Work Text:
Anger management issues.
Changbin was seething. All he had done was stand up for Chaeryeong at work. He had overheard two guys on her team making fun of her for missing work due to period cramps. He had simply swiftly corrected them with a maybe slightly louder than necessary rant about how painful PCOS is and they had no clue what she went through and they should be ashamed of themselves. And that she carried that team on her back, they're just mad because they're having to carry their own weight for once. But somehow he was the bad guy in the situation. Sent home early, list clutched in his hand of some options for him to pursue to help manage his anger. Twelve hours required before he could return to work.
The list was stupid:
1. Volunteer at a nursing home
2. Hot Yoga with Bridgette!
3. Learn pottery at clay on main
4. Golf lessons with Russ
5. Volunteer at You've Gotta be Kitten Me with adoptable cats
Well. He was allergic to cats. He hated golf. Hot yoga made him pass out the last time he tried it. Old people liked him a little too much for his comfort.
Looks like he'd be learning pottery.
clay on main was in an admittedly cute brick building downtown, the inside decorated with the artists’ pottery, some of it for sale on the free hanging shelves across the walls. A petite blonde man sat behind the counter, reading a book, glasses at the end of his delicate nose, looking up as Changbin approached, “Hi! Welcome in!” The man’s deep voice was a surprise, not what one would expect, based on his rather dainty appearances. He was pretty, but Changbin preferred brunettes.
“Hey, so this is stupid and it was a complete misunderstanding but-”
The man cut him off, “Anger management?” Eyebrow cocked, looking rather amused, eyeing Changbin up and down, eyes lingering on Changbin’s forearms which were exposed - Changbin had a habit of rolling up his sleeves as soon as he left work. He knew his muscular appearance probably didn't help his case much.
“Uh. Yeah, actually.” Changbin was a little surprised. Was he that obvious?
“You have very good timing.” The man praised him, “He hosts them every Wednesday and Friday night at 6pm.”
Changbin glanced at his watch. It was 5:50pm, “Okay, great. Thank you, um…”
“Felix.” The man smiled, extending his hand.
“Thanks, Felix. I’m Changbin.” He shook the man’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Changbin.” Felix looked him up and down again, snorting and shaking his head.
“What?” Changbin was lost.
“Hyunjin is about to eat his words. You’re exactly his type.” Felix laughed again, turning towards his book.
Changbin didn’t have time to inquire before the doors to the back of the shop swung open, revealing a man he was sure he had created from his own imagination, almost convinced he wasn’t real.
Tall, slim but well-muscled, legs for days, plush lips, long, black hair. If he wasn’t the Hyunjin that Felix had just mentioned, whose type he supposedly was, Changbin might actually start breaking every piece of pottery in there.
Maybe he did need to learn something about anger management.
The newcomer’s eyes found his own, and Changbin found himself unable to look away, knowing his cheeks were probably glowing red at being noticed by someone so otherworldly stunning.
“Felix, who do we have here?” Hyunjin asked his co-worker without looking at him, eyes still locked on Changbin’s.
“Hyunjin, this is my new friend, Changbin. He’s here for your anger management class.” Felix introduced them, devious grin on his face.
“Hi, Changbin.” Hyunjin smiled, striding over to shake Changbin’s hand, “Looks like I’ll be hosting class after all.”
“Am I your only, uh, student?” Changbin looked around, not seeing anyone else in the room, not knowing why he was asking questions with such obvious answers.
“Unless Yongbokkie decides to let me try to teach him again!” Hyunjin smiled, poked Felix in the cheek.
“No, thanks. I don’t understand how you can stand the feeling of wet clay on your hands.” Felix shuddered at the thought of it, “Plus, Anne is calling my name.” He held up his book, a well-worn copy of Interview With the Vampire.
“Boo. Lame.” Hyunjin said at the same time Changbin said, “Ooh! My friend Chaer loves that book! Maybe I’ll finally read it.”
Hyunjin looked at him amusedly as he led him to the back of the studio. Felix called after Changbin, “You really should read it!”
The studio was peaceful, japandi style decor with lots of earthy colors, soft music playing, incense burning somewhere. Changbin felt himself take a deep relaxing breath as he walked back, following Hyunjin over to the hooks on the wall where aprons were hanging. Hyunjin handed him one, watching as Changbin struggled to tie the strings in the back before finally intervening.
“Do you want help?” Hyunjin smiled kindly.
Changbin felt his cheeks go warm, embarrassed and frustrated that he was fumbling in front of such a beautiful man.
“Sorry.” Changbin let his arms fall to his side, defeated, turning around so Hyunjin could help.
Hyunjin approached, tying the apron slowly, with practiced hands, “Why are you apologizing? There's no shame in asking for help.”
His voice was sweet, honey smooth, with an animated affect that went straight to Changbin's heart.
“There we go!” Hyunjin stepped away, heading over to the setup of wheels. “Here, come sit next to me.”
Changbin sat gingerly on the stool behind the wheel, watching and trying to absorb as much as possible as Hyunjin spoke, finding himself occasionally getting lost in his eyes, which he found to be beautiful and full of stars, hypnotic.
“Okay, go ahead and start your wheel.”
Everything was going okay for the first few minutes, Changbin felt like he was doing a pretty good job holding his hands steady. His goal was to make a bowl. Seemed like a good place to start. He probably could have accomplished it, too, had Hyunjin not started singing his praises.
“Excellent job, Changbin. You're going to put me out of business in no time.”
“Hush.” Changbin couldn't contain his smile.
“I'm serious.” Hyunjin laughed, “You're a natural.”
Changbin made the mistake of looking up to meet the stare he felt from Hyunjin on his side. His finger slipped. He pulled back before he could destroy the whole thing, but the bowl was quite squiggly all on one side.
“Shit!” Changbin stopped the wheel. “Sorry! Goddammit! Sorry. Can I start over?”
Hyunjin smiled, “I thought I told you to stop apologizing? And no. This is going in the kiln just as it is.”
“What?!” Changbin was taken aback, “But it's ugly! I can't have this wonky piece of trash in my cabinets! What will my other bowls think?”
“Why does it matter what they think?” Hyunjin asked, showing Changbin how to cut the clay off of the mound, “This one is handmade. It's abstract. It's beautiful just as it is.”
“That's subjective.”
“Be that as it may, I say it's beautiful. If you can't see it, I think it will do you well to have to stare at it next to your perfect bowls.”
“What if I throw it away?” Changbin challenged him.
“You can process your frustration however you see fit. Smash it for all I care. But I don't think you will.” Hyunjin smiled over his shoulder as he led Changbin over to the kiln.
“This should be ready by Friday. You'll come back, won't you?” Hyunjin peered at him through thick eyelashes, face expectant. Changbin realized right then and there, he would never be able to say no to Hyunjin.
“I don't really have a choice. But yeah. I'll be here.”
“Good.” Hyunjin leaned in close, wrapping his arms around Changbin, who was confused very briefly, frozen to the spot, until he felt the artist's long, pretty fingers untie the strings of his apron for him. “I'll look forward to it.”
They were standing so close that either of them could have closed the gap easily, Hyunjin’s breath warm and minty on Changbin’s face. Their eyes searched each other's for just a little too long to be friendly, Changbin unable to help but glance at the other's gorgeous, plush pout.
A beat, then Hyunjin was turning away, moving to clean up the mess they had made.
“I'll see you Friday.” Changbin managed to choke out, mouth dry from nerves, ducking his head as he headed to the front.
Felix called a goodbye after him as he made probably an embarrassing mad dash out the front door.
Thursday was doing its best to try every single one of Changbin’s last nerves. His customers were needy. His co-workers were incompetent. And Chaeryeong still wasn't back to make his life less miserable. Plus, he had woken up that morning from a dream about Hyunjin that he really hadn't wanted to stop having.
He got home that night and texted one of his old hook-ups to see if he was available. He needed a distraction.
Chan rolled up with a bottle of wine and takeout. Sometimes Changbin wished they were more compatible as a couple, but they learned a few years ago that they simply do not mesh in that way. What they had - chemistry - was best contained to a few hookups every other month or so.
They couldn't keep their hands off of each other past wine, electing to save their food for post-sex.
“Fuck yes Channie. Right there, right hnnng-” Changbin’s voice still carried though his face was squished into the comforter. Chan liked it when he was loud. He liked that Chan liked it when he was loud.
“Gonna cum, Bin.” Chan grunted out.
“Go ahead, baby.” Changbin panted. He usually let Chan top, but the other liked being given instructions. Changbin was happy to oblige, but sometimes he wished he were the one to be able to let his brain go blank all except for following directions from someone else. It sounded kinda nice to let go of control in that way.
Aftercare.
Shower.
Dinner.
A peck on Chan's cheek as he walked out the door. They had it down to a science. It scratched Changbin’s itch for intimacy well enough, typically. But tonight he felt himself wanting more. He wished someone would want to stay. Wake up and make them coffee in the morning. Someone to do the little things with. The slow things. Mundanity had never appealed to him so violently before, but laying in bed alone that night, he was almost on the edge of tears with how lonely he felt. He had spent most of his young adult life perfecting the art of being a bachelor. Always single, never growing attached. Never letting people stay the night after sleeping together. It worked for him.
It used to work for him.
He was mad that he now knew he would have to do something about it.
But that was an issue for tomorrow Changbin.
“Oh, hey, Changbin! You came back!” Felix's voice sounded pleasantly surprised from his spot behind the counter, finger marking his page towards the back of his book. He was a fast reader.
Changbin chuckled, “Um, yeah. Why do you sound surprised?”
Felix's smile lit up his face, turning his eyes into half crescents, “Hyunjin never keeps a student past the first class! Turns out people who need anger management classes don't like being told they can't start over when they inevitably fuck up their first piece.”
“Not to be crass but have they not seen him? Sorry, that's probably not appropriate-”
Felix's laughter quickly assuaged his worry about being inappropriate.
“No, no. It's funny. I know. He's very pretty. If I weren't so deeply in love with my husband, I would have let him bend me over this counter by now. Seungmin isn't even a jealous person and I still catch him shooting dirty daggers at Hyunjin’s back when he comes to see me at work.” Felix sighed, apparently deep in thought about his husband.
“So he's… Single?” Changbin couldn't stop the question.
“Yes. God, yes. Painfully single. Are you actually interested? Oh, please ask him out, Bin! Sorry, can I call you ‘Bin?’” He barely waited for Changbin to nod, “Binnie. I'm begging you to ask him out. He's been moping for almost a year now. And his ex was nowhere as cute as you, trust me. Even his pottery looks mopey. Look at it.” Felix gestured to the art on the walls. Changbin had no frame of reference for the emotional state of inanimate objects, but didn't have the heart to tell Felix as such, nodding in agreement instead.
“Anyway. He likes sushi. Do with that information what you will.” Felix winked at him, shutting up as Hyunjin appeared from the back of the shop.
“You came back!” Hyunjin seemed to be just as surprised as Felix had been.
“Well, I wasn't about to abandon my child.” Changbin joked.
“Come meet her then.” Hyunjin gestured for him to follow.
“Her?” Changbin snickered.
“Yeah, I don't know. I just got girl vibes from this particular piece.” Hyunjin handed him the slightly deformed bowl.
“Look at her!” Changbin smiled as held the piece in his hands. It wasn't as bad as he had remembered, the dip his finger had made when it slipped made the bowl vaguely heart-shaped. “Okay, she's kinda cute.” He admitted.
“She is.” Hyunjin said, but was looking at Changbin as he said it, rather than the pottery.
“Thanks for saving her from my wrath.” Changbin felt his cheeks go red, embarrassed that he had ever considered throwing something out that was so perfectly imperfect.
“Any time!” Hyunjin beamed at him, “Wanna learn how to throw off the hump?”
“I beg your finest pardon?” Changbin felt like the other had just spoken gibberish.
“Come on,” Hyunjin grabbed his hand, “I'll show you. Then we can talk glazes for this piece.”
Twelve tries. It took Changbin twelve tries to even somewhat succeed. It was much harder than it looked and his mound kept landing off-center.
“I quite literally never expected you to succeed your first night, Changbin. It's really okay.” Hyunjin watched him, amused.
“I know!” Changbin whined, “But I'm so close! I just want to get it right one time!”
“Here,” Hyunjin stood up to move behind him, “May I?”
Changbin thought he knew where this was going, his breath catching in throat as he nodded, “Please. I need help.” He admitted.
Hyunjin wrapped his long arms around Changbin's back, breathing into his ear as he whispered, “And I'm so proud of you for acknowledging that.” He wrapped Changbin’s hands in his own, then guided them to grab the clay, “Here. Like this. Don't overthink it.”
Perfect throw.
“Yes!” Changbin turned in his excitement, finding himself nearly nose to nose with Hyunjin.
“Great job, Bin.” Hyunjin whispered.
“Thank you.” Changbin found his eyes on Hyunjin’s lips again.
“Changbin-” Hyunjin breathed, eyes dark.
“Hyunjin-”
Changbin had no clue who closed the gap first, but it didn't really matter. Hyunjin’s lips were fervent, almost needy. Changbin felt the same need to devour, turning in the other's arms as he was pulled to his feet, a wet clay covered hand landing on his cheek, turning his chin so Hyunjin could lick inside of his mouth. Sounds he hadn't made in who knows how long escaped his mouth. He was buzzing with excitement, desire.
They broke apart only when the door to the front of the studio swung open, revealing a shameless Felix, who giggled at them.
“I'm heading home early.” He announced, “I'll make sure to relay that I saw you with your tongue down someone's throat to Seungmin tonight. He said if I ever did he would finally let me top.”
Changbin couldn't help but chuckle, finding Felix's immediate familiarity and propensity for oversharing to be very endearing.
“Ew. Have fun with that. Send my love to Minnie.” Hyunjin called towards Felix, who was already bowing out. “Sorry,” he turned back to Changbin, “Where were we?”
“You were about to agree to letting me take you to dinner.” Changbin said it before he could overthink it.
“Oh, was I, now?” Hyunjin kissed him on the cheek, “Well. I trust your recollection. We should. Um. Clean up first.”
“What? We look fine!” Changbin joked, reaching up to crumble a fleck of dried clay out of Hyunjin’s hair, laughing at the state of them, messy as hell.
“-And when I told him he couldn't trash it and start over, he burst into tears!” Hyunjin had been relaying some of his favorite anger management client stories to Changbin, between bites of sushi.
Changbin had been in stitches the whole time. Hyunjin was impossible to not like. He felt himself grow increasingly more fond each minute they spent together.
“I can't believe you made someone cry, Hyunjin!” Changbin accused him.
“Oh, I'm certain I could make you cry, too.” He shot back, devilish look on his face.
“Cocky.” Changbin observed.
“Confident.” Hyunjin corrected.
“I'd like to see you try.” Changbin challenged him.
“I'll have you crying in no time.” Hyunjin promised.
“In a good way, I hope?”
“In the best way.” He leaned in closer, “Crying out my name, for starters. Crying in pleasure. For release.” His fingers traced down Changbin’s forearm, sending shivers down his spine.
“My place or yours?” Changbin couldn't wait any longer.
“Yours. If you don't mind.” Hyunjin picked his hand up off the table, kissing the back of his knuckles, “I have a roommate who hates being woken up.”
“Perfect, I live alone, like ten minutes from here.” Changbin paid their bill and led Hyunjin to his apartment, reveling in the fact that the man held his hand the whole way there.
The door had barely closed and Hyunjin had Changbin pressed up against it, knee between his thighs, sucking at his neck.
He broke off briefly, lips slick with his own spit and flushed a rosy red. He was exquisite. Changbin felt like the luckiest man on earth.
“Are you okay if I take the lead?” Hyunjin asked softly, thumb tracing lightly over his cheekbone.
“Yes, god. Please do.” Changbin all but begged, hips bucking at the pressure Hyunjin’s leg was providing.
“Mmh, so needy already.” He dipped down to kiss Changbin again, messy, pulling away just to give instructions, “Where's your bedroom, baby? Show me.”
“Yes, sir.” Changbin breathed. Probably playing it up but enjoying it too much to stop, pulling Hyunjin by the hand back to his room, glad for his instincts to clean his room and change his sheets yesterday after he had left work frustrated.
Changbin had no clue how right he had been to want someone else to take control like this. Hyunjin was so calm, so sure of everything, delegating and praising like it was second nature. Changbin didn't even care that he had technically “lost” as the tears escaped down his cheeks, crying out in pleasure as Hyunjin nailed his prostate with his long, dexterous fingers.
“That's right, baby.” Hyunjin’s voice was low, “Can you be good and cum twice for me?”
“Yes, fuck. Yes.” Changbin begged, “Please.”
“Good boy,” Hyunjin praised, “Go ahead, then. I want to watch your pretty face as you come around my fingers.”
Changbin had found a new lease on life, obeying commands like he was born to do it, calling out Hyunjin’s name as promised, making a mess on his own chest.
“Oh, there we go, darling. So sweet for me.”
Changbin was floating outside his own body, watching from above, sure he had died and that his soul would soon enter his corporeal form again any minute.
“Still doing okay?” Hyunjin checked in with him as he pulled his fingers out, wiping them on the bed as he kissed down the inside of Changbin’s knee, then his thigh.
“So good.” Changbin panted, cock already recovering at Hyunjin’s attention.
“Good. I want you to feel good, pretty thing.” Hyunjin smiled as he resumed his kisses.
“I will feel better when you're inside of me.” He quipped.
“Big talk for someone who can't even get hard again yet.” Hyunjin teased.
“Just let me stare at you for a few more minutes and I'll be good to go.”
“Oh?” Hyunjin’s turn to blush, “Are you calling me pretty, Changbin?” He asked, using his discarded t-shirt to wipe the mess Changbin had made on himself.
Changbin pulled him to his side, risking the ballsy move, but unable to resist, “I think you're the most beautiful person I've ever had the pleasure of laying eyes upon.”
“Changbin.” Hyunjin rolled his eyes.
“I'm serious.” Changbin stroked his cheek, “You’re so beautiful, Hyunjin. I couldn't stop thinking about it these past two days.” He didn't know why the man was surprised, or why a tear slipped out of his eye at the compliments, but he kissed it away before moving back to the other's lips, their intimacy now feeling like it was on a whole different level. He had plenty of time to learn about Hyunjin's past later. If he has his way, this would not be the last time they did this.
Hyunjin lined himself up with lube-slick cock in hand. Changbin might have been drooling. He didn't know. But Hyunjin was large. He now understood the necessity of being opened up so carefully.
“Stop me at any time, okay, baby?”
“Okay, yes. I will.” Changbin’s back arched off the bed, insatiable in his need for Hyunjin, “Please, need to feel you.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Hyunjin began pushing in, “It will be impossible for you not to.”
He was nothing if not truthful. As he was fed inch after inch, Changbin felt himself like a contemporary to the clay which Hyunjin was so talented at molding. Malleable under his fingers, expanding at his touch, his presence. Willing to move any which way he was told. How lucky he was to be molded by his hands.
He saw stars as Hyunjin seated himself fully. It was heaven. He had never felt so full and it only halfway had to do with Hyunjin’s size. They kept eye contact as Hyunjin laid slow, almost lazy strokes, and Changbin thought he would never tire of this. It was different than his hookups. He wanted to put Hyunjin in his cabinet right next to his fucked up bowl. Guaranteed to be there waiting for him when he got home from work.
He wanted Hyunjin.
For now, he settled for letting Hyunjin know - very verbaciously - how incredible he was making him feel.
“I'm close, baby. Feel so good. Want you to split me in half, fuck, Hyunjin-ahh!” He spilled over Hyunjin’s hand, relishing in how the other followed immediately afterwards.
“Oh, Changbin-” Hyunjin gasped.
Changbin wished he could paint. Or had a camera. Something. Whatever means necessary to capture the look of Hyunjin’s face as he came. It was otherworldly. He wanted it tattooed on his brain.
He let himself be coddled and cared for. Aftercare was always nice, but being on the receiving end was something else. He convinced himself to enjoy it, almost on the verge of tears as Hyunjin wrapped him in his own towel after their shower.
“Hyunjin?” He asked, a little sheepishly.
“What's up, baby?” Hyunjin asked, kissing Changbin on the forehead.
“Would you hate me if I asked you to stay the night?”
“Changbin,” He tilted his chin up to make him meet his eyes, “I'd love to. And I don't think I could ever hate you. I like you too much already.”
“You do?”
“I really do.” Hyunjin smiled, and Changbin could see the fondness in his eyes.
“I like you, too. I want to make you breakfast in the morning.”
“Then make me breakfast in the morning.” Hyunjin said simply.
“I can't cook, I can almost guarantee if I tried, you would die.” Changbin was only halfway kidding.
“Then. Order me breakfast in the morning?” Hyunjin had to think about it.
“I'll even put it on plates so it feels like it's homemade.” Changbin bargained.
“Deal.” Hyunjin kissed his cheek, “Let's get you to bed, baby, you've been so good tonight. Worked so hard for me.”
“And I'd do it again.”
“I sure hope so. How else are you ever going to learn to manage your anger?” Hyunjin chided him playfully.
“Shut the fuck up.” Changbin rolled his eyes, pulling Hyunjin into bed beside him once again.
“Make me.” Hyunjin challenged.
So he did. Until they were interrupted by their own yawns, too sleepy to carry on.
Changbin finished his required twelve hours of anger management before asking Hyunjin to be his boyfriend.
He presented Hyunjin with a bouquet of flowers in a vase he had made himself. Hyunjin leaped into his arms, as the question was asked, nearly causing Changbin to drop the flowers.
“I take that as a yes?”
“Yes! God, of course yes!” Hyunjin squealed excitedly. When he wasn't being domineering and assertive, he was silly and carefree. It was endlessly endearing to Changbin.
Felix clapped from his vantage point at desk, “Yay! I'm so happy for you two! And for me! Seungmin is going to have to let me top again now!” They didn't break eye contact, Hyunjin’s legs still wrapped around Changbin's waist.
“Go fuck your husband, Felix.” Hyunjin commanded.
“Say less. Please wipe down my counter. I don't want any trace of fluids on it when I come in tomorrow.” Felix darted out, blowing kisses over his shoulder as he left.
“Hyunjin, my beautiful boyfriend, can I top you tonight on Felix's counter? Pretty please?” Changbin batted his eyelashes.
“How could I ever say no to you, Seo Changbin? Especially when you asked so nicely.” Hyunjin kissed him as he was carried over to be deposited on said countertop.
They did wipe it down afterwards, too. They weren't animals.
Anger, consider yourself managed. Pottery was the perfect answer.