Matching Key (JoongNine AU)

Code XXVI

Joong

"I surrender. You could stop the test now. Sent me back to Another Earth, and place his life back to before I existed", I was sitting in front of the Hunters, without the will to win anything.

Mr. Ta just looked at me quietly for a while, "You are boasting before, to bet on your passing the test. Ah, there goes my gold".

"I don't give a shit about your gold, or existence anymore...why should we be treated liked a product that should pass a quality test to survive. In passing, I actually condone such treatment to continue".

"Is it really about existence, Archen? Or just because you can't stand to see Nine...suffers? You connected again, for what? Didn't you want them to be together too? Then why the need to torture yourself still. To be honest, I am too old to be the witness of such imbecile feelings...once again",

"What did you say? Again?". He was saying the last words...deliberately?

"Ah, did I? Must be a slip of word, my bad, I must be too tired, having to work two jobs for both worlds; at the same time. Well, why don't you let me have a minute rest, I got a meeting to chair in ten minutes. So, off you go", Mr. Ta said with the wave of his hand, such pomposity!.

"Are you not listening to me? I said I surrend...".

"Out, Archen!".

I gritted my teeth, stood up and almost walk out before Mr. Ta said something that surprised me, "If you are against the test, shouldn't you be more determined to fight till the end? Yet, all I see in front of me just now, is a prideful wuss, with another big, empty talk...Oh! Maybe, I should warn the Enforcer too, he put more gold than I do...", he said with a satisfied smirk.

I hated his words, but...it seemed liked, Mr. Ta was subtly provoking me, to lead me towards something too...and that, was really, out of character for any Hunters. I shook my head, no, it can't be, Hunters would never be that kind; or stupid, to let empathy to impair their judgement.

***

"Nine...why do you sleep out here? You should have called, I'd immediately come home...", I was shocked to find Nine who was asleep while leaning his back on the wall besides my door as soon as I arrived home. It was already eight. After meeting Mr. Ta, I drove aimlessly, and stop at the boxing gym to punch something, to let the steam off from my sour mood. At time liked this, I regretted not giving Nine a spare key. I only knew recently, it was common actually for partners to share that. Nine had never asked for it before, because usually, he called first, before he came.

"Oh, Chen...you're home. I was too tired, coming back from out of town work. My battery ran out, so I just wait here, uhh, and fell asleep...", he rubbed his sleepy eyes and smiled. I pulled him up and opened the door.

"You must've not eaten yet. Go and  sleep first in the room, I'll wake you up when the food is ready", I pushed him towards the room, but he resisted.

"Why are you being distant liked this? I'd imagined, being hugged and kissed thoroughly, caused you missed not seeing me more than a week...", he said with a dejected voice. His fingers were toying with the sleeve of my shirt.

"I smell...sweating heavily, just coming back from the gym. Besides, am I not always liked this? Unless you asked for it, I don't know how to read you...", I tried to let him see reason, but still it pained me to do so, one of the few feelings that I had started to have. I pulled away and his hand dropped to the side. I left him standing where he was, and walked into the kitchen.

I hastily took a few ingredients from the fridge, becoming clumsy, because Nine was eerily too quiet, watching my movement. I ignored him, and busying myself, as if I know what I was doing, when actually, I couldn't think of what to cook still.

He came into the kitchen too, and pushed his small stature to sit on the counter, feet dangling.

"What are you doing?", I asked, going nuts that he was looking serenely calm, sitting there unperturbed with my cold front, "Go and rest, I need to use the counter to put things on, by the way...".

"What are you going to cook?", he asked with mirth twinkling in his eyes.

"Instant noodle", I answered the easiest possible answer, "If you want something fancy, then I needed to look for the recipe first, then it will take some time before we could eat", I said while taking the pot from the rack.

"Really? Let see what you have there... Fish, shrimp paste, and...bitter gourd?Hmm, what an odd thing to use for an instant noodle. Chen, I think, let's just order some pizza, or something...", he said calmly.

Only then, I realized what I'd taken, and gave up on pretending to know what I was doing. I sighed and nodded, putting the ingredients, back into the fridge and washed my hands.

"Aren't you going to come down from that counter?", I asked when Nine just dangled his feet cutely and smiling gently. He shook his head, and my brows furrowed. He asked for me to come closer. What? He wanted to be picked up? That height is not even dangerous to slide down easily. Didn't he push himself up there just now? . Although a little weary, I still moved to stand in front of him.

My hips was locked as his feet crossed at the back, and I was about to wrap my arms around him to carry him down, but was surprised when Nine wrapped his arms around my shoulders, first, and gave me a gentle kiss; tentative, searching. I closed my eyes, and kept myself stiff from responding.

I could sense his smile, not discouraged and continued to kiss every part of my face, while being annoyingly patient. He came back to kiss my lips again. The pressure from his tongue gradually increased, teasing me to open up and kiss back. I felt it again, the pleasure from within that was ignited. Out of all emotions that I should feel, why did it have to be this one; which really made my body felt too weak, but, at the same time, craving for it, more.

In the end, I couldn't stand still as shivers that ran all over my skin causing me to groan, and immediately, I grabbed his hair at the back, angling his lips to match it with mine. I surrender, to what I really wanted to do from the get go; devouring him with kisses till he couldn't breathe. He gasped with the sudden ardour, but instead of withdrawing, his arms held me closer, tighter.

So, this is what a thirst feel liked. Finally, I understood, what the memory had shown...as being addicted, to someone's touch and kisses.