» ㅤmassage parlor。

https://66.media.tumblr.com/48077f028c2c12458f19ac7756bf5a04/cda9744e84e178f6-bb/s1280x1920/9d64dcbaa79ce466370c1cec09a65650ae7aa8a6.png

This was another place he had never been to before. He wondered if he would like it. It being a massage given to him by someone other than Daehyun. That is, if his boyfriend was okay with that. Smiling to himself, he put up the poster then left.

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ Youngwoo gave an amused laugh and nodded, showing Jimin where everything was, including refreshments for the guests, and then taught him how to use the phone and the booking system. It was pretty straightforward and intuitive. "Here is a list of the kinds of massage we offer, and how long they take. When you book some one, click on the time, and it'll bring up this window. Just use the drop down list to assign a masseuse and the type of massage. It'll automatically block out the necessary amount of time and assign the price. When they check out, you'll accept their payment." He showed Jimin how to use the cash drawer and the card reader as well. It was all as simple as he could make it." is there anything you aren't clear about? It's okay if it takes some time to get the hang of it. I don't expect you to have it all right away, so please ask me for help if you aren't sure."

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ Jimin slowly started to ease into the seat at Youngwoos warm words of encouragement. “Alright then. Let’s do this thing yeah? I want to get it down perfect. Besides, my good looks should earn you more customers. You’re welcome.”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ "hey, I get it. First days are never easy but you're here, so that's a great start. I have scripts written up here for situations that come up often, you can flip through them as you need to. The program is really easy, I promise. We've got time."

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ “Pft me nervous? Hah.” He pauses for a few moments, “that obvious huh? It’s just my first ever official /official/ job. So this is nerve racking. But i promise to do my best.” He assures firmly, though he’s more so trying to assure himself more than anything. “Answer calls, emails, help people- i got this. Uhh the booking program isn’t too hard to use right? Just simple and self explanatory?”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ Sitting down next to Jimin, Youngwoo offered him a warm smile and clapped a warm hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's nice to meet you in person. Relax. This job really isn't something you need to be tense about. I just need you to answer the phone, and help people who call or come in, or email to the account on this computer, book appointments. There's a booking program that shows you what times are available, and it's programmed in with all of the information you'll need. I'll show you how to use everything." Woo reassured when he saw how anxious Jimin looked.

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ This all felt so official and foreign to him, it made his stomach churn in nervousness. “Ah- okay.” He follows suit, sitting in of the chairs offered to him. He puts his hands between his thighs, slightly shivering from the cold air from outside.

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ Looking up from his phone, Youngwoo grinned, standing up as he saw Jimin step in. "Actually, I'm not. I had a feeling you really meant it this time Jimin. Good morning. Hurry in, it's cold outside." He motioned Jimin in and had him come behind the front desk where there were a couple of desk chairs, and a computer. "Have a seat, let's talk."

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ Jimin is up and out the door by 6:30am. This is the earliest he’s ever been to basically anything in his life, ever. He steps foot in Youngwoos massage parlor, a tired smile stretching on his lips upon seeing the other male. “Hey, I made it. Surprised?”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ Woo felt like he had been plenty patient with Jimin regarding the job. He could understand how easily things came up in Magnolia springs. Sitting in the lobby of the massage parlor early that morning, Woo yawned, clinging to his coffee.

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ Woo just gave him a happy smile, reassuring that he wasn't weirded out at all. "I'm glad you came to me, Luhan." He said softly before finally stepping out, giving him time to change and relax. Once his watch told him that 3 minutes had passed, he locked the entry to the salon from the inside so they could open it but no one without a key could come in and then headed back into the room quietly. "Would you like music or nature sounds, Luhan?" He asked in a soft, low tone, not breaking the atmosphere with his voice. Once Luhan made his selection, Woo turned the soundtrack on using the bluetooth speaker and his phone. It was low, just to keep the room from being silent which broke a bit of the tension. "I'm going to do a full body once over, avoiding your shoulder, okay? If at any point you want me to focus on a specific place, let me know."

Stepping over to the table, Woo warmed some gardenia scented oil in his hands as he stepped to one side of the massage table so he could smooth the warmed oil over Luhan's legs, starting at his calf muscles and spreading it downward over his feet where he started with smooth, firm circles against the arches of there. His hands were warm and broad, controlling his strength carefully. He didn't move on just yet, instead speading a few minutes with each foot, working up to the ankle, and calf.

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ "Okay perfect, I was afraid I was going to weird my boss out before I even started working." Luhan joked pleasantly, listening carefully as he was given instructions on what to do. He hummed to show that he understood what he was told and waited for the door to shut before stripping himself of his clothes, folding them neatly onto one of the free chairs in the room before following the steps he was given. The sheet was light enough that it wasn't suffocating, and the elf realized just how easy it was to relax in the room.

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ Woo blinked in surprise but laughed a little, shaking his head. "that's not weird at all. It's not strange to have tactile needs. I'll take care of you. Go ahead and undress to your comfort level, but preferably , and get comfortable on the table. You can put the sheet over yourself when you do. I'll be back in a few minutes." He assured Luhan in a perfectly professional tone before closing the door to give him privacy.

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ Upon hearing his name being called, the elf perked up and practically skipped over to Youngwoo, in a much cheerier mood compared to last night. "Ah, no my shoulder is fine. I was just...ah....Don't laugh, but I kind of just wanted physical attention, so I figured the best way was through a massage? Is that weird?" He questioned, suddenly unsure if he should have asked the other this request. It probably was pretty weird now that he thought about it. He hardly knew Youngwoo, yet here he was requesting a massage.

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ Youngwoo had been surprised that the elf was so boldly reaching out to him. He told him to come over, and while he waited, he set up the room. He set up the essential oil diffuser and dimmed the lights before coming back out. "luhan, come on back, I was just getting ready. What's up? Your shoulder still hurting you?"

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ Barely twenty-four hours later and Luhan found himself once again approaching the massage parlor, this time properly bundled up in a coat and scarf. A new patch had been applied to his mark this morning so he was feeling pretty good in that department, just something was making his skin itch, telling him to get someone to touch him in some sort of fashion. So he figured his best bet was his boss, and once given the go ahead, he had bundled up immediately and headed to where he was no, slipping into the familiar lobby. He wasn’t sure if he should call out to the other, afraid he may be with a client currently so he took a seat and sent a private message through the imperial app to let him know that the elf was there.

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ "That's a good boy. The next step should always be forward, even if you have to shuffle back a little every so often." Youngwoo praised him lightly, before offering a tight, wry smile at the mention of his own... affliction. "Thank you. It's not easy, but one learns to cope. I'm okay." He promised, and then laughed lightly at the comment about Ten. "Don't worry about that. Ten is unique. I doubt he'd mind, for such a pretty boy. He can share when he wants to." Leaving it at that, though, he felt jovial and pleased with the light note they had ended on. "Of course, Luhan, thank you for helping me out to. It'll be good to not have to run my own reception. We'll definitely get together soon, okay? Go get some rest, Hannie."

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ “That’s reassuring, so I’m not going to dwell on it anymore. I can only imagine how hard it is knowing how someone dies when you touch them. You’re really strong, Youngwoo.” Luhan didn’t want to shift the conversation to a sad one again, but he wanted to at least show that he cared. “Psh, you have a pretty bewitching witch to flatter, mister. Wouldn’t want Ten to think I was stealing his man.” He joked lightly as he allowed himself to be led to the lobby again, keeping the compliment close to his heart for when he found himself doubting himself again. He felt okay for the night, but he might need the reminder for tomorrow. “Okay, I understand, and I’ll let you know immediately if there are any problems. Really thank you again for all this, Youngwoo, I mean. Let me treat you to dinner sometime too, you can invite Ten!”

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ "It's a small hint that you'll definitely have more than enough time on this planet, don't worry." Youngwoo didn't often get to share happy news like that with people so his smile was genuine, and relaxed as he cleaned up the materials he'd used to patch up Luhan. "I don't know, I still think I'd probably think you were the prettiest." He teased, and guided Luhan back out into the lobby, packaging the salve for him so he could carry it home without worrying about breaking the glass jar or anything. "Good. You can wear one patch the whole day through, you shouldn't need to reapply it. But make sure to take it off in the evening, shower, and give your skin some time in the air. You can reapply it before bed, and you should do the same thing in the mornings, just to make sure your skin doesn't develop a reaction to anything. If it starts burning or itching at any point, shower it off, and text me." He instructed concisely.

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ “Mhmm, baby steps. I think this new job will help with that too, because I was stuck in my apartment a lot with only my thoughts to accompany me. Now I’ll be out and about during the day. It’s perfect.” Luhan agreed softly, his tiny smile only growing at the thought of not being so by himself. Sure, he had his pets, but they couldn’t exactly speak to him so have interaction with people was really exciting. “Is that a hint that I get to die peacefully of old age? I’ll take a couple centuries. I’m not quite ready to leave this earth yet. And gosh, you need to see more elves then. Much prettier ones in my kingdom.” He mused, cheeks coloring a soft roseate as he waved his hand to wave off the compliment.

“Of course! I highly doubt I won’t have a genuine reason to smile while working with you. Nothing’s worse than a fake smile anyway,” he laughed, nodding his head before returning his attention to the mark, “A lot better actually. There’s still a little bit of an ache, but I barely notice it now.”

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ "That's the best place to start. Small steps every day until it doesn't feel so much like you're forcing it. Until it feels sincere again." Youngwoo confirmed in a pleased tone, and finally, he set Luhan back onto his own balance, easing back a bit to dry the elf's cheeks. "You look very dignified in your old age but I think that's an elf thing. I've never met an ugly elf and you are a spectacular example of that Luhan. Even a couple centuries from now." He promised with a wink and a grin, pinching Luhans cheek playfully.

"Mm, good, but only if you mean it. I'm great at detecting fake smiles so you might as well just be honest with me no matter what." He teased, and checked his shoulder again. "How's it feeling?"

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ Tired from all his crying and stress from being in pain, Luhan allowed himself to be helped back into his clothes and coddled as he hugged Youngwoo back. The comfort that wrapped around him was almost enough to make the touch-starved elf cry again as he relished in the safety of the other’s arms. “You’re right, you’re right. I’ve been doing better lately with picking myself back up. Morning jogs, night walks, I always take time to make my favorite meal, a smoothie to cheer myself up. The little things, ya know? It’s getting easier to at least talk about what’s bothering me, so it’s only a matter of time before everything else becomes easier. I’m glad my fate isn’t to die of a broken heart, though. I was hoping for at least another hundred years.” He cracked a small joke, hoping to receive a laugh from the other to ease the heavy topic they were talking about. “You got it, boss. I’ll be sure to smile everyday."

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ Once Youngwoo was satisfied that the salve had begun to work, he grabbed Luhans shirt, respectfully helping him back into it before scooping the elf up into a big, warm, bear hug because it seemed like what he needed to most at the moment was comfort, and care.

"We'll figure everything out as it comes up. Dwelling on what happened takes away precious time that could be spent on making sure the next day is better than yesterday, Luhan. Whatever happens, you're going to be okay. You have friends, here. You have me. You have Ten too, I know he cares. I know you're close with Yoongi now too. You aren't alone no matter what. I can't speak to what happened, but I can promise you that your fate isn't to die from a broken heart." Youngwoo whispered. No, he had seen Luhans fate the first moment they had touched, and it was, thankfully, one of the more favorable fates he'd seen in a long time. "The smiles are all I ask for. So I expect to see a lot of them around here, okay?" Youngwoo was still holding the other, keeping him close as long as he needed.

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ Luhan rubbed at his eyes as he continued to cry, shoulders shaking with the weight of everything he had been trying to hold back so he could keep up this image of being happy and unbothered. “I’m afraid,” he admitted quietly after the explanation, “I’ve never been so afraid of something connected to love, and it might sound silly, but I’m worried about our pets. What’s going to happen to them if we split? They don’t deserve that. I...I don’t deserve this. I was engaged and happy not that long ago, what happened?” There wasn’t an answer to that and he knew that. There weren’t really answers to any of his questions at this point. He was just afraid that at the end of all this, he was going to be alone again like when he first moved to Magnolia, except this time, he didn’t even have a family to run back to. Another thing taken from him because of all this.

The elf leaned into the touch of the tissue a little bit, soaking up the little bit of attention even though it was just to wipe his tear stained cheeks, and the petting. Gosh, he hadn’t felt comfort like that in a while. “I’ll pay you back with a lot of hardwork and smiles.” He insisted softly, knowing he wouldn’t be able to pay for the salve with money.

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ Listening to Luhan break down over the state of his relationship had Youngwoo gritting his teeth. He really had no clue what had transpired in Luhans relationship, but hearing the pain in his voice was enough to tell him that it wasn't going well. "Yes... it's usually this painful. A mating bond... it's connecting two souls. But it's also connecting two bodies. Separating from a mate is like cutting off your own hand. It's why you're having a physical reaction. That feeling of being cold and alone... that's normal too. It'll persist until the bond is broken, or until you're in harmony with your mate again." Woo explained, unwilling to lie to Luhan or skirt around the truth of the situation.

As he stood beside the elf, warming the salve with his hand, he d a hand over his hair soothingly, and eventually leaned over to grab a tissue from the cabinet, using it to dry the elf's cheeks. "Consider it a benefit of working for a massage therapist, Luhan. I'm not charging you for this." Youngwoo's tone was firm, unwavering He would not change his mind.

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ “Is it normally this painful? I’ve been having trouble sleeping because of it, and I just want the hurting to stop. I want to feel warm and safe again, but right now I’m cold and alone and so lost. Is that normal? Or am I being punished for being selfish by just wanting a break? It was like everything I did in that relationship was a problem, apparently I never communicated enough, but now that I am, he doesn’t understand. He doesn’t get why I’m upset about how he interacts with other people to the point that it seems like he’s flirting with them, he thinks I sold the house just because I took a break from him, asked me how I could give up the greenhouse I loved so much, but when we lived together he’d get mad that I’d spend so much time there....I just....I don’t know how to make him happy anymore.” The elf finally broke as he was sat down in the plastic chair, tears pooling in his eyes and beginning to trail down his cheeks. He twitched in surprise by the initial touch but relaxed quickly when he remembered it was Youngwoo.

As he sniffled, he listened to the masseuse explain the salve to him and nodded to show that he understood what it meant, grateful to not have to rely on the pain medication he’d been taking like clockwork lately. He tried his best to relax while the gauze was being pressed against the mark, and as the salve warmed up, ease settled into his posture as the pain became more of a dull ache over time. “Thank you. Ah how much for the salve?”

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ "No, it's not common. But it's also not unheard of. It's... taboo, I guess is the proper word for it. Not every mating works out. Some mates stay together simply out of fear of breaking a bond, or the pain, or the stigma. Surgery is... severe. It's a drastic option." Youngwoo explained quietly, his tone deep and low here in the room he did most of his work in. He started to gather a couple of things from the cabinets that held the different tools and oils he used for massage. "Here, sit on this chair." Youngwoo pulled over a simple plastic chair that was tucked into a corner, usually meant for people to use while getting dressed from their service. Once Luhan was shirtless, and sitting, Youngwoo brought what he'd put together over. It was a patch of gauze, with some kind of salve spread across it. "This has a few different things in it that will help numb the surface of the skin, but it'll also soak in to the muscle and the affected nerves to give you some relief. As long as it's on, you should feel pretty okay. I can send a jar of the salve with you so you don't have to rely so much on painkillers." Youngwoo explained before carefully smoothing the patch he'd made directly onto the mating mark, covering it with a larger piece of dried gauze. He used medical tape to secure it down before pressing his palm gently over it, letting the heat from both of their bodies warm the medicine so it could start to do it's job.

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ Luhan frowned a bit at the other’s words, trying not to flinch away as Youngwoo’s fingers gently touched the skin of the mark. He hadn’t really looked closely at the mark in a while, always feeling like he was going to vomit if he focused too hard on it, so instead when getting ready, he did his best to avoid it. He didn’t really know how bad it had gotten. “It’s not common? I suppose that makes sense. Most mates are bonded for life so....yeah that makes sense. My doctor explained that surgery was another option, but then the mark and all the feelings that came with it would be gone.” He talked softly as he took the other’s hand and followed him further into the building. His chest felt hollow with the confirmation that this wasn’t normal. His doctor had skirted around the edges of the topic, only focused on what could help make the pain lessen or go away. He was reluctant to do the surgery, still sure he was absolutely in love with the werewolf that mated him. But maybe love wasn’t enough for them anymore. “Ah, that’s fine. If it makes it easier, then I’m not worried about it.” He consented as he started to remove his t-shirt, glad that it was still warm in the room.

@han l。ᵃʳᶦᵉᵗᵉˢ "Perfect. I'll have an employment contract ready for you to look over then too, and we'll get everything taken care of. Really though, I'm just glad that this is a good solution for the both of us, you know. If that makes me a beacon of anything for you, then I'm just glad it's a good thing." Woo offered a warm smile. When Luhan stiffened, and scrambled for an explanation, Woo was silent, waiting patiently. He moved his hands so Lu could show him the mark.

A chill seeped through his veins, and he gritted his teeth a bit with a frown as he gently touched the heated skin, just along the fringe. "I see. Come with me. I have something that should help. Doctors don't usually know to suggest it since this isn't... common." He tried to explain gently. Luhan didn't have to put it into words, Youngwoo had seen rejected mating bonds before, but it had been a long time. Standing up, Youngwoo offered a hand to Luhan, waiting for him to take it, before helping him stand and guiding him back into one of the treatment rooms, a dimly lit warm atmosphere with a clean massage table in the center. "If you're comfortable with it, you should take your shirt off. I can work around it if you'd prefer to just move it aside though."

@youngwoo k。ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳʷᵒᵒ “Sounds perfect! I’m glad you both will benefit from it.” Lu grinned, finally relaxing fully in the company of the other and finishing off the mug of tea as he listened to the other speak. “Tuesday works perfectly so no worries. I can bring all my documents for the paperwork too so we can get that knocked out of the way. I honestly can’t thank you enough. You’re like my beacon of hope right now.” He laughed sheepishly scratching at his cheek a bit.

He startled at the sudden touch, though, going stiff the moment Youngwoo’s hands pressed against the irritated mating mark on his shoulder. His complexion paled as he tried to come up with an excuse, something that sounded better than the truth, but he had a feeling the other would see right through him. “It’s....I....I didn’t do anything. Just...” He stumbled a bit over his words before finally shifting from under the other’s touch and moving the neckline of his shirt enough to reveal the angry looking skin, “My relationship isn’t the best right now, but my doctor got me pain meds to help. I just think they’re wearing off now.”