Artifex (M)
Original Update: August 15, 2017
Boogie Nights & Colombian White - The Cartel Masterlist
A/N: part of EXO 1970′s Cartel AU Collab Project, this one is Kyungsoo’ part! Special thanks to @kpopfanfictrash & @the-porcelain-doll-xo for letting me use their characters plus to @rudeboywonho& @igot7bangtanbaes for a read through, as well <3
Words: 5336
Rating: M for Mature themes, mentions of drugs, explicit language
Genre: Angst/Action
Do Kyungsoo - The Fed
Fuck this and fuck that and fuck him in particular. How was he supposed to cover that up?
And what was that Kai good in, anyway? Ruining cars and damaging public property?
Probably.
Kyungsoo sighs tiredly, taking off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. Those requests are getting harder and harder each time. If it was anyone else, they wouldn’t be able to handle them.
But luckily for them, it’s him. And he’s the best at what he does.
Kyungsoo puts his glasses back on, focusing on the paper files laying on his desk.
You may wonder how such a well-respected federal agent ended up covering for the most infamous drug cartel in Miami. The one owned by a certain Byun Baekhyun.
Well, let me take you a few years back.
.
.
Kyungsoo wasn’t very open as a child. Well, he’s not very open now too, but as a child, you’d have to get the words out of his mouth by force. That happens to a child when they lose their parents at a young age. Kyungsoo barely even remembers them, it was a car accident, for as long as he can remember. So he had spent most of his life living with his uncle, a respectable lawyer, who Kyungsoo deeply admired for his line of work.
But not as much as his brother Junmyeon did.
Yes, you read that right. Junmyeon and Kyungsoo are brothers.
And they were really close back then. Kyungsoo used to idolize his big brother, especially when Junmyeon stood up for him on every occasion. Junmyeon was everything Kyungsoo wasn’t. He was polite, open, inviting, brave and couldn’t stand injustice.
What an irony, huh? The brother that valued justice turned out to work for a drug cartel while the brother that couldn’t care less became a federal agent.
Although in the end, he too got caught in the crossfire. But let’s not rush things, shall we? Let’s take it from the beginning.
When Junmyeon was only sixteen, making Kyungsoo fourteen, the big brother took an interest in the line of work his uncle was involved. The glamour and the fulfillment that came with helping others blinded him that he failed to notice all the things that happened in the background. All the things his uncle was really taking care of. And when he realized, well… Let’s just say it was too late to walk out. It was like falling into quicksand. The more he tried to get out, the more he sank. After a while, he didn’t even want out and that’s when Kyungsoo’s image of him shuttered. If someone like Junmyeon turned out like this, what would become of him?
When Kyungsoo hit eighteen he left the house. Too hurt, too bitter to hear the pleadings of either Junmyeon or his uncle. He moved away to college while working multiple jobs to cope until he got his bachelor at Law Enforcement. He made sure to cut all ties with his remaining family, to prove that he could make something by himself. Not by the connections his uncle had and certainly not through intimidation from Junmyeon’s circle.
After he got his bachelor, he took the entrance exam to become a federal agent. And when he passed, the training began. It was brutal, intense and merciless. So time-consuming, he had to leave several aspects of his life behind. But his efforts weren’t in vain. He rose to be one of the youngest special agents to join the task force and one of the best.
Maybe even the best.
He managed to solve cases and trace criminals in half the time other agents did. He became the pride of the Criminal Investigative Division. Soon, trainees began looking up to him, wanting to be him while seniors respected him and trusted him.
And why shouldn’t they? He never gave them any reason to think he wasn’t to be trusted.
And truth be told Kyungsoo was always punctual with his work. He stayed after hours more often than not, took upon him more cases than anyone could handle and still his work was spotless, incomparable. He embodied an immaculate, peerless federal agent.
So that’s why, when the CID Assistant Director needed someone to monitor a certain criminal enterprise under the reigns of Byun Baekhyun, all responsibilities fell to Kyungsoo. He was the only one the Director trusted enough to not screw up and the only one that could follow through.
Kyungsoo, though accepting the case, he didn’t do it with much vigor. He’d rather go out in the field, rather have his life on the line, instead of monitoring some mafia boss that spent his time fucking, getting wasted or high, or all three at the same time.
You could say that Kyungsoo didn’t have much of a survival instinct and maybe that’s why he’d rather be caught in the middle of the action than just plainly spying on someone or staying put behind a desk. He wanted the adrenaline, the magnificent feeling of boiling blood pumping in his veins when one wrong move could have him compromised. He sought that dangerous thrill. He yearned for it with every fiber of his being. It was his personal drug. Making him forget anything besides the moment, making him shelve his lonely, pathetic life.
So even though this case would help his steady ascent to success, he wasn’t too excited about it.
A week after being appointed to Byun Baekhyun, a week after constant, sleepless nights spying on the man, Kyungsoo had a visit from the last person he’d expect.
When Junmyeon knocked on his front door, Kyungsoo didn’t know how to react. They had lost all contact since Kyungsoo moved away, how the hell did Junmyeon know where he lived? And what the fuck did he want?
“It’s been a long time, little brother,” he had said with a stone-cold expression that had nothing to do with the brother Kyungsoo remembered. Junmyeon in his memory was always smiling, warmth seeping from his eyes. The person in front of Kyungsoo at that moment was a complete stranger.
Kyungsoo barely remembers the actual words that they exchanged. He only remembers Junmyeon trying to plead their relationship as brothers to not rattle on Baekhyun’s “activities”. And Kyungsoo had found quite a lot of those “activities”. Drug trafficking, prostitution, blackmail, homicide. Byun Baekhyun’s business had it all. Kyungsoo had quite a catch with this case, and he sure as hell wasn’t gonna give that up for the sake of a brother that chose to appear only when he found it beneficial. Kyungsoo had originally said no.
Originally.
Junmyeon hadn’t backed down after Kyungsoo’s negative response. And the conversation that followed wasn’t something two brothers would talk about, no. Because they weren’t talking like they were brothers anymore. No, they were beyond that. That bond had begun perishing the moment Junmyeon had chosen this kind of life and it had crumbled to ashes when Kyungsoo had walked out of that house without looking back. This conversation was purely professional. As professional it could have been, between the right hand of Byun Baekhyun and a federal agent.
In the end, Junmyeon had to bribe Kyungsoo. He lured him in with money, the last resort, the fallen god everyone worshiped. Kyungsoo tried to resist its appeal, he really did, but the temptation was too strong. Both from the amount of money Junmyeon offered and by that accelerating tingle that spread quietly through his bones when he thought about the risk.
At least he didn’t go down without a fight. He bargained for the price until they reached a mutual agreement. And after that Junmyeon was gone.
What surprised Kyungsoo at that particular visit, wasn’t the reason Junmyeon had visited. No, in fact, Kyungsoo had been waiting for Byun Baekhyun to send one of his men. Neither was the fact that Junmyeon was one of these men. What surprised him was the way Junmyeon held himself.
He had walked with a slow yet pompous pace as if he owned the place, as if everyone had to kiss the ground he was walking on. His gaze was indifferent as he had taken in Kyungsoo’s apartment, his eyes cold and distant. He was radiating an aura of prestige. He carried himself with a silent, deadly confidence that came with the thought of knowing he was gonna get what he came here for. And the man Junmyeon was at that moment, was no longer Kyungsoo’s brother. And Kyungsoo no longer thought of him as that. Junmyeon was now the right hand of Byun Baekhyun, the most notorious Mafia Leader in all of Miami.
Some days after the first contact, Junmyeon had called. Byun Baekhyun wanted to meet Kyungsoo himself. Something about having to know the men under his leadership.
Kyungsoo had reluctantly agreed and Junmyeon wasn’t too thrilled with the idea either, although Kyungsoo had no idea why.
Two weeks after the phone call, Kyungsoo finally got to meet him He had gone to Club Medallion, dressed in a blue, patterned blazer, with matching trousers and an intricate yellow shirt, all a “gift” from Junmyeon, who had deemed Kyungsoo’s black suits to be too boring for a club like Medallion.
The introductions were short and to the point. Baekhyun didn’t waste any time in small talk, jumping straight to the reason this meeting was happening. Do Kyungsoo was from now on working under Byun Baekhyun’s command, making him one of his men. Which meant if Kyungsoo was ever to cross him, he would most probably end up chopped off in some dumpster in Liberty City.
Kyungsoo didn’t exactly feel scared or surprised by that; he knew what he was getting into. When he had stepped foot into the club, he had felt the same adrenaline that took over him when in the middle of an operation. But the impact was stronger tenfold. It was addicting, catastrophic and hypnotizing. Working on a case was only a drop in this vast ocean, a small taste in comparison with this. Like someone’s first taste of the drug that went around that same club. While this here was the real thing. Kyungsoo couldn’t get enough. Hell would freeze before he would want out.
Baekhyun must have sensed that. Must have seen the hunger in Kyungsoo’s eyes, as he took in the delightful, addicting haze that enveloped the club. He must have sensed Kyungsoo was made for this kind of life. Molded to be beaten up, chased and in the middle of the fight. In his mind, Baekhyun called him an adrenaline junkie and he had smirked, realizing they had one thing in common.
They eventually came to a mutual understanding, everything rolling off smoothly, despite Junmyeon’s nervous tapping of his foot. Luckily the other two men in the room hadn’t noticed, leaving Junmyeon standing against the wall going through all the reason this could go wrong. He knew his brother was stubborn and adamant to his beliefs and ideals and Baekhyun was, well… Baekhyun. However the night passed without any unfortunate events and to seal their contract, Baekhyun offered Kyungsoo one of Minseok’s girls to spend the night with, for free.
Kyungsoo wanted to protest, having no interest in satisfying his body needs, though he knew Baekhyun wouldn’t take his refusal lightly. Their deal was already on unsteady ground and he didn’t want to start on the wrong foot, so he finally agreed, as Minseok came to pick him up.
Minseok was a reserved man, his face stuck into a permanent expression of stern indifference. He had shaken hands with Kyungsoo and they chatted lightly while walking through the club. Minseok showed him every available girl at the moment, insisting on a girl named Lola, however, that’s when Kyungsoo’s eyes fell on you.
The moment he saw you there, scantily clad in a tight, red dress he froze. Minseok’s eulogy on the other girl went into deaf ears. Kyungsoo had stopped listening, his eyes glued to your form that was talking with another man, that lightly caressed your arm. What were you doing here?
A thousand memories swam through Kyungsoo’s mind. He tried to avoid reminiscing but he couldn’t help it. Not with you standing 20 feet away from him.
~ He had met you when he was still in college, via a mutual friend on a night out. Kyungsoo had been his usual self; not talking much, a bitter expression plastered on his face as he sipped quietly on his Gin and Tonic. You, on the other hand, were everything that annoyed Kyungsoo; loud, boisterous, talkative and friendly. At first, he found you irritating, “too much hustle for nothing” were his exact words and you found him conceited, cocky and snob. None of you liked the other one at first and whenever you happened to be in the same room you both did your best in avoiding each other, otherwise, a spiteful match of bantering would ensue.
Until one fateful night, at a party next to his house. You had been flat-out drunk, and with all of your friends already gone, the only person at the party that knew you, was Kyungsoo. He begrudgingly managed to drag you all the way to his apartment, muttering curses to himself as he tried to hold you up while opening the front door. He dumped you on the couch, not bothering to give you a second glance as you slept peacefully, walking straight to his room.
Though in the next moment he found himself drowning in guilt, however, he would never admit that. So he stepped back into the living room and tried to wake you up. When that didn’t work, he almost left you there again. But the sound of his consciousness was louder than the sound of his sleepiness. He swooped you in his arms and took you to his room, to lay you on his bed, while he would take the couch for the night. In that moment, in those few seconds it took him to walk to his room, he didn’t find you at all annoying. You had curled up in his embrace, your hands clawing around the fabric of his shirt, your eyes fluttered shut as you drooled a bit.
Kyungsoo had chuckled at that, thinking how cute you looked in that moment, and not basically pissing him off. But he would never admit that either.
The next morning you had woken up in his bed, scared out of your wits when you came face to face with the unfamiliar surroundings. You were still wearing the clothes from the night before so at least that was a relief. On the bedside table was a bottle of water and some aspirin and you eagerly downed the bottle when swallowing the pill. You cautiously made your way to the door, opening it only to find Kyungsoo on the other side, cooking breakfast.
You looked at him wide-eyed, for once no witty remarks falling from your lips. Kyungsoo, upon seeing you, stood still before swallowing nervously and averting his gaze.
Then he asked you if you wanted breakfast.
Long story short, after that you both began tolerating each other, if not more than that. Kyungsoo became more open with you against his personal instincts and you became more understanding. Soon you had become friends, casually spending time with one another, as if you were friends for years. Although, let’s say both of you wanted something more.
But that was something that never happened. Kyungsoo took his bachelor and moved away for training, while you were left behind to finish your studies.
Your goodbye was a very heartbreaking memory for both of you. It was his last day before leaving and you had both decided to spend it at your house. But uneasiness had snuck into your apartment in the wake of his departure. Both of you knew you meant something more to one another and both of you understood it was already a lost battle.
But that didn’t stop Kyungsoo from telling you how he felt and eventually kissing you. And you had let him. It was the last day of seeing each other and you would both regret it if you’d let it slide with just a simple goodbye.
You spent the night with him, bodies tangled together and with your sheets, not knowing where you ended and where he began. Not knowing which lips were whose, which hand was touching skin. In that night, that magical, magnificent night, you were his and he was yours.
But then that night ended.
Kyungsoo was gone in the morning, leaving behind messy sheets, unfinished business and most importantly, a wounded heart.~
That’s Kyungsoo last memory of you and as he watched you talking, flirting with another man, his blood began boiling.
Minseok caught upon his staring and he looked at him curiously, a mischievous look taking over his features.
“I see you already picked one…” Minseok said.
To which Kyungsoo replied, confused “I… what?”
Minseok pointed out to where you were. Kyungsoo looked around to see which girl Minseok was talking about but when he realized there wasn’t any other girl there but you, his eyes widened in shock and anger.
“It seems she’s occupied at the moment but if you got your sight on that one we can-”
“I don’t want her for the night.” was Kyungsoo’s quick response, his eyes glued to you while you stood there, unaware of the pair of eyes following you. His jaw was tense, unable to believe you were working there and the man next to you wasn’t a possible fling but a customer.
Minseok paused. “What? Then would you be interested in someone-”
“No, I’m interested in her.”
Minseok frowned in irritation while managing to pull a calm smile. “I’m not sure what you mean exactly…”
Then Kyungsoo turned to look at him, his eyes gleaming with determination. “How much to buy her?”
“Buy her?! I don’t think you can afford-”
“Then talk to Baekhyun. Tell him I don’t want his money. Tell him I’ll do his dirty work, I’ll cover for him whenever he wants, I’ll join him if he lets her go,” Kyungsoo had argued.
“Do you know how much money she owes us?” Minseok had uttered in shock and mild annoyance.
“I don’t give a flying fuck. I’ll pay for it all. And I won’t just cover for him. There is a lot of things I can do from the inside, such as checking upon files that contain info you might find very useful. I’ll be your inside man, I’ll do whatever you want, I’ll even fucking blow you if that’s what it takes to let her go.”
Minseok was looking at the man, wide-eyed. Kyungsoo covering for them was one thing, but providing them with info about potential rivals… that was something else entirely. Something that Minseok didn’t have the right to accept or refuse.
He brought Kyungsoo to Baekhyun’s office once more, where Kyungsoo repeated the same words from before. He would do anything and he meant anything to set her free. Baekhyun had almost laughed in his face but as he was presented with the prospect of Kyungsoo being more than just a cover-up, he felt intrigued.
The money they had promised Kyungsoo wasn’t an outrageous amount since all Kyungsoo would do was cover them. But now… Baekhyun was tempted but the delicious idea waiting at his feet. Practically owning Do Kyungsoo, having him covering up his “activities” while also being their informant. Kyungsoo said he wanted no money, just to set that girl free.
Which in itself was risky. Who was to promise Baekhyun that as soon as he set the girl free, Kyungsoo wouldn’t rattle him to the feds? No one, that was the correct answer. Byun Baekhyun was known for being reckless but naïve? No, that was something Baekhyun never was.
But as he realized Kyungsoo wasn’t gonna let it drop until they set her free or until they shut him up with a bullet in his mouth, another idea popped into Baekhyun’s mind. Even though the girl had already paid more than half the money she owed them, the remaining amount was still enormous. There was no way Kyungsoo would be willing to pay all that.
But Kyungsoo hadn’t backed down even then. He offered to pay for the original debt, paid and not paid, so they should give her the money she worked for.
Baekhyun was enraged, he almost shot him on the spot. Junmyeon had to hold him back, while he sputtered curses and trying to reach for his handgun. How did he dare to throw commands at him?! One word from Baekhyun and Kyungsoo wouldn’t live to tell the story.
Kyungsoo hadn’t budged though. He didn’t even flinch. All he did was staring at Baekhyun and only when Baekhyun managed to calm down a bit he saw the madness hiding in Kyungsoo’s eyes.
It was the kind of madness that made someone fear for their lives. The kind of madness of a man ready to get what he wanted or die. Baekhyun realized, while Kyungsoo’s words sounded like a command, they were in fact pleading. Desperate. Begging to save someone at the cost of himself. At that moment Baekhyun understood where Kyungsoo was coming from. Besides, he too had felt that same kind of desperation before. And he realized the yearning for adrenaline wasn’t the only thing they had in common.
So Baekhyun had agreed. He’d agreed, taking pity on the man but if anyone asked, he did it because of the info Kyungsoo was willing to share.
After a long night of bargaining, they came to another agreement. Kyungsoo was to work for Baekhyun, being his inside man for free, until he had repaid the girl’s debt. Meanwhile, they would have set the girl free with the amount of money she made while working on her pockets, though Baekhyun threatened to drag her back in if Kyungsoo was ever to double-cross him. And after the debt would have been settled, Kyungsoo would be paid, as they had agreed in the beginning. And although that seemed beneficial for Kyungsoo, don’t let the situation fool you. Baekhyun himself had proposed this, as a mean of binding Kyungsoo to them. A way of making sure Kyungsoo had something to gain from sticking with Baekhyun.
A few days after, Kyungsoo was outside the club, at 6 a.m., hiding in his black Ford Cortina, waiting. Junmyeon had informed him you were to be released that day. So Kyungsoo had eagerly waited, hiding in the shadows, heart almost beating out of his chest as he finally saw your tired form walk out.
You were wearing jean dungarees, a black t-shirt, and an oversized green suede jacket, while a big tote bag was hanging from your shoulder. You quickly looked into the bag, before looking around wearily and holding the bag closer to your chest. Kyungsoo smiled as he realized that’s where the money was. You were always so easy for him to read.
Although you looked tired and a bit afraid that all of this might just be a big joke, there was a glimmer of hope in your eyes. You looked at the Club Medallion for one last time, taking its picture in.
Most people would have wanted to erase every memory from such a place, but not you. You wanted to keep it in your memory as a reminder that all things come to an end and that means the bad do too. And since you had lived through this, you could do anything.
At that moment a small smile appeared on your lips and Kyungsoo could swear he never found you more beautiful. Then you slowly turned around, the smile still hanging from your lips as you quietly walked away.
The feelings your image woke in him were clashing with each other.
He couldn’t help but smile seeing you happy and at last free. He never asked Baekhyun why you were indebted to him and honestly, he didn’t care. As long as you were free and safe, everything else was meaningless.
But bitterness had settled deep inside his gut, knowing that now he could never be with you. He wanted you out of this life, out of this world of drugs and dirty money and danger, which meant you had to stay away from everything that had to do with it. Including him.
So he never got out of his car. He didn’t open the door to walk to you, he didn’t approach you. He only watched you. He watched you through his windows, hiding under a black snapback, his eyes glued to your figure that got smaller and smaller until you eventually disappeared.
And then he didn’t move either. He stood still, his gaze after the direction you had taken off to. Wishing a miracle could happen and that somehow, somehow he could call you his.
That’s when he remembered, miracles didn’t happen. This was real life. And real life was a shitshow, leaching away people’s dreams and happiness, leaving them dry and miserable. It was unforgiving.
So with a sigh, he averted his gaze. He started the engine and he took off in the opposite direction you left.
Further away from you.
.
.
Now, things for Kyungsoo are a bit different. Even though he still works for Baekhyun, your debt was settled and now a generous amount of money is steadily put every two months into his pockets. And even if Baekhyun decided not to pay him anymore, Kyungsoo would still stay. While working for him, he realized how dull his life was. And how the thrill of being a double agent, being almost caught was all he needed.
Things with them are a bit better too. Kyungsoo’s and Baekhyun’s relationship has turned into friendly acquaintances, instead of Kyungsoo loathing the other man for capturing and threatening you. While his relationship with Junmyeon remained the same. Kyungsoo isn’t sure if Junmyeon is trying to fix things or not and if he is, Kyungsoo couldn’t care less.
Kyungsoo stands up from his desk as he finishes his last report and walks over to the archives. He looks around him cautiously but he tries to appear normal. He doesn’t want anyone prying on him for what he’s about to look.
The other day, on another meeting with Baekhyun, he overheard the name “Taewon” being mumbled through hushed whispers. From what he got, they were looking for him. But Kyungsoo didn’t know the name. And curiosity took over him.
That’s what his visit to the archives is about. He’s not sure if he can find anything in the archives with that name, but it’s worth a shot.
So as he closed the door behind him, he gets to work.
.
.
After a while of looking with no obvious results, the door opens and causes him to look immediately to the person walking inside.
It’s a woman, another federal agent and when she looks his way, she’s more than surprised to see him there. Kyungsoo remembers this one. She looks quite young and she’s the youngest to join, after him. But she’s mostly appointed to desk work, as most women in FBI seem to work on.
Kyungsoo looks at her for a second before going back to do whatever he was doing before she walked in. He rearranges the file at hand before placing it back to its original place.
“What are you doing here?” she asks suspiciously.
Kyungsoo’s eyes stay focused on the files in front of him with a look of focus as he answers.
“What does it look like? I’m working.”
Kyungsoo is calm and collected, trying to pretend he’s just doing his work. And he’s pretty good at it. Pretending, that is. If it was anyone else, they would have been intimidated by his cold demeanor. But this one won’t be easily fooled.
She scoffs lightly, not replying as she stares at him ominously. Kyungsoo though doesn’t pay her any attention as he nonchalantly walks over to the door.
“I know what you’re doing.”
Kyungsoo stops at that, turning to look at her with a disinterested face.
“And what exactly is that I’m doing?” he says, crossing his arms over his chest as if waiting for the punchline of a badly written joke.
The girl turns to return his stare with blazing eyes.
“Covering for Byun Baekhyun.”
At that, Kyungsoo snorts. “Whoa, you should have become a writer with that imagination of yours.”
Her jaw tenses, eyes furious. “I haven’t imagined anything. Tell me, is it a mere coincidence that since you’ve been appointed to monitor him 14 months ago, not a single clue has been brought to light?”
Anger rises from Kyungsoo. “He’s not Miami’s most notorious Mafia leader for nothing. The man knows how to cover his tracks.”
“And that’s why the Assistant Director chose you for this, isn’t it? If anyone was able to find something, it would be you,” she retaliates. “So tell me, how can you not find anything while you’re the best in your field? And what would the Assistant Director assume when I tell him my suspicions while you’ve been given every mean possible to complete this mission with nothing to show?” she quickly says, as she observes Kyungsoo’s expression hardening.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you admire Byun Baekhyun by the way you spoke of him,” she delivers the final blow.
At this, Kyungsoo’s vision turns red as he takes a step closer. “I’d watch my words, little girl. It won’t be a nice move to make me your enemy. Everyone here knows my name, knows I’m the best among them all. And you? You’re an unknown agent, destined to work in the background, behind an office desk while other, more skilled agents do the real work. And I’d say you spent some serious amount of time observing my case, while it’s considered strictly confidential. Tell me, who do you think the assistant director will believe? Me, the pride of the task force? Or you? A small, insignificant agent?” he says, low, calmly though his voice emits authority.
The girl looks at him wide-eyed as she cowers under his stare.
Kyungsoo’s eyes don’t miss the movement and he smirks. “That’s right. I wouldn’t bet on the later, either.”
He moves past her to reach the door when he decides to speak once more.
“I’ll give you one piece of advice. Stick to your business and stop snooping around. If you don’t, you’ll end up buried somewhere in Miami, being food for worms. So keep your nose out of people’s business before you’ll regret it.”
And with that last piece of “advice”, Kyungsoo walks out of the room, confident in his posture. Though secretly wondering if he fucked up.
Because if anyone is ever to know his connection to Baekhyun… Kyungsoo is as good as dead.