Chapter Text
The familiar sight of the thatched roofs coupled with the sound of rickshaws being dragged across the dirt road sent a much desired sense of ease down Jaehyun’s spine. The many moon cycles he had spent outside Hanyang with his hackles constantly raised at the fear of thievery had taken its toll on his body. Nothing sounded more promising than a good soaking in the river but the temperature had started to drop as the sun dipped below the horizon and falling sick was last on the list for someone like Jaehyun, who would not be able to afford a day without working.
In his pocket, his hand tightened around a balled piece of paper one of his clients gave him on top of his pay, a small token for a job well done, the older man insisted. Jaehyun had stared at the piece of paper, unable to decipher what the client had scribbled in haste but he had listened attentively to the man’s instructions anyway. Picked off the streets by a slave trader and sold into slavery at a very young age, Jaehyun had nothing in his name but the skills he had picked up from his previous master, a renowned swordsmith in Hanyang.
The client’s instructions had taken him to an unassuming establishment by the river, in the northernmost part of the city. It didn’t take a scholar to tell where he had been led to, Jaehyun was no stranger to this area, having been been dragged there countless times by his former master, who had been one of the most loyal patrons of the particular building he now stood in front of.
“Yoonoh, is that you?” A voice broke him out of his reverie and he quickly turned to the direction of the voice. It had been a long while since he was called that name.
A middle aged man stood by the entrance to the building, a smoking pipe in hand with smoke billowing around him, and a confused frown on his face. It was the owner of the establishment, Jaehyun quietly noted how much he had aged in the years since he last saw the man.
“Yes sir, I go by the name of Jaehyun now.”
“Oh, does that mean you are a free man now?” Jaehyun nodded meekly after noticing the knowing smile on the older man’s face, “then that must mean you’ve come here on your own accord.”
“Actually…” The young swordsmith was quick to pipe up, following the older man inside as soon as he was beckoned in. He handed the crumpled paper to the owner and watched understanding dawn on his weathered face as he scanned through the writings.
“It seems you’ve greatly impressed a very good friend of mine. I’ve never seen him go this far for a swordsmith.”
“If you don’t mind, would you be able to tell me what it says?” Jaehyun finally asked, curiosity piqued. The man chuckled and Jaehyun couldn’t help but shrink into himself despite being an entire head taller than the old man. His inability to read nor write still made him feel lacking, more vulnerable against those that wished to take advantage of him.
“My boy, it’s simply an invitation to be served here for a night and you get to take your pick too.” Jaehyun’s face burned at the implication but he refused to act virginal in front of a man who made a livelihood out of selling flesh. While he had certainly indulged himself in baser pleasure, he had never paid for a body to warm this bed before. Every part of his being screamed for him to turn away in embarrassment but he stood his ground like a grown man. He couldn’t fathom why his client, a wealthy lord, decided to offer him a night of pleasure on the house instead of simply tipping him like any normal client would.
“I was hoping it would be something more tangible.”
“It is the experience that is priceless, young man! Now why don’t you go and take a seat? I owe my friend a great deal of favours and this is the least I can do.”
“I-um…I’m not really sure about this.”
“Listen my boy, it is only for a night, let yourself have this. You have worked very hard even as a child.” the swordsmith flinched at the reminder, briefly recalling the many sleepless nights he spent in the lobby of this very building, waiting for his master to finish his business so they could return to their modest abode at the foot of the mountain. Jaehyun’s mind drifted back to the only home he’d ever known in Hanyang. The place was now nothing more than a decrepit hut hardly fit for anyone to live in and he knew that he would find it already occupied by illegal dwellers if the place hadn’t fallen apart yet. He had been planning to stay at some cheap lodging until he was rested enough to look for a proper accommodation anyway and this way, he was saving himself the trouble and cost. Figuring it was the most logical solution, Jaehyun followed the owner to the sitting area after toeing off his jipsin, setting his bags down and folding his legs under him on the cold wooden floor of a sparsely decorated room.
Through the thin walls, he could hear the general chatter of a small crowd next door, the smell of food wafting over to where he was sat. He remembered the establishment doubling as lodging, the guise effective enough that for a long time Jaehyun believed it was just that and nothing more. He almost snickered at his own childish naiveté.
“Yoonoh?” A young man entered through a back door, carrying with him a tray of tea that he set in front of Jaehyun. It took Jaehyun a couple of seconds to recognise the boyish face, the honey skin and the familiar lilt to the young man’s words. There were only so many boys their age who had been allowed in the establishment back then and this person had the very valid excuse of being the owner’s son.
“Donghyuck?”
“You remember me! I never thought I’d see you again!” There was no mistaking it now when the boy’s face stretched into a grin he had been well acquainted with as a child. Jaehyun used to hate that look, knowing the mischief that came with it but now, he was thankful for anything remotely familiar. The boy sat next to him, bubbling with excitement, “my father told me you’re a free man now and that you go by a new name.”
“That’s right. You may call me Jaehyun.” It had been his birth name, at least that was one of the few things he remembered from the brief time he’d spent with his birth family. It was his former master that had given him the name Yoonoh and the satisfaction of reclaiming the identity they had stolen from him had almost topped the actual experience of buying back his freedom.
“You’re so tall now. You were always very tall but look at you, a proper man.” No longer a slave to anyone was what Donghyuck likely meant but was too cautious to say. Jaehyun smiled nonetheless, genuinely amused at the other’s energy.
“I want to say the same about you, although I’m not at all surprise that you didn’t grow much. I told you, all those evil deeds were bound to stunt your growth.” The younger gaped at him, only mildly offended.
“You wouldn’t say that when you hear about how popular I am amongst the girls.” Jaehyun scoffed, not bothering to argue further. He brought the cup of tea to his lips, taking controlled sips lest the other say anything inappropriate at that moment. He wouldn’t put it past Donghyuck.
“Say, will you be staying in Hanyang permanently?”
“For now, that’s the plan, yes. This place is the only home I’ve ever known.”
“I’m glad. I really am, Jaehyun.” The name rolled off the younger’s tongue naturally and a comfortable silence settled between them as Jaehyun finished his tea and Donghyuck took in his old friend’s state of clothing and the bags he had beside him on the floor.
“Are these all of your things? I can put them in storage until tomorrow for you. For now, would you like to take a look at your choices?” Jaehyun was thankful that Donghyuck wasn’t giving him anything more than a knowing smile for his purpose there. He was probably used to seeing all sorts of people frequent their business that nothing surprised him anymore, not even an old friend he never thought he’d see again.
“Am I supposed to see these choices face to face?”
Donghyuck chuckled as he ushered Jaehyun to stand and follow him, “No, that’s not how it works. Normally, I would give you names and ages but patrons don’t get to see them face to face until the choices have been narrowed down. I can make an exemption for you though, if that’s what you want?”
“That won’t be necessary.” They went up a narrow staircase that led, presumably, to the quarters he would be spending the night in, “and I’m not looking for anything in particular.”
“I figured. This seems to be your first time doing this.” The shorter man slid the doors to a room open, revealing a bedding in the middle of a fairly spacious room, incense burning in a corner “These are the quarters for the clients that spend the night and that was what father’s friend had requested for you. This is also where you will be serviced.” Jaehyun took a tentative step into the room, appreciating the warmth it afforded.
“We have young women who have just recently come of age, and then we have the seasoned ones who have been in the business for long.” Donghyuck continued while he watched Jaehyun peel off the outer layers of his clothing, all of which needed washing. The river should be a comfortable enough temperature in the day for that purpose.
“Like I said, I’m not really sure about this.” The older let out a deep sigh as he crawled towards the bedding, seeking the kind of comfort he had not the luxury to for many moon cycles while he travelled across the kingdom.
“Well…those are not the only options.” The young man uttered his next words almost too quietly, letting himself into the room where Jaehyun was now comfortably settled, “My father…he got himself an interesting acquisition not too long ago.” Donghyuck took the swordsmith’s silence as his cue to continue, “A foreign, male slave.”
—
Yuta rubbed his calloused hands together before blowing into them for warmth. They had a long way to go before the colder months set in but even the mildest weather in Hanyang was enough to rattle Yuta’s bones, his body still not used to the mountainous kingdom’s harsh temperatures. He straightened up after he’d warmed up enough and grabbed a half-full bucket of water in each hand. The master wouldn’t be too pleased with him if he was late, no matter how many times he reasoned that the well was too far for the amount of time he was given to finish his daily errands.
The smell of ash and smoke drifted towards him as he approached the back entrance to the brothel and Yuta sighed internally at the sight of his master casually leaning against the wall, “Go and clean up, you have a client.” he said around the pipe in his mouth, the man not giving Yuta the chance to speak, retreating inside as quickly as he’d appeared.
His knowledge of the native tongue was basic at most but he didn’t need to be told twice to know what the older man had meant. It was the purpose for which he had been taken from the battlefield where he was supposed to die — to satiate the lust of men and women who seemed to enjoy nothing less than his agony. It didn’t mean that he had taken it in stride; despite having no immediate rights as a person in this kingdom, he made sure to let the master know where he drew the line, when he first came to the brothel. They could whip him, tear his back into ribbons, but they would never take away what little remained of his dignity.
Donghyuck, his master’s son, was a kind boy, albeit playful, and he easily made friends with his father’s most stubborn slave to date. The boy had approached him with a remorse in his eyes, tending to his injuries and reassuring him with kind words that his father was not so evil as to force him into their business, especially if he continued to throw fits, but that meant that he would be sold to hard labour instead and it would take much longer for him to buy back his freedom.
“It would only be for a while. You’re too hot headed for my father to keep anyway and there are far more crueler masters out there, unimaginably worse than my father.” The boy soothed in a soft voice Yuta had not been addressed with since he was sold into slavery and the rare show of kindness was enough for the Japanese man to lower his hackles.
That had been a long time ago and yet the memory of his first time lying with a man, one twice his age, still prickled his skin, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He had known for the first time what it was like to be broken and even now he feared there would be nothing left of him by the time he was ready to sail back home to his family, if he would even live to see that day.
After dumping the buckets’ content into a barrel in the kitchens, Yuta quickly made his way to his own private quarters where Donghyuck should’ve placed the clothes he ought to wear. After putting his long hair into a neat braid and changing into a clean, colourful jeogori, Yuta made a quick work of applying a thin layer of makeup over the imperfections on his skin, dabbing peach powder across his lips. He never looked like himself every time he was done.
Donghyuck was already heading down the stairs from the guest quarters by the time Yuta was ready. He’d given the older man a quick once over and then a small smile, “The client is an old friend. He shouldn’t be so bad.” The boy reached out for Yuta’s shoulder comfortingly. The Japanese appreciated the gesture despite how little it helped.
Yuta eventually reached the doors to his last client for the day and quietly, he sank to his knees, bowing his head as he had been taught to do, “Sir, may I come in?” He uttered the memorised words, hoping the message came through his thick accent. There was no response and a few minutes later, he voiced the same request, this time a little louder. When the second time didn’t fare any better, Yuta softly slid the doors open and took in the sight of his client sprawled over the bedding, already in deep slumber.
The man didn’t look all that much older than him and nothing like the well-to do patrons who were dressed in silk from head to toe. In fact, this man’s clothes didn’t look all too different from what little Yuta owned, it was a wonder that he was even able to afford staying the night. Meekly, he let himself into the room, quietly closing the doors behind him and approaching the sleeping figure with slight trepidation. Fair-skinned and tall, the man was the definition of striking, but even the most innocent looking ones harboured the worst of demons, Yuta knew this by heart by now.
Slowly, he eased the client’s socks off each feet, placing them in a corner before moving up the bedding to carefully undo his threadbare jeogori. Yuta wasn’t sure if his actions were entirely appropriate, he’d never had a client sleep through his service before and he figured getting him more comfortable was the least he could do lest he complained to the master later on. Yuta was in the process of sliding the man’s arm free from the garment when he’d started to stir, sharp, almond-shaped eyes blinking awake in an instant.
Not wanting to spook the other into doing anything drastic, Yuta pulled away, kneeling a good distance away from the client with his head in a deep bow and his hands flat on the floor. He dared not look in the other’s direction and he didn’t need to, to know that the other man was now studying him with bleary eyes.
“Are you…the one attending to me?” The man asked, voice still heavy with sleep.
“Yes sir.”
“Why don’t you come closer?” Yuta nodded, his gaze still fixed to the floor even as he made his way closer.
“Can I see your face?” Normally Yuta would scoff at such request, repulsed at the idea of having to keep eye contact with patrons who cared very little for him, but there was something about the way the man had worded his request. He seemed to be aware that Yuta was not native to the kingdom and had paid careful attention to speak slower. His voice was deep in a soothing way, rich and smooth like honey. Yuta couldn’t help but be embarrassed at the way this man had him completely enthralled with just his voice. He lifted his head up, already expecting the near perfect features the man possessed. He’d had a good look at him as he slumbered.
“What’s your name?”
“Yuta.” He responded monotonously. It was the same question he got from most patrons.
“Your real name?” Yuta startled at the question. That was one thing he had never been asked about. Clients hardly cared if they were moaning his real name, not when it didn’t add any value to their experience.
“Re-real name.” He parroted, stumbling over the foreign words. A strange look came over the man’s face but it was gone as soon as it came.
“My name is Jaehyun.”
“Jae-hyun.” The name was a little harder to pronounce, the syllables rolling clumsily off his tongue. Jaehyun didn’t seem to mind, if anything, he had a small smile on his face now.
“Yes, Jaehyun. Now, do you know how to give a massage?” Yuta cocked his head at the question. Surely this man didn’t come here just for that. He only had an hour and half with Yuta before he was expected back at his quarters.
“Your time…is okay?”
“Yeah, I mean, if you don’t mind…” Jaehyun nodded, shrugging off the clothing Yuta loosened up for him, revealing bare, flawless skin that didn’t seem to fit well with this man’s obvious status. Without further ado, Yuta crawled behind the other, retrieving scented oil from his pocket. It was not how the oil was intended to be used but he couldn’t care less as he kneaded the hard muscles on Jaehyun’s back with inexperienced fingers after brushing the small ponytail out of the way. He had been doing well going by the little grunts of pleasure from his client but Jaehyun had a broad physique and Yuta quickly realised that giving someone a massage was infinitely more work than he expected as his fingers began to cramp after a few minutes.
“Take break.” He mumbled, squeezing a meaty arm one last time before sitting back against the bunched up blankets.
Jaehyun had swivelled around in that moment, watching Yuta with unreadable eyes, “Are you alright?”
“Yes, alri-“ The response died on his lips as Jaehyun reached out to take his hands, using his bigger ones to massage them, paying careful attention to each finger. Yuta stared at him wide-eyed, mesmerised, first by the kindness of this stranger and second by the sincerity of his actions. No one had ever treated Yuta this gently before, “not hurt,” he tried again, after clearing his throat and yet Jaehyun continued to tend to his hands like they were made of something precious. He felt blood rush to his face and he quickly ducked his head to hide how much the small action affected him.
Not only was Jaehyun physically attractive, but he was a decent human being too. Somehow the idea of sleeping with him didn’t repulse Yuta as much as it should and it felt horribly inappropriate that he would physically desire a man who paid for his services yet a part of him hoped Jaehyun would continue his ministrations.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were not trained to do that.”
“Is okay…”
“It’s fine to tell me when it’s not okay.” the man breathed, his proximity and the gentle touch against Yuta’s labour roughened hands sending shivers down his spine. It was nothing like the disgust he felt every time a patron lifted his clothes out of the way, nothing like the sickening twist in his belly every time they pressed their lips on his skin. Yuta finally lifted his gaze, braving a look into those dark, smouldering eyes. There was nothing lecherous in the way this man looked at him, instead he found genuine fascination and curiosity. They were close enough that Jaehyun’s breath fanned over his lips, but there was no rush in his actions.
This close, Yuta could see how red the man’s ears had become and an unexplainable surge of fondness filled in his chest. Jaehyun slowly closed the distance between them, his quick, laboured breathing and jittery touch giving away his nerves as he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the side of Yuta’s lips. It was the first time he had been kissed there; it was terribly intimate and completely unnecessary between a patron and a whore, and yet when Jaehyun reluctantly pulled away, seemingly worried that he’d crossed a line, Yuta’s grip tightened around his arms, “is okay.” he found himself saying and truly meaning it. For the first time in a very long while, it felt okay.
Jaehyun didn’t need to be told twice, hands coming up to wrap around Yuta’s slender neck, oily from contact with Yuta’s own, drawing him into a kiss that he would trail down the attendant’s jaw to his throat, right above the collar of his jeogori. Fumbling with the ribbon, Yuta slid the clothing down his shoulders, baring his skin for Jaehyun to mark on top of the many others. It had been a while since he’d last felt conscious of the evidence patrons would purposely leave on his skin and yet Jaehyun kissed over them like they were nothing more than a birthmark.
“Can I?” the slightly bigger man tugged at the binds of Yuta’s sokjeogori at his approval, sliding them off as they came undone and letting Jaehyun’s eyes feast on his exposed nudity, “you’re beautiful.” he whispered against the dip of Yuta’s collarbones as he gently coaxed the attendant into hardness. Tears gathered in Yuta’s eyes, the sensations overwhelmingly unfamiliar. No patron had ever taken the time to bring him pleasure and he had never wanted them to, but Jaehyun was different. His own hands wandered down, tracing over the man’s still clothed length, hot and heavy under Yuta’s touch. He heard the sharp intake of breath and felt Jaehyun tremble with every slide of his hand before the other eventually pulled away to rid himself of his baji and sokjeogori in one go.
Jaehyun’s face was stained red as soon as the last of his clothing were discarded in a corner. Yuta couldn’t help but be drawn to the man’s flesh as it strained against his pale, toned belly. It was thick and long, beautiful as the man in front of him. He reached out with tentative touches fuelled by Jaehyun’s steady strokes. “The oil…” Jaehyun’s voice remained steady but it bellied his excitement as he moved to capture Yuta’s lips into another kiss.
Yuta fumbled for the small bottle of oil that had tipped over in the heat of their pursuit, leaving a growing stain on the bedding. After coating Jaehyun with what little oil remained in the bottle, he reached between his legs to prepare himself, the other man following his every move with half-lidded eyes, one hand sliding down his back to grasp Yuta’s hips. “Come here.” Jaehyun gently commanded, hand still pumping Yuta languidly between their bodies, encouraging him forward into Jaehyun’s lap.
The slighter man groaned into the crook of Jaehyun’s neck as the latter’s hand on his hip dipped lower and Yuta’s legs tightened around Jaehyun as his fingers were pulled out of him completely, Jaehyun’s longer, slimmer fingers taking its place, pumping in and out in a leisurely pace. The digits withdrew gently and Yuta had done this enough times to know what came next. Lifting himself on his knees, he wrapped both arms around the taller man’s shoulders, bowing forward to give the other better access. He felt the stiff nudge against his entrance, the vibration from Jaehyun’s chest as the latter let out a shaky breath before his cock breached him open, sliding into Yuta’s tight heat an inch at a time. The man trembled with the obvious need to pound into the pliant body on top of his but his impeccable control putting a tight lid over his desires as Yuta took laboured breaths to try and relax around him, a skill he had needed to learn early on as part of his job.
Yuta eased down gently, letting Jaehyun sink deeper into his heat, feeling every pulse and twitch of the thick flesh. Jaehyun’s hands found purchase on Yuta’s waist, almost completely encasing it as he set a slow pace of shallow thrusts while Yuta adjusted. Tearing his gaze away from the erection pressed between their bodies, Jaehyun let out a breathy cry as Yuta tightened around him, “Can go…faster…” the Japanese panted against Jaehyun’s skin, goosebumps on his skin as the painful stretch melted into something more pleasurable. The man screwed his eyes shut, snapping his hips up almost too hard, earning an agonised moan from Yuta.
Every low grunt from Jaehyun’s throat went straight down Yuta’s dripping cock, straining against the hand Jaehyun had come to wrap around him in time with his erratic thrusts. The Japanese man had started to feel the slight burn in his thigh and he knew that Jaehyun’s hand on his waist was bound to leave bruises but he couldn’t care less for all those details. He ached for this man, for the way his cock brushed against that spot inside him, the velvety feel of his heavy sac as they rubbed against Yuta’s skin. The pleasure finally tipped him off the edge and Yuta came with a whimper, going rigid against Jaehyun, his hips rolling slowly with purpose. Jaehyun squeezed his length one last time, making a mess between their naked bodies with Yuta’s seed, before his own body convulsed with a sharp grunt. His cock swelled in the tight heat of his partner before Jaehyun spilled, pouring into Yuta and coating his insides with his essence. The deep growl that followed had Yuta reaching out to tangle his hands into the messy long hair at the back of Jaehyun’s head, massaging the tender scalp as he came down from his high.
Jaehyun twitched under him as he rode out his orgasm, still pumping in and out of the slighter man with his softening length before completely pulling out. Yuta felt his seed drip out of him as soon as he climbed off Jaehyun, letting his client collapse back onto the bedding with a soft pant, “That was…wonderful.” the deep baritone of his voice brought Yuta back to reality and while he didn’t entirely understand the word used, it was easy to tell it had been something positive, with the admiration clear in the man’s face.
“Thank you.”
He crawled over to the bucket of water provided in the corner of the room, grabbing a rag from beside it and began cleaning himself, wiping traces of their union from his stomach and between his legs. After he was done, he fetched another clean, damp rag and brought it over to Jaehyun, who hadn’t moved an inch from where he was sprawled. Slowly but thoroughly, he cleaned the man down, noting the bright flush in the pale skin. He knew Jaehyun’s eyes were on him, watching him with heavy lidded eyes as he paid careful attention to the man’s now flaccid, equally flushed length. A hand wrapped around his wrist, urging him closer, rag still in hand.
Yuta knew from the moment this man had first laid eyes on him, that he was going to be different. Despite their positions, he was treated with respect, handled like he was worth more than a few coins. For the first time in a long while, Yuta was made to feel human. Yuta knew in that instance that something in him had shifted and the feeling both scared and thrilled him.
With a nervous smile on his handsome face, Jaehyun softly asked, “May I kiss you?”
And Yuta leaned down without hesitation.