feeling his heart thump furiously against his chest when her lips are suddenly at his ears, brushing against the shell of his ear as she whispers. "Let yourself go."
A small giggle follows after, her hot breath fanning against his neck and sending a pleasant shiver down his spine. It's not good for his heart to be so close to her body, but the sensation of her in his arms drives him crazy.
Her hand moves from cupping his face to trace down his neck, leaving a trail of fire where ever her skin touches his. She hums in his ear once again as she begins to sway her hips, letting her body flow along with the music.
Her hands soon fall lower to his chest, one of them skimming over his exposed skin which causes San's breath to hitch. Kurenai pulls back, looking directly into San's eyes with a smirk and letting one of her hands fall to grab his as she turns around so that her back is facing him.
Continuing to move to the music, she presses herself closer and closer to San's body to the point where the friction starts to make them both heat up and sweat a little. She moves both of his hands to wrap around her torso, closing her eyes as she lets her head fall back on his shoulder. They move together; their bodies pressed close, leaving no room for even air to get through.
San watches her closely, noticing the way she moves and getting drawn in, almost hypnotized. His body soon begins to react to her, lust overtaking him in that instant as he tightens his arms around her torso so that her back is pressed completely against his chest. Grinding his hips against hers, San enjoys the way she parts her lips slightly and furrows her brows, causing him to bite down on his bottom lip.
He keeps his eyes glued on her face the whole time, letting everything else around him fade away so that his attention is only on her. He loves the way she makes his heart race with her actions, only wishing that he could do this more than this.
When she opens her eyes, there's a needy look in them that lures San even more. It feels like the whole world stops for them at that moment, a hazy cloud of desire settling above both of their heads. Their faces begin to take up the space between them, their lips inching towards each other eagerly when suddenly there's no more space left.
Their lips collide, pressing against the other's desperately for more of this elating feeling. It's almost as though her tipsy state trickles into him, creating a mess of tongue and saliva between the two.
Their actions cause a nostalgic, almost melancholy feeling to swell in their chests, the edges of another distant memory stretching at the back of their minds.
Kurenai reaches up with one hand, grabbing the back of his head to press her lips harder against his hungrily as she chases after the bubbling memory; her fingers tangling themselves up in his dark-brown locks. She feels his hand slide up her torso and wrap around her neck possessively, causing her heart to beat faster.
Their lips move in sync and their bodies mold into each other's, not wanting to let this moment go, but they have to pull back to catch their breath. Gasping for air when their lips detach, they stay in that close proximity for a moment, drinking in each others presence.
"Kurenai—."
"Ma'am." Someone else cuts in, ripping them out of their moment and planting them back on Earth. They turn to face who it is calling them, subconsciously clinging onto each other as the familiar bartender comes to deliver a message. "The investor of room 33 wants to invite you up."
☯︎
Hey there! Sorry for the really long chapter, but I hope you guys liked the kiss scene! Lolz
-Venus <3