Jiangshi - V
Jiangshi Masterlist |
Genre: Drama/Noir | Mafia!AU
Word Count: 2633
The atmosphere of the makeshift office was impending and tense, despite the good news that had been brought. With this line of work, dread and death always seemed to linger no matter how positive any outcomes were. Darkness encapsulated the two men, stood on opposite sides of an old mahogany desk, the only light from a streetlamp outside, shining through the bamboo blinds and casting uniform white streaks over the two mysterious faces.
Tao dumped his handgun onto the desk before pulling up a chair and sitting. A sigh escaped his lungs as he relaxed into the cushion beneath him, closing his eyes. Suho narrowed his eyes and stared Tao disapprovingly before taking his own seat in his large red velvet chaise, much grander than the dingy stool Tao sat upon.
“You could’ve at least cleaned up before you came,” muttered Suho, pulling a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiping down the area around the gun Tao had set down, absorbing the droplets of blood mixed with gunpowder that had dripped off the handle. After, he tossed the stained fabric at Tao, who then began to wipe down his face, clearing away the evidence of his most recent job.
“I thought you might have wanted a souvenir,” replied Tao with a smirk, tossing the handkerchief back at Suho who caught the item in one swift movement.
“I might’ve wanted one if you’d stuck to the plan,” Suho growled, voice becoming stern as he sat himself down in his seat. “I told you not to engage them during the arms deal. Now we’ve possibly involved another gang in the battle, a reckless one too!”
Tao scoffed. “Those crackheads are as unorganised as they are stupid, they’re not a problem.”
Suho’s fists clenched, knuckles turning white, yet his face remained perfectly unchanged and seemingly calm, save for the bumbling rage flaring up in his eyes. “We’re supposed to be eliminating our enemies, not adding to them.”
Tao rose an eyebrow and gestured to the bloodied gun on the desk. “I’m fairly sure they’ve been eliminated.” Suho’s lips pursed together into a thin line, and he was ready to berate the younger, snarky man until Tao interjected with a chuckle.
“Don’t worry old man,” he laughed, causing Suho’s eyebrows to narrow at the nickname. “I stayed outside the warehouse and managed to get one of those crackheads into thinking I was from the other guys. I threatened him and he fired the first shot. They all basically did the work for me.”
“And the Caporegime?”
“He managed to get out of the shooting in a car but, a car’s never stopped me.”
“And the other clan.”
“All dead. Cypher will think that the druggies shot first for now, which will buy us time to take out everyone else in their clan before they realise that their Capo was taken out by someone with more…skill.” Tao’s lips curled upwards in self-praise at the end of his sentence.
Suho processed the information Tao had played out, the light streaming through the blinds landing over the wrinkles on his forehead as he frowned in concentration. He impatiently tapped his fingers on his desk before his face finally unravelled. He leaned back in his chair and placed an elbow on the velvet armrest, propping his head app with his palm while staring at Tao with an unreadable expression.
“You’re welcome,” gloated Tao. “My plan was better. And if that’s all I’ll leave now.” Tao rocked himself out of his chair and stood, straightening his bloodstained blazer before heading towards the door.
“Those “crackheads” you call, they’ll know they never shot first. And if anyone starts believing them then we’ll have a problem. This is why I don’t pay you to make the plans,” grumbled Suho, causing Tao to stop in the middle of the room.
“No. You pay me to do my job. And I’ve done it.”
“Still,” began Suho in a cryptic tone. “The job was rushed.” Suho paused before continuing, and only now did Tao realise, that he had been observing and inspecting him ever since he left the room. Suho's eyes had never left his body.
“Is there something else you have to do?” asked Suho. “Something else that requires your attention?”
“Of course not,” replied Tao nonchalantly.
“Then why so eager to leave?”
Tao felt himself freeze up for the first time. Somehow, something in his brain had subconsciously deemed something more important than his work. The tension only lasted less than half a second, but still, Tao’s head began to buzz at the feeling. A feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“Is that a problem?” asked Tao, the smallest hint of defensiveness in his tone. However, it was enough to prompt Suho to circle out from behind his desk and slowly make his way towards Tao’s taller figure.
His head was tilted ever so slightly to one side, as if he was moving the blood to one side of his brain, allowing the analytical half to think. His eyes scanned over Tao, but his face remained unchanged. Despite Suho’s seemingly non-threatening good looks and polite mannerisms, he was still incredibly intimidating when he wanted to be.
Suho’s eyes met Tao’s, forcing the younger into an unbreakable gaze. “Remember, Jiangshi, this job, this life, isn’t an honourable one. People get hurt, and even if you try to run it will always find you. You can’t have anything to lose, or it will destroy both it and you.”
Tao’s ears rang at those words, and slithers of dread and content began to slowly trickle into his chest. He twitched at the unfamiliar feeling and played it off as an itch. “You talk too much,” he deadpanned, his cat-like eyes shooting daggers of contempt. “There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Suso stepped closer to Tao, causing Tao’s defensive instincts to kick in. One of his feet moved behind the other, ready to spring into a fighting stance at any moment. “I may not be as good of a hitman as you are, Jiangshi,” began Suho, voice harmless yet threatening, “but I’m just as good a liar.”
Tao’s eyes narrowed and examined Suho’s posture. He wasn’t in any position to attack, so he straightened up and walked away from his boss. His half red hand found the door handle and twisted it open. “Goodbye old man,” he called from over his shoulder, not bothering to look directly at him. He was halfway through the doorway before Suho spoke again.
“Goodbye, Tao.”
Tao felt like a shard of ice had been shoved into his back, piercing through his lungs as they deflated with one large gasp. His eyes widened, and his hand gripped the door handle so tightly he could feel the flimsy metal beginning to dent under his strong grip.
No one but himself knew his true name, the exception being his parents, who were both dead, and…
Tao spun around with a great force, his eyes landing on what he finally began to properly realise, was the most powerful man in all of East Asia. He may not be the richest, have the most men or connections. But Suho was smart, cunning and unpredictable. It was the reason as to why he rose to power so quickly.
And now, Suho had secured his obedience.
Said man looked no different, his expression unchanged. Tao however, felt his anger beginning to break through his shock. He could’ve killed Suho now and he’d never be caught, but he knew better. He knew how messy Mafia wars could get, and he wasn’t invincible. Besides, Suho was paying his bills, and Tao still held some respect for him.
Tao shot Suho one last look of disdain before swiftly stepping through the doorway and slamming the door shut, the echo rumbling through his eardrums.
***
A loud banging awoke you from your slumber. Your eyes reluctantly opened as you rolled to the side to inspect the time displayed in your alarm clock through your blurred vision. It was almost 2am. Another round of hasty thumping sounded, causing you to groan and kick the sheets of your body before standing and making your way towards your front door.
Who could possibly be here at this time of night? You were used to getting emergency calls, but no one had ever shown up at your door. Cautiously, you checked the peephole and gasped at the sight. Although he was dressed in a plain black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up instead of his usual suit and tie, it was still undeniably Tao. He had his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie, and you could see the outline of his hands, clutching something thick and L shaped.
You swallowed and considered not answering, but you had encountered him enough now to feel less afraid around him. You unlocked the door and inched it open until his face came into view.
All of a sudden, his body was pushing yours backwards. The only thing stopping you from falling backwards were his strong arms which had wrapped around you tightly, pressing you against his chest.
“Thank God you’re okay,” he mumbled.
You stood there with your heart racing, hands clenched at your sides as you felt his gun pressing up against your stomach through his sweatshirt pocket, sending goosebumps through your skin. ‘What…what do you mean?” you stammered.
He leaned away from you and gripped your stiffened arms with his hands. “You need to leave. You’re in danger.”
You had trouble comprehending his statement, but the blood that was smeared on his cheek and the determination in his eyes were enough to send a wave of fear through your muscles. “What? Why?”
He released you and shut the door, locking it and pulling the chain across the doorway. Then, he removed his gun - black and shiny - from his pocket and pressed his back against the door, gaze falling on the window of your living room.
You squealed at the sight of the weapon. “Tao! What the hell are you doing?!”
“Someone knows who you are. Someone dangerous. They know you’re tied to me,” he answered in a hushed but icy voice.
You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. “But…but I’m not a threat to anyone! I work at the hospital for godssake!” You were borderline hysterical. The threat upon your life had sent adrenaline pumping through your veins, and you weren’t thinking when you ran up to Tao, gripping his shoulders and demanding for an explanation.
“What did you do?! Why does someone want to hurt me?!”
“I don’t know! I don’t know how he found out and I don’t know what he’s going to do.”
“Who is he?”
He breathed, ready to answer. But he stopped himself. “I can’t tell you that,” he said apologetically. “It’s better if you don’t know.”
“I want to know if someone’s trying to kill me!” You squeezed his biceps, eyes full of terror and worry.
“No one’s going to kill you!” he cried, arms returning to your shoulders. His loud outburst shocked you out of your hysteria, and you instead froze. “That’s why you have to leave. Come on, I’ll help you pack.” He let you go and ventured further into your apartment until he found your bedroom.
The buzz of uneasiness that was flowing through you seemed to settle slightly in the few minutes you were glued to the same spot by your door. Eventually, you found the will to walk back into your bedroom. You were met with the sight of one of your suitcases open on the floor, a ton of clothing with the hangers still attached spilling from the edges. Tao walked up to you and returned his hands to your shoulders, coaxing you to look back up at him.
“I can get you a new passport, birth certificate, anything you need to start a new life. But you have to go now.”
“But…I have nowhere to go,” you retorted, realising that your life was here, in this town, in this apartment. “I can’t leave.”
“You have to.”
“I can’t Tao!” you replied. “I have to stay here, at the hospital. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do and…I can’t start over again. I worked too hard to get here.” Tao’s jaw tightened at your words, his grip on your shoulders strengthening. “Just tell me who wants me dead.”
“He doesn’t want you dead I don’t think,” admitted Tao. “He just knows that you’re important to me.”
You blinked in slight confusion. “I’m important to you?”
Tao didn’t answer for a while. Instead, he licked his lips and sighed, looking down at the ground before returning his gaze to you. “It’s my fault,” he muttered, disheartened. “I never use the same doctor twice.”
Your mind flashed back to the many times you’d treated Tao at the hospital. “So, why am I different?”
“Because I like y-“ He stopped suddenly, cutting himself off. “What I mean is, you’re a good doctor. You genuinely cared about me. Most of the black market type doctors do a terrible job, and I know that going to proper hospitals was a risk but…I trust you.”
You nodded slowly, acknowledging his words. Your eyes flickered around the room as you processed the statement, a small smile spreading across your lips. “I’m a good doctor?”
He smirked. “The best.”
Some time passed in silence before Tao spoke up again.
“Alright, I get if you don’t want to leave, but that means I’ll have to protect you.”
‘What do you mean by that?”
“It means that I’m not leaving until I know no one’s coming tonight.”
“Oh.” You shuffled your feet as an awkward silence fell between the two of you. “Like, as in you won’t leave my room? Or this house? Or-“
“I could leave your room,” he stated, a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice. “But then someone could climb through the window and pull out a gun and-“
“Okay! Okay, you can stay here,” you interjected, scoffing at the cheeky smile that had appeared on Tao’s face. He strolled over to your desk and pulled the chair out until it was up against a wall between your window and your door. He sat himself down with his gun in his hand.
“Sorry for waking you up by the way. You can go back to sleep if you want,” he mumbled.
You took timid steps towards your bed and pulled away the covers. “It’s not like I can sleep now when someone wants me dead.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be here.”
It was then you wondered, why was Tao doing this for you? Yes, he said you were a good doctor, but there were a thousand better ones that could tend to him. Tao, a hitman with the most terrifying reputation, was sat in your bedroom, protecting you simply because he trusted you enough to patch him up when he was injured. Even if he was responsible for the threat upon your life, he was taking responsibility for it. Somehow, it warmed your heart. Maybe he wasn’t as heartless as his job made him out to be.
You found yourself tiptoeing back towards Tao and leaning down, your arms coming around his torso to embrace him. “Thank you,” you whispered. You could feel his heartbeat against your chest as his empty hand reached around you to mimic the gesture. You backed away and pressed a kiss to his jaw, expressing your gratitude, and you swore you felt him tense a little at your action.
Despite the danger that was seemingly resent, having Tao by your side, protecting you, was enough to calm your nerves, sending you into a peaceful slumber.
A/N: THIS WAS LITERALLY DONE AND SITTING IN MY DRAFTS FOR LIKE A MONTH I AM SO SORRY