Chapter Text
'have you made any progress on infiltrating kang yohan's inner circle?' min jung ho asks while they're waiting for the elevator.
'soon,' gaon replies confidently. they're alone up here. after the professor canceled their lunch plans, gaon had stopped by the man's office to brief him in person. 'he's still suspicious after i voted against him in the last trial.'
'what was judge oh thinking?' min jung ho wonders out loud. gaon watches the floor numbers go up as the elevator nears. 'she saw an opportunity to curry favor and voted with him. she's like a chameleon, only looking out for herself.' he says it with a vitriol that's uncharacteristic for his genteel demeanor.
'i have a plan,' gaon tells him while checking their surroundings even though they're alone. the professor leans in, intrigued.
'the case i'm presiding over today in small claims court is being handled by a hoobae of prosecutor lee,' gaon tells his mentor with serious brown eyes. 'he's going to lose.'
'that's all their office is doing these days,' min jungho grumbles. the elevator is two floors away.
'perhaps not,' gaon replies meaningfully. 'the defense attorney submitted questionable evidence.' he stresses the word. 'if it comes to it, i will have to declare a mistrial.'
'that would save their office some heat,' min jungo says. he sounds pleased. of course he does. it means prosecutor lee will be much more likely to follow gaon's lead in their upcoming live trial. there's a lot riding on it since it features a billion dolllar pharmaceutical company that diluted its cancer drugs.
'that's the objective,' gaon nods.
'good work,' the professor praises him as the elevator doors open. there's no one inside. 'i have a meeting with the minister of finance tonight but we should get dinner at that --'
he comes to an abrupt stop then catches himself and continues walking in.
'justice min,' kang yohan says with an affable smile from where he's standing just inside the elevator.
'judge kang,' the professor replies just as collegially. he stiffly takes up a position at the opposite side.
'annyeonghaseyo bujangnim,' gaon says with a respectful head bow as he takes the spot between the two men.
'parking lot?' kang yohan directs to the professor.
'twelfth floor,' the professor replies politely.
the doors creak shut and the elevator rumbles as they begin their slow descent. it's not a small elevator but it feels stifling with the antagonism of the older men flooding the space.
'visiting with the finance minister today?' kang yohan asks, having shamelessly eavesdropped on their conversation. 'he didn't take too kindly to your proposal in last month's budget meeting.'
the professor shifts minutely on one foot beside gaon.
'what was it he said?' kang yohan asks in obvious amusement. 'that the supreme court was asking for four times its budget while achieving only half,' he stresses the word, 'the success of the live court?'
gaon winces internally.
'justice isn't cheap,' the professor replies stiltedly. the minister of finance's decision had rankled him deeply. 'nor can it be won with cheap tricks.'
the air crackles. it was no secret that min jung ho and kang yohan butted heads over the existence of the live court.
'i'd be careful about calling the live court a stunt,' kang yohan replies blithely. 'lest someone mistake it for your calling the public a bunch of fools.'
the elevator dings open at the twelfth floor.
'ah, annyeonghi gasipsio, professor,' gaon says, bowing lightly. min jung ho tears his furious gaze away from kang yohan, expression clearing when he looks at gaon. his spy.
'good night,' he replies and departs with a fatherly pat for gaon and frosty silence for judge kang.
'fourth floor?' kang yohan asks and presses the button for small claims court without waiting for a reply.
kang yohan lazes against the elevator wall with his hands in his pockets, studying gaon. his associate judge continues facing the doors with his hands crossed together politely.
'you're so uptight when your old mentor comes around,' the chief judge says thoughtfully.
'i'd be happy to hear bujangnim's preference for how i should behave,' gaon answers studiously, watching the floor numbers dip.
'i prefer you in missionary,' yohan says, 'so i can look at what belongs to me.'
gaon can't quite stop the small smile that forms. 'not face down in the bed, ass in the air?' he teases.
'your eyes drive me crazier than your ass,' yohan replies with blunt honesty.
gaon's eyelashes flutter but he holds his ground. 'antagonizing min jung ho only makes him more determined to cut you down.'
'he's already hell bent on it,' yohan says matter of factly. there's the sound of metal scraping but gaon doesn't turn to look. 'he started it, when he touched what was mine.'
this time gaon does turn around. yohan looks unhappy.
'we talked about this,' gaon says quietly, cognizant of the cameras in the elevator. to any security guards watching, they're colleagues standing a casual foot apart.
the doors ding open. it's empty, so they close.
'he'll become suspicious if i act differently,' gaon says. 'he canceled lunch today without reason but i got him to suggest dinner. i'll use it to find out what he suspects.'
'you're with him all the time.'
the doors ding open again. there are people at the far end of the corridor but no one waiting to get on.
'that's what it takes to be a successful triple agent -- what are you doing?' gaon asks exasperatedly when the elevator dings open to an empty floor for the third time.
'who, me?' yohan says with an innocent look. gaon eyes the console but sees no obvious signs of yohan having tampered with it.
'these old elevators glitch all the time,' yohan says.
gaon barely has a moment to analyze the spark in the older man's eye before the elevator grounds to a halt in-between floors nine and eight. the power goes out, plunging them into darkness. he can hear yohan's soft breathing.
a moment later, the emergency lights come on, bathing the elevator in dark fluorescent blue.
'you're right. these elevators are old,' gaon grumbles, craning his head to better see the flashing icon at the top left corner of the ceiling. he can barely make out the dim words underneath. 'what does "override sequence" -- mmph!'
yohan slips his tongue into gaon's mouth to silence him, pushing gaon the two steps backwards that it takes for them to hit the wall with a light thump. one hand slides up and under gaon's suit jacket, the other to gaon's ass, both squeezing simultaneously.
gaon moans, holding onto yohan's shoulders for dear life. a string of saliva connects their mouths when they separate.
'we can't,' he says breathlessly. yohan kisses him again, a claiming kiss.
'i have small claims court in an hour,' gaon gasps out before gasping again for an entirely different reason when yohan presses a thigh between gaon's legs.
'prosecutor lee already worships the ground you walk on,' yohan says, tugging gaon's tie loose to lightly bite the skin underneath. 'ever since you invited his daughter to clerk with the associate judges' office.'
he mouths up gaon's neck then bites the sensitive spot under gaon's ear. gaon shudders full body. yohan knew that was his kryptonite spot.
'that's in three months and i need to persuade him now -- ahh.' he's not very convincing in his denial, given how he's widening his legs so yohan can fit between them better.
gaon's not hard yet but if yohan continues his sensuous assault he will be, faster, in fact, if yohan rubs gaon's nipples just so. he's so sensitive since he hasn't been alone with yohan in days.
'don't waste your time by waiting until recess to declare a mistrial,' yohan says hotly. he cups gaon's ass and kneads it through gaon's trousers. he's breathing fast. 'do it from the get go. say the defense introduced bias in the jury by releasing footage online.'
'that's too fast,' gaon gasps as yohan's finger slides down the clothed crease between his cheeks. 'the professor will become suspicious.'
'or reassured by your intent to follow through. you're overthinking this,' yohan pulls back to say. his lips are swollen from gaon's kisses. it makes gaon want to kiss him again, eyes fixed there. 'you're stretched too thin, baby deer. something will give way if you don't stop and take a step back.'
gaon's eyes flick up to yohan's at the hint of worry. yohan's face is coloured in shades of blue. he looks out of this world, cybernetic and unyielding.
'i can do this,' gaon says, swallowing. yohan's face softens.
'i know you can,' he replies, leaning closer. his mouth brushes gaon's, words rumbling through gaon's chest. 'but you're not alone in this. we have an extremely capable team for a reason.'
'there's still the investigative journalist to meet and the leaked reports to figure out how to disseminate,' gaon says. 'there's more to do'. he nuzzles yohan's nose, the air between them hot and heavy.
'k will take care of the former and jin joo has ideas for the latter,' yohan assures him. 'end the trial early and come home.'
ah, so that's what this not-accidental rendezvous was about. yohan missed him.
gaon wiggles out of yohan's grip to grab the older man by the face and kiss him thoroughly. yohan wraps his arms tightly around gaon, leaning into him in a full body hug. the air echoes with a soft smack when they pull apart.
'i missed you so much,' he murmurs, tracing the high line of yohan's cheek with his thumb. 'jin joo's mother needs additional medical testing to rule out cancer,' he continues. 'can you arrange for something here so jin joo doesn't have to leave the city?'
'already done. she's with her parents at a private hospital as we speak,' yohan replies, turning to kiss gaon's palm. he smiles at gaon's grateful look. 'i told you. we're a team. so come home.'
'okay,' says gaon. yohan's shoulders come down in clear relief.
'now help me get presentable,' gaon tells him. yohan starts from the bottom and works his way up methodically, straightening the hem of gaon's suit jacket, smoothing out the lines of gaon's button down, fixing gaon's tie, and ending by rearranging gaon's hair in the curl he wears it in for court. yohan's hands are warm and sure.
it's somehow the most sensuous thing yohan's done to him in this elevator.
'how'd you hack the elevator?' gaon asks, tightening the knot of yohan's silver tie.
'you'd be surprised by what's in the building blueprints,' yohan replies loftily. gaon looks at him in half exasperation and half fondness, all love.
he gets his game face on while yohan tinkers with the console and is ready to go when the power comes back on. the elevator continues downwards. they can't have taken more than ten minutes. so three hours until he sees yohan again.
'is elijah still with ms. ji today?' gaon asks, face giving nothing away as he adjusts his silver cufflinks.
'mhm,' says yohan. 'nanny's nieces are visiting so she's sleeping over. we'll have the house to ourselves.'
'good,' says gaon looking up as the elevator dings a final time before opening up. 'put me on my knees as soon as i walk through the front door.'
he walks out leaving yohan's sharp intake of breath behind.