Chapter Text
Nam-Gyu adjusts his sleeves before wrapping a leather armband around each of his biceps. He studies and perfects his reflection in the mirror before leaving the dressing room and making his way back to the bar.
Tonight is crucial for Club Pentagon. Every VIP room has already been claimed well in advance. The potential profits from tonight, alone, could fund events for the club for the full calendar year. As the main club promoter and host, it's Nam-Gyu's responsibility to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. It may sound like a lot, but Nam-Gyu is damn good at his job, and, fuck, he enjoys it, too.
"Alright, everyone, listen up," he calls out to the room, and he is instantly met with the eyes of every worker. He grins to himself, always loving that part, having all of the attention shift to him as soon as he speaks. "Doors open in half an hour. Does anyone NOT know their positions? Let me know now."
Nam-Gyu glances around the room; he is met by the eyes of the other promoters, hosts, bartenders, bouncers, security, dealers, dancers, and other various "entertainers," but no one responds, most of them simply nodding their understanding.
"Good. As for me, I'll be mingling around making sure everything goes smoothly. If any of you should need me, you know how to reach me," Nam-Gyu holds his phone up and is met with more silent nods from the crowd.
"As always, stick to messages for OBVIOUS reasons. I shouldn't have to tell any of you that the music is too loud for a fucking phone call!" He shoots a toxic glance in the direction of one of the other promoters, obviously pointing his words in the man's direction for a prior mistake.
"With that being said," he runs a hand through his black hair and begins to pace a bit, relishing the way the eyes of the room follow him intently. He smiles before continuing. "Remember, everyone, we are here to entertain the people. So, give them what they want..." his smile gives way to a devious grin. "... whatever they want."
With that, several people raise their glasses or bottles into the air, and the room is full of sound as everyone cheers, talks, and splits off into their respective groups as they make their way to their positions.
Nam-Gyu watches for a moment, reaching up to gently tug at one of the leather bands around his arm. His hunger is already setting into his bones, and he can feel the ache in his veins. His body is more than ready for whatever cocktail of drugs and alcohol he is about to shovel into it. He catches himself fidgeting with the leather, savoring the feeling of it gripping his muscle. He's coiled and ready to spring.
The last-minute preparations blur together, and Nam-Gyu's body feels beyond starved by the time the doors open and patrons start pouring in. The music starting only makes the triggers worse.
He walks behind the bar and pours himself a shot and downs it quickly.
He needs something, anything. He's been keeping himself away from temptation all day in preparation for tonight, and his body is craving... absolutely anything.
He makes his way to the door to watch as some of the VIPs start arriving. A large group of sleazy, older men is gathered in the doorway, and Nam-Gyu looks on with piqued interest as the doorman checks each of their names.
"Room 4." Nam-Gyu mumbles under his breath, trying to find any way to dull the nag of cravings in his mind.
"You'll be in Room 4, gentlemen," Nam-gyu hears the doorman tells the group, and he scoffs to himself.
"You just know when they're here to pay for pussy," Nam-Gyu is grumbling under his breath as the group is led away by one of the strippers. He may have once considered sympathy for the girls that were about to "entertain" these geezers, but he knows just how easily anyone at Club Pentagon could be bought. So, instead of sympathy, he audibly gags. "Fucking sickening."
He tears his eyes away from the group once they make their way around the corner and out of sight. He shudders one more time before turning his attention back to the door once more. Finally, he finds something that stretches that devilish smile across his lips.
"There we go," he hums to himself as he sees the next group approaching the doorman. They all appear around his own age, and they're clad in fashionable street wear. A couple of the guys have multiple girls on their arms, and Nam-Gyu starts betting to himself, guessing if these guys are models, actors, musicians, what. His curious mind races, quickly scurrying to imagine what drugs these people are going to be doing tonight and how his own night is going to unfold. He can feel the cravings in his veins, lungs, nose, and everywhere, and he is practically drooling at the thought of all of the possibilities when-
- All thoughts cease to exist. The music filling the building fades to nothingness, and Nam-Gyu's vision tunnels. He has never been so aware of another person's presence, and he can't keep himself from staring.
The man who approaches the doorman is tall with purple hair and tattoos, and there is something so fascinating about the way the neon lights seem to find and cling to his face. Nam-Gyu nearly recoils at the sharpness of the man's jawline, afraid it may somehow cut him from so far away.
Before he can even register his own actions, Nam-Gyu's eyes explore the way the man's clothes cling to his body. He certainly isn't aware of the way his feet are mindlessly carrying him in the man's direction.
Reality knocks on Nam-Gyu's door when he realizes he is standing beside the doorman, and this mysterious, purple-haired man has turned his attention to him. The guest's blue eyes meet his own, and Nam-Gyu nearly panics too much to recover.
Ever quick on his feet, Nam-Gyu yanks the clipboard away from the doorman and shoots him a look. The security takes a couple of steps back, and Nam-Gyu turns his attention back to where he really wants it.
"Name?" Nam-Gyu only glances down at the clipboard before looking back up at those blue eyes, intrigued by his own body's reaction to the proximity. Something about this guy is... alluring... but Nam-Gyu tries to chalk it up to his thirst for the nightly party favors to make their debut.
The man raises a curious eyebrow before leaning forward, his lips curling at the corners.
"What's yours?"
'FUCK, his voice is-' Nam-Gyu's mind starts to scream, but he has no time to overthink things. He needs to take control of this situation.
"It's Nam-Gyu," the words seem to slip from his lips before his filter can catch them.
'So much for control,' his conscience is criticizing him, but he can't stop staring into this stranger's blue eyes, especially when his gaze is being met with such an intensity. His mind threatens to wander, questioning things about himself.
"Nice to meet you, Nam-Gyu," Nam-Gyu can feel the bass in the guy's voice, even over that of the music, but ... he's speaking quiet enough to have Nam-Gyu subconsciously inching closer to hear him. "The name's Thanos."
Nam-Gyu tries his best to hide the shudder that rushes through his entirety. The aura around this guy is intense, and the bass of his voice is practically pulsating through Nam-Gyu's sensitive, needy veins. He runs his hand through his hair before pulling the clipboard around him, holding it in the limited space between the two of them.
"Thanos... hmmm?" Nam-Gyu has to try to ignore the way he almost enjoys saying the man's name, a process that is only made harder by the close proximity. His eyes quickly scan the list on the clipboard; he cocks an eyebrow before flipping to the next page to see the name "Thanos." His eyes widen when he sees that the group has chosen his favorite room.
"Looks like you all will be in Room 3," Nam-Gyu announces to the group before lowering his voice to where only Thanos can hear, "Room 3... downstairs," he can feel his mouth going dry, impatiently waiting for his real night to begin.
Thanos' eyes dart to Nam-Gyu's lips in time to catch the cat-like grin that plays across his features, a gesture that doesn't go unnoticed. Nam-Gyu waves the clipboard, and the doorman instantly takes it from him like the good little worker he is. The confidence surges through Nam-Gyu, and it is only intensified by the way Thanos' electric gaze has not left his.
"Follow me." Sure, his words are for the entire group for Room 3, but they are pointed at Thanos, who eagerly grins in response.
"Gladly." Though the music is loud, Thanos' voice rushes straight to Nam-Gyu's ear, and he quickly turns away, eager to feel followed, chased even. Though his back is now turned to him, he can still feel Thanos' eyes taking in every bit of him. His head swells from the new caress to his ego, and his strides are long and confident as he leads the group through the club that would soon be filled by all of his hard work.
"Come on, boys!!" Thanos calls out to his group, but Nam-Gyu can still feel the man's eyes all over him.
The group make their way to the staircase, beginning the descent that always feels so, otherworldly.
Nam-Gyu bites his lip, the excitement for the roulette of possibilities starting to creep into his throat, the feeling only amplified by this enticing aura being only a step behind him.
Nam-Gyu stops as they reach the door to the designated room...
'... the best room.' Nam-Gyu's body is practically screaming with anticipation as he reaches for the handle of the door. He pushes through the door with Thanos on his heels, the rest of the group following behind them.
"Welcome to Room 3 of Club Pentagon, gentlemen," the group is given the typical greeting from the assigned host of the room. Nam-Gyu quickly snaps his eyes to the man, Gyeong-su, who gives a confused look in response. "My name is Gyeong-su, and I will be your host for the duration of your stay." He continues, the fear of his boss's sudden unannounced presence clearly shaking him up a bit. "I'm here to provide anything and everything that you may need to be satisfied with your time here at Club-"
"Stop it," Thanos voice resonates through the room, capturing everyone's attention with his hands held in the air. "You are the host?" He points a finger at Gyeong-su who only nods in response. Thanos turns his attention and finger to Nam-Gyu. "So, what does that make you, Nam-Gyu?"
There's a tone to Thanos' voice now that has Nam-Gyu more than intrigued. He takes a confident step toward the finger pointed at him.
"That would make me..." he glances down at the finger pointed so close to his chest before looking up to Thanos' eyes again, "... his boss." Fuck, he loves throwing that out there, and it definitely earns him an interested look from the guest in front of him.
Thanos smirks before stepping back enough to look over at Gyeong-su and calling out to him...
"Alright, Hostboy. No disrespect, but for my... satisfaction... I'm gonna need your boss to be my host instead." Thanos' eyes find Nam-Gyu's again, and the rush of a more than promising night coarses through his veins with a new sense of vigor.
Nam-Gyu glances to Gyeong-su who looks as if he is about to say something to oppose the idea. A fair reaction that Nam-Gyu can't blame the man for having; after all, Nam-Gyu typically cannot commit himself to one room for too long, the duties of his job calling him from one room to the next.
"Gyeong-su... leave." He gives his order before turning to face Thanos again.
'Fuck, this is already getting good,' Nam-Gyu is surprised by his own thought, and he is too lost in it to hear Gyeong-su ask him to repeat himself.
Thanos doesn't tear his eyes away from Nam-Gyu, a devious smile tugging at his lips.
"Gyeong-su... YOU!! .... OUT!!" Thanos yells over the music, leaving no room for anyone to have misheard.
Nam-Gyu smiles up at Thanos, his entire body humming from the endless possibilities swimming in those wild, blue eyes.
The club will just have to function without him for a while.