Chapter Text
It couldn’t have been that stupid.
Besides, Won didn’t make an expression implying Leo was stupid and out of touch idol by asking something like that.
That meant the question was safe. It was acceptable. He let out the breath he was holding for the past few seconds. He managed to make himself believe that he didn’t look like a predator while asking for his number. Well, he didn’t ask for his number. He only asked if he works outside. He only asked for his work area. Of course he only did that.
Leo stared at the wall in the quiet of his dim lit bedroom. The silence of his room felt heavy compared to the loud atmosphere of the Rabbit Hole. It had been nearly an hour since he returned back to his apartment.
His post concert routine was almost the same every time, coming back to his apartment and scrolling down on his phone until he forgot how tired he was and fell asleep unconsciously. It was always hard for him to fall asleep when he was too tired, which happened a little too often from the nature of his job.
But his night didn’t go as he planned, the members pulled him to the club under the guise of “getting loose,” of course they didn’t accompany him long enough, leaving him in the main area alone the second they entered the club's door. The experience wasn’t as bad as he thought, for the first five minutes. The music was decent enough, performances looked better than what he expected. Then, he felt the familiar lingering gazes, tilted phone screens onto his face, people leaning into each other's ears to make themselves heard under the heavy bass, whispering things.
It’s Leo.
He didn’t have enough energy to deal with all the headlines in the morning if any photo of him standing there leaked online. There was an easier solution. He booked a private room, ignoring the slightly shocked expressions on the people’s faces as he said he doesn’t want any dancers. He paid the price anyway, so they didn’t push it, it was easier for them as well.
He had a basic plan, nothing too complex. Just sit there and chill for a while until people forget that he was even there. Then slip out from the club. No drama.
But since it was his life, of course it should never go according to his plan. So, he shouldn’t have been surprised when his plans changed with a click of the door.
Then he entered, Won.
It was a confusion, obviously. Leo saw it in the way that his perfectly practiced welcoming gaze faltered. For a second, Won wasn’t a dancer. But even in that moment, he looked unbelievable.
He should have let Won go and spent his night in the silence he bought. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to let him go. Not when the most beautiful man he saw was standing in front of him. So these words left his mouth, “You can stay.”
Actually, he didn’t know what he expected from the performance. Certainly, he didn’t expect much, but the performance was much better than what he could ever imagine. He didn’t regret asking Won to stay, not at all. If there was a regret, it was the amouth of money he spent. He couldn’t calculate the amount under the dim light, so he hoped it was enough. He could have spent much more, he was afraid that he looked stingy to Won.
He stared at the contact info on his phone, Won Rabbit Hole.
He could text him. It was nothing big. It would be just another shift for him, and a relaxation for Leo.
It was much easier to find someone more “real”, and safer. He didn’t need anyone emotionally, he didn’t have enough energy for a public scandal if people discovered that. He only needed something physical, some company.
That was all it was.
Totally only that, nothing more.
It was almost morning when Sangwon entered his apartment. It was a cramped basement unit in the forgotten corner of the city, where the only natural light was the grayish hue slipping through a window. At least the creditors stopped hunting him. It looked like even the collector of his father’s debt had some limits, they didn’t want to step into this much poverty.
He collapsed onto the couch. He had a few VIP customers after Leo as well, the weekends always went like that. At least he was earning much more money than before. But he was so tired that he couldn’t bring himself to get up and go to his bed. He drifted into sleep on the spot.
He woke up hours later with a throbbing headache. He reached out, fingers wandering blindly across the table as tried to reach for a water bottle on the table. His phone vibrated with a notification, so he grabbed it instead of the bottle. He squinted at the bright screen as he opened the notification
Unknown Number
Hello, it's Leo from last night.
Oh… Leo? Right, Sangwon gave his number to him. It was the first time in a long time. But, he didn't regret doing it. Leo was kind to him yesterday, and he was a spender—a real one, a short period with him made more than all the other customers combined. So he gave him his number, for the money, obviously.
It was nothing more.
Even though he didn’t have enough energy to make a decent conversation, he couldn’t leave Leo on read. So, he texted him back.
Won
Hi, I remember you.
Unknown Number
You said you worked outside as well.
And excuse me if I’m being rude, I’m just trying to be more clear.
Do you work just as a dancer?
Sangwon didn’t need to be a genius to read between the lines. He was asking if he does sex work.
Sangwon used to do sex work. The money was more, especially with a person like Leo. But, it took a hell of a time before and after the actual booking so, it was tiring. Even though the club was chaotic, it had a closing time. So he stopped doing private bookings after started working there.
He looked around the room. The mold smell hangs low in the air. Yes, he was alive in this room, the debt collectors weren’t banging on his door, but even in the best case, he would get sick in this moldy house.
He could say yes to Leo’s question. Besides, he would only need to deal with one person.
So, he texted back. But he decided to be more open while texting, it was easier for him.
Won
I do sex work as well if that is what you are looking for.
But can you give me the details?
Is it for a couple of hours, overnight or for a few days?
Unknown Number
Overnight
Tomorrow night, if you are available.
Leo was being more direct than Sangwon expected, it was nice. It made the conversation easier.
Actually, Sangwon had a shift the next night. But, he could ditch that and let Geonwoo deal with finding someone to cover for him. He didn’t want to think about it longer for right now, when his headache was still a problem. He just wanted to see where this conversation was taking him.
Won
Yes, I’m available.
Shortly after his message, Leo sent him a link to a hotel site. He clicked on the link. The photos looked good, more than good actually, it looked minimalistic enough to be luxurious.
Before he could close the tab, another message came.
Unknown Number
Is this place alright for you?
Won
Yes, it’s alright.
Unknown Number
About the payment, I can do it in cash beforehand.
Sangwon stared at the ceiling, he needed to think about the payment. It should be something more to be enough to cover all the time Sangwon will spend for the booking and cover the missing shift of the club but not too much to push Leo away and find another person.
When he was still thinking, another message dropped.
Unknown Number
Is $50,000 an adequate amount for it?
The world got silent for heartbeat, even the hum of the fridge got lost in the moment. Sangwon really believed he saw the amount wrong. His vision blurred, then sharpened, then blurred again. The number was still the same. The message didn’t look like Leo was joking, not at all.
The amount was not just a payment, it was a whole year worth of rent.
His thumbs felt clumsy as he tried to type hastily.
Won
Yes, it’s alright.
You can decide the meeting hour tomorrow, but let me know before afternoon.
Unknown Number
Alright.
Sangwon looked at the screen for a few more seconds until he closed it and put it back on the table. Staring at the ceiling, the realization hit him. Leo was a celebrity. He realized it again after seeing the amount of money he was willing to pay just for a night.
He grabbed his phone back. Typing "Leo" onto the search bar, Sangwon expected so much unrelatable stuff to come out. Leo was a common name. But the reality was different. He wasn’t just another Leo, he was the Leo.
Lee Leo
Singer
Leader of the GLITCH
Sangwon didn't follow the music industry, he didn't have the time to follow pop culture—but he knew GLITCH. Everybody knew them. Knowing GLITCH wasn't an unusual thing, not knowing would be weird. That must be why Leo's name felt familiar to him, he was practically the background music of the whole country.
Sangwon couldn’t even understand what Leo was doing in the Rabbit Hole last night. The club wasn’t bad but certainly it was not the best either.
He didn't know if he had to act differently now that he knows who Leo is. But if Leo wanted that, he had millions of others. But he must be looking for something different since he wanted Sangwon again. So, Sangwon would treat him as he did in the Rabbit Hole, with the same normalcy.
Everything was happening all at once, and it was hard to take it all in. He needed someone to talk to make sense of everything, so he texted Xinlong. It was a basic message, "My new customer is from GLITCH."
Barely before a single second passed, his phone started to ring. Xinlong was calling, it looked like he didn’t want to text about it. Sangwon picked up, and put him on a speaker.
"SANGWON HYUNG, ARE YOU THERE?" Xinlong was practically screaming onto the phone.
"Yes Long-ah, I'm here" Sangwon answered, his tone significantly more chill than Xinlong's frantic energy.
"You said GLITCH, right? I didn't read it wrong, right? Hyung, are you being real? How did you even come across them?" Xinlong babbered until he stopped for a second, then he continued. His tone was more controlled this time, but the shock was still there. "Wait, which member is it?"
"Leo," Sangwon barely managed to answer before Xinlong shouted again.
"LEO? LEE LEO? THE LEADER? Are you being real? Didn't you sign an NDA yet? Isn't that what super famous people do? Will they make you pay just because you told me? Do they do that? I’ll act like I didn’t hear this, don’t worry—”
"Long-ah... can you calm down?" Sangwon sighed, cutting him off. “You’re tensing me as well.”
"Oh...sorry," Xinlong answered, his voice softening.
"I didn't recognize him at first. Maybe that was why he was relaxed, I dont know..." Sangwon sighed, leaning back onto the couch. "He spends like crazy Long-ah,...and he wants to see me again. I may actually get out of this hole if he keeps wanting to see me."
The line went quiet. Xinlong didn't answer for a few seconds, he must have understood Sangwon would see him outside, in private. He knew what it meant. After witnessing Sangwon being so close to danger too many times while working outside, Xinlong was clearly scared of him returning to work in private.
But he knew the reality of Sangwon’s life. He knew about his father's depts, and he knew that no one was going to come to pay them if Sangwon didn’t do it himself. With his financial status, Xinlong couldn’t do much either to help him. Besides, celebrities were more careful most of the time—they had a public image to protect, especially a star like Leo. So he didn't oppose it.
"And he is handsome, as well," Xinlong finally spoke, letting out a small chuckle as he broke the silence.
A smile ghosted Sangwon's lips as well, Xinlong was one of the few truly good things he had in his life.
"We should go out tonight,” Sangwon said. “I need to a few things for the booking.”
It was nearly 3 pm when he woke up the next day. They were out with Xinlong for so long.
The problems in Xinlong's love life were a long list. His situationship with Geonwoo was…something. Sangwon could easily say Geonwoo was realiable at work, but with Xinlong, he was chaotic.
But by time, Sangwon had learned to just listen and not interfere. Xinlong didn’t want any advice, he just wanted a friend to complain about a few things. And in this way, Sangwon managed to separate his personal life with his professional life.
He noticed a notification on his phone that must have arrived while he was asleep. It was from Leo, he saved his number after yesterday.
"I can send you a car to pick you up from wherever you want."
Oh- It wouldn't be bad, it would be convenient to not deal with it himself. But Sangwon didn't want to send his real adress, this place was too sketchy anyways. He quickly sent a location of a crowded street that is a few blocks away, it was enough to keep his real place anonymous.
Leo sent another message, "Is 9 pm alright?"
There was still enough time for him to get ready, so it would be alright. He quickly texted back, "Yes."
Getting ready took a long time, it always did. Sangwon always paid too much attention to details—after all, he had an image to protect.
He decided on burgundy again.
Leo hadn't been able to take his eyes off his legs the last time they met, and Sangwon wanted to give him even more to look at. He ditched the usual satin shorts and went with the lingerie he bought last night. It had cost him a little fortune but he was going to earn so much more today, so it didn’t matter.
He tightened the straps for the bralette part, adjusting it to fit against his chest. His silver nipple piercings were shining under the delicate, thin lace. It had been quite some time since he’d worn something like this, but he couldn’t deny that it looked good on him. But he still wasn’t sure about Leo’s preferences so he packed some silk shorts and a tulle skirt as well, just in case Leo wouldn't like this image.
He wore a wide, black trousers and silk, white button up on top of his lingerie. The dark burgundy of the lingerie was peeking under the shirt, creating an intentional contrast.
He decided to leave his face bare. It always worked well to get him compliments and it saved him from the effort to fix the ruined makeup after each time. He quickly grabbed his black long trench coat from the hanger. Even though he loved this outfit, he didn't want wandering eyes on him while he walked to the pickup point.
His heels rhythmically clicked on the pavement as he walked to the location. The sharp edged high heels looked really good with his fit, but it hurt like hell each step.
He checked his phone as he approached the location: 9:15. He was a bit late.
But as the point came into his view, the car was already there on the curb: a sleek, polished black Audi. Then he saw him, a chauffeur. A real chauffeur was waiting outside the door.
Sangwon felt his heart shuddering against his chest. Sangwon took a deep, grounding breath as the realization hit him again: Leo was one of the most famous people in the whole country.
“He could deal with it, it was easy. Men were easy, they all wanted the same thing. It was work for Sangwon, just work.”
He repeated this like a silent mantra throughout the entire ride. The chauffeur opened the door when they arrived, saying a low "Good evening" after Sangwon got out, nothing more. It was professional, there was no curious gaze. It was better and almost comforting to Sangwon this way.
He reached the reception desk and asked for the name Lee Leo.
“Top floor,” the receptionist answered smoothly, “The King Suite.”
Sangwon shouldn't have been surprised at this point, he knew who he was meeting with. But even knowing that couldn’t stop his stomach from doing a painful flip as he made his way to the elevators.
He got out of the elevator as it reached the top floor. The room was at the end of the corridor. The heavy carpet covering the floor swallowed the click of his heels as he walked. Sangwon reached the door and slid the keycard through the reader, the door opened with a mechanical beep.
As he stepped into the room, the soft, dim light surrounded him. At first glance, the room wasn’t extravagant, there was no over-the-top decor. Instead, it was filled with the quiet luxury that didn’t need to shout to show its value.
The heavy envelopes on the side table catched Sangwon’s attention. It must be the payment, it was ready and waiting for him.
He turned the corner to the living area, and there he was.
Leo was sitting there on the couch next to the loor-to-ceiling window, the whole city was like a background to him. He was dressed more formally today. He had a black button up that was tucked inside the black trousers that hugged his thighs as he sat. The sharp click of Sangwon’s heels must have catched his attention, because he lifted his head instantly.
Their eyes met. Leo's gaze wandered up and down on Sangwon’s body for a few long heartbeay. His lips opened slightly as if to say something, but he remained silent.
The contrast between Leo's image and his actual self was comical actually. He spent so much money to bring Sangwon here, to the King Suite. And there he was, sitting there while he looked like he didn't know how to act. It was almost cute, how his composure broke down on the edges sligtly as he took in the view, how his fist clenched and uncleched as he kept his silence.
In that moment, Sangwon felt his confidence come back with a full force. He could deal with Leo, easily. He pulled his shoulders back, standing tall as Leo looked at him.
He could do this, he was good at this.
"I hope I didn't make you wait for too long, ”Sangwon said, his voice was smooth as he broke the silence.
Without waiting for an answer, he quickly took off his trench coat in one motion and draped it over the back of a nearby chair. After gaining his confidence back, he didn’t hesitate as he strode and sat down on the couch. He was so close to Leo that he could feel the heat radiating from him.
"No, I didn't wait for too long," Leo answered with a quiet tone.
His eyes wandered around Sangwon’s figure. Sangwon didn't miss the way Leo's eyes got fixed on his peeking bralette under the white silk shirt, his gaze lingering more on the silver piercing caught the warm light of the room.
So, Sangwon made the right choice by choosing the lingerine. Bingo.
Leo cleared his throat with a forced sound as he finally tore his gaze away. He turned to the side and reached into his bag. When he turned back, the familiar packaging on his palm caught Sangwon's eyes.
The cherry lollipop, the exact same brand as the first time they met.
Leo held it out. "You had this last time,” his voice was now holding a steady tone, “I thought you might want another.” His eyes were searching Sangwon’s face for a reaction.
Sangwon stared at the lollipop.
He actually took time to remember this, Sangwon thought. Well, maybe he didn't, maybe it was just a glance that stuck with him. It wasn't something big. Everybody loved watching him with a lollipop—or rather, they loved the sight of his pink lips wrapped around the stick mostly.
"Oh...you remembered," Sangwon murmured as he reached for the lollipop.
"Oh wait, let me," Leo's words were rushed as he quickly pulled it back. He quickly unwrapped the lollipop and extended it back towards Sangwon.
Sangwon could have simply taken the lollipop with his hand. It was easy, but there was no fun. So, he decided on another thing. Besides, it would be fun to see how much Leo’s composure can break before he needs to do something about it.
Instead of reaching out with his hand, he leaned in slightly and parted his lips slightly, letting his tongue peek through.
Leo froze. His eyes were glued to Sangwon's parted lips. He blinked a few times, looking like his brain was shortcircuited. Then he finally realized Sangwon’s invitation. He leaned forward, softly sliding the lollipop between Sangwon's lips. He pulled his hand back so fast that it was almost comical—especially for a man who made a private booking.
But he’d been like this the first time as well, but Sangwon managed to make him relax. He was good at doing that.
He pushed the lollipop to the side of his cheek with a flick of his tongue, and he offered a small smile. "Thank you for this, it is really thoughtful of you.”
"The taste of it was good," Leo said, a soft smile finally offering on his face. His features seemed to relax in contrast to before as a smile spreaded over his face.
In an atmosphere like this, he looked younger—more like his age. Sangwon had checked his age last night, he was only a year older than Sangwon. Until that moment, Sangwon had assumed the gap was more, perhaps because of the way Leo held himself.
"How have you been since the last time I saw you?" Sangwon asked, tilting his head as he looked at him under his bangs.
He watched as Leo’s shoulder finally dropped slightly.
Yes. he thought. He needs to talk to relax before doing anything.
"I'm good,” Leo said, leaning back on the couch. “Just chilling, mostly."
Sangwon chuckled slightly, gaining Leo's attention back at his face. "I thought idols were supposed to be super busy."
"Oh, trust me I am,” Leo said, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. “But we just finished our tour, so we have a break for a short time."
"Oh...," Sangwon hummed, his voice dropping slightly. He reached out, his hands ghosting over Leo’s shoulders, his fingers slightly grazing the fabric of his black shirt. "Then you must be exhausted…"
Leo let out a laugh, something more genuine this time. "I'm not going to lie, it was tiring."
He didn't tense under Sangwon's touch. Bingo. That was his moment.
His initial plan wasn’t like this. He hadn’t intended to go straight into “work”. But now, it didn’t look like a bad choice. Probably it wasn’t the best choice to do it even before Leo asked from him. But with Leo melting under his touch, Sangwon decided the reasoning could wait until tomorrow.
"I can help you relax,” Sangwon murmured. “Ease some of that remaining tension."
He pulled his hands back from Leo’s shoulders, he noticed the way Leo’s eyes widened as he did. How cute, Sangwon thought.
Sangwon sofly pushed his heels away from his feets, he didn't want bruises from it. He got up from the couch, and stepped in front of Leo. He could take his clothes out right now, but that would be too fast, they still had a whole night to go. Besides, it would kill the thrill if he did it so early.
And, the carpet would hurt his knees.
He watched the way Leo gulped as he sank onto his knees in front of him. With a slow movement, he guided Leo's knees apart with his hands. He looked up at Leo from under his bangs. His hands traced the path from Leo’s thighs to his belt. As Sangwon’s fingers met the cold metal of Leo’s belt buckle, Leo tensed slightly and looked at Sangwon with an unwavering gaze.
"Do you want me to help?" Sangwon whispered.
Leo stared down at him, mouth slightly parted. He swallowed hard before finally giving a single, slow nod.
Then, finally, he managed to say, "Please."