The Crimson Feather (9/12)

[london9calling]

Part [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Jongdae didn’t expect to find Heechul at his office, but in a way that in and of itself should have been expected. Kim Heechul showed up whenever he felt like it and today was no exception.

“I thought you would be at Victoria’s.” Jongdae stated as he strolled into his office.

“Good morning to you too, love.” Heechul drawled. “The lady is out, for a ride about the park and some shopping. Apparently she doesn’t wait around for my presence, the ungrateful little vixen.”

“I cannot fathom someone not waiting for your arrival.” Jongdae said sarcastically, taking a seat behind his desk.

“I see you are your usual witty self today.” Heechul was seated, legs crossed, watching Jongdae as the man went about a show of straightening up his desk.

“I aim to never displease.” Jongdae winked, looking up from his papers long enough to receive a wink in return.

“I assume you slept well last night.” Heechul had an edge to his voice, Jongdae stopping what he was doing to look at the older man.

“Yes.”

“Hm. Very good.” Heechul titled his head to the side, pursing his lips he stared back.

“Why?”

“No reason.”

“You are a horrible liar, Heechul.” Jongdae crossed his arms. “And we are in my office, if you need to be reminded.”

“And?” Heechul shrugged his shoulders. “It is a room without windows.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“There is a lock on the door isn’t there?”

Jongdae glanced towards the door. Of course there was a lock, but that wasn’t the first issue in his mind. This was his office, not exactly the place he wanted to sleep with Heechul for the first time. “This is hardly the place where I imagined we would…”

“You have a horrible imagination, Jongdae.” Heechul walked to the door, clicking the lock he turned back towards his boyfriend. “Will you let me help you work on livening it up?”

Jongdae swallowed, watching as Heechul sauntered towards him. He was so engrossed with watching Heechul he failed to notice the lock had not been fully turned. “What if – what if someone hears?”

Heechul rounded the desk, stopping in front of Jongdae he smiled. “Then I am doing my job?”’

Jongdae found it hard to speak, his anxiety going into overdrive as Heechul reached towards him. Placing a hand on the back of Jongdae’s neck, Heechul pulled him closer, slotting their mouths together.

They had kissed a lot - that was usually as far as they got, yet this time was different. Heechul was less hurried, the way his tongue caressed Jongdae’s was languid, his hand on the back of Jongdae’s neck relaxed. He melted into the kiss, finding his hands wrapping around Heechul’s waist and pulling the older man closer. With their bodies flush together, it was impossible to not feel each other’s growing erections. They had both been waiting for this moment after all – one just a little more than the other.

Jongdae broke the kiss first, panting he whispered. “What if someone comes? What if...”

“Shhh.” Heechul had a devilish glint in his eye as he maneuvered their bodies, not stopping until Jongdae was half leaning against his desk. “And someone will most definitely come.”

“Did you – seriously?” Jongdae pushed at Heechul, the older man not giving in.

“Sorry, I got distracted.” Heechul’s hands moved to Jongdae’s cravat, untying it with a skilled hand he tossed the white cloth aside. His hands were nimble, working at the buttons on Jongdae’s shirt as the younger man stared down, watching. Jongdae fought back his nerves, the thought of how wrong it was to be doing something in his office causing him to want very much to push Heechul away, retie his cravat, and order his boyfriend out. Yet...he didn’t. He had been wound up since the night before, the moment he had decided it was time had already passed.

Heechul’s lips were as skilled as his hands, suckling and nibbling along Jongdae’s exposed collarbone. He pushed Jongdae’s shirt off his shoulders, Jongdae finding the willpower to start tugging at Heechul’s cravat haphazardly as he relished in the feeling of lips on his skin.

“I don’t even know what you are into.” Heechul’s words ghosted on Jongdae’s skin, at the base of his neck, sending a shiver up the younger man’s spine.

“Into?” Jongdae choked back a moan as Heechul’s hand found his pants, working them open.

“Hm. I am blessed to be able to discover it for myself, it seems.” Heechul pushed at Jongdae’s pants, stepping back he untied his own cravat. Heechul pulled his shirt over his head, not bothering with the buttons, divesting himself of his pants in the same mad frenzy. Jongdae sat still, watching him, pants still halfway on, his positon leaning against the desk holding them up.

Heechul caught Jongdae looking, giving him a questioning glance he chuckled. “Like what you see?”

Jongdae blushed, turning his head he swallowed. Heechul was quick to return his hands to Jongdae’s waist, more specifically his trousers. With a tug he pulled Jongdae forward, leaving enough space to push the younger man’s pants fully down. Jongdae moved, lifting his legs out of the trousers as he slipped off his shoes.

“This is what I have been wanting to see, and I am not disappointed.” Heechul smirked, raking his eyes over Jongdae from head to toe. “You are beautiful.”

Jongdae was sure he was a deep red color, not used to having another person inspect his naked form.  The sudden feeling of shyness was very unlike him, causing him to be even more embarrassed.

Heechul trailed a finger down Jongdae’s chest, stopping to tease a nipple. Jongdae gasp at the feeling, never before realizing how sensitive he was at that place. He watched, unable to look away, as Heechul restarted his path, a single finger dragged lower and lower until it was teasing along his waist, just above his throbbing erection.

Heechul leaned in for another kiss, using his body to push Jongdae up on the desk, pushing forward even more until Jongdae found himself awkwardly pushing papers away as his back hit the cold wood. Heechul followed him, moving his hands to grasp Jongdae’s legs and spread them; he fit himself in between, climbing nearly on top of him.

Jongdae pulled Heechul up, their lips still locked, as he felt Heechul’s hardness grind against his own. It was a maddening sensation, Jongdae feeling an intense heat creep along his cheeks, bursting forth in his core as he moved to caress Heechul’s sides.

They kissed, sloppily, tongues and teeth and saliva, for what seemed like forever, Heechul grinding down as Jongdae bucked up, the fiction of their bodies driving each other forward.

“I want to taste you.” Heechul hummed against Jongdae’s lips. “All of you.”

Jongdae found his hands twining through Heechul’s hair, losing himself in the sensation of Heechul’s tongues. “Will you…do you want to taste me too?”

Jongdae stifled a moan as Heechul took a nipple in his mouth, sucking hard as his hand began playing with the other nipple.

Jongdae had never done what he thought Heechul was proposing, yet at the moment he just wanted some sort of release. Anything that would get him there would be welcome, and honestly he wanted to see Heechul find release too. “Yes.” He gasp as Heechul bit his nipple, not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to leave a mark.

He was slow about it, positioning Jongdae where he wanted him, maneuvering his own body as well. Jongdae wasn’t sure what to do, how to lay, Heechul doing all of the directing. He ended up flat on his back, laying on his desk, with Heechul straddling his middle. “I am going to move now.” Was the only warning before he found himself faced with Heechul’s dick, the man moving forward as he simultaneously parted Jongdae’s thighs. “I promise you this will feel good.”

Jongdae arched his back as Heechul took him in his mouth, slipping his lips down his dick slowly, placing his hand at the length he could not swallow. Jongdae followed his lead, first with a lick to the head of Heechul’s dick that had the older man humming against his length. Then a testing suckle, before swallowing his dick whole. The sensation of having his mouth stuffed full and his own dick so tight in Heechul’s mouth was maddening.

They matched their pace, sucking, bobbing, as they swallowed and licked and swallowed and licked. The sensation was amazing, each man humming against the other’s swollen length. Jongdae didn’t think it would be long, the heat pooling in his abdomen too great for him to believe otherwise.

He moved his hands to Heechul’s ass, grabbing the globes as he sucked with more intensity, the waves of pleasure washing over him. They fell into a quickened pace, Jongdae curling his toes as his release came upon him. He didn’t want to be the first to come but he couldn’t stop it, not when Heechul moved his mouth to the head of his dick, then swallowed again, a torturous move that had Jongdae holding back a cry, his white hot seed spilling in Heechul’s mouth. His head was spinning as he continued to suck, mimicking the same move – and then the door opened.

Heechul shouted, Jongdae froze, he heard Luhan and Minseok. And then the door slammed shut. Jongdae was too surprised to move, and then Heechul came, Jongdae’s mouth suddenly filled with a warm liquid.

“Holy shit, that was hot.” Heechul moaned, moving off of him as Jongdae swallowed his come.

“Was that -Who?!” Jongdae was horrified. Wasn’t the door locked?!

“It was just our friends, it's okay.” Heechul moved off of Jongdae, but wasn’t about to fully disengage. He pulled Jongdae to him, planting a loving and rather chaste kiss on his lips. “Thank you, so much. It was worth the wait.”

Jongdae pushed the older man from him, Heechul almost falling off the desk. “I told you this was a bad idea! Oh my lord, I am so embarrassed!”

Heechul sighed. “Really? Not even you were good?”

“Get dressed. Now!” Jongdae scrambled to find his clothing, his red face no longer having anything to do with his dick being sucked by a very skilled set of lips.

***

Kyungsoo ran forward, his heart beating fast as he managed to stop Theodore before the boy reached the blonde woman. Jongin picked Lilly up, protectively turning her half away from the man and woman in front of them. Theodore kicked, whining and reaching for the woman as Kyungsoo held him close.

“Sorry,” Jongin mumbled towards the couple.

Kyungsoo struggled to gain control of the small child as he yelled out for his mother. He felt a sense of dread staring at the woman. Why did the twins think she was their mother? Was it a byproduct of such a loss at a young age or something else?

“I am not your mother, children.” The woman’s voice was strained as she looked from one child to the other. She was rather pretty, blonde with petite features and perfectly coiffed hair.

“No, of course not.” The man next to her raised an eyebrow at the scene. “Though dare I ask, whose children are they?”

Kyungsoo’s dread only increased with the question. “Sorry, again, we shall be going. Come on Jongin, we must be returning to the house.”

“Ah, I know!” The man exclaimed, “I saw you at D’Adderleigh’s house. They must be his children.”

“Jongin, hurry.” Kyungsoo kept a tight hold on the child, traversing the greenspace with wide strides. He had to get them out of there, away from the man who it seemed was involved in very unsavory activities. No good could come from him discovering that the twins were Minseok’s.

“Don’t look back,” Jongin instructed, catching up with Kyungsoo.

The twins continued to cry and struggle, ensuring that Jongin and Kyungsoo had their work cut out for them. Yet they wouldn’t let the children down. No, the entire exchange seemed to have a dangerous undertone, and both men knew they had to get home –quickly.

When they were out of the park, halfway back to the townhouse, Kyungsoo spoke over the whines of the children. “That man, he was the same one who brought the package the other day.”

“What?!” Jongin sounded shocked and afraid, an appropriate reaction.

“We need to tell the Sirs when they return, I am not sure who that woman was but it all seems to be such an amazing coincidence.” Kyungsoo was worried, very worried.

***

Minseok found the floor very interesting. Extremely interesting. Far more interesting than the horrible image that had just been burned into his brain.

“Out! Now!” Jongdae was yelling from inside his office.

“You don’t have to act like a shy young lad about all of this, Jongdae.” Heechul was pleading his case inside and the entire situation could not be more embarrassing.

“I can’t look him in the eyes,” Luhan muttered from next to Minseok, “I – that- why us?”

“Try to forget, just try to forget.”  Minseok was repeating the same words to himself, hoping to god it would all go away soon.

When the office door opened Minseok and Luhan jumped back a good foot, startled as Heechul strode past them. He didn’t seem all that concerned about what they had walked in on.

“Old boys, don’t you dare let this get around town or I will do my worst!” Heechul wagged a finger in both of their faces. “I don’t want everyone cuming for him once they know what he looks like naked.” Heechul winked. “If you understand my meaning?”

“Please leave.” Minseok shut his eyes, cringing.

Heechul laughed heartily, leaving the area with an easy gait. Luhan reached for Minseok, patting him on the shoulder. “We will get through this together.”

Minseok nodded.

“You um, I- is there something you needed?” Jongdae called from within his office, “If you um- can you not come in right now?” Minseok could tell his best friend was beyond embarrassed, which was a completely natural reaction to having two of his friends walk in on him and his boyfriend engaged in very personal behavior on his desk.

“I am not sure that you want me to shout it out loud, it is about the case,” Minseok responded, wishing very much that he didn’t have to go face his friend at the moment, the amount of second hand embarrassment he was feeling was slightly suffocating.

“Ah, the case,” Jongdae’s heavy sigh could be heard from outside the room. “Come in.”

Minseok edged into the room first, Luhan behind him. He kept his eyes averted, only speaking once Luhan had shut the door.

“Um, can you – I – see…-please forget what you saw.” Jongdae sounded mortified.

“We will!” Luhan chirped. “Saw what?”

“Yes, well, thanks. Now what did you have to report?”

Minseok had never looked at the floor in Jongdae’s office for this long, it was rather worn and a bit dirty. “Kyungsoo noticed that the date of Changmin’s election is the same date on the letters that were delivered to our townhome. I dare say there is a connection there.”

“Hm, yes, that is likely. I am reasoning out that the copies of the letter are a warning, and that whomever sent them will very likely be distributing the letters en masse on that date.”

“Which means we have four days until all hell breaks loose,” Luhan chimed in.

“Yes, I fear so.” Jongdae’s embarrassment seemed to have disappeared and been replaced by frustration at the case - as evidenced by the tone of his voice.

“I would like to visit Mrs. Page’s house one more time and find out why that man – the one who delivered the package – was there.” Minseok had thought about it on the way over to Jongdae’s office.

“Sehun is investigating him, one Choi Siwon, “Jongdae remarked. “Though last night he didn’t report finding anything of note.”

“Well than I dare say it is fair for us to pay Mrs. Page a visit if Sehun hasn’t done so himself.” Luhan supported Minseok’s train of thought completely.

“Hm. Let me know what you find out, and please, take care.”

“Yes, you too.” Minseok was happy to turn around and leave, even if the embarrassing situation was fading it was still very much present.

“Come on, we will need to take a carriage there, it is too far to walk.”  Luhan grabbed a hold of Minseok’s arm, lightly guiding him out of Jongdae’s office.

They were nearing the exit when one of Jongdae’s agents, a man that Minseok could never quite recall the name of – Tae, Taec something, walked past.

“Is Mr. Kim in his office?” The agent asked.

“Yes.” Luhan answered. Minseok was happy the agent hadn’t arrived earlier, if he had been the one to walk in on Jongdae and Heechul’s escapades Jongdae would likely have died of embarrassment – it was bad enough it was his two close friends who had seen it.

Exiting the building Minseok focused his thoughts on the task at hand, including the need to take a carriage over to Mrs. Page’s house. It was frightening, the thought of hailing a hackney carriage, after what had happened to Junmyeon. He prayed they would be safe, and hopefully uncover new evidence that would end the madness soon, before anyone else was injured.

***

Sehun was not impressed. He had been to many drinking establishments in the middle of the day – high end places where only the wealthiest of the peerage would frequent, mid-range haunts where young and foolish gentlemen showed up to drink away from the prying eyes of society. He had even set foot in some questionable establishments in the East End, but none of them – not one, smelled as terrible as this place. It was a strange odor, like sweat and fungus. Absolutely disgusting.

It was dirty and dark, the long tables leaning to and fro as though they were barely supported by the wooden legs that logically were somewhere underneath all of the grime, hiding somewhere in the shadows.  Only a few patrons milled about the place at that hour, one of whom was definitely a sailor of some sort. The barkeep was a woman who sported far less than a full mouth of teeth, her hair frizzed out and her skin speckled with age spots. Why the Comte Labeaux had picked such a place for their meeting was beyond Sehun, surely there had to have been a place with a bit less disease ridden like setting for them to meet. Sehun was afraid to drink the water here, much less the ale or any of the liquors. He was certain that anything pushed in front of him was likely rife with contagions of some sort.

When the door to the tavern opened, a tall figure cloaked in shadow from the bright afternoon sun filtering in behind him, Sehun prayed it was the Comte. Once the door was closed, the familiar tap-tap of a walking stick sounding out, Sehun knew that he had arrived.

Sehun leaned back on the bench, watching as the Comte approached him with ease. For a man that seemed to be very biased in his associations, Kris was apparently not bothered by the rough atmosphere.

“Did you find the place easily?” The Comte questioned as he took his seat.

“Yes, though I can’t understand why you would want to meet here.” Sehun cast a disgusted look towards the bar, where the old woman was busy speaking to herself in French.

The Comte chuckled, saying something in French to the bar woman. She laughed, a cackle really, and retrieved something from behind the bar.

“This is the best place for genuine Pont-l'Évêque cheese in the city,” The Comte smiled widely as the old woman brought out a wrapped package, setting it on the table along with a knife. The pungent odor, the same smell that had been so reviling to Sehun before, increased tenfold.

“That is what smells so awful?!” Sehun pinched his nose, grimacing as Kris unwrapped the package, revealing a square cream colored block of cheese.

“Perhaps it is an acquired taste.” The Comte cut off a thick slab, taking a large bite of the cheese as he ignored Sehun’s disgusted expression. “Would you like some?”

Sehun vigorously shook his head.

“A shame.” The Comte finished chewing. “Shall we talk business?”

“Yes.” Since the moment that the Comte Labeaux had saved him from being apprehended the night prior, they had come to a vague understanding, an understanding that needed a lot more explanation on the Comte’s part before Sehun felt completely confident in it.

“Let me ask you this first, have you ever heard of a hellfire club?” The Comte spoke slowly, as though Sehun would be unable to understand his words if he didn’t enunciate every syllable.

“A what?” Sehun searched his memory. He could not recall ever hearing the term before.

“A club, not unlike those you and your other rich English friends attend, though a bit more….secret.” The Comte paused to pop another piece of cheese in his mouth. “A club of wealthy individuals who are united by a common goal, to have scandalous, immoral parties, to act out and pull pranks, or to do something more…practically beneficial to all those involved.”

Sehun took a moment to digest the information, to associate it with the case at hand. “Is that what they are doing in the caverns? It is some sort of secret club?”

“Yes, you happened to find their headquarters, which as you witnessed was not exactly something they were happy about.”

“What are they doing down there?” Sehun shuddered to think of what could be the point of such a club and how it played into the larger scheme, the larger case.

“Meeting, plotting. Deciding how best to overthrow the government.” Kris tilted his head to the side, seemingly amused by it all. “I have been tracking them for the better part of a year.”

“Why are you so concerned with them?” The Comte had not said nearly enough to quell Sehun’s suspicions around his true motivations.

“As I said, I am working for your government. They gave me asylum for a reason, letting me live here when my head is very much wanted in France. I chose sides, Sehun, and so did your government.”

“Then why are you not in contact with Jongdae or the Home Office?” Sehun was still puzzled. If the Comte spoke the truth, if he was truly working for the English government, than why wouldn’t he be aiding in the Home Office’s investigation? Why wouldn’t Jongdae know of this?

“The Prince Regent has his own men, Sehun. Men who operate above the official arm of the government.”

“Then why tell me all of this? Why not let me be caught?”

“Because, dear boy, I need you.” The way the Comte smiled, the way he leaned forward, a glint in his eyes, had Sehun feeling a slight sense of dread. “And judging by the fact I had to rescue you last night, I believe the feeling is mutual.”

Sehun swallowed, staring at the French nobleman. Why couldn’t anything be easy, clear cut, and certain?

***

Minseok was tense as the carriage traversed the congested roads, making its way towards Mrs. Page’s house. Luhan sat next to him, clasping his hand tightly. Both men were on edge, every unexpected noise, every strong jolt to the carriage had the pair freezing, then looking around with wide eyes.

The urgency, the need to solve the case was never as important as it was at the moment, danger at every turn, the unknown, and the damaging intentions all around them.

As the carriage neared the road Mrs. Page lived on, the acrid smell of smoke filled the air.

“There is a fire,” Minseok remarked, looking around.

Luhan tightened his hold of Minseok’s hand. “I see smoke up ahead.”

The carriage began to slow, the driver calling back about the road being blocked. Minseok nudged Luhan. “We should alight.”

They jumped out of the carriage, Luhan first. Staring ahead Minseok could make out the thick plumes of smoke, the road and sidewalk congested with bystanders. He jogged forward, towards the house, fearing the worst. His fears were realized as he neared their destination. The Page house was on fire, flames licking from the windows, the door, and the air heavy with smoke.

The fire was alarming, frightening – but what was more concerning was what was scattered around the house, singed, some on fire, blowing across the road.

Hundreds of crimson feathers, left in front of the burning house for all to see.
***

“What of Mrs. Page?” Jongdae held a wet rag to his mouth, trying to breathe despite the smoke billowing out of the house. The fire had been lessened by the fire brigade but was still burning.

“I dare say she was inside, sir,” the servant responded. “I was out to run an errand and the mistress was in the drawing room.”

Jongdae looked from the servant, a middle aged man who was pale and shaken by seeing his place of employ up in flames, to the house. Whoever had started the fire had likely done so to silence Mrs. Page, forever severing anything she might have known about Siwon and his involvement in the larger plot at hand.

“Do you need anything more of me, sir?” The servant asked, drawing Jongdae’s attention back to him.

“Ah, no. Thank you.” Jongdae walked away from the house, exhaling sharply as he stepped over crimson feathers, blowing along the walk and into the street. The case was starting to eat at him, to consume him, the perpetrators clearly taunting him. Always a step ahead, always able to silence a witness or to destroy evidence before Jongdae could uncover it. It was maddening. He spotted Minseok and Luhan standing near the edge of the crowd, wondering if they had found any clues he approached the couple.

“We asked around, and no one saw anything.” Minseok reported.

“Of course they didn’t.” Jongdae was starting to feel like he was going mad. First the death of Mr. Page, then Junmyeon’s accident, now this. His agents reported little to no new leads, his main suspects seemingly innocent.

“Changmin, Siwon, they are involved in this somehow,” Luhan said firmly. He was standing next to his husband, his face flushed, and his expression as grim as the other two men.

“But we can’t prove it,” Jongdae countered. That was the problem, he couldn’t prove anything. He couldn’t prove anything and he knew it was only a matter of time before something even worse happened -the letter was released to the public – likely changing the country as a whole. The contents would be fodder for England’s enemies, they would be fodder for those looking to overthrow the Regent. It would be a disaster that went far beyond anything Jongdae could help. He needed to stop it before it got to that point.

“It is as though they are always a step ahead of us,” Minseok sighed.

Jongdae found himself wondering – just how were they always a step ahead of them? How did they know that Junmyeon would get in the carriage that he had? How did they know that Minseok and Luhan would visit Mrs. Page that day? How…

“I think we may have a mole in the Home Office,” Jongdae whispered, gesturing for Minseok and Luhan to follow him away from the gathered crowd, away from those who may be listening.

“What?!” Luhan asked as soon as they were no longer under threat of being overheard.

“Think about it- Junmyeon’s accident, Mrs. Page’s home burning down right as you came to interview her. Someone is watching us from within.” Jongdae felt like a knot had formed in his gut. A traitor in his midst? Who could be so brazen, who could he trust? “I hate to even imagine it, but all signs point to a mole.”

“Who could it be…?” Minseok asked, his tone mirroring the confusion that Jongdae was feeling.

“I don’t know, but from here on out you only discuss things with me – not even Junmyeon or Sehun or any of the others. Is that understood?” Jongdae couldn’t be too careful, not if what he feared was true.

Minseok and Luhan nodded, looking scared and a bit lost.

“It shall be awhile before the fire is completely extinguished,” Jongdae looked back towards the burning building, “There is no sense in both of you staying now that everyone has been interviewed.”

“Are you certain?” Minseok was clearly worried. Minseok knew Jongdae so well, knew what the case was doing to him, and knew that the thought of someone working from the inside would have his mind in a panic.

“Yes, go. I have been asking too much of you both already.” Jongdae put a hand on each man’s shoulder, turning them around and gesturing for them to go.

“If anything happens send for us.”

Jongdae nodded, watching as the couple made their way down the sidewalk, Minseok glancing back twice, clearly worried.  Jongdae sighed. Minseok had reason to be worried, they all did.

***

Tao was hoping he wouldn’t be fired. He was supposed to be on his way to deliver a letter to the Earl of Pressley’s solicitor, instead he was standing outside Minseok and Luhan’s townhouse. He had the letter securely tucked in his jacket pocket, but it would have to wait to be delivered. He had to see Minseok.

He knew better than to try to use the front entrance, Kyungsoo would have his head for supposing he could go in the door reserved for the upper class. He made his way around to the service entry, knocking lightly.

“Who is it?!”

Tao tensed at the very un-Kyungsoo like greeting – it was harsh and full of suspicion and not at all the mind-numbingly formal method that the valet usually employed when answering the door.

“Tao. Is D’Adderleigh home?”

The door was thrown open, revealing a frazzled Kyungsoo. “Come in, hurry.”

Tao nearly tripped as Kyungsoo pulled him inside, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it.

“Is something going on?” Tao was seriously confused.

“I – no, maybe, I am not sure.” Kyungsoo led the way down to the kitchen, Tao trailing behind him.

“Who is it?” Jongin sounded just as out of sorts as Kyungsoo.

“Should I leave?” Tao was startled to find the twins seated in the kitchen, Jongin standing in the corner nearest the stairs, fire poker in hand, looking like he was ready to attack any intruder that may appear.

“No!” Kyungsoo and Jongin answered in unison, Tao finding the entire thing bizarre.

“Is, um D’Adderleigh home?” Tao repeated the question.

“No, he is out.” Kyungsoo made a gesture at Jongin, the other valet putting the poker back near the fire place. “Is there something you needed?”

“Um, well.” Tao scratched the back of his neck. Yes, there was something he needed but he wasn’t sure what. After twenty minutes of arguing with Sehun earlier that morning he had decided that there was no point in continuing to do so any further – his boyfriend wouldn’t listen to him. The only one that he might listen to was D’Adderleigh so he had made a point to come over at his earliest convenience. “I wanted to talk to him about Sehun.”

What he left out was why – he knew Sehun was hiding something, it was obvious. He was acting out of sorts. Tao knew it from the night Sehun had disappeared that something was going on and Sehun refused to tell him what it was. As much as Tao loved his boyfriend he knew he didn’t always make the best decisions, so the thought that he may be hiding something was eating at him, the fear that it may end up harming Sehun in the end flooding his thoughts.

“I am not sure when he shall retur-“Kyungsoo was interrupted when the sound of the upstairs door, or more specifically a pounding on the upstairs door, rang through the house. Tao watched the small valet scurry up the kitchen steps.

Tao found it odd that the upstairs door was locked, especially during the day. Something was definitely going on.

“They know of the children, sir!” Kyungsoo wailed, his voice carrying downstairs.

Tao tensed. Yes, something bad was definitely going on.

***

The moment that Minseok attempted to open his front door and felt resistance he knew something was wrong. It was locked. Kyungsoo never locked the front door, not during the day any way.

“Is it locked?” Luhan was concerned.

Minseok nodded, then began pounding on the door. When Kyungsoo opened it, Minseok tensed. He knew when Kyungsoo was upset and he most definitely was upset at the moment.

After stepping inside the townhouse, Minseok was treated to a tearful rant about the park and someone and the children and…

“Kyungsoo, calm down.” Minseok put his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “Look at me.”

The valet sniffled, but seemed to calm.

“Now please tell me from the beginning, slowly, what occurred.”

Kyungsoo was able to relay the message with greater clarity since he had calmed down, Minseok listening carefully as the valet described a series of events. They had taken the twins to the park, where they had encountered the same man who had dropped off the package, alongside a blonde woman.  The man, Siwon, had learned that the children were Minseok’s – or at least that they lived in the townhouse. It was a frightening encounter, no wonder Kyungsoo was upset, Minseok thought. But one thing stood out to him.

“You said they called the woman mother?” Minseok asked slowly.

Kyungsoo nodded.

“Can you,” Minseok didn’t want to ask, he really didn’t, because he wasn’t sure that he could handle the answer, “Can you describe what this woman looked like?”

Kyungsoo rattled off her description, Minseok tensing. It couldn’t be, no – there was no way. He had seen her body for himself.

“It sounds like Angelique.” Luhan said it first, coming to the same conclusion as Minseok. “But it can’t be, she is dead.”

“Or is she?” Minseok asked aloud, fearful of the answer to his question.

***

Tao gave Minseok and Luhan a wide berth as they entered the kitchen, afraid to step in and further complicate what seemed to be an already complicated situation. Instead he hung back, watching as the married couple greeted the children. It was a few minutes before Minseok even realized Tao was there, his attention so focused on the twins. It was only when D’Adderleigh instructed Jongin to send a message to Jongdae, finally turning away from the children for a moment, that he noticed Tao standing on the far side of the room.

“I am afraid I have come at a bad time, sir.” Tao would leave if Minseok wanted him to, he just had to say the word.

“What is it?” Minseok left Luhan with the children, crossing the kitchen he stopped in front of the servant.

Minseok’s question had Tao rambling, blurting out the reason for his visit. “Sehun is hiding something, I know it. He won’t tell me anything but something changed with him the night he was missing – the night he went in search of Siwon.” Tao found that he was wringing his hands, an unconscious action that perfectly conveyed the anxiety he was feeling. “I am worried that he may be involved in something dangerous.”

“Do you have any idea at all what it might be?”

“No, unfortunately not, sir.” Tao wished he had some inkling of what Sehun was on about, but he had none. “I was hoping you could talk to him, he may listen to you.”

“I will try.”

“Thank you sir, it means a lot.” Tao offered up a weak smile.

Minseok nodded. Tao made his way to the service entrance, feeling a little better now that Minseok had agreed to talk to Sehun. Hopefully he would have some success. Hopefully.

***

“What if she is alive?” Luhan was trying to understand, trying to comprehend what it could mean if the twin’s mother was not only alive, but somehow involved in the case. “How? We both saw her dead.”

“I don’t know, but you cannot deny that the description fits her.” Minseok said through gritted teeth.

Luhan looked on as Kyungsoo fed the children, the twins spitting up more than they swallowed.

“What did Tao want?” Luhan had almost forgotten that the man had even been there, his brain was so inundated with considering the possibility that Angelique wasn’t dead after all.

“He thinks Sehun is hiding something,” Minseok answered matter-of-factly.

“Great, Sehun is hiding something.” Luhan sighed heavily.

“I said I would talk to him, but I doubt that will do any good. I put something about it in my note to Jongdae.”

Luhan had watched Minseok write out the letter, detailing what Kyungsoo and Jongin had seen at the park. Jongin had left a half an hour ago to deliver it to Jongdae.

“Minseok, when this case is over I propose we retire to the country.” Luhan was ready to be done with investigations and muddled, confusing twists and turns and danger and all of the other things that got in the way of his time with his husband and (now) their children.

“Agreed,” Minseok sighed, “I completely agree.”

***

Sehun had thrown up once on his way over, thankfully he found an alley to duck into, the darkness of the evening was perfect cover, and didn’t end up with any remnants on his clothing. His stomach was a mess, he was nervous. When he reached the townhouse he almost turned back, unable to go through with it. But then he heard the Comte’s words, playing them back in his head. It was the only way to end everything, to close the case, to stop the madness that had injured Junmyeon and was threatening to do worse to the rest of the Home Office.

“Oh, great to see you, sir.” Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes, holding the door opened he looked as happy as ever to see Sehun.

Sehun brushed past the valet. He noted that the front door had been locked, he most definitely heard the click before Kyungsoo had opened it. Curious.

“Is D’Adderleigh in?” Sehun removed his jacket, handing it to Kyungsoo.

“Yes, though he is otherwise engaged at the moment.”

“Dare I ask doing what?”

“Putting the children to bed, the nanny is ill.” Kyungsoo gestured towards the drawing room, “Knowing you, you aren’t about to leave. You can wait in there.”

“Kyungsoo, can you bring some tea?” Sehun offered a small smile, the valet rolling his eyes but agreeing.

***

Minseok had heard Sehun’s voice and was curious why he was visiting so late. After getting the children to sleep, a trying affair, he crept out of the nursery, down the stairs, and into the drawing room. Luhan was already there, having been tending to Lisbeth and checking on Yixing and Junmyeon was a less time consuming task than seeing two toddlers off to bed.

“Sehun,” Minseok greeted, taking a seat next to his husband.

“Sehun is here on Jongdae’s orders.” Luhan remarked. He looked at Minseok, and Minseok could see just by the slight eye contact that Luhan was suspicious.

“Is that so?” Minseok took the cup of tea that Sehun handed him. “Why did Jongdae send you?” Jongin had returned hours ago from delivering the letter to Jongdae, a short note telling them to be careful the only response. It was strange to suddenly have him send Sehun to their house.

“I don’t think I need to tell you how splendidly the investigation is going.” Sehun sipped is tea, “He is worried something may happen to you two. He wanted me to check in, stick around if need be.”

“Like a guard?” Luhan quirked an eyebrow.

“Hm, something like that.”

“Sehun, I had a talk with Tao today.” Minseok tried to gauge Sehun’s reaction but the younger man seemed expressionless. “He thinks you may be hiding something. He is worried about you.”

“Worried about me?” Sehun scoffed. “Hiding something?! I swear Tao has the most insane imagination sometimes.”

“You aren’t involved in anything dangerous, are you?” Minseok narrowed his eyes, hoping that Sehun wouldn’t do anything foolish.

“No.” Sehun looked pained, “You still can’t trust me?”

“I didn’t say that.” Minseok was in no mood to argue with Sehun.

“Right, then let us drop the matter of Tao’s paranoia and speak of something else.”

Minseok didn’t press Sehun for anything more, partially because he was exhausted and partially because he knew Sehun well enough to realize when he wasn’t going to say anything more on a subject. They chatted for a half an hour more, about the twins, about mundane topics, when Luhan fell asleep.

“It looks like your husband has had quite the day.”

“Hm.” Minseok was debating if he should just let Luhan sleep on the couch, maneuvering him up the stairs was not exactly something he was thrilled about. Minseok was feeling absolutely exhausted himself. Yawning he felt his eyes grow heavy.

“Are you tired?”

Minseok heard Sehun’s voice but it sounded distant. His eyes began to lose focus, the world grew hazy. In a split second he was asleep.

***

When Minseok woke up he had a pounding headache. Opening his eyes he cringed, the light filtering into the drawing room making his headache worse. Then it hit him – he was in the drawing room. Why was he in the drawing room? The memory of the night before came back to him. Luhan, Sehun, and then….nothing.

Luhan was still asleep next to him. Digging his elbow into Luhan’s ribs he nudged him awake.

“Ow!” Luhan jumped up before closing his eyes and holding his head. “I feel terrible. What happened?”

“You fell asleep on the couch, apparently I did too.” Minseok froze when he noticed the tea cup lying on the floor, the contents half spilled on the rug. “And apparently I spilled my tea.” Something felt wrong, very wrong.

Luhan sensed it as well. “Sehun.”

Minseok rushed towards the door, fear coursing through him. He had to check on the children. Sehun wouldn’t hurt the children, would he? No, no, no, he couldn’t, he wouldn’t. Could he have done something else? Minseok had to check on the children, yes, that was his first priority. Then he would see if Sehun had perhaps rummaged through his study or done another idiotic thing.

When Minseok pushed the nursery door open he let out a choked sound. They were gone. Theo and Lilly were gone. Luhan was one step behind him, stopping in the doorway he gasp.

Minseok turned, nearly knocking Luhan over as he bolted down the stairs. “Kyungsoo!” He had to make sure the twins weren’t sitting in the kitchen or maybe playing with Jongin as he attempted to finish the wash. He took the steps two at a time, nearly falling as he made record time descending two flights.

“Sir?” Kyungsoo was standing over a ball of dough, flour caked on his face and up his arms.

“Where are the children?” Minseok was alarmed that they were not in the kitchen.

“In the nursery, sir.” Kyungsoo replied.

“No, they aren’t.” Minseok was starting to feel sick.

“What?” Kyungsoo wiped his hands off on his apron. “Where else could they have gotten off to, sir? They were there when I went to bed last night.”

“Did you see Sehun out before you fell asleep?” Minseok hoped Kyungsoo had, that the valet would report sending him into the night, no longer making it seem like he had done something foolish.

“No, you were deep in discussion, I didn’t want to interrupt you, sir.” Kyungsoo was starting to panic as well, looking close to tears as he stared at his employer.

The stomping of feet made Minseok turn away from the valet and towards the stairs. Luhan raced down the stairs, nearly falling as he explained, “They aren’t with Jongin or Lisbeth.”

Minseok clenched his fists. It had to be Sehun. He was going to kill him when he found him.

“We need to find them. NOW.” Minseok was seeing red, his anger so intense he thought he would explode. He nearly knocked Luhan over for the second time in ten minutes as he pushed up the stairs. He didn’t know where the twins were, but he would find them.

“I am coming with you.” Luhan called after him.

Minseok didn’t respond, he was too busy thinking of what he would do to Sehun once he found him.

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