#blockbusterscollab

"AND CUT!" The director yells and everyone is clapping. Seungcheol who is kneeling on the ground with his eyes full of tears is getting help from the actress he played with to stand up. Everyone is clapping because the shoot for the new drama is finally wrapped beautifully.

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK EVERYONE!" Seungcheol shouts. 

He is thanking everyone who has worked hard to make the shooting process easier for him. He is thanking his co-star Ahn Sumi, the newcomer who just made her breakthrough from her past drama. He takes photos with his co-stars and the staff while holding a bouquet of flowers from the staff as a congratulatory gesture. 

One by one, each light turns off and so does his life as an actor. He is no longer Seungcheol the top actor or S.Coups—a famous singer in the music industry. He is back to his ordinary life as Choi Seungcheol. Thirty five years old Choi Seungcheol who loves to take a long hot bath, drink a can of beer before sleeping while watching whatever his youtube home page is showing, and of course, talking with you about his day or listening to every rant you need to vent, especially about your endless work. Most importantly, he loves to play with the love of his life, his two years old daughter.

Seungcheol might appear as a single man who from time to time is involved in gossip for a dating scandal which he denied every time. He always put a high barrier every time he acted in romance movies or dramas with his co-stars. He always considers them as a good friend or as work colleagues at least. He likes to keep his work life professional, so falling in love with his co-star is out of the question, because you are the only one he could ever think off.

Seungcheol met you by the river eight years ago, he was twenty seven years old at that time. 

It was midnight when Seungcheol decided to go for a run at the jogging track by the river. He had just finished his schedule that day. It was a long and tiring day. He and his group needed to record their performance at five in the morning, then went to shoot for a show he can't even remember the name of, then proceed to practice for tomorrow's shows. It was really tiring but that night Seungcheol really needed to let it all out, he really needed to let go of the burden he had on his shoulder. 

He missed living a normal life as a guy in his twenties, so he ran that night by himself. He was feeling himself. Seungcheol was running so hard until he was out of breath. He rested both hands on his knee, his chest was heaving because he ran too fast but a smile grew on his sweaty face. 

He plopped himself to the grass, removed one of the heads of a wired earphone from his ears. He heard someone crying, bawling even, and he saw you there. You were very close to the river and Seungcheol's instinct was running towards you, because he thought you were going to do something he can't even imagine.

"Don't!" You stopped mid crying. Looking down at your wrist that gets held by someone. You dragged your eyes slowly from your wrist until you met Seungcheol eyes. Your eyes widened and you pushed him hard until he stumbled to the back. 

"Just don't do it! There are many things to do in your life!" This time, Seungcheol was shaking your body while holding you on your shoulder. Like he was trying to get your senses back. 

"I'm not gonna do anything!" You removed his hands on your shoulders. 

"Pervert!" You half shouted. 

Seungcheol's eyes might have popped out at that moment, he was trying to help you— he didn't want anything bad to happen to you but he got called a pervert instead.

"I'm trying to help! I'm not a pervert!" Seungcheol lowered his mask, trying to make you realize that he was indeed not a pervert.

That night, you didn't realize that he was someone famous until the next morning you saw his face when you were on your way to work. Your jaw was on the floor when you realized who you called as a pervert that night.

Days after, you were back sitting by the river. This time you were not crying, but you were lying down on the grass. Listening to songs on your playlist, until you found someone sitting beside you. Seungcheol was the one who sat beside you. This time you didn't scream or accuse him as a pervert, you stayed there in silence with him.

"Is it hard to be an idol?" Was the first thing you asked him. You didn't even bother to ask his name, because you see how tired he was. He looked as tired as you.

"It is but I love my job," He answered.

"Then what's with the long face?" You asked again. 

"I feel lonely." 

Seungcheol never asked your name and you never asked his name— one, because you knew his name already, his name was plastered everywhere, almost every billboard you passed by, had his face and name on it. 

The frequency of you meeting with him by the river was never planned, almost every Thursday night you met him there. There were times where you didn't meet him at all but you stayed there a little bit longer than usual, in case he was coming late. 

You were sitting by yourself that night and you saw him run towards your direction, still with fancy clothes. You had not met him for more than a month, so seeing him run towards you was quite a surprise. He was panting and trying to catch a breath before he took a seat beside you, handing you his phone.

"Can I have your number?" He asked, half panting. 

You stared at his phone before looking him in the eyes.

"You asked for my number first but you never asked for my name," You joked. 

He scratched the back of his ears, feeling embarrassed. 

"That was not so gentleman of me right?" He offered his right hand to you.

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Choi Seungcheol and perhaps, may I know your name miss?" You laughed before accepting his hand and shook it. You introduced your name to him.

"And yes, I already know your name."

After that night, everything about you and him changed slowly but surely. It all started with your little meet up place by the river at midnight to late night eating at the nearest convenience store, then to meet him at a private room at a restaurant to have a decent dinner. Until the two of you went to each other's house to spend more time privately. Your little apartment was probably not even a quarter of his penthouse but he really loved your little space. He loved your apartment more than he loved his big fancy penthouse.

The night where he asked you to marry him was a quiet night, you were sitting next to each other in front of the TV, watching his first ever drama where he was the main lead. Your head was resting on his shoulder— your favorite place to lean on, before he suddenly got up from his seat, leaving you on your own to the bathroom. He was inside the bathroom for more than fifteen minutes and he left his phone. You decided to check on him. 

"Cheol? Is everything okay?" You knocked on the door and he didn't answer.

"Cheol?" You knocked impatiently. You were afraid that he passed out in the bathroom because his schedule was too hectic. You let out a sigh of relief when you heard the door getting unlocked, you also pushed the door and were welcomed by Seungcheol who was grinning.

"You scared me!" You hit his chest lightly but he caught your wrist.

He kneeled suddenly, hand reached the back of his shorts, pulling out a small blue turquoise-ish box. You knew that box very well.

"Cheol?" You called him softly.

"Love," He called you,eyes were getting watery.

"Will you spend the rest of your life with me?" His hands were trembling but his voice was firm. 

You dropped your knees to the ground and said “Yes, I will.” 

You hugged him tight like your life depends on it. He was crying when he slipped the ring on your finger.

About six months after the proposal, the two of you registered for the wedding. Seungcheol asked his two best friends as the witness. Jeonghan— Seungcheol's best friend and Seungkwan— Seungcheol's manager slash best friend. After the two of you registered the wedding, there was no reception, just a simple dinner with the witnesses..

You knew very well what you got yourself into, living as the wife of a famous celebrity, but you knew it was worth it because you did it with him. With Seungcheol. 

"Cheol, wake up." You poke Seungcheol's dimple. The man is sleeping peacefully in your queen size bed.

"Hmm?" Seungcheol tosses and turns on your bed. You giggle after successfully waking him up. You put your daughter beside him and Seungcheol acts like he is unaware of his baby on his side.

"Daddy…" Your daughter calls her father. 

Seungcheol giggles when his daughter pokes his dimple, following what you just did seconds ago. 

"Do you miss me, my lovely daughter?" Even though Seungcheol hasn’t opened his eyes, his hands wrap around his daughter perfectly. Seungcheol snuggles to his daughter, earning a giggle from his daughter.

"Shall we invite mama too?" Seungcheol asks his daughter and your heart warms up seeing them being cuddly with each other.

"Mama, come hereeee." Seungcheol imitates your daughter's voice. The bed deepens when you join them, Seungcheol is in the middle, you are on his right and your daughter is on top of him.  His hands wrap around the love of his life tightly. 

This is the morning he always wanted. 

"It feels nice to spend my morning like this." He whispers to your ear before kissing your temple lovingly.

"I know right? But it would be nice if you let me go and drive me to work like right now." Seungcheol groans and whines to his daughter who doesn’t understand a single thing his father says.

"And you need to drop her off at the day care," You add. 

"So I'm all alone?" Seungcheol asks and you nod. 

“Why don’t you take your paid leave and stay with me here– we can do all sorts of things together.” He groans. 

"Well, you can enjoy your rest day without anyone bothering you." You peck his lips quickly.

"And maybe– I have a surprise for you tonight." You throw a seductive wink at him and a grin grows on his face. 

He knows what you mean by a surprise. So, Seungcheol picks his daughter up with his morning hair that looks like he gets hit by a typhoon. It is a mess but you love seeing him like this in the morning. He looks natural. He looks just like an ordinary person, just like you.

"Mama have a surprise for daddy tonight, baby" Seungcheol talks to your daughter all giggling and she giggles with him. 

Seungcheol is driving you to work and it is his routine every time he has a day off or when his schedule starts at noon. He drives you to work with your car to make it less suspicious. He is busy taking care of his daughter, settling her in her car seat. He always makes sure that her seat is safe. Then Seungcheol proceeds to carry your daughter's bags and arranges them on the trunk.

"Honey, before I forget again– Jeonghan asked us to have dinner in his house this Saturday. Do you want to?"

"What's the occasion? it's not his birthday yet."

"He missed our daughter."

"Then he can baby sit her and we can have our long forgotten date night." You joke. 

Jeonghan loves your daughter so much, he will spoil her to death, but baby sitting your daughter? Jeonghan probably will join her for a tantrum session.

Jeonghan was a big shot investor in the filming industry. The Yoon family company basically invested in almost every successful movie in the country. Jeonghan met Seungcheol years ago when Seungcheol just started to play in a TV drama as a cameo. Jeonghan saw his potential and told the PD if he ever thought of casting Seungcheol again, he would gladly invest in their drama.

Jeonghan welcomed you when Seungcheol introduced you to him. Your personality and Jeonghan's clicked right away, and you didn't have any hard time to befriended with him. Same goes as Seungkwan, Seungcheol's manager. Seungkwan was putting his guard up so high when Seungcheol introduced the two of you and eventually put his guard down when he started to spend time with you

"Remember, pick her up at 5." You remind Seungcheol while gathering your work bag and laptop bag.

"Yes, honey!” He salutes at you that makes you chuckle at his silliness. You lean in for a quick kiss before looking at the back seat. 

"See you later, my lovely daughter.” You send a flying kiss to your daughter and she sends you a flying kiss too. 

Seungcheol drives away after you get off from the car. Along the way to your daughter day care, Seungcheol keeps talking to his daughter about everything he loves every time he has a day off. Driving you to work and his daughter to day care, picking you up from work and his daughter from day care, doing absolutely nothing in house means he has the chance to do the house chores the way he likes it— he just loves his day off so much because it gives him the feeling of a father who is busy with his family. 

"Here we are my lovely daughter, daddy will pick you up at five sharp!" He gets ready before getting out of the car. Seungcheol puts on his hoodie, his mask, and his sunglasses. He checks himself in the rear mirror for a second before getting out of the car. He unlocks the car seat, hold his daughter gently in his arms before opening the trunk to take out his daughter's bag.

"Oh? Mr. Choi? It's been so long." Mrs. Jang, the owner of the daycare greets Seungcheol.

"Good morning Mrs. Jang. I just got back from a business trip." He lies. 

"Sena, do you miss your dad?" Mrs. Jang asks Sena and she nods.

"Oh? Does my lovely daughter miss me so much? We will play together with mom later. Daddy will pick you up at five sharp today." Seungcheol puts his daughter down and she runs straight inside without saying goodbye to Seungcheol, earning a laugh from Seungcheol and Mrs. Jang.

"Mrs. Jang, please take care of our Sena today." Seungcheol bows before handing his daughter's bag.

"Yes, like wise Mr. Choi." Seungcheol waves at Sena who doesn’t even look back before heading to his car.

Seungcheol is back at his penthouse. Your car that he used earlier is now parked on an assigned parking spot and he changes to his own car. He does it to prevent getting caught by paparazzi that he rides in someone else's car. He checks his messages and Seungkwan only texted him to let him know that he is scheduled for a photo shoot tomorrow morning. 

Seungcheol starts his car and drives to his gym to meet his gym buddy slash his group mates, Wonwoo. 

Seungcheol is also a leader of a four member boy group; the group has been on hiatus since two years ago. The group consists of Seungcheol, Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Hansol. Only Seungcheol and Hansol had a stage name, their stage name was S.Coups and Vernon. It's been so long since he met with the others, because their individual schedules are too packed and it’s making it hard to meet with each other. 

"Whats your menu for today?" Wonwoo asks.

"Leg day and you seem so eager to make your shoulder more broad." The younger guy scoffs at Seungcheol. 

"Are you still dating your girlfriend?" Wonwoo suddenly asks. 

"Suddenly? Why? And yeah we're still going strong now." Seungcheol answers. Technically he is not lying, because it is true that his relationship with you is still going strong– he just lies about the status. You are no longer his girlfriend, your status already got upgraded five years ago as his lawfully wedded wife. 

"Well, you know, I've been thinking about dating too but I'm afraid that because of me, she will get backlash." 

Seungcheol pulls the stops at the leg press machine. 

"Is she in the same industry?" Seungcheol asks. 

"No, she's an ordinary person. She's a lawyer." 

Seungcheol's grins grow wider because of Wonwoo love story that is way more interesting than the leg press machine.

It is almost lunch time when Seungcheol finishes his workout session. He has already finished taking a shower when he sees your messages. You ask him if he wants to grab lunch with you and of course Seungcheol agrees immediately without hesitation even though there is always a chance of getting caught by paparazzi. 

Seungcheol arrives at your office building and you are running to his car when you see his fancy car at the entrance. He is smiling from ear to ear when you run towards his car.

"I miss you so much." He pulls you into a hug right after you settle inside his car. 

"What do you want to eat for lunch?" You ask him.

"Oh? I thought you already brought one." He answers naturally because most of the time you already have the lunch ready, then the two of you will eat inside the car in the basement.  

"Should we eat out?" You suggest.

"Or is it too risky?" You change your mind because you are afraid to get caught in broad daylight by paparazzi. 

"No, let's eat out. What do you want to eat?"

Seungcheol always wanted to have a normal date like other couples. Having lunch or dinner outside, going to a viral restaurant or lining up to try a viral cafe with his loved ones, but he never did it before. He wants to act like a normal couple for once with you without the fear of getting caught by paparazzi. 

"Pork cutlet?" You suggest. 

"Nice choice!” He pinches your cheek gently. 

The pork cutlet place is not crowded even though it’s lunch time. You walk side by side with him, he is back on his ninja mode—that's how you like to call it. Nobody suspects anything, because it's really normal in your country to dress like that. You pick the furthest table that was blocked by a wall in case someone notices Seungcheol. 

You put orders for the two of you then when the worker finished taking your orders, Seungcheol lowered down his mask and took off his beanie. You hold his hands because you miss him so much and it's been so long since you eat out with him. .

"How was your work?" He asks. 

"Stresful as usual but I have more energy today because I can’t wait to go home and play with Sena and you!" You answer excitedly that makes him smile. 

Not long after the two of you are chatting, the food comes. The two of you dig in immediately while talking about this and that. When the two of you finish your food, you make your way to the cashier to pay while Seungcheol is waiting in front of the door, he is back in his ninja mode. You make your way to Seungcheol but stop at your track when you notice a group of teenage girls whispering to each other while pointing at Seungcheol. You know, Seungcheol's cover is busted. So you do what you need to do, you text him and tell him to go first without you.

Seungcheol looks back at you and you assure him with a nod before he walks away to his parked car. The group of teenage girls approach him, asking him a few questions and hands him anything for him to sign. He answers their questions happily and gives them a sign, before getting into his car and driving away.

You are watching their interaction before exhaling sharply and you are left alone, again.

Seungcheol pulls his car to the side. He calls you but you don’t pick up. He is afraid you will get caught or harassed by the paparazzi. As he almost starts to drive again, you call him back. You are in a taxi on the way back to your office. Seungcheol keeps saying sorry to you and leaves you all by yourself there but you assure him that it is fine and you know the consequences when eating out with him. Seungcheol feels a pang of guilt in his chest, bringing back the feeling that he already buries inside his heart and it starts to creep up. 

Seungcheol has been thinking about early retirement from the industry, not fully retired, just stopping appearing on the big screen. He will continue to produce and write music, but he cannot continue living his life like this for the rest of his life. He can't enjoy going to the amusement park with his little family. Accompanying you to the hospital for Sena’s check up or vaccination or going to your company end year dinner. He wants to have a normal life. He wants his family to live a normal life, like every other family.

It's 4.30pm and Seungcheol rushes to pick Sena up from day care. He thinks that it will be better to pick you up after office too. He arrives right at 5pm and all the other parents are already waiting for their baby to come out from the day care. He is waiting patiently until Sena's name gets called.

"Hello? Are you Sena's father?" A lady in his mid-thirties come up to Seungcheol.

"Ah? Yes, I'm Sena's father." Seungcheol bows.

"Finally I met you because every time I pick my son, I only meet with your wife, I'm Chan's mother." She introduces herself.

"Choi Sena is here!" Seungcheol's eyes light up when he hears his daughter's name.

"Here!" He waves his hands towards Sena. Making the little girl run to her dad with her little feet and falling right into Seungcheol arms.

"My baby, are you having fun? hmm?" Sena giggles.

"Thank you miss, see you tomorrow." He holds Sena's small hand and Seungcheol also bid his goodbye to Chan's mother.

"So you have a friend named Chan? He must be a boy right? He must like my Sena." Seungcheol talks to Sena.

"Daddy, mama?"

"Yes baby, let's go pick your mother up." He kisses Sena's cheek.

Tonight, the three of you are spending the night at Seungcheol's penthouse. You are taking a long relaxing bath after Sena successfully falls asleep in Seungcheol’s arms. It feels nice to let your body sink in a warm bath after a long day and you have zero worries about your baby because you are not alone tonight. 

You are relaxing in the bathtub, humming and singing along to the songs on the playlist you play for yourself until the bathroom door cracked open. Seungcheol with a smirk appears behind the bathroom door with a glass of wine in his right hand and a baby monitor in his left hand.

"Thank you," You sit straight up and take the wine glass off your husband’s hand and give your husband a sweet loving kiss on the lips.

"Are you going to join me or just stand there and stare at me?" You ask because Seungcheol couldn’t keep his eyes off you, he is staring at your face and your boobs alternately. 

"I'm waiting for the invitation and yes, I will gladly join you." 

You sip your wine while enjoying the view in front of you. Your husband strips his clothes one by one, like he is seducing you. His body never fails to make your breath hitch every time. You have seen it all, you have felt it, yet it never stops making your heart thumping hard.

"I see you are liking the view, my love." He says as he drops the last piece of his clothes, he takes his time to enter the bathtub, like he is teasing you. 

He sinks to the bathroom, facing you. The bathtub is big enough for the two of you but it feels suffocating, the atmosphere inside the bathroom has changed completely with Seungcheol naked in front of you. You offer him your wine and he gladly sips it. The way he never leaves his eyes from you when he sips the wine, making your stomach turn because of nervousness but  you know very well that he is teasing you. He can tease you and edge you without laying his hands on you, his eyes are enough. 

"Are we still playing this game?" You lean back and rest both your hands on the bathtub sides. 

He chuckles and scoots closer to you until he is close enough for you to wrap your legs around his waist. You let out a shaky sigh when you feel his hard length pressing on your stomach.

"I love to play this game with you, I love to see you look desperate and begging me." He whispers in your ear seductively, blowing a small air from his mouth to your ear before giving your ear a gently kiss. 

He plays with your damp hair, twirling it before tucking it behind your ear. His other hand was tracing a line along your thigh that made you shiver. While his eyes never leave yours, his eyes are getting dark, lust starts to take over him and you can clearly see the hunger in his eyes. 

"Please, kiss me." You beg, because you can’t take it anymore. 

Seungcheol smirks before leaning in to kiss you. The kiss is not sweet at all, it is full of hunger, desperation. It was messy.

Just like you love it. 

"Someone is too giddy?" Seungcheol teases you between kisses.

"You left me untouched for almost a month. I'm hungry for you. I need you." You say while trying to hide the moan that is on the tip of your tongue.

The beast that has been sleeping inside Seungcheol wakes up, he doesn’t even think twice to kiss you again, harder this time. He pulls you on top of him. You make yourself comfortable on top of him before wrapping your legs around his waist and grinding against his length. 

He is taking his time with you until the sound of Sena's crying voice blast through the baby monitor. She is crying frantically and calling your name. The two of you break the kiss and Seungcheol groans in frustration, this is the moment he's been waiting for. 

"You should enjoy your bath, I'll take care of Sena." As much as he wants to stay, he gets up from the bathtub. 

He kisses your lips quickly before getting out of the bath. He is drying and wrapping  his body as quickly as possible. Picking the clothes he takes off earlier and wearing it fast. He doesn’t even realize he wears his t-shirt inside out because he rushes to Sena’s room.

You peek behind Sena’s bedroom door after finishing your shower. Seungcheol is sleeping beside her with his arms wrapped around Sena, protecting his little angel from the monster under the bed. You tiptoe your way in, kissing your daughter's forehead good night and Seungcheol cheek too. You are not going to wake Seungcheol up, you are going to let them sleep soundly. When you pull the cover up, Seungcheol opens his eyes slightly before he smiles when he sees you. 

There is no word needed, his eyes speak enough for you to understand everything that he has in mind. Seungcheol moves very slowly, afraid that his movement can wake his little angel. Sena tosses a little, both you and Seungcheol are holding your breath. After making sure Sena is still in her dream land, Seungcheol gets out of bed. 

"Sweet dream, little angel." Seungcheol whispers before kissing Sena's cheek. 

Both of you make your way out of Sena's room quietly. His right arm wraps around your waist and his left hand is holding the baby monitor.

"Thank you, baby." You kiss Seungcheol on the cheek when the door behind you finally close. 

"What are you thanking me for?" Seungcheol asks, raising his eyebrow. 

"You let me take a long relaxing bath."

"Oh honey, you deserve it. You deserve the long relaxing bath more than anyone." He gently wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you closer. 

You rest your head on his shoulder, wrapping your hands on his waist too. The hug is much needed after a long day and after not seeing each other for a long time. 

"Why don't you change your clothes? You still wear the bathrobe." Seungcheol says as he brushes his palm on your back. 

"I don't think I need to, because soon, I won't need to wear anything, right?" You whisper in his ear that sends a shiver down his spine. 

"You are so right, because I will be the one who takes it off." He says in a deep voice that make you gulp but you are not backing down tonight. 

You seduce him back before with loosening up the bathrobe but he captures your lips right away before you could do anything else. The two of you make your way to the main bedroom without letting go of each other's lips. Bumping here and there was not a big deal until he pins you against the door.

You hiss when your back hits the door, quite harsh but you love it so much, so you don’t say anything. You love him when he is desperate. 

"Baby, the monitor." You remind him while tapping on his shoulder, the man is busy kissing your neck. 

“Right!” Seungcheol realizes he probably left it on the counter somewhere along the way, he hurries to look for the baby monitor, his lips are swollen and his hair is already a mess because of you. 

You open the bedroom door and jump to the bed, waiting for Seungcheol to come back with an elbow supporting yourself so you are not fully lying down. The bedroom door handles creek and you smirk when you see your husband is coming looking all sexy especially he is holding a baby monitor in his hand. 

"What a good daddy," You tease him. 

He gently put the baby monitor on the nightstand before crawling his way to you.

"Am I?" He is caging you. 

He leans down until his face is close to you– close enough until you can feel his heavy breath on your face.

"You are a good daddy, that's why I want to give you a present." You push him, so he is lying on his back. You crawl on top of him, settling down just right above his hips, bending yourself so he can see your breast slightly behind the bathrobe. 

"I can't wait to receive it." He rests his head on the head board, hands behind his head. 

The smirk on his face grows wider when you pull your bathrobe tie loose, exposing your bare body. You kiss his chest seductively and keep going down without breaking eye contact with him.

"Daddy?" Sena is pointing at the TV in front of her.

"That's right baby, it's daddy on the TV." You are smiling because Sena seems so excited to see his dad on the TV.

"Mama, where is daddy?" You smile at her, an assuring smile while patting her head

"Daddy is working at the moment, baby. Do you miss daddy?" You ask her but her facial expression changes instantly. 

She is crying. 

"Baby, you miss daddy so much? Should we try to call him?" You pick Sena to your arms, trying to calm her down by calling her daddy. 

He doesn’t pick up his call, he is probably in the middle of shooting. So you send a message to Seungkwan, asking if Seungcheol is busy at the moment. Seungkwan replies right away, telling you that Seungcheol is doing an interview for his drama with his co-stars.

“Daddy is busy at the moment, baby. I’m sorry.” You hug your child, rocking her so she calms down.

Your phone rings, Seungkwan is calling you so you pick it up immediately.

"Hello? Seungkwan?"

"Hello, I’m sorry but Seungcheol is shooting at the moment, is there something important? Do you want me to pass the message to him? Or is it private?" He asks.

"Oh? no no, it’s fine. Sena is crying because she misses her daddy. She saw Seungcheol on the TV." You explain

"Aw, Sena missed his dad? Sena do you miss uncle too?" Seungkwan tries to calm Sena down with a joke. 

"Sena misses her uncle Kwan too— well, Seungkwan, thank you for calling me. I’m sorry for bothering you." You thank Seungkwan who always responds to your message fast.

"No worries, I will tell Seungcheol to call you as soon as his schedule is done." He assures you before he ends the call.

Sena is no longer crying, she is all smiley by now.

"Daddy is still working, he will call us as soon as he finishes working." You explain to Sena and she just nods before snuggling into your embrace.

"Sena, do you want to go on a date with mama?" You try to cheer her up and distract her until Seungcheol finishes with his work. 

"Do you want to go out? Shall we have a mama-daughter date?" Sena doesn’t understand yet what mama-daughter date is but she is excited and nods while giggling.

You help Sena change her clothes and get yourself ready. You pack Sena's necessities to her bag before going straight to your car. You send a message to Seungcheol to let him know that you are out on a date with Sena.

"Sena, what should we do first? Should we play in the park first?" You ask Sena while settling her down on her car seat.

"Park? I like it mama!" The sides of your lips make high curves seeing your daughter excited with the idea of playing in the park.

You arrive at the park and the park is much more crowded than usual, a lot of families come to picnic or accompany their child playing in the park’s playground. You let Sena run around with you chase her, before she makes friend with other kids, so you let her be. 

You are sitting on the playground bench with the other parents. You feel a little jealous of a family that comes and plays together, a complete family like that one family in front of you who are busy playing catch with their son. You let out a sigh that is a little bit too loud. 

"Are you okay?" A mother probably in her forties asks you. You don’t even realize that she is sitting beside you. 

"Oh? Sorry, did I sighed too loud?" You apologize. 

"No, no worries. I hope everything is going well for you." She gives you a sweet smile and you smile back at her. 

"It must be nice to play with a complete family like that, especially when their father is around" She continues. 

"Ah, sorry, I’m feeling a little emotional today." She apologizes. 

"No, it's fine. Are you okay?" You turn to face her, to make sure that she is okay. .

"Me? no. I'm not. I'm in the middle of my divorce proceedings. Stressful." She laughed. The laugh is not a happy laugh, it is a laugh that forces you to hide your hardship in front of others. 

"Oh no, I'm so sorry it happened to you." 

"No, don't be. It is the best decision I made this year. He kept me and my son like a secret, he didn't bring me and our son to his company's end of the year party or dinner. He rarely brought us to his family gathering—he didn't even want to be seen with us. It feels like I’m watching a drama." She ends her short story with a chuckle. 

"He thought I was too ugly to be seen with him. I used to be fucking pretty too—I just don't have time to take care of myself because I'm too tired to do it after doing the chores and taking care of our son." She keeps talking and you keep listening to whatever she needs to let out. 

"In the end, I caught him cheating with his so-called "work wife" whose younger and prettier—I'm sorry, I overshared." She clasps both her hands in front of her mouth and apologizes to you again. 

"No, no, it's fine. I'm glad that you talked about it to me, I hope your divorce proceedings finish neatly." Hearing her story makes you overthink about your marriage with Seungcheol because you are nobody. Nobody knows who you are and nobody knows that you have a superstar husband. You open your mouth, wanting to talk with the woman again but you hear the sound of your daughter crying.

You rush to your daughter who is lying on the ground just below the slide, she falls down from the slide. 

"Sena? Are you okay?" You try to calm her down. 

You hold her up and brush her clothes that were full of dust. Her knees get scratched because of the fall and her palms too. Thankfully the wound is not that big but seeing her crying frantically makes you panic. You carry her back to the bench while telling her that everything is going to be okay.

"It's okay, baby." You soothe her.  

The mother who talked with you earlier is pulling out an emergency medical kit from her bag.

"Here, always prepared because my son loves the ground so much." She gives you her medical kit bag. 

"Thank you so much." You sit Sena on the bench before taking the medical kit bag. 

"Honey, we're single fighters. We help each other." She says while patting your back. 

You give her a thankful smile even though you are not a single parent, deep inside you feel like one. Maybe it is because of all the commotion that happened today, it makes you tired to handle it all by yourself. 

You finish cleaning her wound then give back the medical kit bag to her. You thank her once again before bringing Sena to the toilet to change her clothes. While changing you keep your smile all the time, telling your daughter that it is totally normal to fall and the wound will be healed in no time. You try to hide the tears that almost spill from your eyes, you are tired doing these by yourself. You couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for all the single parents out there. 

You take Sena to her favorite pizza place, it is in a famous Italian restaurant not too far from the park. Seungcheol brought the pizza from there once and Sena loves it very much, so every time you want to eat pizza, you always order it from there. 

The drive to the restaurant is less than ten minutes, as you park your car, you let out a sharp exhale before putting a big smile for your daughter on her car seat in the back. 

“Let’s go, baby!” 

Upon arriving at the restaurant, the staff ushered you right away to a four sitter table. The staff tells you in advance there will be a group around twenty that already book, so it will be a little bit too noisy. You thank the staff and order right away because you already know what to order. 

The foods come quickly as you expected and you slice the pizza in smaller pieces for Sena. 

"Yummy!" She exclaims

“Eat a lot, baby.” You smile at her as you take a bite of your pizza.

"Mama? That is Daddy!" Sena points her finger towards the entrance. 

Your eyes follow Sena’s finger and it is Seungcheol but he is not alone. He is with the whole filming crew including his co-star. The door opens again and Seungkwan walks in with one phone between his ear and shoulder and he is busy typing on the other phone. 

"Daddy! Daddy!" Sena shouts, calling her daddy that successfully steals attention from the surrounding. 

Seungcheol recognizes that voice immediately. His baby’s voice that always runs to him every time he shows up behind the door. He knows it by heart. Seungcheol’s eyes wander to look for his baby, his daughter– until he spots the two of you sitting side by side. 

When you realize Seungcheol and the whole crew's eyes are on the two of you, you try to calm Sena down before everything turns to something worse. 

"Sena, let's continue to eat." You plea to your daughter who is still calling his daddy. 

"No, Sena wants daddy!" She cries out.

You glance behind your shoulder trying to see Seungcheol but you can’t because Sena is getting out of hand to handle. 

"Daddy!" Sena cries out Seungcheol's name. 

Seungcheol's heart wrecks to pieces when he hears it. He wants to run and hug his baby, he wants her in his arms. 

"What a pitiful lady, her daughter keeps calling you daddy. She probably doesn't have one, so she called every man she saw, her dad." Sumi, Seungcheol’s co-star, makes a rude comment and Seungcheol glares at her. 

"What did you say?" Seungcheol angrily asks. 

"Her mom probably watched too much drama with you as the main lead, so her baby called you his dad. Her mother should behave her child—I know she's a baby but she disturbs the whole restaurant." His co-star keeps rambling that makes Seungcheol’s blood boil.

Seungcheol couldn't believe what he just heard. He knows that his co-star has a problem with her attitude, but he can't tolerate this. She is humiliating his family. His blood. 

"You should watch your words." Seungcheol says coldly. 

Seungcheol drags his gaze to you again. Sena is trying to climb out from the baby chair, so when he sees Sena almost fall down, his heart drops to his stomach. He can’t move his feet because it feels like it is nailed to the ground. 

"I got you, baby." Jeonghan comes out of nowhere to catch her in time. 

You are surprised to see Jeonghan here but you are really grateful because you have no idea what to do if Sena really falls from her seat. 

"Jeonghan, thank you." You thank him and he only wink at you as his response. 

“No need to thank me and you should relax for a bit. I got you.” He notices right away how tense you are.

Jeonghan sees Seungcheol with the crew, in fact Jeonghan is the one who invited them to have dinner together to celebrate another successful drama with Seungcheol as their main lead.

"Let me borrow her quickly and you should take your time to eat.” Jeonghan squishes your shoulder gently before bringing Sena to where the crew are sitting. 

"Jeonghan, don't." You try to stop him  but Jeonghan is being himself, so he won’t listen to you. 

With Sena in his arms, he takes big and full of pride at every step. Seungcheol is looking at Jeonghan who is picking his daughter like she is Jeonghan’s. As Jeonghan is getting closer to the table, Seungcheol notices a scratch on Sena’s knees. 

"Evening everyone," Jeonghan greets them, picking Sena’s right hand and waves it. 

"Mr. Yoon, do you know this child?" Seungcheol co-star asks.

"Oh? I know this child very well and I know her mother very well. The pretty lady right there." Jeonghan points at you, who looks concerned.

"Oh? Is she your wife?" One of the crew asks.

"Oh? I wish." Jeonghan chuckles that makes the other chuckle too but not Seungcheol. 

Seungcheol hates that joke very much. 

"Daddy," Sena's hands reach out to Seungcheol and without hesitation, Seungcheol takes Sena in his arms naturally. 

The whole crew look at Seungcheol weirdly because the way Seungcheol takes Sena in his arms naturally and the way Sena looks comfortable around Seungcheol, raise suspicions from others. 

"Seems like Sena loves you so much, Seungcheol." Seungkwan, who just ended his phone call trying to ease the tension before he realizes, he calls Sena by his name. 

"Oh? Mr. Yoon, how are you?" Seungkwan switches the topic right away to Jeonghan.

"Oh, Seungkwan, how are you? You look so busy these days." Jeonghan plays along with Seungkwan.

"Ah, no no, Seungcheol just has so many calls, but everything is under control." Seungkwan steals glances at Seungcheol who is busy playing and talking with Sena. 

"Uncle Kwan," Sena giggles while calling Seungkwan name. 

Seungkwan looks at Jeonghan, asking for help. 

"Does Sena remember Uncle Seungkwan?" Jeonghan plays along while stealing Sena back to his arms from her dad. 

"Of course Sena remembers me, right Sena?" Seungkwan leans in towards Sena, makes her giggle.

"Well, is it okay if my dear friend and her child join us for dinner?" Jeonghan asks everyone at the table and of course nobody dares to object to the investor. 

You end up sitting beside Jeonghan awkwardly with Sena in her baby chair. Seungcheol is sitting in front of you and you feel a little bit uncomfortable seeing how his co-star is sitting too close to him. You are jealous of her because she is younger, prettier, and skinnier. 

"Are you jealous?" Jeonghan whispers in your ear.

"Huh? No, why would I?" You smile at him, trying to change your expression, so it is not too obvious. 

Jeonghan chuckles before resting his hands on the back of your chair. Jeonghan's actions earn him whistles from here and there, because they are still thinking that you are with Jeonghan.

Seungcheol's eyes are burning with jealousy, he knows his best friend too well. He knows that Jeonghan purposely makes him jealous and boy, it is working. The others are busy chatting and drinking while Seungcheol never leaves his eyes from you. 

"You should eat." Jeonghan says to you. 

"I’m fine, I’m not that hungry." You give Jeonghan a smile before looking at Seungcheol for a mere second. 

"Let me feed her." Jeonghan stands up and moves his chair so he is sitting beside Sena and that successfully makes Seungcheol angry. 

Seungcheol kicks your feet gently under the table, signaling you to meet him in the toilet at the back. You try to put on a poker face before standing up from your seat and excuse yourself to the restroom. 

"Jeonghan, I’m going to the restroom for a while.” 

"Take all the time you need. Sena is happy with me." Jeonghan says as he happily feeds Sena the pizza. 

You walk rather quickly to the women’s room. You stand in front of the mirror and stare at your reflection. Eye bag under your eyes, your hair that you clipped carelessly—you haven't had time to go to the salon to do your hair. Your hair was getting long and messy. You didn't even remember when you had time for yourself, going to a spa, to a nail salon, you just didn't have the time for yourself. You let out a deep sigh before getting out of the women’s room. 

As you push the door, Seungcheol is already standing in front of the door, not too far from the men’s room door. He doesn’t say anything, even a simple hello– he pulls you to the side, so nobody won't find the two of you there. 

"Hey, what happened?" You ask calmly.

"What are you doing here? Did Jeonghan tell you that we're having a staff dinner here?" He asks, his tone was higher than your liking, both hands on his waist. 

He is pissed and you can’t do anything about it. 

"First of all, I'm taking my daughter to eat in her favorite restaurant and second, I don't even know that you will be having dinner here with your crew." You bark back as you fold your arms in front of your chest. 

"Then why did you act like you were a couple with Jeonghan?" He scoffs and it starts to get into your nerves.

"I didn't? We literally just sit there and eat our foods for God's sake. I don't even make any comments about how your co-star is acting all annoying and touchy with you." You finally snap at him, huffing at the end because you are so done. 

You are tired. 

"Oh please, we're just co-star. You know how I feel about her and why didn't you clarify that you are not with Jeonghan? You can at least deny it." Seungcheol counters back as he raises his eyebrows.

"Should I deny it in front of your whole crew and clarify that you are my husband instead? Is that what you want?" There is no friendly tone in the way you talk with him. 

"Do you want me to tell the whole damn world that Choi Seungcheol, the top star, is my husband? That we have already married for five years? That we have a daughter that misses her father so much she has been crying the whole day calling your name? Do you know how stressed I was when you walked through that door and Sena kept calling your name? Do you know how hard it is to act like we didn't know you at all? So you know how hurt I am seeing your daughter cry your name but you act like you don't know her? Like she is not your own blood and flesh?" You keep talking, don't give Seungcheol a single chance to talk– to interrupt you. 

Your tears are finally coming out from your eyes and you don’t even bother to wipe it. 

"Do you think that you are the only one hurting?" Seungcheol finally speaks up, feeling hurt with your words. 

"Then you should do something." And then you leave.

You leave the love of your life there, still shocked after hearing everything you have said. His heart is racing because he is mad. Not with you, but with himself.

You compose yourself for a moment and make your way back to the table acting like nothing happened but Jeonghan notices it right away.

"I think we should get going. It's almost Sena's bed time." You say to Jeonghan while gathering your things.

"Oh right, do you want me to take you home?" Jeonghan offers but you reject it right away. 

You give Seungkwan a small smile while he is helping you. 

"Thank you everyone for the dinner, we'll be going first. Sena, say thank you." You pick Sena up.

"Thank you!" Sena says cutely while bowing. 

Everyone is giggling because of Sena's cuteness and as you excuse yourself once again, you meet with Seungcheol again. You don’t even offer him a smile, you walk past him with Sena in your arms. Like you don’t know him at all. 

Jeonghan follows you to the car, he holds Sena’s bag and he walks by your side. 

"Did the two of you fight?" Jeonghan asks calmly after he settles Sena on her car seat. 

You nod and the tears start to pour down again from your eyes. You are really tired and you can't even talk about it to anyone. You've been keeping it to yourself, you don’t even talk about it to Seungcheol because you know he is also tired and stressed because of his work. You just don’t want to burden him more.

"Oh my." Jeonghan pulls you into a hug. 

A hug from a friend that you need the most because at the moment, only Jeonghan knows how hard it is for you. 

One of the crew sees the two of you in the parking lot, hugging. He runs back to the restaurant and announces it to the whole table. Seungcheol's face turns more sour, he is not done with being angry with himself, with the situation, and now he is burning with jealousy.

"Just stay for ten minutes more then I will make excuses so we can go early." Seungkwan whispers and Seungcheol doesn't even respond to Seungkwan. 

He is burning inside; he is angry with himself, he is angry with the situation, he is angry with Jeonghan because he should be the one who hugs you tightly and assures you, not him.

You just finished putting Sena to sleep, she keeps asking for her daddy and it hurts you so much that her daddy is not beside her at the moment. Sena is already at the age where she starts to understand about her surroundings and especially her parents

You plop yourself to the sofa, taking a long deep breath in and out to relax yourself even though your mind is not relaxing at the moment after fighting with Seungcheol earlier. Your mind is full of thoughts and  questions regarding your marriage with Seungcheol. You sigh and close your eyes for a moment. 

You never had any doubts regarding your marriage with Seungcheol but today is totally different from any other fights you had with him before. You are afraid that Sena is feeling lonely, she doesn’t have anyone else beside you and Seungcheol. You have no family, your parents passed away since you were in high school. You have no siblings and so does Seungcheol. The two of you have no family beside each other.

Especially with Seungcheol who is busy with his work, he rarely goes home. You are afraid that Sena starts to feel unfamiliar with her own father. 

Tears start to come out again but you brush it off when you hear your apartment door unlocked.

"Honey?" Seungcheol calls out but you refuse to answer him and make your way to the kitchen.

"Love, are you mad at me?" Seungcheol tries to stop you by grabbing your wrist.

"I'm tired, Seungcheol. Can we talk about this tomorrow?" You brush him off and continue your way to the kitchen.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He follows you to the kitchen, he stomps his way to the kitchen. 

"I am not, Cheol. I'm just tired." You stop him before he could go any further towards you. 

"I am also tired, honey. You are not the only one." He lets out a frustrated sigh, both of his hands rest on his waist– His face clearly shows how tired he is but you just can’t talk in a right mind with him at the moment. 

"I know that you are tired too, Cheol. I understand. But did you know how tired I was? How do I need to handle everything by myself? You rarely go home. You never came to the parent-teacher meeting. You never played with Sena in the playground. Do you know she was crying the whole day asking for his daddy? Do you know we tried to video call you once?” You take a deep breath and wipe the tears on your face. 

“Do you know I had to be the annoying wife that called her husband's manager just to ask about her own husband? Did the husband respond to her wife's text or call? Did you know that Sena fell on the playground and she was a crying mess and I was the only one who needed to calm her down and clean the wound? Do you know how hopeless I am?" Tears are streaming down your face. You can’t even stand anymore, you squat yourself down, head down. 

"I'm trying my best here. I really do." Seungcheol sounds defeated. 

He is hurting and so do you. 

Seungcheol is hurting to see you like this and you are hurting because you know, you just hurt him. 

"I know but I feel like I'm all alone in this. I'm tired of being hidden. For acting like a mistress. To stay hidden and untouchable from the outside world, for putting an act in front of everyone that my husband is a very busy business man that works on the other side of the world. Well, at least I can bear it all but Sena? Sena needs her father." You push yourself up and leave him in the kitchen by himself. 

You go straight to Sena's room, lying yourself down on the carpet slowly, not daring to make any noise, afraid that Sena will wake up because of you.

Seungcheol is still standing in the kitchen. He doesn’t move an inch. He stays there for a long time, his shoulder slumps like he is defeated. His mind is messy with everything that is happening at the moment. He knows very well how hurt you are because of him and it wrecks him. He takes his car key and leaves. 

Seungcheol doesn’t drive right away. He takes a breather inside the car, resting his head on the head rest. He takes his phone and sends Mingyu a simple message to let him know that he is on his way to his place. 

"Well damn you look wreck as hell." It is the first thing Mingyu says when he opens his apartment door. 

Mingyu is Seungcheol's group mates along with Wonwoo and Vernon. Mingyu knows about Seungcheol’s relationship but he doesn’t know the relationship has bloomed into something more serious– marriage.

"So, what's wrong?" Mingyu asks while pouring the whiskey.

"I had a fight, a big one." Seungcheol says then he drinks the Whiskey in one breath. 

Mingyu scoffs after seeing Seungcheol drink the Whiskey like it was a tequila and Mingyu is hundred percent sure the fight is taking a big toll in Seungcheol. 

"With your girlfriend?" Mingyu asks, trying to act like he doesn’t know it as he sips his Whiskey gracefully, a total opposite of what Seungcheol is doing. 

“Yes.” Seungcheol sighs defeatedly. 

"Oh? I thought you broke up already? I mean there's a rumor that you date your co-stars." Mingyu turns his seat to face Seungcheol. 

It is just Mingyu’s way to get all the information he needs. Mingyu knows the rumor of him dating his co-star is just another baseless rumor– he just lures him to spill all the beans Seungcheol has been keeping to himself.

"No, I’m not dating my co-star and actually we’re past the stage of girlfriend and boyfriend." Seungcheol looks at Mingyu dead in the eye and Mingyu pours another drink into Seungcheol glass. 

“What do you mean you passed the dating phase? Did you already propose to her?” Mingyu takes down the remaining whiskey in his glass. 

“We’re married.” Seungcheol says casually that makes the man beside him choke on his drink. 

"You what? What the fuck?" Mingyu doesn’t believe what he just heard, he is standing right now, marching back and forth while saying whoa for the nth time. His hands are covering his mouth on the floor at the moment. 

“You? Already married? Since when? For fuck sake.” Mingyu asks, frustrated because this information is not something that someone can casually drop. 

"It's been five years and next month is our sixth anniversary." Seungcheol chuckles bitterly after remembering their wedding anniversary next month. He pours the whiskey to his glass again and sighs hard before downing his drink.

"You gotta be kidding me—how could, how come we didn't know?" Mingyu sits down and holds both of Seungcheol's shoulders while shaking him lightly. 

"Seungkwan and Jeonghan know." 

Mingyu is speechless again. 

"Just them? The two of them?" Mingyu is shaking his head in disbelief. 

"I have a daughter too you know, she's so pretty just like her mom. Do you want to see her?" Another bomb is dropped casually and Mingyu can’t wait for another shocking news to be dropped casually by his leader. 

Mingyu is dumbfounded at this point. He is just processing the word of marriage and suddenly Seungcheol brings up his daughter. 

"How in the world do you keep it hidden so well? Your wife must be so tired to hide from the rest of the world." Mingyu suddenly feels sympathetic towards you and Seungcheol only gives him a wry smile.

"She's so cute right?" Seungcheol doesn’t want to answer Mingyu's question because he knows the answer already, so he pulls his phone out and shows Mingyu photos of Sena.

“She is super cute but I really need to know every detail that I’ve been missing since five years ago.” Mingyu demands as he takes out another bottle of whiskey for his friend. 

The second bottle of Whiskey is for Seungcheol. Mingyu doesn’t drink that much because his mind should be in the right place to proceed with every new information that is out from Seungcheol’s mouth. As much as Mingyu wants to be mad at Seungcheol for hiding such an important thing from him, Mingyu chooses to stay silent and listen to his best friend ramble. Seungcheol even cried at some point. Seungcheol keeps saying that he is sorry for you to handle it all by yourself. Seungcheol is mad at himself because he hides you from the rest of the world like a secret that needs to be kept.

Mingyu takes Seungcheol back to his apartment when the clock strikes at three in the morning. Mingyu even fell asleep at some point on the sofa and sober himself first before driving the drunk man back. Mingyu knows Seungcheol’s apartment but he never let anyone come inside, Seungcheol always said it is his private property so nobody is allowed to come in. Mingyu glances at the older guy who is sleeping on the back seat– he is sleeping with his mouth open. 

“Private property my ass, you have been hiding your wife and daughter there.” Mingyu says to the sleeping Seungcheol. 

After hearing Seungcheol left earlier, you end up falling asleep on the carpet in Sena's room. You are awakened by the apartment doorbell that keeps ringing. You reach your hands out to look for your phone and it is three in the morning. You push yourself up before tiptoeing your way out from Sena’s room. When you close Sena’s room, you rush to check the front with the intercom. 

The intercom shows Mingyu who is holding drunk Seungcheol. You unlock the door right away and run to the front door. Mingyu has difficulty keeping the man in line while opening the damn door because one wrong move, the drunkard will fall. You hurried to pull the door open, to let both of them in. 

"Hello, it's finally nice to meet you. I'm sorry we met this way but your husband's ass is so heavy." Mingyu greets you with a big smile on his face whereas he is struggling to carry Seungcheol. 

“I’m so sorry for bothering you, just drop him on the couch.” You apologize to Mingyu and helps him to bring Seungcheol to the couch. 

Mingyu throws Seungcheol's body to the couch and he sits himself right away at the carpeted floor right in front of the couch. 

"Your husband is really something else– he is getting more buff these days and I’m sorry for not introducing myself properly. My name is Mingyu, Kim Mingyu." Mingyu offers his hand to you and you shake his hand while introducing yourself.

"We should have met long long ago but this big guy right here decided to keep you under the radar." Mingyu nudges the side of Seungcheol’s waist, making the drunk man groan in his sleep and you answer him with a dry laugh. 

"I’m sorry, let me get you a drink. Is cold water okay for you?" 

“Yes, that’s what I need the most right now.” Mingyu smiles at you and you hurry to the kitchen. You grab a bottle of cold water from the fridge but stop for a moment. This is the first time you have met Seungcheol's friends other than Seungkwan and Jeonghan. You have seen Mingyu, Wonwoo, and Vernon from TV or in the concert but you never talk with them in person, you only know each of them from Seungcheol’s story. 

You make your way back to the tired Mingyu who is half sleeping on the carpeted floor until he sees you. He sits straight right away and takes the bottle you give him. 

"Thank you." He thanked you before cracking the bottle cap. Mingyu gulps down the water in one breath like he just finished a marathon.

"I wish I could meet Sena, but she must be sleeping right now." Mingyu says while giving you a friendly smile.

"Yes, she is sleeping right now." You don't know what to say further, so you only answer the question as it is. You still feel awkward meeting one of Seungcheol’s best friends directly because you only know them from his stories only. 

“I know it must be surprising for you to meet someone else from Seungcheol’s life other than Seungkwan and Jeonghan. As much as he is a big pain in the ass, he is still my best friend and my best friend's wife is also my best friend. So, just think of me as one of your friends.” Mingyu assures you. 

"Thank you, Mr. Kim." You thank him formally and Mingyu's facial expression changes right away, like he is hurting because you call him in a formal way. 

"Please, call me Mingyu. No need to be formal with me." 

“I will try.” You offer him a friendly smile that makes Mingyu laugh because everyone in this room–sadly it’s only the two of you in the room, three including Seungcheol, can feel the awkwardness out of you.  

"Sena, my baby, Sena." Seungcheol babbles in his sleep. You and Mingyu look at each other before looking at Seungcheol that keeps babbling and calling your name too. 

"Well, that's my cue to take my leave then. I hope the problem ends well." Mingyu stands on his feet and walks to the front door. You escort him to the front door, waiting for the man to wear his sandals. 

“Are you sure you don’t need my help to move him to the room?” He asks once again, hand already on the door handle. 

“No, he is fine on the couch.” You joke to ease the awkwardness between you and Mingyu. 

“Can’t agree no more. I’m taking my leave then,” Mingyu nods a little to you. 

“Thank you, drive safe!” As he leaves, you close the door. You walk to the living room, right to your drunk husband who is still sleeping on the sofa with his brows knit together like he is thinking hard in his sleep. That is his habit when he has something in his mind, he doesn’t sleep peacefully.

"Baby, wake up. Let's get you to bed." You tapped his cheek lightly to wake him up but he didn't budge at all. 

"Baby?" You call him again, still tapping his cheek lightly. Seungcheol's eyes flutter and he looks at you for a moment before he pushes himself up with his elbow to sit straight up on the sofa. 

"Love?" He still calls your name shaky. 

"It's me, I'm here." You take his cold hands and he pulls you into his laps, you fall right to him and he immediately wraps his arms around you, head resting on your shoulder. He is showering your shoulder with little kisses. 

"I'm sorry." He says as he looks up to you so his eyes meet yours. 

"I'm sorry for snapping at you." You apologize, giving his hands a squish. 

"No, I'm a total jerk. I am a bad husband. I don't deserve all the love you and Sena give to me." He shakes his head and tears start to form in his eyes again. 

"Don't say that, you deserve it. I'm just too tired and finally exploding. I'm sorry for talking to you that way." You hug him tight. 

"I deserve it more than anyone in this whole world. I'm sorry. I never have any intention to hide you from the whole world, I'm too selfish." Seungcheol says as the tears in his eyes finally make their way down to his face. You feel his tears on your shoulder and you tighten the hug even more. The two of you stay there for a moment longer, to reflect on everything that happened today.

"Shall we go to the bathroom? Let's wash your face, brush your teeth and change your clothes." You say as you help him to get up and walk to the bathroom. You sit him down on the closed toilet, put a hairband around his head.

You are busy washing his face with a damp cloth with his hands on your waist. He keeps squishing your waist even though it is a gentle squish, it’s still distracting you. 

“You know, there is a Japanese drama that is very similar to our story—the father is a top idol who is secretly married to an amazing woman with three children. His group member finds out and demands him to remove him from the group.” Seungcheol murmurs as you rub his face gently with a facial wash. 

“And?”

"And I think it will hurt me more to get kicked out from the group" He chuckles but not a funny one. A sad chuckle.

“What are you thinking, hon?” You ask him straight to the point and stop rubbing his face. 

"Retirement." Your heart drops to your stomach when you hear him saying the word retirement. 

"It's not because of our fight—I've been thinking about it for a while. I think I have done enough." He gives you an assuring smile with bubbles from the facial wash.  

"But you love your job, hon." You remind him and you continue to wash the bubbles away from his face.

"Lets talk about this later okay? When you are sober." You say and he nods.

Last night was a moment that you will remember for the rest of your life, not just you but Seungcheol too. That was the first time you had a huge fight with him and even though the two of you made up not long after, the two of you haven’t finished the talk about retirement. The most important thing right now is you are being woken with kisses and giggles from Seungcheol and Sena.

"Good morning, Mama!" Seungcheol exclaims as he sees your eyes open. 

"Morning, Mama!” Sena follows Seungcheol with giggles. 

"Morning the love of mama’s life." Both of your hands stretch out to hug them both. Sena is getting squished between you and Seungcheol.

Sena let out a squeal when Seungcheol attacked her with a tickle. Seungcheol doesn’t stop there, he attacks you with kisses all over your face that makes you laugh uncontrollably. 

A morning like this is what you wish for. The love of your life, lying beside you, annoying or tickling each other. Your heart warms up because you will exchange the world just for this moment. Most of the time, Seungcheol already left for his schedule even before Sena was awake. 

"Sena, let's prepare breakfast for mama!" Seungcheol says to Sena that makes the little girl jump from the bed like she is ready to conquer the kitchen. 

"Let's go, daddy!" Sena exclaims happily.

Seungcheol gives you a kiss on your forehead before running to catch up with Sena who is already waiting at the door. Seungcheol picks Sena up before he opens the door and he closes it slowly and before the door closes fully, Seungcheol winks at you. 

You stretch yourself on the bed, looking for a comfortable position. The smile hasn’t left your face and you hope it will stay all day. You hear a utensil falling and it makes a very loud sound but you don’t care. You don’t care if your kitchen will get messy or if any of your kitchen utensils breaks, because the most important thing is, Sena is making memories with his daddy.

The utensils can be replaced, the mess can be tidied, but the memories will last forever. 

Your hand reaches out to the night stand beside the bed, you grab your phone and as you unlock your phone. There are messages from Seungkwan, not just two or three messages but a bunch of it. There are five missed calls from Seungkwan and you know something is happening. You open the messages and most of it is asking for Seungcheol to answer his call and Seungkwan telling you to not panic. 

You jump right out from the bed, heart racing and you hold yourself to look Seungcheol’s name on the internet in the meantime. Your right hand is already holding the door handle but before you open your bedroom door, you try to calm yourself first before delivering the news to Seungcheol. 

"Cheol," You call his name softly with a smile on your face, a smile that only Seungcheol could understand. The smile on his face fades right away when he sees your face. He kisses the top of Sena’s head before walking towards your direction. 

"I don't know what happened but please call Seungkwan back." You hold both of his hands, giving it a gentle squish. 

“I’ll be right back.” Seungcheol kisses your temple before making his way to the bedroom. 

He grabs his phone on the night stand, the phone he hasn’t touched since last night. As he unlocks his phone, tons of messages from Seungkwan flood in, there are missed phone calls from his CEO and Joshua, head of PR. Seungcheol's hands are quick to find Seungkwan contact and calls him right away. 

"Where have you been? I've been calling you!" No greeting or small talk from Seungkwan only means one thing and it is not a good sign. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't check my phone at all." Seungcheol apologizes right away as he takes a seat at the end of the bed. 

"You are all over the news— someone leaked to the paparazzi that you are dating Ahn Sumi." Seungcheol lets out a heavy sigh as he leans his head against the head board. 

Another day, another dating scandal.

"Well? It's not a big deal. You know the truth, Kwan." Seungheol says, trying to keep his calm. 

"I know the truth but there is another rumor involving your family. So, you are two timing Ahn Sumi and have a secret family." Seungkwan explains and Seungcheol body tense immediately. 

"Come again?" Seungcheol stands up, he doesn’t believe what kind of nonsense the paparazzi has made. Seungcheol pinches his nose bridge and closes his eyes as he listens to Seungkwan's explanation. 

"I think the paparazzi bribed the crew from our last drama shooting. Your rumor with Ahn Sumi—considered it done, I have talked with Joshua regarding this. Her management is already in contact with Joshua but the problem is we need your clarification for your secret family." Seungcheol's head throbs again, it's not because of the alcohol he consumed last night with Mingyu but it's because of the sudden stress that creeps in. 

"I am not going to deny it, Kwan. You know it."

"I know, Cheol but the company thinks that you are still single. They think you are still dating." Seungcheol lets out a heavy sigh. His head snaps to the bedroom door when he hears the door is being open. Sena’s head pokes from the door, giving Seungcheol a smile. A very genuine smile that makes Seungcheol's heart warm instantly. 

"Sena, daddy is working." You are coming from behind, picking Sena up and before closing the door, you give Seungcheol your biggest and assuring smile. A small gesture to let Seungcheol know that he is not alone.

Seungcheol knows, he can't pretend anymore. He can't live a double life like this anymore. He can't hide you and Sena any longer. The whole world needs to know that Seungcheol is in fact not single. He is a husband to an amazing wife and a father to her loving daughter. He is done playing pretend.

He wants to drop and pick you up from the office. He wants to come to the teacher-parents meeting. He wants to be a father that always came to her daughter's recital. He doesn’t want to hide behind the mask, sunglasses, and hat. He wants the whole world to know his world; his everything.

He wants to be present in your and Sena’s life.

"Seungkwan, I think it's time." Seungkwan knows exactly what Seungcheol means by that. So Seungkwan lets out a deep exhale. 

"I'm going to set up a meeting in an hour. Is that okay?"

"Yes, I'm going to have breakfast first with my family then I will go straight to the office."

"Okay,"

"Seungkwan, thank you." On the other line Seungkwan's breath gets caught in his throat. Seungcheol never forgets to thank everyone who works with him. He always thanks everyone sincerely and he always thanks Seungkwan. 

Ten years of working as Seungcheol’s manager and this gratitude feels deeper, and meaningful yet hurt at the same time. 

"Just so you know, I always got your back. No need to thank me." Seungkwan doesn’t let Seungcheol reply to his words, he ends the call right away. 

Seungkwan knows what’s on Seungcheol's mind— he thinks of early retirement. Seungcheol jokes about it sometimes to Seungkwan. At first, Seungkwan takes it as a joke but seeing how drained Seungcheol is for these past months—Seungkwan knows sooner or later, the topic will come out from Seungcheol’s mouth not as a joke anymore. 

Seungcheol is back in the dining room with a smile on his face. He kisses Sena's cheek multiple times until Sena shrieks with happiness. Then he walks towards you, who is still busy flipping the pancakes on the pan. He hugs you from behind while pampering your shoulder with kisses until you giggle because how ticklish it feels on your skin. 

"Something is up." Seungcheol whispers, resting his head on your shoulder. 

"I know, I checked it on the internet already. Are you okay, honey?" You ask softly while brushing your thumb against his arms that wraps around your waist

"I'm not." Seungcheol says honestly. 

Seungcheol rarely shows the side where he burns out, he always acts tough in front of you and Sena because he doesn’t want you to be worried but he is too tired to pretend that he is tough. 

"Seungcheol, my love." You call his name softly, turning off the stove then facing him.  

You put your hand on the side of his face, giving it a subtle brush with your thumb. 

"You can do anything you want. Whatever your decision is, I just want you to know that you have me. I got you." Seungcheol couldn't hide his tears anymore, he let his tears run down his face.

"Daddy don't cry." Sena's little voice makes Seungcheol choke on his tears even more. He drops to the ground and hugs Sena tightly. 

You can’t hide the tears anymore, you drop to your knees, following Seungcheol. His hands wrap around you and Sena tightly. 

Everything he needs is wrapped around him. 

"Thank you, my love." Seungcheol whispers in your ears.

Pi Cheolin, The CEO of Seungcheol management massages both his temples. He laughed like a maniac when he first read the rumor first thing in the morning. Seungcheol dates his co-stars? Never. Seungcheol has a long time girlfriend? He knows about it. Does Seungcheol have a family? What nonsense this gossip forum spouting. 

But when Seungcheol came in fifteen minutes ago, dropping the truth. Pi Cheolin laughs, he laughs again. Not just maniacally laugh, a very scary stressful laugh. He doesn’t know how to react, so he just laughs as his coping mechanism.  

The other three sit in silence. Vernon and Wonwoo are processing whatever the hell Seungcheol said just now and Mingyu, who just happened to know about it less than twelve hours ago, chooses to keep his mouth shut. 

"Why didn't you tell us? We basically a fucking family and you hide a big news like this from us?" The first comment is coming from Vernon out, everyone in the room never expects that Vernon will be the one who talks. 

"We just met recently in the gym—we even talked about your relationship." Wonwoo feels betrayed by Seungcheol.

"You don't want to say anything, Gyu?" Pi Cheolin asks Mingyu who keeps silent the whole time. 

Mingyu looks around, trying to read the situation in the room. 

"No, I knew about this last night." Mingyu says honestly. 

Vernon scoffs, he gets up from his seat, walks towards the window with both hands on his hips. Vernon laughs to himself, he feels like he is the only one who doesn’t know about anything. 

“I feel so left out.” Vernon lets out a heavy sigh. 

"I'm sorry." Seungcheol’s head is getting heavier, he doesn’t even dare to look his group member– his family in the eye.

“What a good leader you are– betraying your own members, your family– oh do you still think of us as a family? Because the last time I remember, you are the one who always talks about us as a family.” Wonwoo says to Seungcheol, his tone was flat and cold.

Mingyu, who is sitting beside Wonwoo, tries to calm him down. Mingyu’s hands are already on Wonwoo’s shoulder, to keep him from going anywhere or worst case, to stop him from punching Seungcheol. 

"Let's fight after this but what are you gonna do right now, Seungcheol? Joshua already talked with Sumi's management to deny the allegation but what are you gonna do about your alleged family?" Seungkwan asks Seungcheol. Seungkwan’s phone never stopped ringing since the news broke out in the morning. 

"I'm not going to deny it. I'm going to come clean that I have a wife and a daughter. I'm also going to announce my retirement." The last word snapped everyone's head to Seungcheol. 

Silence. 

Everyone in the room couldn't believe what they just heard.

"Your what?" Pi Cheolin asks again to confirm Seungcheol's words. 

"My retirement." Seungcheol says without any hesitation. 

"Oh my—" Seungkwan closes his eyes. He is cursing under his breath because all the prayers he chanted all morning goes to waste. 

Pi Cheolin drops his head to his desk, he feels defeated. Vernon's jaw is on the floor. Wonwoo rubs his temple. Mingyu gets up from his seat and stands beside Vernon. 

"I've been thinking about it for months and today is my last straw. I can't hold it any longer. I want to live like an ordinary person who is married and has a family.” Seungcheol says, his eyes already full with tears.  

“I want to have lunch with my family in a family restaurant just like any other family. I want to attend my daughter's parents-teacher meeting. I want to pick up my wife from work and go to her company's annual dinner. I just want to enjoy my life as a husband and a father. I want the world to know my whole world." Tears start to stream down on his face. 

Seuncheol’s head hangs low, he can’t even look his group member in the eye, all the staff that have worked hard from the very first time he debuted up until now. 

"Okay," Pi Cheolin claps both of his hands loudly, stealing the attention from everyone in the room. 

"Let's do exactly that." Pi Cheolin continues. 

"I'm sorry, what?" Joshua asks, he propped his head up. 

"Let's have a press conference and a formal announcement letter." Pi Cheolin says as he stands up from his seat, walking towards Seungcheol. Pi Cheolin stands right behind the man, putting both of his hands on Seungcheol’s shoulder. 

“We’re going to make a clarification once and for all. Let Ahn Sumi management post a clarification, we will stay still until tomorrow. We’re going to hold a press conference regarding his status as a married man.” Everyone starts to murmur after hearing Pi Cheolin’s strategy. 

“Isn’t it too risky?” Joshua asks.

“It is, everything is too risky at this point, but trust me.” Pi Cheolin squishes Seungcheol’s shoulder lightly. 

Joshua inhales sharply because he knows that he won't be able to sleep soundly for at least a week and the entire PR team will pull an all-nighter.

"Are you serious? What about his reputation? What about us? Are you going to disband us? I don’t want us to disband." Vernon says nonstop. 

“I’m going to retire, that means I’m going to quit the group.” Seungcheol says and Wonwoo scoffs. 

“After all the mess you made, you are going to quit? What about us? What about your so-called family that you left behind? It’s so easy for you to say that." Anger takes over Wonwoo, he walks out from the meeting room. 

“Wonwoo,” Seungcheol wants to run after him but Pi Cheolin keeps him at his seat. 

“Let the man cool off.” Pi Cheolin says to Seungcheol. 

“The most important thing is, we don’t need to worry about anything. The Seungcheol scandal won’t harm the group and everything will work as I imagine. Trust me.” Shiver runs down Seungcheol's spine, he knows Pi Cheolin is a hella good CEO but hearing him solve the problem directly, this is the first time ever. 

"Joshua, you need to start contacting our investors— especially Mr. Yoon Jeonghan. Then contact every brand that endorses and collaborates with Seungcheol. Also contact the media. Get the legal team to work for any threat and malicious comment regarding Seungcheol and his family.” Pi Cheolin starts to list the things to do before the conference press tomorrow. Joshua and his team, busy typing everything Pi Cheolin asks them to do. 

“But, I have a question for you, Seungcheol." Pi Cheolin suddenly asks as he makes his way to his seat. 

Everyone who is busy typing stops mid air and for the first time since Seungcheol entered the meeting room, he lifts his face and looks at Pi Cheolin right in the eyes. 

"The reason I did all of this is because I trust you and your decision, but if everything that I calculate went south, are you going to risk it all? risk everything that you have built this far? fame, money, fans. Are you?" Pi Cheolin takes off his glasses as he asks Seungcheol.

"Yes, everything for my world.” Seungcheol answers without any hesitation.

Seungcheol is sitting on the office park bench alone after the meeting. He is looking at the gloomy sky, it feels like the universe knows about his feelings at the moment. He pulls his phone out from his back pocket, unlocks it and finds a text message from you. 

Is everything okay?  

He sighs hard before pressing the call buttons and by the third ring, you pick up the call. 

"Hey, are you okay?" You ask right away without any greetings, he can hear the concern in your voice. 

As much as he hates to admit it, Seungcheol can’t help it but to talk it out with you. 

"Honestly? No." Seungcheol heard your worry sigh on the other line. 

"I'm sorry, I couldn't be there for you." 

"It wasn't your fault, so there is no need for you to apologize." Seungcheol assures you as he leans back. 

"I know love but I feel sorry because I cannot be there for you."

“You are here with me, on the phone.” A small forceful smile grows on Seungcheol's lips.

"If my reputation is ruined and I don't have any jobs anymore—are you going to leave me?" A chuckle slips from your mouth. 

"Love, why would I leave you? You can be a house husband." You joke, trying to ease the tension that has been building on his shoulder. 

“A house-husband?” Seungcheol echoes, he is laughing now. A genuine laugh that doesn’t last long. 

"Is my baby taking her nap?" Seungcheol asks, after a long pause. 

"Yes, after a long battle, Sena is finally asleep." You stretch your body on the sofa, eyes back on the TV, and watch entertainment news that talk about Seungcheol’s scandal. 

"Seungkwan will pick you up from home to the company, is it okay?" Seunghceol asks you because he just remembered that Pi Cheolin asked him earlier. 

“Yes, Seungkwan called me earlier just before you called me. We’ll be going there after Sena’s nap.” 

You always wonder about Seungcheol’s company, BOMG, The company that’s been like Seungcheol’s second home growing up because he spent most of his youth here. Starting from the bottom until he reaches his peak. 

As you step your foot for the first time in the company, you can’t help but get mesmerized by how big and lavish it is. Seungkwan ushers you and Sena from the back door, getting inside an elevator that goes straight to the seventh floor. Seungkwan hasn’t let go of Sena's hand ever since the little girl got out of the car. 

Seungkwan calls your name, he gives you an assuring smile to let you know that everything is going to be okay. 

You follow Seungkwan who is now picking Sena’s up in his arms walking down the hallway. All eyes are on the three of you and you can’t help but look down because of the sudden embarrassment that takes over you. 

Seungkwan stops in front of a meeting room, he turns to look at you. 

“Here we go.” He pushes the door and the chatter stops immediately. 

“Everyone, this is Mrs. Choi and Choi Seungcheol’s daughter.” Seungkwan announces and everyone in the room greets you politely. 

You bow deeply as a gratitude and apology. 

“Daddy!” Sena wriggles from Seungkwan’s arm that makes Seungkwan put her down gently. Sena runs right away to her daddy and falls into her dad's arms. 

“My baby.” Seungcheol plants a kiss on top of Sena’s head before picking her up. A smile rises from his mouth when Sena’s little hands wrap around his neck, then hide between the crook of Seungcheol’s neck. 

You are sitting beside Seungcheol with Sena on Seungcheol laps, scribbling something in a piece of paper that was given by Wonwoo from earlier. Every eye in the room is focusing on a little girl that is busy in her own world. 

"She really took her mother's features." Vernon says to you with a nod and you thank him. 

"Sena, will you invite me to your third birthday party? Uncle will give you whatever you want." Mingyu says to Sena while waving his hands, trying to get Sena’s attention. 

"Uncle will be your photographer on your third birthday if you invite me." Wonwoo doesn’t want to lose to Mingyu. 

"Uncle will provide any entertainment you want— you can invite all of your friends and uncle will perform a magic trick." Vernon who apparently can’t do a single magic trick trying to steal Sena’s attention and he earns a heavy side eye from Wonwoo and Mingyu

"Sena will send the invites to uncle Wonwoo, uncle Mingyu, and uncle Vernon. So please, bring a lot of pretty gifts for me." Seungcheol says cutely, trying to follow the way Sena talks. The three grown up men roll their eyes. 

"Mama." Sena hands reach out to you still with the pen in her little hand and you pull her to your lap from Seungcheol’s laps. 

"Sena didn't even want to sit on your lap for too long— she probably forgot that you are her father because you are too busy with your work.." Snarky comments come out from Vernon’s mouth. Seungcheol wants to counter Vernon’s comments, he opens his mouth but nothing comes out, so he closes his mouth again. 

The meeting room’s door opens, Pi Cheolin comes in. His sunglasses still sit perfectly in his nose, he walks towards you who already stands up to greet him. He reaches out his hands to you, offers you a hand shake. You shake his hands while introducing yourself. 

"Finally we met." Pi Cheolin takes off his sunglasses and puts it back after. 

“Updates?” Pi Cheolin asks as he takes a seat at the end of the table. 

"Sumi's management already denied the allegation. It's only us now." Joshua reports right away and shows Sumi’s management press release regarding the dating scandal. 

"Our team already contacted the news forum and journalists for our press conference tomorrow.” Joshua continues. 

“Well, let’s hope for the best for tomorrow.” Pi Cheolin throws a wink at Seungcheol before standing up. 

“Before we finish this meeting, Jihoon, the legal team should make sure there will be no harm or false accusation towards the artist and his family. We will protect our artists and their loved ones.” Pi Cheolin remarks before bidding his goodbye. 

“Everything will be fine, love.” You squish Seungcheol's thigh gently. 

“I hope so, love.”

Right after the meeting, Seungkwan takes both you and Sena back to your apartment because Seungcheol’s apartment complex is already full with paparazzi. Seungcheol doesn’t even go home, he is spending the night at the office. 

As you arrive at your apartment, Seungkwan helps you with your belongings because Sena is asleep and refuses to let go of your hug. 

“Thank you, Seungkwan.” You thank him again as you walk him out from your apartment. 

“No worries, that’s my job to keep the three of you safe.” You let out a relief sigh as he pulls you into a hug. 

“I’m going back now, if you find someone that looks suspicious or paparazzi, please contact me right away.” Seungkwan says as he turns around and leaves. 

You lie on your side on the sofa, right hand supporting your head while your other free hand is scrolling on social media. You read some news articles about Seungcheol’s scandal, they talk about how Seungcheol’s management has not dropped any clarification and they are curious about the press conference that will be held tomorrow morning. 

Your phone buzzes and Seungcheol is the one who called you. You pick up the phone and his raspy voice greets you. 

"I miss you." You chuckle after hearing it.

"We literally saw each other an hour ago." You said softly while turning to your left side. 

“So, I can’t miss you even if we just met each other an hour ago?” He asks, pouting his mouth. 

“You can, love and the truth is I miss you too.” You say with a gentle smile but Seungcheol doesn’t response right away, 

"What if everything went south tomorrow? I don't have any jobs left. My savings are all gone because I need to pay the penalty fee. What should I do? I'm afraid." You can sense the fear in his voice. He is anxious. He overthinks.

"Then it's my turn to make a living—I saved up enough for us, well not as much as your income but it will be enough for the three of us. You've been providing us this whole time while I work the whole time. I rarely used my salary because you always said I should save it up. Now my savings can be useful." You tried to assure him but it only made him sigh hard.

"Then I failed as your husband and Sena's dad. I cannot provide you anymore." 

"Love, you remember that you have royalty up to your name right? You can still work as a producer and song writer. You might no longer work in front of the camera but you can work behind the camera—and we never know what will come tomorrow." 

"I wish you were here." He sniffles and you know, he is crying.

"I wish the same, love. I wish I could hug you and tell you everything is gonna be okay." Tears start to build up in your eyes. 

Your distance from Seungcheol is not that far, you are only thirty minutes drive apart but it feels harder than before your marriage. You used to have a long distance relationship with him especially when his group is still actively promoting and doing world tours. One continent to another, one country to another, one city to another; it was hard to schedule a date with him but tonight? It feels harder even though the distance is not far. 

And it breaks your heart more with the actual distance not too far but you need to keep a distance for a while with him until everything settles down. 

You couldn't even sleep properly last night. You are talking with Seungcheol until two in the morning until he falls asleep while listening to you. You glance at the clock and it is almost ten in the morning, which is when Seungcheol's press conference will start soon. 

You put Sena’s down in her play mat and turn on the TV. You switch to one national TV channel who will broadcast Seungcheol’s press conference. The conference room is still empty, the only sound you can hear from the TV is a typing sound and a murmur from the reporter and journalist that come. 

Right at ten o’clock, the side door is open and Seungcheol is wearing a simple black tuxedo. He walks with his head down. His steps are heavy and his shoulder slumps down. His face shows how he is not sleeping properly and his eyes are puffy after crying. He bows deep to the media before he takes a seat. The camera flashes with every step he takes. 

He takes a spot in the center, behind the lecterns that are already full of microphones from news outlets. 

"First of all, thank you to all the media, journalists, and reporters that come today." Seungcheol bows deep once again.

“I am going to clarify about the allegation that has made a stir yesterday, I apologize because of the commotion that happened because of me.” Seungcheol takes a deep breath before continuing. 

“I am not in a relationship with actress Ahn Sumi and I am deeply sorry for not making the clarification sooner and getting a lot of backlash. I am sorry.” Seungcheol bows again. 

“And with that, I’m going to clarify that I, Choi Seungcheol, have indeed tied a knot in a marriage with someone I love and cherish. We also have become a little family of three with the presence of my daughter. I am sorry for hiding them and being a coward for hiding and not showing my love.” Seungcheol takes a moment to adjust his breath and his heart that beats fast. 

“I deeply apologize to everyone who is hurt because of me. To my fans who have always supported me since day one, I am sorry for breaking the trust you have given to me. I am sorry.” Seungcheol bows, deeper and longer.

Your hands clutch the blanket on the sofa because your heart breaks into pieces after seeing the man you love hurting. His eyes are glistening because of the tears in his eyes that can fall at any time.

It is almost midnight when you hear your apartment door unlocked. You get up from the bed, rush to the front and find Seungcheol who is trying to get the shoes off. He doesn’t even notice you at first because his head hangs low. 

"Love?” You call him with a gentle voice. He looks up and he falls right on his knees. You hear a little sob from him that makes your heart wrench.  

"Seungcheol?" You walk to him, get on your knees and pull him into a tight hug. 

You let him cry on your shoulder, you saw him cry before but not like this. He was crying hard, his breath caught in his throat. You didn't make a sound, you just hugged him hard and rubbed his back. Tears flowing down on your face, your heart wrenched seeing the man who always stood tall, broke down in front of you.

You let him cry on your shoulder for as long as you can remember because the numbness on your feet is not comparable with what Seungcheol feels at the moment. 

“Love, let’s move to the couch.” You help him to stand, the man who always looks strong in front of you, who always looks dashing in your eyes is showing another side of him that you never see and you embrace this side tightly.

You help him settle on the couch before making your way to the kitchen to get him a glass of water. You are back and he still gives you a smile, even though it’s a forced one. 

"Seungcheol," You gently take a seat beside him, putting your hands on his hair, giving his messy hair a brush with your fingers. 

"It's over." Seungcheol says as he hugs you.

 You don’t say anything, you just let him hug you and you hug him tighter. 

He is always there for you, he always welcomes you with open arms and now, it is your turn to welcome him with open arms. He always assured you that everything will be okay and now it is your turn to let him know that you have his back and everything will work the way it should be.

"Everything will be fine, honey. Everything will work the way it should be."

You just get an approval from your manager for work from home arrangement for a couple days because urgent matters– the urgent matter is Seungcheol hasn’t come out from the room for a while and you feel anxious about leaving him all by himself. You announce to him that you will be dropping Sena at day care real quick, he kisses the top of Sena’s head and your cheek before going back to lie down in the bed. 

You are back from dropping Sena at daycare and Seungcheol hasn’t moved an inch. 

"Honey, let's eat breakfast." You hug him from the side and he turns around to face you.

"We made you a waffle with a rainbow sprinkle on top of it." You say cutely, trying to cheer him up. 

"Thank you, love." Seungcheol cups the side of your face and strokes your cheek before he pulls himself out from the bed.

Before he takes another step, a heavy sigh is out of his mouth. His steps are heavy as he walks to the bathroom, he is always excited every time you make a waffle with rainbow sprinkle on top and it hurts you to see him in this state. 

Your phone buzzes and you see Seungkwan’s name as the caller but you only stare at it, you don’t answer nor reject it until the call ends. 

"Baby," You run towards Seungcheol who just came out from the bathroom and hug him tight.

"I love you." You whisper before you give him a peck on his lips. 

"Thank you for always loving me. What would I do without you by my side?" Seungcheol hugs you tightly and rests his chin on your shoulder as you stroke his back.

Seungcheol doesn’t check his phone at all, he doesn’t know that Seungkwan has been calling him and you. You respect your husband, so you decide to let him have a moment without any interruption from outside when he is feeling down. 

He eats his breakfast not as cheerful as he used to, he doesn’t even finish it all but he thanked you for making the breakfast extra special for him. 

“I’m going to do chores right now– I’m going to do the dishes,"

You stop him before he can move to the sink.

“I’m going to do the dishes and you just need to sit still.” You push him back to his chair but he shakes his head. 

“I need to get busy.” He forces a smile that wrench your heart.

“Well, you can put the laundry in and fold the dry one.” 

“That’s what I like.” He kisses your lips quickly before making his move to the laundry room. 

You are busy doing the dishes when the doorbell rings, you rinse your hand full of soap and run to the front door. You open the door and are greeted by the angry Jeonghan. 

"Where is that bastard?" Jeonghan's chest rises and falls like he just came after running a marathon. 

"Han, not now." You stop him before he tries to make his way inside.

"I've been calling him since morning— basically everyone is trying to reach him out." He raises his tone. 

You are quite taken aback when Jeonghan raises his voice at you. Jeonghan lets out a frustrated sigh when he realizes he just raised his voice at you.

"I'm sorry but please let me talk to him."

"He is not in a good condition, Han." Your eyes get watery again, remembering your husband broke down in front of you last night.

"I know, we all know. Trust me, okay?" You nod before moving to the side to let Jeonghan come in. 

You gesture to Jeonghan to wait before knocking the laundry room door. 

"Honey, I'm going to the store for a moment." You announce it loud enough for him to hear.

"Okay! Be careful!" He shouts back and you look at Jeonghan briefly before making your way out. 

Seungcheol is busy, more like making himself busy in the laundry room because it helps him to distract all the bad thoughts. The laundry room door opens and Seunghceol turns his head right away, thinking it would be you who comes in but his face turns sour as he sees Jeonghan. 

“What do you want?” Seungcheol looks away. 

"Let's talk, Cheol." Jeonghan steps in and takes a seat on the floor right in front of the dryer and Seungcheol does the same. 

So the two of them sat beside each other in the laundry room while facing the dryer that spun all the clothes inside.

"I already prepared for the worst and I'm going to work behind the scenes as a producer and song writer." Seungcheol says before Jeonghan says anything. 

“Regarding the loss, I think I saved enough for the penalty fee and that should cover all the loss for you and the company.” 

"Probably working in front of the camera is not the best option after all." He tries to choke up a laugh.

“Have you read the news? Most of your fans support you. They know how harsh it was to work as a public figure, especially an Idol. In the span of twenty-four hours, the whole nation couldn’t stop talking about you. Thousands of them hate you for being in love and living your life behind the camera, but millions support you.” Jeonghan says with a little anger, because the man beside him, his best friend, already thought the worst. 

"Joshua gave me a report last night, almost all of the brands that you worked with, only two brands that decided to stop working with you. The penalty fee? You don't need to worry about that. In fact, three brands that target families reached out to work with you; you as their new brand ambassador." Seungcheol looks at Jeonghan in disbelief, like what Jeonghan says is full of nonsense. 

"What a funny world isn't it? You are loved, Seungcheol. People like you, adore you—yet you don't believe in yourself. As your best friend, I was mad. Hella mad when you decide to retire without even talking about it to me– you can talk to me about everything." Jeonghan continued as he put his arm on Seungcheol’s shoulder. 

"I don't know— I don't know if I did the right thing."

“Just believe in yourself, Cheol. Maybe that rumor was your wake up call.” Jeonghan pats Seungcheol's shoulder before getting back on his feet. 

“You have a family that will always welcome you. A beautiful daughter that solely becomes your reason to live and a loving wife that always has your back. Your life? I was jealous of you for living my dream.” Jeonghan chuckles as he stands up. 

Jeonghan’s right hand is already at the door handle but before he pushes the handle down, he turns his head to the side "Give Seungkwan a call, he is going crazy because of you." 

Jeonghan leaves Seungcheol by himself at the laundry room. 

Seungcheol leans his head to the wall, he looks up to the ceiling and inhales sharply before he pushes himself up. He makes his way out from the laundry room to the main bedroom. He takes his phone out from the nightstand and turns it on. Dozens of calls from Seungkwan and Jeonghan, hundreds of messages from people whom he worked with—everyone is worried about him.

It doesn’t take him a long time to call Seungkwan back and he picks it up before the second ring. 

"CHOI SEUNGCHEOL!" Seungkwan shouts and Seungcheol lets out a chuckle after hearing Seungkwan.

"How dare you laugh? I almost lost my mind because of you?" Seungcheol can hear the frustration in Seungkwan’s voice.

"I'm sorry, Seungkwan. I need time." Seungcheol can hear the relief sigh that comes out from Seungkwan mouth on the other line.

"I know but there are so many things that happened and as your friend, I want to let you have all the time for yourself but as your manager, there are dozens of casting calls for you." Seungkwan explains. Seungcheol is quite taken aback because of what Seungkwan just said, he takes a seat on the edge of his bed. 

"I'm going to let them know that you still need time after everything that happened, at least until the end of this week. Is it okay or do you need more time?"

"Sorry, this is a lot to take. Can I talk about it first with my wife?" 

"As your best friend, I want to tell you that you are very lucky to have her as your wife. You have a home to rest when things get hard and your home always welcomes you. I'm glad that you have someone by your side, Cheol." 

At the same time, you walk in without knowing that Seungcheol is talking with Seungkwan on the phone  while holding two bags full of Seungcheol's favorite snack and drink. You retreat when you see him talking on the phone carefully to not make any sound and close the door as quietly as possible.

"I know, Kwan. I'm always thankful that I have her and Sena in my life. And I'm sorry for not thanking you enough for always being there for me, Kwan." Seungcheol indeed owes Seungkwan a lot in his life. Seungkwan is always there on every step he takes. From nothing up until now. 

He owes him. 

"You better tell Pi Cheolin to give me a raise. Call me if you need anything." Seungkwan ends the call abruptly because he doesn’t want Seungcheol to hear him cry.

Seungcheol knows Seungkwan almost cries, which is why he chose to not call him again. Seungcheol locks his phone, tosses it on the bed and heads to the living room. You greet him with a big smile when he gets out of the room. 

"Is that Seungkwan?" You ask as Seungcheol walks towards you.

"Correct." Seungcheol holds your hand and pulls you closer. 

"Are you feeling better?" You loop your arms around his neck.

"I am." He rests both his hands on your waist. 

"Well, I should thank Jeonghan and Seungkwan for making you feel better." You kiss his cheek before walking back to the kitchen but Seungcheol stops you, he holds your wrist.

"I should thank you first." He whispers as he pulls you gently into him until your body touches each other. 

"Oh? And how would you thank me?" You tease him as you look at him right in the eye. 

“Do you want me to explain it step by step or should I just get into it and let you learn it by action?” Seungcheol says seductively in your ears that sends shivers down your spine. 

A month after the press conference, Seungcheol is already booked and busy. He scores a deal with three big brands where their main target is a family. He also gets dozens of casting calls for TV Dramas, exclusive dramas on streaming platforms, and movies. Everything is going better than he expected but he hasn’t accepted all the offers, because he is taking a break for himself and wants to spend more time with his loved ones.

"Good morning, mama!" Seungcheol kisses your cheek when your alarm blares.

"Morning," You greet him back still with your eyes closed. 

He moves his body so he is spooning you, his leg is on top of your thighs, one hand is inside your clothes. His hands are on top of your breast, cupping your breast while kneading it gently and his thumb brushes your nipple, teasing you. You push your back to him more because you know how this morning will end. Your back hits his morning wood and you intentionally wriggle your back— acting like you are adjusting yourself to be in a more comfortable position.

"Baby? What's that?" He whispers in your ears with his husky voice that makes you clench. 

"What? I didn't do anything." You play dumb with him.

"Hm? Is that so?" He moves his thumb slowly against your nipple again, brushing it lightly and giving it a light pinch that makes you hiss because of how good that feels.

"Did you push your ass on me on purpose?" He asks once again as he pinches your nipple harder than before.

"Yes." You answer in a hushed tone, trying to suppress the moan that almost slips from your mouth.

"How naughty." He licks the back of your ear, an action that makes you shiver and mouth agape.

"I need you." You beg him desperately.

"Anything you want, baby."

His hand that you use as a pillow started to play with your clothed nipple and his free hand made his way down to where you need him the most. He teases you while playing with the band of your pajama pants before his hands creep inside. He starts slowly, making you almost lose your mind, he plays with your folds still with your damp panties on, tracing along the line. 

"You are this wet for me? When I haven’t done anything yet to you?” 

"Yes, only for you."

He pushes your panties aside, his index fingers traced your wet folds before finally finding your clit. He rubs his finger slowly around your clit, a moan that you have been holding finally out from your mouth. A smirk grows on his face as he rubs your clit in a circle slowly, teasing you the way he knows how to make you fold for him. Another moan slips out from your mouth and your breath hitch when Seungcheol's leg that rests on top of you, pushes your legs to open more for him.

"Want you." You say breathlessly, hands clutching the bed sheet. 

"Not so fast, baby." He lowers down your pajama pants and your panties before having you bare.

His fingers move like a work of art, you can't help but hide your face on the pillow to muffle your moan. You gasp loudly when Seungcheol starts to push his finger inside you. It starts with one finger until you ask for more and three fingers now buried deep inside you. He knows you like the back of his hands, he knows your spot, so he purposely thrust his finger deeper and curled it. Your moan is a heavenly tune in his ear, he won't stop until you reach your release.

"I'm close." Your eyes are getting watery because of how good you feel and how close you are from his fingers only.

As he draws you closer, he starts to thrust his hips on your back, humping himself behind you to let you know how hard and desperate he is. You cry his name when your walls clenches around his fingers and you let go your first release on his fingers. He pulls his fingers out, sucks and licks them clean.

"What time is it?" You ask him, panting. You roll to the other side, so you face him. 

"We get forty minutes left before Sena wakes up from her sleep." Seungcheol answers as he glances at the clock on the wall. 

"Okay, cowboy. It's time for me to ride you." You push yourself up and unbutton your pajama top one by one, sensually, while keeping your eyes on your husband. He is watching you with lust in his eyes, both his hands rest behind his head. 

You notice how he gulps hard when you make your way to his hard length. You palm his still clothed length making his mouth gape because of how good you make him feel. A satisfied smirk spreads across your face when you see him like that. You pull his pants down slowly without breaking eye contact with him.

"We are running low on time." You say as you position yourself on top of him, before adding with a wink.

"I'm gonna suck you off till you can't even remember your own name later, tonight."

"Whatever you want, baby." He groans as you push down and takes his length full without warning.

that he got this afternoon. 

"I did! but I guess she knows my trick by now." He drops his legs slowly then with the support of his hands he drops to the ground and rests his head on top of your thighs.

"What are you working on, love?" He asks, popping up his head so he can see what you are working on.

“I’m working on my monthly report. I thought I could get it done this afternoon but sometimes you just want to smash your head with a keyboard then your work can’t be finished.” You explain to him and he looks at you confused, which makes you chuckle because he doesn’t understand it. 

"Why would you want to smash your face with a keyboard? Someone is bothering you at work?" He sits straight up, eyes looking at you with all seriousness. 

"I worked on a wrong report all day." A gasp left from Seungcheol’s mouth, he even covers his mouth dramatically and you let out a laugh because of him. 

"Thank you for providing us." He jokes and that makes you laugh a little bit too loud until you cover your mouth, afraid your daughter will wake up because of it.

Seungcheol is still in his hiatus, he is enjoying his day as a house husband. He drops you off at work and drops Sena to daycare every morning. He goes to the gym right after, sometimes he works out with Wonwoo or sometimes he bothers Seungkwan at work. Seungkwan is back at his dusty work desk because of Seungcheol’s hiatus and he always acts that he hates it every time Seungcheol comes, but secretly he loves it because he has excuses to leave his desk.

Seungcheol also realized a new therapeutic thing, which is grocery shopping. He loves grocery shopping so much and you are the one who is stressing out because he kept on buying unnecessary things. He even signed up for a beginner cooking class. He also realized folding clothes was tiring, then he discovered the Marie Kondo method, so he’s been folding that way and most of the time he failed it. He even started to watch afternoon local TV dramas that have the same pattern over and over again, he complained a lot about it but he can’t stop watching it.

But it always warms your heart every time he tells you about his day and his new favorite things to do because he is enjoying his life. His slower pace life. 

Parents in Sena's daycare understand his position as a public figure, so they never asked him or took his photo. Seungcheol even sends Sena to Chan's house for a play date and having lunch over in their house with Chan's mother. Chan's mother is very talkative and Seungcheol will make sure to give her a backstage pass for their concert because it turns out she is a big fan of Wonwoo. She collected Wonwoo's photo card from their group album.

"Should I send Wonwoo to Chan's house to pick up Sena? I mean that would make Chan's mother happy." Seungcheol asks with a spatula in his right hand.

"Don't you think Chan's mother will pass out if that happened?" You ask back while preparing the plates on the dinner table. 

"Right.. but she paid for my coffee, I should pay her back." You laugh at your husband because he’s been thinking how to pay Chan’s mother back because she paid for his coffee this morning.

Seeing him befriended with Chan's mother gives you reassurance, Chan's mother is always sweet towards you and Sena. She even offers to bring Sena to her house when you can't pick her up from daycare on time.

"Maybe, you could give her a signed album." You try to propose a new idea. 

"She has them." Seungcheol sighs while flipping the rolled omelette. 

"Oh, Sena's birthday is coming up— we should invite Chan, then she can meet with Wonwoo there." You say excitedly and Seungcheol claps his hands together.

"Perfect!" He raises his spatula. You giggle and head towards his side to peck his lips.

Seeing your husband living his ordinary life makes you happy, especially since he can still work on his job that he loves. Maybe after his hiatus ends, he won't have that much time to spend with you and Sena, but you know for sure that his family is always his top priority.

Even in front of the cameras that are still rolling, lighting still on, all the spotlight is on him— you know for sure, he is still the same man you married. The man that you vowed in front of his best friends to spend the rest of your life with till death apart.

"Cheol, I love you."

"I love you more, honey." He leans down to kiss you on the lips and when his lips almost touch yours, 

“AND CUT!” The camera stops rolling and Seungcheol backs away with a little smile. 

“THAT IS PERFECT!” The director walks towards Seungcheol while clapping his hands and the assistant director runs to his direction with a bouquet of flowers for him and his co-star. 

“This adaptation will be a big hit!” The director taps Seungcheol's shoulders. 

“I hope so, sir.” Seungcheol says with a big smile. 

“Break for ten minutes then we’re going to take a staff picture, okay?” The director tells Seungcheol.  

“Yes, sir.” Seungcheol bows his head then walks to his green room. His manager gives him his phone before he enters his room. 

He opens the door, sits himself on the couch. His phone rings right after, with a big smile spread across his face he answers the call. 

“My wife! The shoot is officially done!” Seungcheol lies down on the couch, still with his phone attached to his ear. Seungcheol continues to talk with his wife over the phone until a knock on the door interrupts his conversation. His manager’s head poked behind the door, signaling him to go back to the set for a photo session. 

“Love, I need to go now. See you later at home.” 

[flashback]

The only sound that could be heard in your apartment was the furious typing coming from your keyboard. The code you had meticulously been working on for the last month all of a sudden wasn't running properly.

"C'mon you rat bastard, where are you hiding," you mutter out. You chewed on your bottom lip, dedicated to find the one piece of syntax ruining what was bound to be a big payout for you.

A month ago, you'd been tagged to do another hit on some confidential FBI files. The network you worked for was made aware by an informant that there were case files being built against the network. Being the resident hacker within the network meant that this task was immediately handed to you. This wasn't your first go at hacking the Federal Bureau of Investigations and you certainly didn't think it was going to be your last. You loved playing tag with the CyberSec department in the Quantico office. Imagining the look of shock when the analysts in their cushy lil offices realize that files were corrupted or missing. For a bunch of highly paid, well-resourced government officials, jobs that involved the FBI felt like taking candy from a baby.

Your search continued, scouring through what felt like endless lines of code, until your phone rang. Taking a look at the Caller ID, a chill ran through your body.

It's an unlisted number. To the ordinary person, it would look like an unknown caller. But not to you. No, you knew this number by heart. You gingerly pressed the answer button.

"YN, a pleasure."

You found it weird that he was using your actual name given everyone in the network typically used an alias. You figured he was in a secure enough location, so you didn't pursue this line of thought any further.

"Jackson. What can I do for you? I'm working right now." Every ounce of you fought to keep your words unwavered. A small chuckle came from the other end of the line.

"Just wanted to check in. Make sure you're holding up your end of the bargain." This caught you off guard.

Jackson was a higher up in your network, always the one doling out your assignments, but never one to double check your work. You'd proven yourself to be irreplaceable in the last three years of working for the Caissa. Why was he asking about this now?

"In the three years I've been doing your work, when have you ever known me to not hold up my end of the deal?" You questioned, a slight edge in your voice.

Even with your "boss" on the line, there was a deadline to meet and your code was still not running properly. Your hand moved to press a button on your phone and you placed Jackson on speakerphone. As the search for the bug resumed, you explained to Jackson that what he wanted should be finished within the next two hours.

"Remind me again, what is it I'm paying you for?" In hindsight, this question should have been ringing the loudest bells in your head. Jackson had the tendency to be aloof and a bit forgetful given he worked with multiple people, but not ever to this degree. But the damn bug making your code not work took up all of your attention.

"What are you talking about Jackson, did you seriously forget that you tasked me to wipe the case files being built against the Caissa? What, did you forget to take your pills today old man?" Another laugh came. It's uneasy but of course you were too wrapped up in fixing the code to notice the difference.

"Jeez Rook, I'm just testing you."

"I think I've outgrown that nickname, don't you Jackson? Was this really all you called me for?" You were getting annoyed now. There was a crunch for this code to be finished and here was your boss actively wasting your time. Again in hindsight this should have tipped you off. There's a bit of noise from the other end of the line before Jackson responds.

"YN?"

"What is it, Jackson?"

"The Grandmaster sends his regards." The mention of the kingpin of your network made your back straighten. Before you could ask what the hell Jackson meant, the line died. Your monitor went next. There wasn't enough time for you to make sense of anything before you heard the sirens surrounding your apartment and your front door being busted open. Everything after this point happened in slow motion, you moved like molasses. Only a few things in your vision were in focus: the reds and blues of cop car lights shining on the poster covered walls of your apartment, the condensation ring from the iced coffee you'd been nursing, a trinket of your favorite animal shattered from the impact of your front door.

You didn't resist any of the officers taking you into their custody. Your mind was otherwise preoccupied. The second your door was cracked down, the puzzle pieces connected: Jackson and the network had cut you loose and turned you in. Racking your brain for any possible reason why, you come up with the conclusion that the feds were getting too close and they cut the newest recruit on the team.

Last one in, first one out.

The interrogation room was bone-chilling and reeked of the worst kind of drip coffee. Agent after agent came in, but your mind couldn't focus. Every time they talked to you it sounded like Charlie Brown's parents were speaking to you. Your entire world had come crashing down. The network that had protected you for so long, had all of a sudden delivered you right to the FBI's front door, the team that had spent the better part of a year trying to track you down.

The door to the interrogation room opened again and you were about to tell the next agent that they were going to waste their time because you weren't going to spill a word. But when you lifted your head, you see him and the air shifts. You feel the static neurons become charged with something you can't quite place.

[end of flashback]

Speak of the devil.

The ding of the elevator doors snaps you out of your recollection and there stands Xu Minghao. The guy, who for a lack of a better explanation, is your knight in shining armor. Minghao was the one that broke through your walls that day in the interrogation room. The one that turned you from hunted to hunter. Every other agent they'd sent in to question you weren't able to hammer away at the walls you'd built, but he did. He walked in, the definition of nonchalance and arrogance. Taking your walls apart brick by brick like it was nothing with cologne that enveloped the whole room and would linger. The same one currently wafting in your nose as he's waving you into the elevator.

"Good morning babygirl," he says, pearly-white teeth shining right into your heart. It has been five years since the day Minghao cut you a deal and your partnership with him and the FBI had started. Five years since he gave you a chance to turn your life around and not rot in prison. Five years since he started calling you that nickname. The nickname that never failed to dust a deep shade of pink across your cheeks.

"Morning, White Rabbit," you chirp out, adding the delicious milk candy to the list of nicknames you have for the profiler. This was your banter, everyone in the office knew it. Everyone in the office was also sick of it. A prime example comes in the form of Dr. Jeon Wonwoo, resident know-it-all. He constantly commented on your relationship; labeling it grossly inappropriate for the office and requesting that it be taken outside of work. Both of your responses to him matching as you stick your tongue out, blowing raspberries at him.

"What's on your mind pretty?" Minghao questions. You wave him off, telling him that you'd been thinking about the day that you first met.

"Was it love at first sight?" He teases. You give him a slight push and tell him to shove it where the sun doesn't shine. The ride up to the office is silent, but it's comfortable. The kind of comfortable you can only get when you've built a relationship with someone. The elevator doors whoosh open signaling that your moment of peace is over and it was time to get to work. You start the short trek to your "cave of darkness", as the rest of the team calls it, but Minghao catches your wrist before you even make it another step.

"Here," he places a coffee cup in your hand, "Honey vanilla latte for the sweetest honey in my life."

There it is again. The blood rushes to your cheeks, covering it with a rosy haze. Minghao is still holding onto your wrist and you're painfully aware of everything happening right now. But you let yourself get lost in the feeling for a bit. Fantasizing that this is more than the usual nice banter between the two of you. That he got you a latte because he was thinking about you at the cafe you both frequent. That he knows your order because he learned it the first time the both of you had been to said cafe and not because you'd made him order it for you a billion times.

Wonwoo, who had been behind the both of you in the elevator, clears his throat to get through and the facade breaks. Minghao gives you a wink, then moves back to let him step between the two of you. Raising the warm coffee cup towards him, you bid Wonwoo goodbye and the two of you make your way down to your office. As you come down the hallway one of the other analysts, Maeve, falls in step with you. Her strong gourmand scent hits you before her greeting does. The three of you talk about recent case loads and what you had been up to the past weekend. She casually jokes that the intense amount of snow should be keeping the streets crime free, but the files coming across the desks say otherwise. Synced laughs of agreement come from you and him. Minghao replies that there isn't enough coffee in the world. Without any real thought, you say,

"Thank God for Minghao. I don't know what I'd do if he didn't get me this coffee." She coos at you, agreeing that it was really nice of him do so, but then she makes a comment that stutters your thoughts.

"God I wish I had a boyfriend that worked with me so I could get personally delivered coffee. You two are so cute together."

"Oh, no-" You begin to stop her.

"It's not like that." You pretend the emphasis Minghao places on the last word doesn't sting.

"We're not-"

The two of you stumble over each other to tell your coworker that you aren't dating. When she hears this, there's a look of surprise on her face, but she doesn't say anything else. She's too busy watching the two of you staring at each other, trying to find the hidden conversation in raised brows. You'd never been more thankful in your life to be right in front of your office door. Minghao quietly excuses himself and walks towards the bullpen. While your coworker chats you up, you're still staring at the back of Minghao, noticing how he rubbed the back of his neck as he walked away from the two of you.

"Helloooo? Earth to YN!" Your focus shifts to her hand waving in front of your face. Apologizing to her, you ask her to repeat herself. She talks about needing help on figuring out how to run a code to aggregate the encrypted files your team has been getting with the caseload. You relax, this is an easy task, you could write code in your sleep, this was something that won't distract you. Asking her for more metrics, your eyes light up at the chance to talk about coding — the only thing that has kept you alive all these years. As you're going over proper formatting syntax, she makes a silly joke that for some reason really just hit you, so you find yourself doubled over in laughter.

What you don't notice is that your coworker makes sudden eye contact with Minghao, who perks up and whips his head towards your direction at the sound of your laughter. You couldn't see it, but his gaze brims with adoration. The mere sound of your laugh, infectious, getting the corners of his lips to tug up. Maeve gives Minghao a questioning smirk, he then stutters and forces himself back into the conversation with Wonwoo. She continues your conversation by asking how to run newly written code without ruining encrypted files.

You lift yourself back up and continue your explanation of performing test runs on old files to Maeve. As you do so, you feel the air change and something in you tells your brain to look beyond Maeve. Cocking your head to the side, you see that Minghao has Wonwoo in a headlock. You try to hide your smile, but fail as Maeve traces your sight line. She shakes her head and jokes that it's really hard to believe that the two of you aren't together, with the way you steal glances like lovesick puppies. Suddenly, Minghao looks up and you immediately move your head back to its original position, not wanting him to catch you staring. Maeve watches this exchange with the biggest smirk on her face. Thanking you for the advice on writing code, she walks away to her office muttering something that you couldn't make out.

As you settle into your office, a sigh pushes through your entire body. Minghao's comment and gesture sticks with you for the rest of the day, the drink actually making it all the way home with you. Spending what others would diagnose as an "unhealthy" amount of time staring at the coffee cup, trying to will the fantasy in your head to life. So many things are swimming around in your mind right now. As you get lost in writing code, Minghao's question of love at first sight is ringing in your ears. You were telling the truth, you found him incredibly annoying at first. Your first month he did nothing but gloat that he was the one to bring you in; that if it wasn't for him there wouldn't be progress on the Caissa file. But something changed in the years of you working together and you're left remembering when exactly it was that he completely broke your heart open for him.

[flashback]

It's your first winter in Virginia. Adjusting to the non-criminal life has been easier than you expected. Who knew you could breathe easier when not working for the digital underworld and not having to look over your shoulder all the time. Regular civilian life wasn't something you steadily had access to in your formative years and you're finding yourself mourning that younger version of you.

Idyllic. Not hard. A version of you that didn't have to put up walls yet.

A particularly nasty case made its way to the top of your team's list, leaving you all to work past normal hours. You'd moved out of your office into the bullpen to make sharing information easier. The office is fairly silent, the only symphony playing is the shuffle of papers and the scuffle of your team walking around. You'd been knee deep in assembling a list of victim profiles to help look for the unsub's MO. You fired off a couple lines of code that you think will help you narrow something down, only to be hit with a big red flashing "ERROR". You slam your laptop down and exhale in frustration, the sound of it drawing everyone's eyes on you. You feel his eyes before you could see them. Flashing everyone a quick smile of apology, you excuse yourself to take a lap around and get a breather.

You stop by your office to grab your water bottle and on your way out you see Minghao. He smirks when he makes eye contact and you immediately brace yourself for whatever smart ass comment he had waiting for you.

"Taking a break already? Wouldn't have pegged you as the quitting type," he jokes. You mockingly laugh back and roll your eyes. The two of you were a duo that no one ever expected. You'd find this out much later, but there were bets going around the office for how long Minghao would last before you ripped his head off. You and Minghao got the last laugh as the two of you gelled together after you dished his smugness back to him. Fairly soon after, you became the insufferable duo that everyone was familiar with.

The two of you finish a lap around the office in complete sync, quietly returning to the makeshift workstation that was set up in the bullpen. You stretch your neck out before sitting back down to read over the case files in the hopes that you could pinpoint parameters that would get your team closer to solving this case. Line after line swims through your brain and nothing seems to stick. It's like suddenly all the ridges in your brain have disappeared and the receptors have melted.

Behind you, you hear someone yell that they're going on a coffee run, then you feel a tap on your elbow. Turning your head, you see Minghao with a questioning look in his eye. Without a word, you knew exactly what he was asking.

Want a coffee?

You immediately shake your head no, not wanting to deal with the effects of caffeine later. He gives you a curt nod and calls out to the person leaving the office to wait for him. He brushes behind you and you catch a whiff of him — sandalwood and something smoky — he smells like comfort. The scent of him lingers around you like an unspoken message from him:

Be back soon.

For the hundredth time, you turn your eyes back to the files hoping that this time you wouldn't come up empty. Taking a breath, you repeat a silent prayer in your head, one that wishes you are able to find anything that could help. Three folders of files later, you feel Minghao sliding into the seat next to you. You don't have to look up from the mountain of paper to know it's him. You just do.

As you're flipping over to the next page, you sense something warm near your left hand. You move your hand to find the source of heat and see that Minghao has placed a cup next to you. The logo of the coffee shop from down the street adorns the cupsleeve. Acknowledging him with a nod, you wrap both your hands around the cup and bring it in front of you.

I didn't ask for this. You say with a raise of your brow.

I know. He shrugs in response.

Drawing the cup to your mouth, the sweet scent of honey and vanilla fills the space around you as you blow on it. You were expecting the strong bitter aroma of coffee to invade your nose so when you smell the indicators of your regular order, your head whips back to him. You're staring at him with delighted surprise in your eyes. He squeezes your shoulder and shoots the warmest smile when he meets your gaze. You thank him by taking a drink, contently sighing at the sweet taste on your tongue.

When you open your eyes, you find a different pair of eyes staring at you.

"Can I help you, Dr. Jeon?"

"Just observing," he says, his eyes flitting between you and the man beside you.

"Find anything worth sharing?" You muse, tucking your chin on top of your hands.

While flipping through a case file, Wonwoo shakes his head no. You don't believe him for a second, which you make known by giving him a scrutinizing look. But you don't press him any further, opting to return to your work instead.

Minghao suddenly gets up and walks over to the board, presumably to pin something he found.

"He's never brought anyone coffee," Wonwoo says, breaking your concentration. You look at the doctorate in front of you with a deadpan look. One that prompts him to elaborate his point.

He leans forward and in a quiet tone explains that in the time that the two of them have worked together, he's never seen Minghao willingly get anyone coffee. Usually opting to joke that whoever asks has legs and can get the drink themselves. He also guessed by the look of your first sip that Minghao didn't just grab you any coffee, he purposefully got your specific coffee order.

There's a feeling in your stomach you can't place when you hear this. As Wonwoo drones on, you find your gaze naturally moving to where Minghao is. You can only see his back, but you can tell he's concentrating on something from the way his head is slightly tilted.

"And then there's the twin telepathy thing," Wonwoo quips. This breaks your stare.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh c'mon! The two of you just had a full blown conversation without uttering a single word."

You scoff and wave him off, telling him that it doesn't mean anything. Defending your friendship, you deflect and mock the young doctor. He returns your scoff with his own and leans back in his chair.

To anyone that asked, you would always deny it. You and Minghao, were friends, nothing else. But after Wonwoo's line of questioning, you wonder if he's maybe just named the intense feelings that you've been unable to.

Returning your gaze to Minghao, your head is swimming with the thoughts Wonwoo's seemingly planted. He turns to call out for Wonwoo to join him. Your eyes meet Minghao's and he gives you a smile that makes your heart drop to the pit of your stomach. It's a smile laced with a check in. Like somehow he knows you might not be all there.

And suddenly you realize it.

Fuck.

You like Xu Minghao.

[end of flashback]

A soft knock breaks your mindless (but correct) code writing and you smile as you see Minghao waving through the window. You push the memory from three years ago to the deep recesses of your mind. He pushes the door slightly open and pokes his head in, weary smile following. You know what this look means; it's wheels up for the team, time for them to fly somewhere to solve a case, time for him to leave.

"Hey, I'm heading out. I'll see you soon, yeah?"

"Safe flight, call me for any expert information pulling," you joke as he pulls off from your door.

"There isn't anyone else I would want to call babygirl," he calls out as he jogs to catch up with the rest of the team flying out. You smile watching him bounce away.

Unfortunately for you, that moment was the last time you would physically see Minghao for the next week. This was the norm for the two of you. You hardly ever joined in the field, and to be completely honest you preferred it that way. With your history, you decided (along with some urging from your boss) that it was probably better that you stayed behind for cases.

You do get to talk to him mid-week when an important piece of information comes across your desk.

"Tell me something I wanna hear," he exhales. You can hear the exhaustion and frustration in his voice.

"Anyone ever tell you, you have a great ass? Cause you do," you tease, trying to lighten the mood. Hearing him smile from the other side of the line makes you feel better.

"Tell me something I don't know pretty girl," he jokes back. You boo him, whining that he always spoils your fun.

"Don't make me spank you."

"Mmm, don't tempt me with a good time Agent," you say in a lower tone, feigning seduction. With a click of his tongue, he tells you to quit playing around. You sigh and acquiesce him, sharing that the unsub and his victims had a shared history. Grimacing as you shakily recount horrifying details, you wrap up your information dump with a sigh and a promise that this information would be sent over asap.

"Look up the words hot and magnificent in that magic box of yours and tell me what comes up," you hear the smirk and pride on Minghao's face loud and clear. Luck was on your side today as no one could see the rouge tint splayed across your face and on the tips of your ears.

"Would ya look at that? A picture of me popped up." You replied, emphasizing the p in the last word with a popping sound. Inside you are fighting every nerve in your body.

"You are the love of my life, gorgeous! Good job, see ya when we're back." The click of the line rescues you from having to repsond. Your hand is still wrapped around the receiver as you let out a breath. An involuntary groan comes from you. It's the kind of groan you let out when you know you're absolutely smitten and can't do jack all about it. The silence in your office cloaks you in your own feelings, the next words that come out of your mouth barely break the sound barrier.

"I wish you meant that, Hao."

It wasn't till Friday afternoon that the rest of the team was flying in after wrapping up another horrifying but solved case.

The clock ticks a quarter till five and you shoot a text to your cat-eyed partner in crime, asking him if he needed a round (or more) once he landed. An immediate ping returns with a resounding yes and that he'd head straight to Rummo's. Wrapping up a report, you lock up and head to the elevator to meet with Minghao. The ride down takes longer than you want it to, but the doors finally ding open and you're basically skipping out the exit.

"Have a good weekend YN," Chan smiles at you as he holds the door open for you.

"Thanks Channie! I'll see ya Monday!"

"Rummo's tonight? I didn't see the team come in this morning." You nod back.

"Is tonight the night?" He asks with expectant eyes. While everyone in the office basically knew about the budding relationship between you and Minghao, Chan was the only one who ever said anything to you about it. He was also the only one who knew about how much you truly longed for Minghao. It wasn't like you paraded around declaring your love for the profiler, but anyone who looked hard enough could see it. You cared about Minghao in the way that you didn't about anyone else. Sometimes more than yourself. You shoot Chan a look with a hopeful gleam and he responds back with a thumbs up. The week spent in the office alone (along with a phone call from your mother regarding your love life) had forced you to evaluate your relationship with Minghao. Years of noticing the small things that make him tick. Simply put, after years of yearning for the man who broke you down with a whiff of his cologne, you came to the conclusion that you couldn't bear to wait any longer. You needed him to know how you felt and more importantly how he made you feel.

You send a quick text to him that you'd be at your favorite bar in less than ten minutes. As you're walking past storefronts you check your reflection in the glass. No biggie, you're just confessing your feelings to the most important person in your life and your hair is a tangled mess and the mascara on your eyelashes smudged from the strain of staring at a computer all day. You do your best to smooth down the frizz of your hair and you pray to whatever god above that you can fix yourself up before Minghao spots you.

It's half past five by the time you get to Rummo's and it seems like every other office worker in the vicinity had the same idea because your favorite local bar is packed with people in suits. You thank your lucky stars and make a beeline for the bathroom to fix yourself up. You assess the damage as you take a look at the mirror and you wish you hadn't.

Your top fits a little funny because of how blessed you are in the chest department. Your trousers suddenly feel a bit tight and you tune into how the button seems to dig into your stomach. You try to move your clothes around a bit to make it look more flattering against your shape and notice that the seams of your pants have left imprints on your hips. The movement (and your awful anxiety) have made the tiny bathroom even tinier and you feel like the temperature inside has gotten warmer.

Taking a shallow breath you move on to take a look at your hair but before you can do anything about it, a knock on the door alerts you to someone who had been waiting on you. You push the door open to the bathroom and apologize to the person on the other side and look for Minghao. Your confidence is lower than when you walked in, but you were still determined to tell him how you felt tonight.

The smell of his cologne, hidden behind copious amounts of whiskey, hits you before you even lay your eyes on him. You square your shoulders back, plaster on a smile and clap him on the back when you approach. He turns to you, a tinge of pink dotted across his cheeks and eyes in the shape of crescent moons. A quick glance at the three empty glasses next to him tells you all you need to know — this case was horrific and he needed a break from reality. You don't think you'll get to tell him anything tonight.

"There's my babygirl," he swoons excitedly reaching out to you. Your heart leaps out of your chest and it aches. It kills you to not focus on the inflection behind the "my".

"Hey Hao— Whoa," you lean forward as he almost falls out of the bar stool. A giggle comes spilling out of him when he wraps his arms around you, pressing his face into your shoulder. You help him sit back upright and he scrambles to remove his jacket from the seat next to him, ushering you to sit next to him. Doyoung, the usual barback who tends to your crew, places a drink in front of you. Thanking him with a nod, you down the drink to match Hao's level of drunkenness. The night is filled with him drunkenly egging you on to drink more and you making sure that he's also drinking water so he doesn't absolutely perish the next day.

Suddenly Minghao, who had previously been slumped over the bar, sits straight up and grabs your face. He brings it close to his and you genuinely are unable to tell if you're currently hallucinating. He pores over your face with a scrutinizing look in his eyes. His gaze lands on your lips and stays for a while. Longer than what is appropriate between two best friends. Two coworkers. Your lips are inches away and the alcohol you've consumed silences the alarm bells going off in your head. You hadn't expected this at all, the second you had seen him downing drinks you quickly pivoted away from the original intention you had tonight. You let your eyes flutter shut and enjoy the warmth of his hands, you also pick up on the scent of whiskey and mint on his breath. There's a ringing in your ears and it isn't the alarm bells of your barely functioning brain. No, it's the ringing that happens when the one person who turns your world upside down is about to kiss you. But the moment never comes.

You open your eyes and find him studying your face. Irises wide (probably from the whiskey) and mapping spots on your face.

"Hao?" You ask as you place one of your hands on his, you're hyper aware of the small jolt of electricity that happens on your cheek when your hands touch.

"Mmm?" He hums, absolute glee hidden behind the smile on his face. You tap the hand on your left cheek, asking him if there was something he needed to tell you.

"You remind me of her." The shape of his eyes still crescent moons, his cheeks even pinker. From the alcohol or the confession you weren't able to tell.

"Hmm?" You say giggly.

"The girl I'm in love with— you remind me of her." He says like he isn't absolutely shattering your entire world right now.

"Oh." You could only respond in a monosyllabic manner, the entire situation quickly sobering you from your fantasy. You grab his hands and gingerly fold them into his lap.

He giggles to himself at your short response. Your mind is spinning and the three heavy-handed drinks Doyoung poured you certainly weren't helping. It isn't till Minghao waves his hand in your face that you realize he'd asked you a question. You apologize and he asks you again what you think. It felt like an impossible question to answer; your heart was absolutely shattered but as his best friend you needed to at least seem supportive.

"Whoever she is, she's a lucky girl," you respond, the fake smile on your face hurting your jaw.

"You think so?" He asks, blissfully drunk and unaware.

You nod, trying to will the tears in your eyes to not spill. Your barback slides the two of you tall glasses of water and your tab. The time had passed by and the time on the receipt told you that the bar was nearing closing time. Downing your water like a camel, you gear up to play another heartbreaking game of pretend. Quickly you get Minghao to drink his water, slide some cash to Doyoung, and move the drunk cat that is your coworker outside the bar to wait for a cab. Puffs of your breath can be seen against the night sky and the two of you stand close to each other to get some warmth. It doesn't prove to be very effective as shivers run through your body. Perceptive as he is, Minghao wordlessly shrugs his black coat off and threads your arms through the sleeves.

"Hao, what are you doing? Take your coat back. It's below freezing," you say through chattering teeth.

You roll your eyes and start to remove the very warm coat off you. The unmistakable shake of his earrings rings through the air as he hushes you and forces the coat around you again, this time closing the buttons to make sure you stay put. A frustrated sigh comes from you, made evident by the puff of steam flowing in front of you. You silently thank him with a swift nod of your head. Some minutes tick by and suddenly you feel a cold hand slip into the pocket and close over your balled up fist.

A hollow ache is forming in your chest. Your hand instinctively unfurls and the second it does, Minghao threads his fingers through yours. Wetness pools around the rim of your eyes when you feel the shape of figure eights rubbing against the back of your hand. Silently, you thank the cold weather as you sniffle the tears back. If he noticed what was wrong, you could immediately blame it on the chill. You stare up at the sky, hoping to find something that could distract you from your wailing thoughts. But you're met with nothing, not a single star in sight. Not a constellation in the sky to use as small talk. So you stand and let your heart ache, because this might be the last time you have a moment like this with him.

You're also trying to make sure Minghao doesn't crumple to the floor. He whines telling you that he's tired of standing and he clings onto you like a koala, telling you that you felt like a plush radiator. You blow off his comment and wave down the bright yellow cab who had just dropped off someone down the street. With as much strength you can muster you push Minghao into the cab and give directions to the driver to his place.

"Wait, you're not coming with me?" He pouts, hanging his head out the window.

You hated yourself for how much you wanted to still kiss him. Shaking your head no, you tell him you'll see him later. He pouts some more and even whines a little, making your heart swell and ache simultaneously. You tilt his head up a little and drill into him that he needs to drink water when he gets home. He gives you a little salute and slumps his back in his seat. The cab begins to drive away and you wave even though you know Minghao can't see you. Suddenly he sticks his head out the window again and yells at you.

"Don't tell the girl at work that I'm in love with her!" And just like that Xu Minghao shatters your heart for the second time.

Saturdays are reserved for shitty movies and wasting away at your place. In the last year, Minghao has been a welcome addition to your long standing tradition, but you wake up today (still slightly hungover) remembering every single thing that happened last night and can't bear the thought of seeing him. You send him a text that you aren't feeling well and need to just sleep the nausea and hangover away. It wasn't completely a lie, you genuinely did have a hangover and you felt sick to your stomach at his confession. The confession that broke your heart and had you questioning your own self worth. Who were you kidding, no guy like Minghao could have ever been into you. He could have his pick of girls, so of course he was pining for someone else. You mostly felt so dumb that you even held the fantasy for so long. Minghao doesn't reply back right away, you assume he's probably still asleep and decide that a small nap might help you feel better.

You wake up to the sound of knocking at your front door and grumble, throwing the blanket over your head, hoping that whoever is at your door will just go away. You're not expecting any guests so you definitely were not getting up for anyone right now. Unfortunately, your attempt to ignore them does not work as the knocking gets louder and more aggressive. Throwing your blanket around you, you groan and stomp to your front door. The knocking keeps going and you finally swing your door open, ready to yell at whoever is fucking disturbing your peace right now.

"Jesus Christ! What do you wa— Minghao? What the fuck?!"

"Me what the fuck? I think I should be saying that to you. It's Saturday, our day remember?" You wince at the decibel he's at. Shooting him a glare with the force of a thousand daggers, you whip out your phone and show him the text of you canceling.

He sticks his tongue out and pushes into your apartment, blabbering about how you couldn't let a couple drinks interrupt the tradition. A trail of his things follow behind him as he makes himself completely at home on your couch. He spots his coat from the night before and jokes that he wondered where it ended up. Your nose scrunches up in annoyance and you can't find it within yourself to pretend to be fine with him being here. One by one you pick up his things and launch them at him, each landing getting a complaint. You coldly tell him to take his things and leave.

"Haha very funny babygirl. C'mon," he pats the spot next to him, "It's movie time. I'm thinking comedy because you're being so gru-"

"Minghao. I'm not kidding. I don't feel good, I'm going back to bed, please take your shit and go home."

You don't even wait for a response, you quickly spin on your heel and head back to your room. You don't even have it in you to close the door on him, you just slip back into your bed. Burying yourself under the covers, the tears in your eyes are hot and you try to blink them back. It isn't until you hear the muffled click of your front door that you let the tears stream down your face, effectively dehydrating you even more.

This year's winter was giving unsubs harsh brutality a run for their money. In the five years since you've lived in Virginia, you'd never felt such an arctic winter. Roads constantly slick with ice, the chill in the air absolutely biting. The only thing rivaling the intensity of this winter was how hard your head had been thinking about your relationship with Minghao. After what you thought would have been the moment, you decided that you couldn't wait forever anymore. You couldn't waste time on the cat-eyed profiler anymore. Knowing he'd had ample time in the years of you working together to say something. The years filled of stolen glances during team debriefs, of flirty comments that would gave HR a heart attack, of him using a nickname reserved only for you. Even on that night, he had the entire night to say something, anything. Instead you were met with a confession that crushed any hope you had as well as your self esteem.

This was the third week of you silently mending the heart he'd unknowingly broken. You could absolutely feel the difference in the interactions, but the profiler for all his ability to read humans, was none the wiser. The list of your names for him continued, but never with the same vibrancy you'd always envelope them in. You were facing a silent fight, the only person who only noticed your off kilter demeanor, was Chan. The first week of your moping he initially let you be, only ever giving a skeptic raise of his brow when you'd brush off his comments regarding your well-being. By the second week, he knew you'd been lying and figuratively backed you into a corner.

You had been drowning in case files and your eyes were starting to dry out. You make your way out of your office and to the bathroom on your floor, but you sharply make a right towards the elevator when you see Minghao heading in the same direction. The door is about to close and you call out to the group to hold the doors open for you. In your absolute panic, you don't realize how loud your voice was. What you also miss when you push yourself into the elevator is Minghao frantically searching for you across the office when he heard you.

You make your way to the back of the elevator and pinch the bridge of your nose as you lean your head back against the wall. Your eyes are closed for the entire ride and it's only when the automated voice of the elevator bell announces the floor, that you realized you took the elevator all the way down to the main lobby. Remembering what your actual purpose of leaving the office was, you make a beeline for the bathroom. You weren't explicitly avoiding Chan, but you knew you couldn't hold out much longer until you cracked under his constant questions.

On your way out from the restroom, you hear a sharp whistle come from behind. Whipping your head around, you see Chan waving you over. Timidly you walk over. You know that he's going to ask what's up with you, so you mentally prepare your responses on your way to him. Sure enough his first question after greeting each other is why you aren't your normal bubbly self. You lie and say that you haven't been feeling well, which he immediately clocks, urging you to not lie to him.

"Come on sweetheart. I haven't seen the two of you walk in together in weeks, almost a month. And if I'm noticing it, it's only a matter of time before everyone else in the office notices it too."

You say nothing and just look at him with pleading eyes, trying to communicate that you don't really feel like talking about this. But of course he doesn't see it or he adamantly ignores it because he presses you even further. Arguing that he definitely knows something is wrong because he hasn't heard a complaint from Dr. Jeon about the out of line comments that are always coming from the two of you.

"Seriously seeing his face scrunch up at the two of you is the only real bit of entertainment I get around here. So spill it sweetheart, what the heck happened at Rummo's?"

You don't know if it's his persistence, the threat that your multi-doctorate coworker would eventually put the pieces together, or the idea that you were tired of holding everything in, but you give in and run down the details of that heartbreaking Friday night. You don't even notice that you're speaking in hushed tones until Chan leans in closer and asks you to repeat certain parts of the story. As you move along the details, you notice his shoulders visibly lower, like he's physically taking the weight of your pain. When you finish, you're full on silently crying and the first thing he does is fish a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket. The whimsical dinosaur print makes you giggle and he tells you that it belongs to his kid. You look at him incredulously, you were not prepared for this lore drop about your favored security guard.

"You have a kid?!"

"You're not the only one with secrets around here," he says with a wink.

You hit him in the arm and beg him to show you pictures. Further prodding him about the fact that he has a kid, leading into the fact that he has a whole family that you didn't know about. He pulls out his wallet and shows you several polaroids of the sweetest little girl. She is the spitting image of him, even in her young age she smiles just as big as her dad. While you're leafing through the pictures, Chan starts to talk about your situation. He comforts you, assuring that your reaction to the whole confession was normal. That the ache you feel is what everyone would feel and comes with the territory. He starts the next sentence, but pauses, chewing on his bottom lip.

"I can tell you're trying to fit a sentence together, what is it Chan?"

"I'm just not 100% convinced…" Your brows knit together in confusion. You stay quiet to signal him to continue his thought. He then asks if you're sure of what he said to you the night at the bar.

"I mean I don't think I'll ever forget him breaking my heart like that," you say solemnly.

"Look sweetheart, I'm not saying I know anything about how he really feels…"

"But?"

"But I've seen the way you two look at each other. More importantly I've seen the way he looks at you. The way he looks at you isn't the way you look at someone who's just a friend."

"How does he look at me then? If you don't think he looks at me like a friend, then how?" You arms are crossed as you scrutinize him with your eyes.

Chan sighs and takes the pile of polaroids from your hands. You whine in protest. He goes through them one by one, seemingly looking for something specific. He finally lands on the polaroid he's looking for and takes a big pause. You feel him take your hand and he places it face down on your palm. Flipping it over, your heart aches. It's a candid family picture; Chan's wife is cooing at their daughter, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and Chan is off to the side smiling wide. At first glance you'd think he's smiling at his daughter, but at a closer look you can see that the smile isn't for his kid, it's for his wife. He is looking at her with so much love, if he was a cartoon there would pink and red hearts in his eyes.

"That's how he looks at you. The way I look at my wife. You told me what he said that night, I don't know. I just don't believe it."

You let out a huff of disapproval and he throws his hands up in defense, offering that these were only his thoughts. Your shoulders slump back down and you squeeze the bridge of your nose. Chan offers a comforting rub of your shoulder and suggests that maybe it would be good for you to get out of the office for a bit, or at the very least finding a quiet place to let your thoughts run wild so you can come back and focus on your work.

Deciding that the thing you needed to help you clear your head was a warm cup of coffee, you brave the flurry of snow and take a quick walk to your usual cafe, a ten minute walk from the office. As you're wrapping a scarf around yourself, a gust of wind knocks the fabric out of your hand and straight into the face of a person who was heading into same cafe.

"I am so sorry!" You call out, rushing over to the being whose face was currently trapped in your bright yellow scarf.

A muffled laugh comes from behind your scarf, a leather gloved hand bunches it up to pull it away, and what's revealed is the face of an absolutely breathtaking man. His skin glowing like he'd been kissed by the sun, even in this dreary winter. You notice the moles that decorate his golden skin, like stars had placed themselves there. Eyes the color of coal but the coal that still feels warm even after the fire stopped burning. He flashes a smile at you, the kind that that radiates heat in your stomach, one that you're sure could melt all the snow fluttering around you.

"It's alright, honestly it's my fault I walked into your scarf," he chuckles, folding up your scarf, handing it back to you.

He then opens the door to the cafe, gesturing inside. You basically float inside, the flutters in your tummy carrying you in. You walk up to the counter and order your usual — honey vanilla latte. There's something about this drink that just feels like the warmest and most comforting hug. As you pull out your card to pay, you hear someone behind you request a red eye added to that order. The speed at which you whip your head is probably faster than lightning. Ready to lay into the person who thought they could sneak in on your coffee order, you take a breath, but nothing comes out when you realize it's the guy who got a face full of your scarf earlier.

"Oh, it's just you," you say meekly.

"Just me? Ouch, I haven't even given you my name yet," he teases. You feel warmth grace the tips of your ears and cheeks. Chuckling at you, he reaches into his pocket and hands the barista behind you a ten dollar bill. Your eyes go wide, indicating a protest at his action. He shrugs and walks to an empty table, he looks up at you then shifts his gaze to the seat in front of him. After an internal conflict, you figure that a conversation with the cute stranger who just paid for your coffee wouldn't hurt. Thanking him for the coffee, he shrugs and leans back in his seat. He replies that its not a big deal and the two of you begin to talk as you wait for your coffee to be ready.

You learn his name is Donghyuck but most of his friends call him Hyuck. He moved to Virginia from California a couple months ago after picking a random spot on the map. He's a piano teacher to the children in his neighborhood. You jokingly ask if he would extend lessons to adults and he jokes back that you would be the only person he'd consider doing it for. Before you can reply, the barista calls out that your drinks are ready. Beating him to the punch, you pick up both of your drinks and take it back to the table.

Sliding his drink toward him, you circle back to him teaching piano lessons. Your hands touch when he wraps his hand around the cup and it lingers for just a moment. At a simple glance, no one would have noticed it. You do and you fight the smile that begs to come out. Luckily for you, the warm cup of coffee in your hands was a great way to cover it up. You take a small sip and feel yourself melt into the drink.

"Is your drink as sweet as you are?" He says as you put the cup down. It takes everything in you to not choke on the hot liquid. Cheesy lines like this don't typically work on you, but there's something about Donghyuck that just feels true and intentional. After years of pining over someone else, why not allow yourself to be chosen first? Chosen boldly?

As you're about to return the flirty comment, your phone pings. Shooting him an apologetic look, you flip your phone open to see that you've gotten a text from an analyst on your team asking where you were. You looked at the time and realized that you'd been gone for three quarters of an hour.

"Shoot, I'm sorry I have to go back to work," you say, shoving your arms through your coat. Scooting out of your chair you stand up and hurriedly rush towards the door.

"Hold on," he calls out after you. Turning around you notice that he has your scarf in his hand. You reach out your hand to accept it, but instead of handing it to you, he unravels the golden fabric. He wraps the scarf around you and once it's fixed to his liking, he steps back with a smile.

"Perfect."

Your eyes fall to the floor and you feel the prick of heat warming the tips of your ears. He slips something into your hand and you barely catch what he says, too distracted by the gesture. You know it was a question so you nod your head and promptly head out the door. It's not until you're halfway back to the building that you realize he gave you a coffee sleeve with his number written on it. Shaking your head, you laugh to yourself and slide the sleeve into your purse.

You return to the office in an absolute daze. Your steps feel lighter and so does your chest. The ache of Minghao's wreckage still sings, but the volume is currently softened. There's a smile hiding in your cheeks, you zip past security so you can calm yourself down in your office.

"Good morning!" The profiler chirps, coffee in hand.

"Morning." You push past, head down trying to avoid eye contact.

"Hold it," he stops you before you can get too far, "Ease off the gas there Zug."

You freeze.

You hadn't heard that name in years. Five to be exact. And he was the last one to call you that.

The nickname was a reference to your alias when you worked with the Caissa network. The network itself was named after the Greek dryad of chess and every network player had some kind of chess term as an alias. Yours was "Zugzwang" — a term to describe when a player is put at a disadvantage by having to make a move. Appropriate because when you trapped someone into your game any move they made was a losing one. When you were at odds with the government, they fell for the trap every time. But now, because of Minghao, you'd been using your evil genius for good.

"Every day."

"Every day what?"

"Every day I say good morning . Every day you say, 'it is now that I've seen you' or another quirky comment that would make Dr. Jeon turn the color of your sparkle pen. Where have you been?"

Your eyes form into lines as you scrutinize him. Pretending to straightening the ID badge affixed to his shirt pocket, you kiss your teeth with a click. He continues on talking about how he's noticed that you've been passing off delivering case reports and sitting out of team meetings.

"You profilers and your behavioral analysis. You ever take a break?" Inside you're screaming. Now he has the sense to finally notice the difference?!

"If I took a break, who'd catch all the bad guys? 'Fess up pretty."

You roll your eyes and land a soft smack on his shoulder.

"Fine. I met a guy," you admit, a dreamy smile breaking out of the corners of your lips.

For a second there is a look of shock displayed on Minghao's face. He quickly fixes his face, but you definitely notice. You always noticed the small changes, even when you tried not to. You try not to think too much of it as he digs you for more details. You recap the interaction from this morning. Spilling small details about Donghyuck in a dreamy daze. Not forgetting to comment on how handsome and hot you think he is. Twice. There's a beat of silence, a look of pondering etched across his face, before he nods to himself.

"Alright, yeah that happens." He gives you a pat on the shoulder and starts to walk to his office, but you don't miss the purse of his lips.

"Not to me it doesn't." He stops and turns around.

"Come again?"

"Look Hao, let's not kid ourselves. I'm not the kind of girl who turns heads when she walks into a room—"

"Babygirl—"

"No. It's okay. I do well enough on my own. I'm a big girl, literally. I can pull, it just isn't always instantly, y'know? I gotta get them to look past the space I take up first." He hesitates to nod. Another small moment of quiet, the effort of piecing together his next sentence apparent in the crease of his brows. Before he can say anything you beat him to breaking the silence.

"I mean, what do you think Hao?"

"I'd say trust your gut princess. If the guy feels too good to be true, he probably is. Best to move on yeah?"

"Well—

Before you can answer, Hyeri the case liaison walks in, arms chock full of files.

"Team brief now. It's bad."

"Clearly."

The two of you follow her into the conference room, something indescribable weighs heavy on your shoulders.

The team debrief makes you feel nauseous. And it's not because of the bloody gruesome details of the latest unsub that Hyeri had briefed the team on. Minghao's words keep ringing in your ear. The rest of the team made their way out to the Florida site and here you were in your office replaying the peculiar conversation the two of you had. You're trying to make sense of his reactions but you're unable to get very far. To ease your mind, you turn to work and get to compiling and cross-referencing the victim list that the team had drawn up with the information the local police department had just sent over.

Knee deep in a list of mugshots, your office phone trills to break your concentration.

"You know who you've reached. Speak," your tone monotonous as you try to continue your focus on your job. Minghao is on the other end asking for an update. You frown at his voice, something that in the past rarely happened. But his comment, along with everything else that transpired between the two of you, were creeping under your skin. The reaction he had to Donghyuck was off and it was beginning to irritate you. Why did he care so much about you meeting a guy, much less a dreamy one like Hyuck? Shouldn't he be whisking away the girl he's supposedly in love with? As he continues to feed you more information, you cut him off telling him you've identified the victims and a locale parameter that the unsub is using as their hunting ground.

"Damn woman, you blow my mind." He whistles, the tone of his voice reading impressed at how fast you were able to narrow things down.

"Yeah, I'm efficient. Gotta go" You quip, not wanting to keep this conversation any longer than it needs to be.

"Whoa, whoa, that's the second time today. No fiery comment? No 'I'll show you what else I can blow'.

"Not today, Minghao." You sigh, rolling your eyes.

"Full government? What's going on?" He never called you by your full name either.

"I'm gonna tell the hot coffee shop guy no. I'm taking your advice, you were right he's probably too good to be true."

"Oh.. Um.. Well that was definitely a smart move." Adds insult to injury by saying there was probably, definitely something wrong with him. Fire starts to run through your veins.

"Huh. Guess that's why they pay you the big bucks." You snort under you breath.

"Come again?" The defensiveness in his voice ignites the fire inside you to roar.

"What was it Minghao? What tipped you off about him? I gave you an ounce of info about him and suddenly you can tell everything about him?!" You're sure that at the decibel you were screamng at, those standing out in the bullpen could hear you.

"Babygirl I-"

"No, humor me for a sec Mr. Profiler, was it how dashingly handsome he was or how interested he was in me that screamed wrong to you?"

"Wait—"

"Just because YOU wouldn't cross a crowded room to hit on me, doesn't mean that someone else— someone less frivolous and not so damn full of themselves wouldn't. You want fiery Xu? How's this: You're a fucking coward."

You slam the receiver down and the dam bursts. You call for one of the other analysts to take over your casework for the day and rush home. As you're heading out, your boss catches you and you quickly tell him to expect a call once you get home explaining why you're leaving midday in the middle of the week. The elevator ride feels like agonizing hours, your anxiety spreading itself like wildfire across your body. You thank every star above that Chan was on his break because you didn't want to face him, mostly because you didn't want to break down at the entrance of your building where you could be perceived. It's only while you're driving home, in the quiet of midday traffic, do you let yourself actually cry. The tears making stoplights and street signs blurs of reds and greens. The rest of the afternoon is spent rotting on your couch, sniffling over the man who caused your heart to splinter.

When you're sure you've cried all the water out of you, you get up to get some water. A chill has landed in your apartment and you resort to wrapping your softest blanket around you. Grabbing your blanket ends up knocking over your purse and its contents spill out onto your carpet. The whine that comes out of you mirrors a petulant child and you kneel down to gather the mess up. When you think that you've returned everything into your purse, you notice a crumpled cupsleeve from the cafe you frequent. You pick it up and head to the kitchen to throw it in the trash, but before you drop into the plastic, you notice the handwriting on the back of it. You get a closer look and see that the mess of scribble is actually Donghyuck's number.

You don't know if it's rage, revenge, or purely just needing a distraction but suddenly you're grabbing your phone and dialing the number. After three rings, the call connects and you hear his smile before his voice.

"Hello?"

"Hi Donghyuck?"

"Ah the girl whose drink matches her voice!" You smile at his words and even giggle a little. You share that work had you pre-occupied (not a lie, but not the truth). The laughter on the other end of the line gives you butterflies.

"Are you free this weekend?" you blurt out. Immediately realizing how sudden it might seem you stutter out, "To pay you b-back for coffee, of course!" Your voice squeaks at the end and you roll your eyes at how pathetic you probably look right now.

"Saturday for dinner work for you gorgeous?"

You bite your lip at the nickname, feeling like you were back in elementary school waiting for your crush to read your note. Telling him that Saturday was perfect, he affirms by telling you he'll pick you up around eight o'clock.

Saturday rolls around and you're getting ready for your date with Donghyuck, but there's a twinge of something wrong in the air. Something in your gut isn't settling well.

Everything reminded you of him.

The outfit you were wearing? The first time you'd worn the ensemble, Minghao had said that the color made your eyes shine like galaxies.

The bangle hanging off your right hand? A present from him after your first year at the BAU. "A celebration — to turning a new leaf", he said as he closed the clasp around your wrist. You unconsciously rub your fingers around the metal band surrounding your forearm. The indentation of your favorite flowers etched in intricate detail, providing a sense of familiarity and emptiness.

The color on your lips, painted the same color the night you two almost kissed. The color he said was downright sinful but made you look like you had been plucked straight from heaven.

The moisture in your eyes isn't apparent until you're staring back at your blurry reflection. The soft ambient lighting in your apartment becomes unclear in the mirror. A groan erupts from the back of your throat as you blink the tears back, not wanting to ruin the makeup you'd spent way too much time on.

You felt him everywhere and it was suffocating. It became loud and clear that your heart still beats for one person and one person only. Your heart takes over your body and you reach for your phone to cancel your plans with Donghyuck. Before you can even press the call icon, a knock on your door startles you.

He's here? Already? You could've sworn that you had agreed on 8 pm and your clock only read quarter past 7. A quick swipe of your phone confirms that there were no new messages from Hyuck. You shrug, assuming that maybe he had just decided to come early. You let out a huff, realizing that the hot guy from the cafe is probably standing outside of your apartment, minutes after you'd come to the earth shattering realization that you were still hung up on the profiler you'd been avoiding for weeks. This was going to be really awkward.

Men and their awful fucking timing.

You grab a sweater to shield yourself from the inevitable chill that opening your front door would allow in. But what awaits you on the other side of your cherry red door isn't something that your sweater could've prepared you for.

"Minghao?"

The tips of his ears and his entire nose as bright as your door. Puffs of his breath coming out in short bursts. His chest was heaving. Did he run over here?

"What are you doing here?" You're staring at him in bewilderment.

It had been a while since you had last been face to face. The last time you'd seen him was the day you told him about Donghyuck. The last time you'd actually spoken to him was during the Florida case. Where he'd unknowingly planted a hurtful comment inside of you. You'd ignored his invite to the bar the day that he returned. The tradition of movie night on Saturdays had been skipped the last couple of weekends, with whatever excuse you could come up with. It took a lot of convincing on your end, but your boss allowed you to sit out on team briefs just so you didn't have to be in the same room as Minghao. One of the things that stayed with you from your past life was the ability to determine who was walking by based only on their tread. This came in especially handy on the days that you couldn't work from home. That skill escaped you in this very moment.

Because here he is. Right outside your apartment.

You say nothing and cross your arms with an air of ignorance.

"You said I wouldn't cross a crowded room to hit on you and you're right." You roll your eyes and start to close the door but he stops it. He pushes the door back open and lets himself into your apartment. Your eyes are wide, staring at his audacity.

"I'd do more." Kicking off his boots, he stalks further into your apartment. The nerve he has to make himself familiar in your sanctuary. What infuriates you further is how devastatingly handsome he looks. Hair the color of onyx, perfectly windswept, the tips of them covered in half melted snowflakes. You can see under his black trench coat, a black ribbed tank, showing off his stupidly perfect collarbones and the small layer of sheen from what you assume is the result of him running to your place.

"What?" The look on your face is a combination of bewilderment and annoyance. Minghao across your living room, huffs out and crosses to you.

He cradles your face then presses his forehead against yours.

"I'm sorry I was a coward."

Seconds that feel like hours pass and he finally kisses you. And of course it's perfect, the kind of kiss that you dream of when kissing the person that holds your entire heart. The perfect clash of passion. The kind of kiss that leaves you wanting more. The kind that leaves the both of you panting as you pull away for air.

"God for a profiler, you were really unable to read me for the longest time."

"I don't use my skills for personal gain, babygirl."

"Maybe you should…" The lilt in your voice is teasing.

"You think so?" You flash him a grin, one that's inviting in nature.

"So… When you said you'd do more, what did that exactly entail?" You tease, fisting your hands in his tank as you pull him in for another kiss. His hands hadn't left your face, thumbs caressing your cheeks as he returns your advance.

There is fire behind both of your lips, you can feel the rawness as the two of you clumsily fight for dominance. Minghao fists a hand in your hair and gently tugs, exposing your neck to him. He trails kisses down to your collarbone, each touch igniting the flame inside your stomach. He's got you pushed up against the wall, placing marks across your chest. Desire is pooling at the apex of your thighs and like moth to a flame, Minghao senses it. His free hands makes its way down your body, down to where you wanted to feel him the most. Pushing up your dress, he dreamily sighs at the sight that beholds him: red mesh underwear that leaves little to the imagination. The minx that he is skirts around your pulsing clit, the tips of his fingers flirting around your bundle of nerves through the thin layer of fabric. You whine against his lips, hips involuntarily pushing into his hand. The sound of his smile against your lips is intoxicating and the smokiness of his rasp is sinful.

"C'mon babygirl, use your words and tell me what you want."

Your eyes roll back in pleasure as he weaponizes his nickname for you. You can't help but whimper when he slides your underwear to the side and makes brief contact with your clit, an unrecognizable pitch coming from you. His lips have returned to your neck and your hands find purchase in his locks.

"Fuck Minghao. Please" You beg. The lack of touch driving you to the brink of insanity. He moves his hands, but in the opposite direction of what you want. A pout forms on your lips and another whine spills past. He pulls you away from the wall and kisses you again, hands roaming, like he was mapping every part of you he wanted to devour. They stop at your ass where he grabs a handful, the groan that follows sending heat straight to your belly. In between lip locks, he lightly taps the backs of your thighs and in a low register laced with sin, commanded

"Jump."

Your body moved faster than your mind, wrapping your legs around his waist. The simple ask sent a jolt of electricity straight to your core. He carries you with ease to your bedroom, whose door he kicks open. You tell him this later but this very simple act of carrying you like you were weightless made you want to praise him like a god. Laying you at the edge of your bed, he stands back to drink the sight of you in. What he sees is feminine divine: your hair flowing like you were Aphrodite herself, remnants of your lipstick looking decadent on your lips, the way you're chewing on your bottom lip the very definition of sin. You prop yourself up on your elbows, completely in your head. You, the girl who was often passed over, almost always the second choice, felt the voices of doubt nipping at your skin. Even now as he towers over you, in your bedroom, you're avoiding his gaze and you can feel yourself shrinking.

"Hey, no. None of that pretty," he takes your chin in your hand and focuses your gaze on him. He kisses you, softly, waxing poetic of your beauty in between breaths. You mentally thank your past self for choosing a dress with buttons in the front as he begins to fumble with them. He doesn't get very far and out of frustration rips the front of your dress open, buttons flying in every direction. A sound of protest comes from you, but Minghao is immediately shutting you up by telling you he'll buy you another one. The other thing that shuts you up is his arms as he removes his trench coat. You'd always known his arms were thick, the lines of them defined in the button ups he'd wear to work, but seeing them bare confirmed your beliefs. The stretch of his biceps as he took his tank off making you dizzy.

There was no doubt about the hunger in his eyes as they raked down your body, the smirk forming when he realized that your bra matched your underwear. For a swift second, there's a tinge of darkness in them that chills your spine. The sound that comes from him can be described as nothing but feral when he leans over you and pushes your bra down. A mix of cold air and his warm wet mouth around your nipple makes you hiss. Your hands lock him to your chest and your hips are bucking up into him. His free hand reaches up and two fingers graze your lips and push into your open mouth. You feel Minghao smile against your chest when you swirl your tongue against his fingers. Pulling his fingers out of your mouth, he dances a line down to your core, sliding them through your wet folds. The sensation elicits a sound that vibrates through your chest and you buck your hips against his palm, signaling your desire. He picks up on your cue and slides two fingers into you, the sensation stinging in the best way possible.Bucking your hips up into the air with wanton need, you lay a message for him to find in your moans — keep going.

The telepathic connection you two have proves to still be fully functional as he continues his pace. Curling his long, slender fingers into a spot that makes you feel like he's bringing down the stars just for you. Warmth is spreading all over your body, the band in your core beginning to tighten up. Your breath is getting shallower, your moans are barely sounds.

"Let go for me babygirl."

"Let me feel it," He urges and you can't do anything but oblige.

The coil snaps and the pleasure is white-hot. You cry his name out as you squeeze around his fingers. The bliss you feel pushes you to drag his face up to you and capture his lips. You snake a free hand down to his pants and palm his length, a moan coming out when you feel how hard he is. Switching positions, you get yourself on top of him and grind on him to try and cure the ache in your core. He makes space between the two of you and undresses his lower half for you.

You're slightly ashamed for how you drool when his length flops up and smacks against his toned stomach, but that feeling quickly disappears. There's a split second where you pout when you take in how well endowed Minghao is. Mentally whining that he was blessed in every department, you wrap your hand around his length and you hear him grit his teeth. There's a glint in your eye as you shimmy down and take his leaking head in your mouth. It's almost automatic how his hand flies and threads into your scalp. A groan escapes him and that encourages you to take his length even deeper. This action gets him to throw his head back and in turn pulling your hair. The sting from that sends waves of heat to your core.

"Fuck pretty girl, I knew your mouth was filthy but holy fu-" He doesn't finish his sentence because you take him in fully and he hits the back of your throat. You look up at him and the way his face twists in pleasure has you sucking harder. This proves to be enjoyable for him because you feel him trying not to buck his hips up into your mouth.

"Fuck. Fuck baby, hold on. I don't-" You pull off him, a look of worry in your eyes, eyelashes wet from your actions. He instantly assures you that nothing is wrong, he just embarrassingly doesn't want to cum too early. His ears twinge pink and you giggle at him, coming back up and placing a kiss on his nose.

"You have no idea, how long…" he stops himself, but you give his hand a squeeze, telling him you understand. He kisses you lightly and before you two get lost in the heat, he pulls away then pats on your bed. Getting the hint, you climb onto your bed and wait for him. Turning over sits in front of you, drinking in the sight of you once again. There's lust in his eyes, yours too, but there's warmth behind the gaze.

Taking your left leg in his hand, he places a kiss on your ankle. The fire inside you burns brighter. Switching to your right leg, he does the same. There's hunger that radiates off him as he gets to your thigh and lands a big bite. He sucks at a spot close to where you ache for him the most. Pulling his hair in response, but he toys with you further and continues to bite and leave marks all over your thighs. He continues peppering kisses up along your body, maneuvering himself left and right, until he gets to your face where he places a soft kiss on your lips.

He reaches down to palm himself and the very real fact that the two of you are about to have sex, hits you.

"Wait, Hao," you say softly. He hums in response and you're trying to figure out how to ask for what you want without ruining the mood. In true fashion, Minghao senses your brain running wild and tilts your chin to look up at him.

"Where's your head at pretty?" He brushes your cheek with this thumb. Blushing is the name of the game and you have Olympic gold without even trying. Shyly you express that you haven't been with anyone in a while, which meant that you hadn't been on birth control. Your face is beet red as you're about to ask him for a condom, but he stops you in your tracks.

"Baby, you never have to feel weird about asking me to put on a condom," he murmurs as he presses a kiss to your forehead. He pulls back and looks straight into your eyes,

"Your comfort isn't optional. Ever."

He leans over to where he dropped his pants and fishes out a condom. He slips it on and returns to hover over you. Spreading your legs open with his knee, a sharp inhale comes from him when his eyes drop to your pussy, still glistening and pulsing from earlier. Reaching his hand down, he wraps his hand around himself and plays with your folds. Still sensitive from his fingers, you jump a bit at the contact. After a beat, he slides himself in with ease. Once he's bottomed out, you pull his face to yours to kiss him.

The two of you are a mix of groans as Minghao picks up the pace. One of his hands rolls a nipple in between his finger and thumb. The room feels hot, you feel sweat prickle at the base of your neck and the backs of your knees. Both of your hands are fisted into the sheets, toes curling at the height of pleasure he's bringing you to. You're begging him for more with your moans, you can feel your throat beginning to get sore.

When he suddenly slides out of you, you whimper at how empty you feel. The feeling only lasts for a second as he takes your left leg and throws it over his shoulder and sliding right back in. The new angle that he's fucking you with makes you dizzy with pleasure. Broken cries come out of your throat. His right hand grips your hip harshly as he pummels into you. Taking your left leg, he pulls it straight up by the calf and starts kissing your ankle again. The sensation sending fire straight to your core, prompting you to squeeze tightly around him. In reaction he lets out a low growl and nips at your ankle.

"Fuck Mingh-hao. Feels so good!" The room is filled with the noises of him slamming against your pussy and the chorus of your voices ringing out in pleasure. You know your neighbors are gonna hate you, but you quickly stop caring as Minghao continues rutting into you.

He moans against your calf in response, you feel the vibrations in your belly. The pace of his thrusts are starting to slow and you can feel that he's close. Arching your back off the bed, the angle is deeper and kisses the tip of your cervix. You know that you're gonna feel it tomorrow, but this was another thing that future you could worry about. This is Minghao's downfall as the new angle has you squeezing him tighter. Your second orgasm crashes over you and he catches the swell with the ease of a veteran surfer.

"Fu-fu-fuck, baby I'm cumming," he groans as he lets your leg go. You wrap both of your legs around his waist and cradle him as he collapses on top of you and spills into the condom. The two of you stay like this for a few moments, until Minghao slowly pulls out of you. Immediately feeling the sensitivity, you let out a small hiss as he slides out. He peppers your face with kisses to help as he slips the condom off.

After the two of you get cleaned up, you both lay under your sheets — legs tangled, your breaths matching each others, his hand drawing random shapes on your upper arm. The silence that falls over you two is comfortable, but there's something waiting to break the quiet.

"We did this totally backwards," Minghao giggles. You look up at him with wide eyes, a bit in shock with his choice of his words. Realizing that, he immediately presses a kiss to your nose to calm you.

"What I meant was that I would've at least liked to take you on a date first." It was Minghao's turn to blush. You giggle and place a soft kiss on his lips.

"We've never been the kind to go about things the typical way Hao," you quip. The smile he gives you makes your heart sing and swell. It's the type of smile that you'd spend the rest of your life preserving. The kind people fought wars for.

"That's true… In that case, wanna be my girlfriend?"

You hit his chest softly and he places his hand over yours. You kiss his hand and you know that he knows the answer to his question.

Yes.

It's a new week of work and you and Minghao walk into the building, hand in hand. Your favorite security guard makes no verbal mention of it when you walk past him, but you do not miss the giant grin plastered on his face as he hands the two of you your badges.

"You get up to anything fun this weekend?" The smugness incredibly evident on his face. You shrug, pretending to be absolutely aloof. In your periphery, you see the tips of Minghao's ears turn pink. Collecting your badges from Chan's hands, you nudge Minghao in the direction of the elevator. Once inside, you let out the laugh you'd been holding in, clutching your your sides. He looks at you like you've grown two heads. You wipe your tears and explain to him that Chan knew about the feelings you'd been harboring for the last five years.

"Chan was probably thinking 'Finally'." You shake your head, chuckling. As soon the two of you step off the elevator, you hear a shriek and suddenly you're pulled away from Minghao. You get wrapped into a tight hug by Hyeri, who sounds absolutely hysterical.

"Hi! What's this for? Don't get me wrong I quite love everything that is happening, but Ri you never hug me." She hits your arm, sniffling, warning you to not joke around.

The rest of the team surrounds you, thanking the heavens that you were alright. You and Minghao share the same questioning look. Your resident boy-genius fills you in by directing your eyes to the TV behind him. Your boss, Agent Choi Seungcheol is leading a press conference. Your eyebrows scrunch in even more confusion and then you read the byline at the bottom of the screen: "Caissa Networks sends clear message to the FBI". Hyeri finally lets you go, her eyes rimmed with red and damp. She continues scolding you for not answering any of her calls over the weekend. She rambles on about the fact that there was a threatening letter left on the doorstep of your boss' door with your name on it.

The bullpen is quiet until Dr. Jeon breaks the silence.

"What did happen to you this weekend?" You shake your head, shifting your eyes to Minghao. Neither of you talked about whether or not you were gonna tell everyone the second you came back to the office. You were both otherwise preoccupied. Before either of you can fumble through some awkward explanation, Seungcheol walks in, the poster boy for stoicism.

"Team meeting. 10 minutes," is all he says as he walks by. Like ducklings following their mother, the rest of the team tails behind him. Wonwoo narrows his eyes at the two of you before following suit. Silence falls between you and Minghao. You can hear the corners of his mouth turning up, ready to interrupt the quiet.

"So… You gonna tell the truth and say it was love at first sight?" The smugness is radiating off of him. You roll your eyes and mockingly tell him that he's not funny.

The smile on his face is annoyingly wide, but also dazzling. Not wanting to dignify him with a response, you turn on your heel and walk towards the conference room.

"C'moooon. It's a little bit funny!" He whispers into your ear.

"Pissing me off this early in the morning and in our relationship is not a smart move, Xu." You grumble quietly as you enter the conference room. Minghao's right behind you, sheepish grin as Seungcheol raises his brow at the two of you.

The rest of the meeting is spent trying to keep your focus as Minghao draws circles on your thigh underneath the table. You know it's his special way of apologizing and buttering you up. You make eye contact with Hyeri at some point and from across the table she mouths, "Girlfriend?!" referring to your comment from earlier. A look that says "I'll explain everything later" dances in your eyes and she returns a quick nod. There's a smile hidden behind your eyes, giddy at the memory of Minghao asking you to be his girlfriend.

taglist: @chogiwaw @cherrymayz @lunaxgyu @choco-scoups

A brief glance towards your sister eased the agony raging inside you. Her face was calm, chest rising slowly as her head rested on the shoulder of your cousin. You shared a look with her, a small smile on both your faces.

"She's ready you know. You don't have to stress so much." Your cousin says your name softly, a sigh leaving your lips.

"I understand that. It's my duty to be protective of her though. In my eyes I still see that 12 year old girl." Your sister was 19 now, a full adult and finally making her debut. She whined for two years that she was ready, but your family knew she needed to grow into herself more before searching for a suitor.

You were the eldest child, your brother Michael, was three years younger than you, and the youngest— Ana was eight years apart from you. Your mother passed when Ana was still young, instantly throwing you into a maternal role for your younger siblings.

When you were 18, you traveled from your kingdom of Ellerium with your father to England to make an official debut. You had no luck that season, and tried again the following year. You had managed to snag an engagement from a handsome and highly coveted Lord, excited to fulfill your dreams before he had called off the engagement abruptly. A princess was in town who had expressed her desire for your fiancée, leaving you in the dust.

You were crushed; you wore your heart on your sleeve but the experience of that season made you draw back. Your father and cousin did their best to comfort you, but the damage was done. You attempted one more time the following season when you were twenty, just to have foul luck once again. You returned to Ellerium that winter with a dull ache, and a shadow of the woman you were before.

The glitz and glam of the past three seasons had begun to add up and get pricey, your father having to travel more to pay off the debuts of your designer dresses. After three failures, you decided you struck out. You wouldn't cause your family any more trouble financially or physically. The journey from Ellerium to England was a three day trek one way. You swore you wouldn't go back until your sister was ready to make her debut.

Your father and cousin pushed you to try once more, but you already sealed your fate. Once you turned 23 your family stopped pushing. Most women in high society were married off by 21 or 22. If you were unwed by 25, you were deemed a certified spinster, which you had become for your family. You were 27 and content with your cat and helping your family. The yearn for something more always prodded at the back of your mind when you laid in bed at night, but for the sake of your sister you pushed the thoughts away. As long as she was happy, you were happy. At least that was what you told yourself.

The rolling hills began to turn into a familiar scene of villages, and the cottages owned by commoners who worked in the fields. The carriage veered off to the right, headed towards the city where all the members of The Ton resided. You leaned over and lightly shook your sister, knowing she would be fuming if she didn't catch a glimpse of the city coming in.

"Ana darling, time to get up. We're almost there." Her eyes slowly opened, a yawn and big stretch escaping as she turned towards the window. Her face shifted to one of awe, as it was her first time leaving the resides of Ellerium.

"Are you seeing this?" She turned back towards you smiling, drawing a soft grin from you. You were reminded of your first time in London and the excitement you felt upon first sight of the city.

"Take it all in my love." You felt all of her joy as she turns back out in disbelief, watching the markets and people stroll by.

The carriage made its way towards long rows of townhomes with intricate architectural designs and lined with grandiose gardens. It stops right in front of a beautiful red brick home with a white door and rows of hydrangeas along the walkway.

"I believe we are here! The Hong's have been expecting us!" Your cousin clasps her hands together loudly as the three of you file out of the carriage.

The front door swung open as a woman with a perfectly slicked bun and a kind smile came descending down the steps, a maid close behind her.

"Hello beautiful ladies! I am so ecstatic to have you here!" She exclaimed as you all gave a small curtsy, formally greeting your host for the season. "I am Lady Hong, You must be Ladies Ana and Y/N of Ellerium?" You extended a hand to her to which she held gently.

"That would be correct, Lady Hong. We cannot express our gratitude enough for letting us stay in your marvelous home for the season." You smiled brightly at her, your sister a ball of energy next to you as she could barely contain herself. You placed a hand at the small of her back to ground her, a reminder to control her emotions a bit. Your cousin exchanged a brief word with Lady Hong before giving her goodbyes to you and Ana.

"See you soon, cousin." She pulled back, a glint in her eyes as she looked at you. You knew she was thinking of how you might feel being back and unwed, but you give her a reassuring squeeze.

"Take care. I'll be back home before you know it and our baby girl will be betrothed, mark my words." She laughed, giving one final hug to your sister before returning into the carriage to make her journey back.

"Right this way ladies, let's take a tour shall we?" Mrs. Hong gestured for you to follow, her footman right behind carrying both of your bags.

The main foyer was stunning, larger than you expected from the outside as you and Ana toured the first floor, waving at the maids in the kitchen as you walk through. Upon entering the drawing room, you're taken back by the presence of two men. One— an older gentleman at the piano looking up from his note sheet; the other lifting his gaze from his book on the embroidered couch.

"Ana, Y/N, may I introduce you to my husband Lord Hong," the one at the piano gave a deep nod. "And my son, Joshua." The one at the couch closed his book, rising to give a bow to you and your sister. The two of you mimicked his actions, greeting one another formally.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ladies. We are looking forward to being your generous hosts this season."

He smiled softly as you took a second to admire his features. Joshua was stunning, his hair swept back off his forehead, pretty eyes and a strong jawline. Pushing your selfish thoughts back, you wonder if he was eligible for your sister or not.

"We cannot express how grateful we are to be here Lord Joshua-"

"Please, just Joshua. I'm not big on titles." He shook his head, shocking you. Every man you've encountered in high society demanded their titles spoken every time they were addressed.

"Okay then, Joshua— I expect you to give me the best scoop on the suitors this season. I want only the best for my sister." Were you starting off strong? Possibly, but a man of his status— and looks, had to know what lords to stay far away from.

He gave a full belly laugh, not expecting your brazenness so soon.

"Alright, I'll be your guide to all things during this social season— and The Ton." He gleamed at the two of you, a hint of mischief in his eyes. He reminded you of your brother and you felt a sense of familiarity within the Hong household already.

"I'll let you two get settled into the home. Mother, I'm going to the lake with Hansol for a while, I'll be back before supper."

He rested a hand on his father's shoulder, giving his mom a kiss on the cheek and with a final bow towards you two, he headed out.

"Alright now, let's continue the tour. I'll show you your sleeping quarters."

After the tour of the estate, you and Ana got settled in the drawing room, chatting with Lord and Lady Hong while sipping tea. You were buzzing with excitement for Ana, ready for her to step out into The Ton and make her mark.

The day slips by with dinner approaching before you know it. The spread was divine, the maids working hard to prepare a special meal for the new guests.

"Oh heavens, now where is Joshua?" Mrs. Hong sighed, exasperated as Mr. Hong chuckled, pulling her seat out for her.

"You know that boy likes to come in right as we sit down. Give it another minute."

As if on cue, the sound of the front door opening and voices traveling in was a sure sign Joshua made it back just in time to eat.

"I'm home! I brought Hansol with me if that's okay?" He called from the foyer loudly.

"Always my dear, Hansol is always welcome in our home!"

You fought to keep your jaw off the floor as the two men stepped into the dining room, your sister going rigid next to you. You swore you've never seen a finer man walk in, his chocolate brown hair parted in the middle, light brown eyes scanning the room with a soft smile on his face.

"Who might we have here?" The man— Hansol, asked with a tilt of his head. You shoved an elbow into your sisters side as she made no effort to control her facial expressions. She blinked out of her haze and the two of you stood to give a curt bow.

"Lady Ana and Y/N of Ellerium, Sir." Your voice came out a pitch higher than you wished, your ears growing hot. Hansol gave a dip of his head in return.

"Lord Choi Hansol. Pleasure to meet you." His voice was deeper than you were expecting, yet his tone soft.

"Glad to have you join us for dinner, Hansol, your company is always a pleasure."

Lord Hong gestures for another place to be set for Joshua's friend who settled directly across from you. Your stomach did a flip as you appeared unfazed, pinching your sisters thigh to keep her from gawking at the handsome man across from you.

Dinner went along smoothly, the Hong family asking many questions about Ana and yourself. You tried to keep the focus on Ana, buttering her up in front of the two males in case they were interested. Hansol watched carefully, only commenting when necessary or if you asked something about him. Ana was timid, though you knew everything you asked she already was questioning as well.

"So your brother is an Earl?" Ana grew the courage to ask herself, a hint of a smile tugging on your lips. Hansol nodded, dabbing his lips with a napkin.

"Yes, Seungcheol is the head of our house now. As the second oldest son the Viscount title was passed to me." A soft 'ah' leaves both your lips as you listened to his family lineage.

"And has he found his Countess?"

You raised an eyebrow, Hansol's expression quickly matching yours.

"Are you asking for yourself?"

You scoffed.

"Absolutely not, the only one looking for a suitor is my darling Ana here." He hummed an acknowledgment, slowly sipping his wine.

"Unfortunate news to bear, but my brother has found his Countess already."

"What of yourself, Viscount?" You tilted your head, Ana's eyes on you now. She hated when you were brazen, especially knowing she was more on the shyer side.

"Ah, I had a feeling this was coming." He chuckled, Joshua smirking and clearly amused next to him. "No, I have not wed yet. I just got back from my travels across Europe this March."

You were highly intrigued by him. His travels across the globe, his intellectual way of thinking and striking looks made him the total package. Plus him being a Viscount meant a higher title in society. As much as you felt your heart call out for him, you knew he would be a perfect match for Ana to betroth.

"Interesting.. Perhaps you and Ana should get to know each other sometime." You pushed, a smug smile on your face. Hansol stares blankly, slowly nodding with a brief glance towards Ana.

"Perhaps."

His tone was flat, like a punchline missed. Maybe he was a tough case to crack—you didn't mind a challenge.

Dinner concluded with Joshua and Hansol disappearing into the drawing room as you and Ana sat and talked with the Hong's for a while after the dishes had been cleared. They appeared shortly after, Hansol claiming he had to get back to his mother and giving his goodbyes.

"Nice meeting you Lady Y/N, Ana." He gave a soft smile, taking your hand and planting a kiss on the back of it. He repeated the action with Ana, her face going hot from the contact. "I'll be around. If Joshua isn't there to be a guide, I'll be glad to step in." He looked you up and down once more before slipping out the door.

The brief interaction had your stomach in knots, the feel of a man's lips even brushing your hand had your knees wobbling. You felt it was going to be a long season if Hansol kept slinking around.

As you winded down for the night, brushing Ana's hair and wrapping it up, she rambled on about the day's events.

"Oh god Lord— Viscount— Hansol was so handsome. Did you see the way he looked at me?!" She sighed dreamily, twirling on a loose strand you hadn't wrapped up yet.

"It's just Lord, Ana, and he surely is a nice sight on the eyes." You agreed, mind wandering back to his playful gaze and how warm you felt under it.

He seemed to linger on you which you despised. You wanted your sister to be the center of attention, not you. Even if a small voice at the back of your mind yearned to be desired still, the way it did when you were eighteen. Your mission was Ana, not yourself.

You went to bed with Ana rambling for twenty minutes after the light went out, over the first ball of the season in two days. She left your mind racing knowing tomorrow you would be going to get alterations on her gown in the morning. Mrs. Hong insisted you find something for yourself, promising you had to look as equally marvelous. You wondered if she pitied you, wanting you to at least go out and feel pretty despite the circumstances.

The next day was busy, with Lady Hong waking you and Ana up early.

"I apologize girls, however if we don't leave before 7am, the line will be wrapped around the corner! I swear Jihyo is the best seamstress in the city!" She bustled about the room, swinging the curtains open to allow the rising sunlight in.

The click of hooves on the pavement rung out as the three of you made your way further into the city. You stopped in front of a white building, mannequins lining the glass windows modeling the most spectacular gowns you've ever seen.

"Mademoiselle Park's boutique will stun you, come on girls we have a long day of fittings ahead!"

Lady Hong stepped out the carriage, offering a hand to Ana as you went out the other way. Opening the doors to the boutique, a bell chimed alerting the owner of new arrivals as a pretty woman with long black hair rounded the corner.

"Ah, Lady Hong it's always a pleasure to see you!" She smiled brightly. "Who might these two debutons be?"

Your time to be a debuton was long behind you, you quietly thought. You had hope for Ana, your sister was stunning and well mannered.

"These two gorgeous girls are the Ladies of Ellerium!" She introduced you by first and last name, the owner Jihyo giving a low bow in greeting.

"Welcome, Ladies of Ellerium. Please take your time. I have quite the selection!" She followed Ana around, complimenting gowns that went well with her skin tone and hair color.

"Y/N, are you going to even have a look?" Ana turned back to you.

"No, darling. I'm looking for you over here."

"Sister, you have to find something. Maybe there's a Lord who likes his ladies a little… older…" You shoot a glare at your sister, a devious smirk playing on her face.

"I'm sorry, how old are you?" Jihyo asked with a head tilt.

"I'm twenty seven, too old to be this seasons diamond I fear." You scoffed, turning back to the overwhelming rack of gowns.

"Oh dear, I would've thought you were no older than twenty." Jihyo placed a hand over her chest with a pout and you felt a spark of rage simmer in your gut.

Why does everyone pity you? Why must a woman have to be married to have any worth in this society?

"Well your sister is right, find something pretty for yourself. Many Lords wait a long time to get married! Oh- looks like Ana may have found something, come here!" Lady Hong gasped, gathering your attention.

You turned to the pale blue gown made of satin, intricate swirls of pearls along the whole dress. The neckline was low, and if altered right, would fit her body perfectly.

"You would look ravishing in that Ana!" You exclaimed, sharing a giddy look with your sibling. She tried on the gown and sighed in awe at herself in the mirror across from her. Jihyo got to work, tailoring the way Ana desired. You smiled contentedly watching her reflection in front of you. You saw glimpses of yourself in her, and silently prayed she would find better than you ever did.

You felt a tap on your shoulder and turned to see Mrs. Hong with a stunning burgundy gown in her arms.

"Dear, I think you should try this one on. You'll look fierce." She handed off the delicate article of clothing as you insisted you couldn't.

"I can't possibly wear this…"

"Stop fussing and try it on!" Your sister made eye contact in the mirror with you, her gaze serious.

You huffed in defeat, shuffling towards the available curtain to undress behind.

"I'll be over to help you in a moment darling!" Jihyo called, her figure hunched over as she hemmed Ana's dress.

You undress from your simple green gown and stepped into the eye-catching burgundy gown. You just barely pull your arms through when Jihyo's voice is directly behind the curtain, asking to come in.

She slid the curtain open and gasped, eyes glowing. "My dear you look stunning. This dress is quite perfectly made for you!"

Her words brought a timid smile to your face, not expecting such a positive reaction. You didn't lack confidence necessarily; you knew you were beautiful. Years of being looked down upon by your family had warped your perception a bit— you just needed a little validation again.

"Here, let me fix you up and we can see what needs to be tailored from there." Jihyo's soft hands found the hooks and closed up the dress.

You gave a mixture of laugh and a sound of excitement at the sight in front you.

The dress hugged you perfectly, flowing out at your hips, past your feet. The neckline was scooped and not too low, making you look modest but sultry.

"Show your sister! She's going to love it!"

"I'm waiting!" Your younger sibling wasted no time to call for you, impatience in her voice.

When you stepped out, you watched both Ana and Mrs. Hong's mouths drop open.

"Well didn't I say you would look ravishing! I did not lie." Mrs. Hong circled around you, inspecting the details of the gown with a nod.

"You look wonderful, sister." Ana's voice was soft, her gaze kind.

She hoped you would still somehow find your own suitor, wanting nothing more than to see you happy as well.

"Thank you, Ana." You smiled softly at her. "I'm only wearing this for you, Lady Hong."

"I already added it to our family's tab so I would hope so!" You laughed at her in utter shock.

"Mrs. Hong!"

"I told you— an arrival gift for our beloved guests."

Jihyo finished up Ana's dress before making some minor tweaks on your otherwise perfect gown.

The three of you exited the boutique, expressing your thanks and gratitude towards Jihyo before heading back to your carriage. It was already mid-day, the dress hunt and tailoring taking up the whole morning and early afternoon. You were starving and willing to eat anything that was in front of you.

"I'm famished!" Ana sighed, expressing your thoughts with a toss of her head against the cushioned wall.

"As expected. Our head maid, Wanda will have cooked up something wonderful for us by now."

Walking into the doors of the Hong residence, the last thing you expected to see was Joshua running around shouting. You also absolutely did not expect to see Hansol crouched on top of a chair, face pale with a contorted expression upon his face.

"Hong Joshua, what in the world is going on!"

"Mother! A rodent made its way in our home!"

"Oh for goodness sake." She sighed, placing the boxes from the boutique into a maids arms. She was ready to ask Joshua where they last saw it when Ana let out a shriek, spotting the creature and running towards the chairs Hansol was hiding at.

"Oh shit!" You heard something crash and Joshua yelped, a broom in his hand as the mouse terrorizing the house rounded the corner.

"Joshua, give me the damn broom!" You shouted at the grown man running in circles from the mouse. He tossed it and you caught it with a slight fumble, swinging the door open, trying to attract the mouse.

"Shoo! Shoo!" You swatted the broom at the creature, watching it scurry out the house before slamming the door shut.

You glanced at everyone in the room. Joshua was huffing from doing a whole lot of nothing, chasing the rodent. Ana watched, perched on a chair directly across from Hansol, who's eyes were comedically wide. Mrs. Hong was unmoved, sharing an unamused look with you. Bunch of cowards.

"Lord Hansol, you're telling me all your travels across the globe and you let a rat get the best of you?"

You raised an eyebrow at him, a playful smirk spreading across his face.

"Never had to fight off rodents on the beaches of Portugal."

You groaned, the head maid taking the broom out of your hands with a smile. If Hansol couldn't even handle getting a mouse out of the home, how could you marry your sister off to him. Who was going to kill the bugs in that relationship?

"Unbelievable."

Hansol hopped off the chair, dusting his trousers off. He offered a hand to Ana, helping her down and sharing an amused look together.

"Sister would always get rid of the animals that found their way into our house. A squirrel was not safe around her." Ana joked, your eyes wandering between the two with a small shrug.

"Our house isn't in the city, someone had to take the role up." You stated simply; the others watching you curiously.

"Exactly as a big sister should!"

"Sure… More like Michael is a wuss." Hansol chuckled, learning about your younger brother over dinner last night.

"I don't blame him."

Your gaze shifted towards him, watching his struggle to keep a straight face.

"You're unbelievable, Choi Hansol."

"Hey! What happened to 'Lord Hansol?'" He teased, your eyes rolling hard.

"I'm going to the drawing room, the maids brought out some sandwiches. That is where you'll converse with Ana." You turned towards your sister, gesturing for her to follow you to the public room.

"Sounds like I don't have much of a choice?"

"Well of course not, my Lord."

You quietly chatted with Joshua as the two of you munched on the finger foods placed in the drawing room. You found yourself straining to hear Ana and Hansol's conversation on the couch farther down the room. Your gaze fell in their direction often, wondering if they were making any headway. Joshua noticed this, from the way you zoned out and stopped responding to him multiple times.

"You should go over there and sit with them at this point."

You glared at him, a bright smile across his face before he took a bite of pastry.

"Can a sibling not be concerned?"

"You should only be concerned with the man if he is actually interested." Joshua makes eye contact with you, confusion written all over your face. "Hansol has been adamant on remaining single. Said the right one for him won't be apart of The Ton, and if they are, he would have to fall for someone… unconventional…"

You swallowed hard, gaze shifting towards your feet momentarily. An unrecognizable feeling brewed inside your stomach upon his words.

"Well Ana is a bit unconv-"

"No, she's not. Not by Hansol standards."

"Then what would be his standard then if not my sister?" Tilting his head slightly, his gaze softened.

"You."

"Joshua, you can't just say unrealistic things like that!" You kept your voice low, yet alarmed. He couldn't be spewing that with the man in question a few feet away.

"Unrealistic? You've known him for a day, I've known him my whole life. Trust me when I say it was you who took his breath away at first sight, not Ana."

His revelation was like a punch to the gut, knowing how hard you were working to get your sister betrothed as soon as possible. Joshua didn't know what he was talking about, there was no way Hansol desired you. He was a tough case to crack, and you were going to do so for you sister's case— not your own.

You casted a glance in their direction once again, finding Hansol's sharp eyes already on you. A chill ran over you as you averted your gaze, turning back to Joshua.

The intensity of his gaze alone had your stomach flipping, and your heart racing.

Perhaps if you were meaner to him, whatever attraction Joshua claimed was there would dissipate.

You were the wrong sister to choose, and he would have to see that.

The bustle of the Hong estate the next day was exciting; maids and footmen moving around as the family prepared for the first ball of the season that night.

You were ecstatic to present your sister, knowing the queen herself would be in attendance. All of the ladies had a big impression to make, and Mrs. Hong apparently had a great connection with the queen.

"Trust me darling, the queen and I go way back." She exclaimed as your designated maids busied themselves fixing up your hair and makeup. "I'll have a proper introduction lined up for Ana." Mrs. Hong winked at your sister, her face lighting up over the thought of meeting the queen herself.

"That's wonderful, Lady Hong! I cannot thank you enough!" She squealed, clasping her hands together from uncontainable joy.

You spent what felt like all day prepping for the ball, Ana complaining her neck ached after being in the chair for hours. The final product was jaw-dropping; you nearly teared up at the sight of her.

She looked elegant, yet refreshing— holding herself with a womanly poise.

"Wow sister, you look stunning."

"You can't be one to talk! This burgundy looks gorgeous on you!" You gave a small spin, not used to the glam you've stayed away from for seven years.

"Thank you my dear. Now, let's go find you a husband."

The first ball was hosted by the Lee's, a very prominent and influential family in the Ton. They had a mansion farther out from the city, used mostly for social gatherings.

Your jaw dropped as the sight of the castle-like home came into view, already lined up with carriages along the main walkway.

"The Lee's surely know how to host. Their oldest, Jihoon, was married a few years back but the two youngest sons are eligible currently! Ana, I will speak very highly of you to them and introduce you myself!" Mrs. Hong was excited, sharing with you prior to leaving she had yearned for a second child— a daughter. By hosting Ana and yourself, she could finally experience what other mothers of The Ton did with their daughters.

"Oh! I can't forget about you as well Y/N, there will be plenty of suitors there," You opened your mouth to speak before she raised a hand, stopping you before you began. "I know, I know, you're not interested but don't give up completely dear. I got engaged at twenty six."

You were glad she had found her love match later on, but you knew the story wasn't the same for you. You gave up a long time ago and decided upon that. You weren't going to turn her down, but your heart was out of the game a while ago.

"I'm almost thirty and still am unwed!" Joshua butted in, earning a side eye from you and an eye roll from his father.

"Things are different for us, Joshua. You could get married at fifty and it would be acceptable."

"My apologies, just wanted to be relatable…" You laughed at him, appreciative of his efforts.

Your group made it inside, Ana barely containing her excitement at the grand entryway, and the stunning attire all around.

"I'll be back, I'm off to find the Lee sons! Joshua watch over them!" Mrs. Hong stepped off, dragging her husband along with her.

"Alright ladies, Lord Joshua at your service. Let's get some introductions rolling."

After weaving through the crowds and bowing at recognizable faces, he finally lead you to the main floor, snatching up three glasses of champagne.

"Better vantage point here, ah, do you see the man with glasses straight ahead?" Joshua tilted his champagne glass in said direction, granting a nod of acknowledgment from both you and Ana.

"That is Lord Jeon Wonwoo. Certainly a piece of eye candy. He's a true gentleman and his family has connections to the royal family of Korea. He's the slightest bit weird, and a little quiet. If you can get past that— or that's your type, then he's a perfect candidate!"

You hummed, slowly sipping your champagne. You take note of Lord Wonwoo, ranking him high on your list for Ana.

"Oh! Who is that?" Ana's voice caught your attention as you turned to see a taller man with bleached blonde hair to his nape and a small crowd around him.

"That, my dear, is Duke of Shenzhen— Wen Junhui. Only in town for a few weeks in search of his Duchess before he leaves back to China. Tough competition though…"

"China is too far for me, I need to be able to visit often."

"If it gets you married to a Duke, you could go to Australia for all I care Ana." She whined at this, ready to bicker before you catch Mrs. Hong making her way towards the three of you. The broad shouldered man accompanying her could only be what you assumed, one of the Lee sons.

"Ah! There she is! This is Lord Lee Chan, the youngest of the bunch. Lord Chan, may I introduce you to Lady Ana of Ellerium?" The two shook hands and formally dipped into a curtsy and bow.

"Lady Ana, you look marvelous, quite literally stole my breath away!" She smiled shyly. "Who might you be?" He turned to you with a bow that you return.

"I'm her older sister, just here to support her debut season." You softly gave your name and title with a kind smile. Chan looked you up and down, a smirk forming.

"You need to meet my cousin, you seem just like his type-"

"Ah Chan, we should let you and Ana get acquainted!" Joshua cuts in, signaling for you and his mother to make an exit.

"Yes, that sounds perfect. Pleasure meeting you, Lord Chan." You gave a final curtsy, meeting your sister's eyes with a silent message— 'you got this.'

The three of you scurried off, Mrs. Hong disappearing once again to make her rounds. You and Joshua settled near a corner, on your second glasses of champagne when Chan's comment resurfaced in your mind.

"Do you know who Lord Chan's cousin may be?"

He glanced at you, taking a sip of the bubbly drink.

"Mmm not sure who he was referencing. The Lee's family tree is insanely big."

Something in you told you he was lying but you brushed it off for now, watching Ana and Chan make their way onto the floor to dance.

You scanned the ballroom, searching for other potential suitors when your eyes landed upon a familiar figure. Hansol was on the other side of the floor, dressed in a navy blue suit as he chatted with another broader man. The more you looked, you saw they had the same crest woven on their jacket pockets and it clicked; that was his brother Seungcheol.

You watched his eyes roam the dance floor, as if he was searching for someone before he finds you. His gaze was heavy, a single eyebrow going up upon contact. He whispered something to Seungcheol, excusing himself, as he made his way towards you and Joshua along the edge of the crowd.

"Should've known I'd find you here standing in a corner." Hansol joked.

You felt his eyes drift over you, drinking up the sight of you in the intricate gown. His staring was nothing short of shameless, his expression blank yet carrying a weight behind his eyes you couldn't place. You felt your face grow hot, opting to sip the bubbly drink to hide the growing flush of your cheeks.

"You know these things aren't my cup of tea. And Lady Y/N here is trying to avoid any and all male attention." Joshua poked fun at you, a sinister grin on his face matching Hansol's.

"Any attention warranted to me can certainly be directed towards Ana. Speaking of, she seems to be hitting it off with Lord Chan, no?" You tilted your head towards the pair moving swiftly across the floor.

"Channie has always been a great man, if he wants to pursue Ana they would be a wonderful couple." Hansol's nickname for Chan caught you off guard. They must've been closer friends than you thought.

"My lady, would you be interested in a dance?" Hansol questioned, his head tilting.

"Oh no, I don't dance my Lord."

"A Lady of your status most certainly knows how to." He pushed back, his expression remaining unreadable, though the playfulness was present in his tone.

"I don't know, Lord Hansol-"

"Please, I beg of you to drop the formalities. Just Hansol." You gulped, feeling Joshua's gaze tear back and forth between the two of you.

"Just one dance, I promise to bring you back to Joshua in one piece." A hint of a smile twitched along the corner of his lip as he stared down at you.

You sighed deeply, nodding in agreement as you felt like your heart was betraying your mind.

He grabbed your flute and handed it to Joshua, gently taking your hand to guide you towards the edge of the dance floor. You step into formation with his strong hand in between yours, the other resting high on your waist. You danced in silence for a while, avoiding any eye contact while you focused on the drag of the music and keeping your feet coordinated.

"Why are you so adamant on remaining unwed?" Hansol broke the silence first, his directness nearly making you stumble over your own feet.

"Why does it matter? I'm past the age most women get married. I'm happy as long as my sister is happy." You bit your tongue, knowing the rehearsed answer you typically gave fell flat. He hummed in response, barely heard over the strum of the violins.

"That didn't sound very convincing. Plenty of women still get married at your age. My mother married my father when she was 32." You glanced up at him, his gaze soft and holding your own carefully.

"That makes you and Seungcheol half siblings right?" You questioned, Hansol giving a curt nod.

"Yes, but that's irrelevant right now. I'm talking about you. You deserve a shot at happiness as well." He spoke your name quietly, spinning you in sync with the music.

Your stomach was in knots, the proximity to him and his utterances making your mind grow fuzzy. His words rattled in the back of your mind as you grew silent, swaying with the music. You knew you deserved to be happy, but the thought of your family covering two weddings within a short time frame made you uneasy. If anyone should receive that blessing, it should be your sister.

The song finished, signaling the end of your dance with Hansol. You curtsy as he gave a deep bow, leading you back towards Joshua in the corner.

"Thank you. For dancing even if it was for a few minutes. You need to loosen up more." He stated simply, snatching a champagne flute off a tray and bidding a farewell, off to search for his brother once more.

Hansol was plaguing your mind the more time you spent with him and Joshua's convictions the day before reappeared in your thoughts. You had to shake off the feeling he left— and fast.

"Ana has been having quite the night if I say so." Joshua commented, snapping you back to reality as you scanned the crowd to find your sibling.

"Is that so?"

"Mmm, she's currently talking to the second oldest son of the Lee's— Lee Seokmin." He tilted your head towards your sister, catching her in deep conversation with a tall man with a bright smile.

"Good. Put in a word with one of the Lee boys to come visit her."

"Always working are we?" He joked as you fixated on the sight in front of you.

"You said you'd help us this season, Joshua. I expect that includes with the men in your circles as well." You turned towards him with a cheerful smile. You always got what you wanted when it came to your siblings.

"Of course, my Lady."

The first ball was a success, Ana boasting the rest of the night about all the suitors she had danced with, and her first encounter with the queen herself. You were introduced to her as well, keeping your poise in front of the most respected and feared woman in London.

The following days lead to a slow trickle of men of different statuses making way into the Hong residence, eager to make conversation with Ana. You were ecstatic, watching each interaction carefully in the corner of the drawing room. Mrs. Hong or Joshua was always by your side, critiquing the candidates with hushed voices.

Hansol was a frequent visitor, snatching Joshua away from the home, or staying and making conversation with everyone. You were watching intrigued one day as Hansol shared his notebook with you, going over the details of his travels. Ana was deep in conversation with Chan, though you knew she wanted to speak to Hansol as well.

"Hansol, why don't you stay and chat with Ana after Lord Chan leaves?"

His hand hovered above the notebook, his eyes widening in the slightest as if he wasn't expecting what you said.

"I'm alright here actually."

"She's very interested in you Hansol-"

"Chan has a great chance with her. I'll converse for your sake— as a friend, but I don't have romantic intentions with her."

You sighed, feeling like you were talking to a brick wall.

"What will it take to pursue her?"

It was Hansol's turn to sigh, his eyes closing briefly in exasperation.

"I've told you before, I have no intentions of marriage. It would have to truly be a love match by the grace of God."

"Would you hate me if I kept trying?" You asked, expecting him to snap. Hansol was unmoved, shaking his head.

"No, I couldn't ever hate you. But your efforts are troublesome for yourself. Focus on Lord Chan, or even Lord Seokmin, for your sister. Not me."

As much as you silently pleaded with him, you knew it was falling upon deaf ears. Hansol had made his decision a long time ago, unsatisfied with the hand full of options within the Ton that shamelessly threw themselves all over him. Simply for his looks and his title, hoping to become the next Vicountess. He hated it, knowing those were two of the things he cared the least about.

A few weeks later you were out for a stroll with Ana along the lake by the edge of town, watching families of the Ton out on the sunny day.

"How's progress been with Lord Jeon?" You held your hands clasped tightly, your deep purple dress feeling heavy in the summer heat.

"He's been okay, he's just so quiet. I'm quiet myself so the conversation always turns awkward…" She huffed, kicking a pebble in frustration. "I wish Lord Choi would be more receptive… he's always stoic around me."

You felt your gut twist up, knowing Hansol's words to you a few weeks prior. Not to mention, he tended to act the complete opposite around you. You felt uncomfortably guilty, even though you hadn't done anything wrong.

"I'm working on that Lord Choi now… What about Lord Lee?"

"Which one?"

"Ah, both Lee brothers have been pursuing you? You're the hottest Lady out this season I see!" She laughed at you, bumping her hip into yours.

"Lord Seokmin has talked to me a few times, but the real chase has been Lord Chan. That one… my word he is persistent."

"Speak of the devil…" You mumbled, catching sight of four figures approaching you on the trail ahead. The set of Lee and Choi brothers made their way towards you and Ana, stopping short to allow the two of you to curtsy in greeting.

"What a coincidence seeing you two out here!" Lord Seokmin stated cheerfully, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Pleasure seeing you again, Lord Seokmin." You smiled softly at him.

You caught Chan staring at Ana and gestured quickly with your head for him to talk to her.

"Lady Ana, would you mind joining me on a stroll?" He asked, your sister turning towards you for approval. You looked at her, your face reading 'don't look at me!' as she turned back and agreed. The pair wandered off down the trail as you continued to walk with the remaining three men, not far behind.

"Our cousin happens to be very interested in your sister. I wouldn't be surprised if a wedding was called for by the winter time." Seungcheol spoke, your head turning in confusion.

"Wait, cousin? Who's your cousin?" Your head whipped back and forth between the three, trying to place who they were talking about.

"Seungcheol and I are related to Chan and Seokmin. They're our cousins." Hansol quietly shared, as your mouth fell open in an 'o' shape.

"Small world? I had no idea you were cousins!"

"Doesn't take long to notice once you hear Chan speak for longer than twenty minutes." Seokmin added, the group chucking at his comment.

"So, Y/N. Hansol told me you were unwed?" Seungcheol asked, hands in his pockets as you trained your gaze towards the ground.

"It seems to be a hot topic for everyone…" You huffed in annoyance, tired of your status being discussed. "I am, and I happen to be very content with my cat. And taking care of my family."

Seungcheol hummed while Seokmin looked at you in disbelief, Hansol staying quiet.

"I can't believe a woman as beautiful and well carried as yourself hasn't found her husband! You're still young, don't count yourself out!" Seokmin met your gaze, trying to express his shock to the fullest.

"It's okay, every family needs their spinster right?" You joked, hands toying with the lace along your dress.

"Hey, if nobody snatches you up by the end of the season… You know where to find me." Seokmin says your name with a wink, causing your cheeks to grow hot.

Seungcheol laughed in amusement, playfully shoving his cousin.

Nobody caught the way Hansol's jaw ticked, his usually calm exterior slipping momentarily.

Prior to the next biggest ball of the season; you, Ana, and Mrs. Hong found your way to Jihyo's shop once more. Ana was being fitted into a shimmering pale pink gown, as you held the box your new gown resided in. Mrs. Hong swore it was her duty to splurge in you— both of you, as your host.

"You know, Lord Chan mentioned he liked me in pale colors." Ana looked smug in the mirror as you made a face back at her.

"Oh? You care what Lord Chan likes on you now huh?" You teased, sharing a playful look with Mrs. Hong.

"Well… I've given up on Lord Hansol. He's icing me out." The unnerving feeling resurfaced in your gut at the mention of his name. "At least Lord Chan makes an effort for me. I don't want to chase a man."

"I raised you right my dear." You nodded at her proclamation, glad she felt a sense of self worth in a society that thrived off male attention.

"If I didn't know better sister, I'd think he might be interested in someone else?" Her tone was questioning, and you felt as if she was accusing you of something.

"What do you mean, Ana?"

"I notice things… He seems to like talking to you… A lot."

"That's nonsense, he talks to me as if I'm another Joshua." You huffed, feeling her eyes lingering on you through the mirror.

"I'm not mad, Y/N, just be honest if you have feelings or not so I know. I don't want to be blindsided." You couldn't explain the feeling brewing inside you other than simply— awful.

You couldn't even give her a direct answer because you didn't know the truth yourself. You were at war with your emotions at all times, thoughts of Hansol filling your mind when you least expected it. You didn't want to hurt your sister, and you needed to regulate your feelings as soon as possible.

"I don't have feelings for him." You swallowed down the lump in your throat, praying the way your voice shook didn't give you away. You felt three pairs of eyes on you, making your unease grow.

"Alright… "

You were on edge the rest of the day, thankful Hansol decided to stay away from the Hong residence for the day. You couldn't face him right now.

As the maids worked to make you and Ana stunning for the ball, you found yourself forcing conversation with your sister and the maids to keep your mind off your troubles.

A particularly hard tug of your hair had your maid apologizing, you waving her off promising it didn't hurt. She worked to weave your hair into a braided crown, leaving framing curled pieces out. Your makeup was soft, yet a pop of eyeliner on the waterline was used to make your eyes stand out. Your dress was a low cut azure blue shade, lined with intricate lacing. The gown you sported tonight had to be the most beautiful one you've ever worn, your confidence skyrocketing.

"Oh sister, your Lord Hansol will be in shambles upon seeing you!" Ana teased next to you, her bright cheeks and pale pink dress contrasting your darker makeup and dress.

"Quit that, he's not my anything." You crossed your arms over your chest, her teasing getting the best of you.

She smirked, her eyes glimmering with mischief as she grabbed your hand to descend down the steps.

"Tell that to him! Joshua was telling me that Lord Hansol had his eyes set on a woman finally, but wouldn't tell him who. I'd bet 5 pounds it's you, sister."

"I doubt it, I'm too old."

"You're a year younger than him!" Ana sighed as the two of you exited the house, your heels echoing on the marble floors.

The Hong family gave the two of you generous compliments the whole ride to the residence, Joshua fanning himself for dramatic effect.

"Lady Y/N, you might be betrothed by the fall if you keep looking like that." He teased, his eyes skimming along you with a burning heat.

"Joshua, you're too much of a tease." You rolled your eyes, ignoring the prickle of your skin from his compliments. While he was your friend and host, he still was an unwed, attractive and highly coveted man within The Ton. You had to keep an eye on that one now…

The ball was hosted by the Yoon family, their residence being amongst one of the biggest within the city. Most balls were held in families second homes, either along the edge of the city or within the countryside. The Yoon family had so much wealth, their home was rivaled only to the royals.

"You're telling me this is their main home?" Ana watched the mansion fall into line of sight, Mr. Hong chuckling at her reaction.

"The Yoon's have been the most loyal family to the royals for centuries. Most of this wealth comes from their dedication to the crown." He explained.

"So tell me… do they have any bachelor sons..? I'll take a cousin as well." The carriage exploded with laughter at Ana's antics, her grin wide as you leaned into her with a giggle.

"Well, their only son Jeonghan, was married two seasons ago. I believe one of the cousins, Yoon Keeho is still unwed. You'll have fierce competition though, every mama in The Ton will be working overtime tonight to get him to look at their daughters." Mrs. Hong added, her champagne color dress sparkling under the street lights leaking into the carriage.

"Y/N, Mr. and Mrs. Hong, Joshua. If you find Lord Keeho for me, you'll be given front row seats to our weddding."

"I'm your sister, I better get a front row seat!" You smacked at her arm, giggling at your baby sister.

The carriage stopped in the long cobblestone road, the line of carriages extending far. Mr. Hong ushered everyone out, promising it would take another hour to reach the front.

"Xavier will find us after, let's get in while we can." He offered a hand to help you out, your heels clicking along the cobblestone as the group made its way to the entrance.

Inside the mansion was lively, hundreds of people swarming around the busy mansion. Bouquets of flowers bigger than you've ever seen were elaborately arranged, desserts and other finger foods stacked high on wracks all around. You were barely inside for a minute before everything started to overwhelm you.

"Oh! There's the Lee brothers! Let's make haste!" Ana announced, grabbing your hand to drag you towards the sibling pair. You tossed your head back, eyes pleading with Joshua as he laughed, shoulders going up in a shrug.

"Glad to see some familiar faces. How are the Ellerium Ladies doing tonight?!" Seokmin exclaimed, kissing the backs of both of your hands softly, Chan bowing in greeting.

"I've got to say, this is the most expensive looking home I've ever been in!" Ana joked, the two brothers laughing.

"The Yoon's know how to do it big!" Chan nodded in agreement. "Would you ladies like to join us for a dance?" He asked, his eyes landing on you, a silent way to ask for permission to steal your sister away.

"That would be marvelous, let's go!" You agreed, watching Ana instantly reach for Chan and make their way towards the center. A hand rested along your back gently, Seokmin guiding you with silent and gentle authority.

You wrapped your arms loosely around his neck, his hands barely hovering around your waist. The two of you gently swayed to the string symphony in the background, Seokmin dancing effortlessly alongside you.

"How's the season been for you?" You inquired, wondering if he had any serious prospects.

"Overwhelming. Boring. A bit of everything, I fear the social season will have worn me out come the fall." He chuckled.

"Too many Ladies to choose from?" You tilted your head, Seokmin shaking his own briefly.

"No, No. Not enough of the right ones."

"I'm sure there will be a wonderful Lady out there for you, my Lord. You're so kind it would be impossible not to." You commented as he removed his hand from your waist, giving you a twirl.

"Thank you, darling. You're right, maybe she's right in front of me?" His eyebrow went up, a soft smile upon his face. Your stomach churned, anxiety settling deep in your gut.

You didn't know how to handle all the sudden attraction from the different men. You thought after seven years, you would be past any potential feelings when the season came around. You weren't blind, you knew if you came with Ana that someone would try getting to know you. You just weren't ready for the commitment, having grown so comfortable on your own for years.

"I'll have to get back to you on that one, Lord Seokmin." You forced a smile as the song crescendo's to an end. You gave a quick bow, turning on your heels to find an escape. The air was turning suffocating as his implications swirled in your head. You heard him call your name as you pushed through the crowd, desperate to leave.

You spotted the glass door to the garden and sighed in relief, pushing through the doors with ferocity. The night air was refreshing, taking in gulps of air in attempt to settle your nerves. You walked further into the greenery, your breaths shaky as you found a bench to hide out at.

You kept your eyes closed, inhaling deep breaths to steady yourself. Seokmin couldn't be serious? What was it about you that drew their attention?

You heard a twig snap, startling you. Your eyes flew open and you whipped your head towards the sound, spotting a figure approaching you in the dark.

"Are you doing okay?" A familiar voice called out, Hansol's figure becoming visible under the twinkle of the floating candles in the garden.

"Wasn't expecting anyone out here, and most certainly not you…" The main source of your issues was standing in front of you, his expression blank yet the slightest turn of his head showed he was confused.

"Am I allowed to sit or are you going to bite my head off?" You huffed out a laugh, scooting over to allow him space. He settled quietly next to you, his eyes trained on the lilies in front of him.

"To answer you— no, I'm not doing okay." You sighed, pressing your palm to your forehead. Hansol turned, silently waiting for you to continue. "I don't deserve any of this attention." You barely mumbled out. If Hansol wasn't directly next to you, you doubt he would've heard. "I came here for my sister— just for my sister. I didn't ask to be pursued."

"Why do you feel so strongly about this? You don't want to give love a chance?" You laughed, the words rich coming from him.

"You're asking me when you're the one who's sworn off marriage. When you have women flaunting over you every day, Hansol." He opened his mouth to speak before you cut him off. "I know, you're only settling for the perfect one, but we're almost like two sides of the same coin now."

"Are you saying we're perfect for each other then?" A hint of a smirk was visible on his lips. You pursed your lips, not in the mood for his jests.

"What? No, stop toying with me." You grew frustrated, knowing he was causing most of your turmoil and he didn't even know.

"What if I told you I was one hundred percent serious just now." His tone dropped, his eyes wandering across your face.

Your lips parted, disbelief wracking your senses. The hum of the party grew into background noise as your ears rang.

"You're a fool."

"I would be more than pleased to be your fool." He was quick witted, not missing a beat with you. He typically remained quiet, never sharing his feelings but he couldn't hold back any longer. His hand resting on his thighs twitched, fighting the urge to grab your face and bring your lips towards him.

"Hansol, I.. I don't know if I'm ready for marriage. I can't guarantee you anything so please, please, find another Lady." Your voice shook, your resolve crumbling. You had to keep your walls up, no man— not even Hansol, could bring them down.

"I've waited all these years. I would wait for you until the day you're ready." His voice was sure and steady, his eyes the most serious you've ever seen them.

You worked the courage to meet his gaze fully, watching his pretty eyes linger on your own. In a moment so quick, you nearly missed it, his eyes landed on your lips before trailing back to your eyes. You sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the air around you changing.

Your eyes widened as you watched Hansol begin to lean down, the world slowing to a halt. It was just you and Hansol now, your heart thundering through your chest. Just as his lips nearly were on yours, you turned your head sharply. His breath fanned across your cheek as you trembled, his lips almost resting on the cheekbone.

"I'm sorry, Hansol, I truly am. I cannot be the one for you." Your gaze was settled on the shrub across from you, your cheek still turned away from the quick maneuver. You heard the shuffle of him leaning back and you stood up abruptly.

You took a step back, Hansol softly calling your name; an inkling of hurt lingering in his tone. His wide eyes were shining in the moonlight, making your stomach lurch. You shook your head roughly, tears forming in your eyes as you took off running through the garden, leaving him behind in disbelief.

You fought to keep the tears from spilling over, not wanting a trail of eyeliner running down your face as you reached the garden doors once again. Pushing through the crowd of people, you searched frantically for anyone you could confine in, when your eyes landed on Joshua; emerged in conversation with Seokmin.

That was the last place you could be right now.

You wandered in the opposite direction, ready to leave the event. You wanted to crawl into bed and sob, your heart aching like you've never felt it before. The longer you stood in this ballroom, the harder it was to breathe.

"Lady Y/N, are you alright?" You whipped your head to see Mr. and Mrs. Hong, chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Lee. The tears pooling in your eyes threatened to spill as you shook your head. Mrs. Hong leaped into action, wrapping her arms around you and telling Mr. Hong to find their carriage.

"Can you tell me what's wrong, dear?" She lead you towards a corner, away from prying eyes as you kept your focus trained towards the floor.

"I would like to leave. Ana and Joshua shouldn't leave early because of me, but I have to get out of here, Lady Hong."

Mr. Hong reappeared, alerting you to the carriage waiting out front.

"Should we grab Joshua and Ana?" He questioned, a worried look on his face upon seeing your trembling form.

"No dear, you stay here. I'll go with her and send Xavier back with the carriage as soon as we arrive." He nodded, resting a grounding hand on your shoulder briefly before Mrs. Hong pulled you out the grandoise doors.

The moment the doors of the carriage closed behind you, the well of tears that had built up finally came pouring out. Sobs wracked your body as you nearly wailed out from how hard the tears rushed down. You were aching. You typically held your emotions in well, an unwavering anchor for your family. The stress of the past few weeks finally caught up to you, with Hansol's words burning in your mind.

Mrs. Hong stayed quiet, not once forcing you to talk to her. She rubbed calming circles into your arms and whispered hushed promises that you'll be okay.

You hoped she was right.

By the time the carriage pulled up to the estate, your makeup was ruined. Streaks of eyeliner marked your face as your maid stared at you in shock when you entered the residence.

"Anica, help her get that makeup off. I'll be by soon."

You threw the door to your room open, your maid following close behind.

"My Lady, let me help you."

She worked to gently remove your makeup, wiping away the black streaked spots. You helped her take your hair down, pulling bobby pins out with puffy eyes. She remained silent at your request, though you felt her worrying eyes. When you finished and washed your face, you didn't expect to see Mrs. Hong sitting on your bed.

"Wanted to make sure you were alright dear. I won't make you tell me what happened, but I'm here as a listening ear if you'd like." You appreciated her approach, the opposite of what you're expecting when Ana got home.

You were tired, flopping onto the soft bed with a pout.

"I don't know what to feel and it scares me." You mumbled, toying with the top sheet as Mrs. Hong waited for you to continue. "I've avoided all affection for years, and I thought I wouldn't be this… weak… coming into this season."

"Having feelings doesn't make you weak, it's in our nature, sweetheart. You're allowed to feel this— to work through these feelings." For one of the few times in your life you were genuinely conflicted— and scared.

"Which one of them is it? I know it has got to be either Lord Seokmin or Hansol."

"What if I told you it was a little bit of both. Mostly Hansol though. Most definitely Hansol." Her mouth tweaked into a smirk, reading you like an open book.

"My my. For someone who didn't want a suitor this season, the boys are persistent about you!" You groaned, throwing your head back onto the pillow behind you.

"No matter how many times I say it, they keep coming back! Hansol, he… he almost kissed me tonight." Your revelation has her eyes bulging, her jaw dropping unexpectedly.

"You've put a spell on that boy. If Choi Hansol is pursuing anyone, he must really have his mind set on you."

"I don't know what to do Mrs. Hong! I can not see myself leaving Ellerium, and the thought of both Ana and I getting married when I should've done so about five years ago.. It's nerve wracking." You were never supposed to come here and catch feelings for someone. You're Ana's anchor. Her guidance throughout this crazy time in her life— to help her step into her womanhood. You felt selfish now.

"I know what you're thinking… about coming here only for Ana. From the way things are going, Lord Chan will propose eventually. He is committed to her." You nodded, seeing firsthand how Chan was working to be active in her life.

"Your mother passed when you were young. You've been a caretaker all your life; isn't it time you allowed someone else to take care of you?"

Her words weighed heavy in your mind that night as you tossed and turned.

The moment Ana came home she demanded you to share what happened. You groaned and begged her to blow the lamp out and that you'll catch her up in the morning. She was irritated, but respected your request just for once.

A week went by after the faithful night, and you had yet to see Hansol anywhere. He stopped by briefly one morning to retrieve something from Joshua, mumbling a stiff 'hello' to you as you returned the gesture.

Joshua wasn't stupid. His best friend who damn near lived in his house barely stepped foot in the residence for over a week. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together. He knew something had happened out in the garden between you and Hansol. He was aware that Hansol liked hiding in the gardens during parties, and from the information he gathered from Seokmin; you had stormed out there after the mere mention of marriage.

"Tell me truthfully, what happened with you and Hansol?" He questioned you one day in the drawing room, halting his piano session to bore his eyes into yours.

"Nothing's wrong, Joshua…"

"Right… Because my best friend of fifteen years suddenly stops coming around after you flee the ball in tears. And suddenly he's 'Lord Choi' or 'Lord Hansol' once again when a week ago, he was just 'Hansol' to you." You gulped, knowing Joshua had read you with ease.

"He said he would wait for me.. to accept him. It was too much and I told him I'm not the Lady for him. Left him behind without looking back and it probably was for the best." He pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly distressed.

"When I say this, please don't take offense-"

"Don't disrespect a Lady, Joshua." You joked, earning an eye roll from him.

"You are so, so dense. My word… I've never seen Hansol like that before. The guy is usually off in his own world, yet he's willing to make you his entire world." You avoided his eyes, turning back to your book as your heart sank. "You deserve happiness, no matter how much you tell yourself you don't. Hansol is a perfect match for you."

"You're saying this because he's your best friend."

"I'm saying this," he paused to accenture his words. "Because I see two people who swore off love, holding out hope for a perfect love match. My word if I ever saw a love match, it would be you two."

You mulled over your conversation with Joshua's as you soaked in the tub that night. You would have a chance to speak to Hansol at the upcoming ball this Friday. His family was hosting this time; at their house in the countryside.

Your eyes were closed as thoughts of Hansol filled your mind. You wondered how his lips would've felt on yours, if he kissed gently— or with ferocity behind it.

The more you imagined scenarios of Hansol, the more you grew frustrated, with a dull ache formulating between your thighs. You needed to relieve some of your stress anyways.

You trailed a hand down your body, stopping to roughly pinch at your sensitive nipple, before dragging down to your center.

You teased the hole, pushing a finger inside with an airy sigh. Working yourself open, you pushed a second finger in, curling up to meet that spongy spot that had you trembling.

You remember how strong his hands felt along your waist. How big they were spread out across his journal.

You imagine his long fingers pumping inside of you right now instead of your own. Biting back a moan, you pinch your clit, eager for a quick and hard release.

The water in the tub sloshed around as you bucked your hips up, your orgasm hitting you suddenly as your vision went white. Hansol's name was quietly on your tongue as you came, wishing his face was buried in your sopping cunt.

You threw your head back against the edge of the tub, the blissful feeling easing the anxiety in your system; even if it was only momentarily.

You felt guilty, a sense of shame washing over you for touching yourself with him on your mind.

Little did you know, at the same time across town— Hansol was spread out on his bed, actions mirroring your own.

With quick pumps of his heavy cock, he came hard, jerking his hips up and spilling all over himself with a soft cry of your name.

His hand was nothing compared to what he hoped your cunt would be, but it would have to make do for now.

As the ball hosted by the Choi's approached, you felt uneasy with the thought of running into Hansol again. You knew you couldn't avoid him forever, and would have to tackle your conflicted emotions finally.

The night prior to the ball, you found sleep hard to come upon, Ana tossing in the bed next to you. She turned to you, and you felt her gaze even within the darkness.

"I'm not stupid you know. Something happened with you and Lord Hansol because you like each other. It may not be my business to know the full extent, but if you're holding back because of me… I urge you to let go, sister."

"Ana it is too late to be divulging in this-"

"I don't care," she spoke your name with intensity. "You've held back from him all season long. I like Lord Chan and haven't even thought of Lord Hansol in weeks."

You watched her from your peripheral, her hands clasped over her stomach as she stared at the ceiling.

"You've done your duty as a big sibling. Now go chase your dreams. Your Viscount is waiting!" She poked your side, earning a yelp from you as she laughed, body trembling from laughter in the darkness.

"You promise you're not mad at me? I don't even know if I truly like him or not Ana…" You felt her eyes on you, taking in your outline in the faint glow of the moonlight.

"Why would I be mad at my sister for pursuing her happiness? You've given me everything I could ask for in life, it's your time now to fight for yourself."

You swallowed hard, your throat closing up as you fought the tears out of your eyes. Taking up the mother role in your household at a young age had warped your ideal of happiness. Your every decision was for your siblings, never considering yourself first. You felt a sense of relief wash over you knowing your younger sibling basically gave her blessing.

"I love you, Ana."

"I love you too." You felt the bed shift and heard the bed sheets rustle before feeling her arms around you. You squeezed her back, finding comfort within her arms. The two of you stayed like that for a long time before her breathing evened out, signaling she had fallen asleep holding you. Your eyes eventually grew heavy, finally falling sleeping within your sisters arms.

"Earth to Y/N? Care to join us back here?" You snapped out of your daze, turning to Ana in the carriage as she smirked lopsidedly at you.

"Care to share what was on your mind?" She teased, eager to see you grow flushed.

"No, I'm alright." You stared at your bright red silk dress pooling at your feet, Ana's pale purple dress flowing into yours.

"My girls… you look stunning today." Mrs. Hong commented, a gentle smile on her face.

Her gaze met your own, her eyes holding yours like a way of reminding you to stay confident.

The Choi's countryside residence was only about an hour from your house, the journey short compared to the one you had made from Ellerium a few months prior. Their home was beautiful, acres of lush greenery filling your vision as a string of lights lighted the path towards the entrance.

"You better find Lord Hansol and don't run away this time." Ana whispered to you, extending her pinkie out.

"No promises…" You looped your pinkie around hers, wiggling to seal the deal.

As everyone filed out of the carriage, you couldn't help but worry. You were a ticking time bomb, your emotions heightened like never before. The simple sight of Hansol could set you off right now. How were you to have a responsible conversation with him right now?

The inside of the Choi's country home was beautiful, marble floors and high ceilings throughout the whole foyer. The strum of the symphony helped keep you grounded, softly humming to the count.

"We're going to search for refreshments. Care to join us dear?" Mrs. Hong glanced at you, her eyebrow going up in question. You nodded, arm linked within Ana's as you trailed behind the family.

You kept your arm looped within Ana's for the majority of the night, sticking close by her side. You were undoubtedly pissing her off, knowing you were avoiding Hansol at all costs still. Upon sight of Chan, she squealed in excitement, unhooking your arm from hers.

"Stop being a wuss. I'm going to Lord Chan now." She pinched your arm hard before spinning on her heels, the brown haired man greeting her with a wide grin.

You huffed, spinning around to go and find Joshua to conspire with. You didn't want to be out on the floor alone, searching for your friend when you caught sight of the very man you were avoiding.

Hansol wasn't looking in your direction, as he was engaged in deep conversation with a woman with dyed ginger hair. He looked handsome, his dark brown hair parted in the middle and styled. He sported a navy outer coat, similar to the ball prior.

You tried not to stare, but you were enticed by him, knowing you would have to speak to the Lord eventually. You were making your way towards him when you caught him throwing his head back in laughter, a hand resting on the girl's shoulder.

You stopped in your tracks, the brief moment of clarity you had dissipated as you only felt anger and disappointment with yourself now. Hansol's eyes lifted up, catching yours glaring at him a few feet away. His smile was slowly wiped off his face as you had a staring match. You turned sharply, storming away as you heard your name called out behind you.

You didn't know why you were so mad, you had no right to be. Maybe because you were taking a leap to swallow your pride, just to see him getting cozy with another woman.

"Wait! God you walk fast…" You heard Hansol catch up to you, a hand falling onto your shoulder.

You whipped around furiously, tossing his hand off of you.

"How dare you touch me, Lord Hansol? In front of all of these watchful eyes? I am not your betrothed." You hissed, Hansol jumping back from the venom in your voice.

"I'm confused, what has gotten into you?" He whispered your name, his voice calm despite your malice towards him.

"You're absolutely unbelievable." You scoffed, shaking off his hand that reached out for you once more. You didn't care that the members of The Ton around the two of you had to be staring, you felt embarrassed and had to disappear.

You found yourself drawn towards the garden once again, the big glass doors already wide open as you ran out into the greenery. You heard your name called, Hansol following behind you. He casually strolled up to you, slightly out of breath from the light jog before.

"Come back inside, let's talk out of the rain."

You were so overwhelmed you hadn't even noticed the light drizzle pattering against your skin.

"No, no, because I'm livid!" You threw your hands up, frustration taking over now that you were face to face and alone. "I hate you, Choi Hansol!"

He wore a look of surprise, his lips parting as he couldn't understand why you were going off on him suddenly.

"What have I done-"

"I hate you for making me feel this way! Why did you come into my life and have to change things?" You felt the tears prickling in your eyes, the lump in your throat making it hard to speak.

Hansol stared, his expression conflicted as he remained silent, waiting for you to finish.

"I- I just… I don't know how you could pick me, over Ana. I should've stayed in Ellerium, I should've never came here." You shook your head, your tears finally falling.

"I can't believe I let myself get caught up in you, how could I be so stupid to allow myself to yearn for your… your love." Your voice trailed off, shaking as you laid your emotions down on the line. Hansol's hair was becoming damp, droplets falling into his eyes yet he couldn't care less.

"You're not stu-"

"Yet you had to make me feel embarrassed in there. All over another woman like that? I should have known this would be how it turns out."

"You cannot be talking about Seulgi-"

"I don't give a damn who she is! She isn't me!" Your eyes widened. Hansol's eyebrow shot up as he snorted at you.

"Can I speak now?" He questioned, watching you carefully like you would continue to chew him out with a single breath. You nodded slowly, the rain making your hair feel heavy, your perfect curls falling into a mess along your shoulders.

"You're scared, that's what feelings can do to you. To any of us really. You have no idea how much courage it took me that night in the garden to try and kiss you." You averted your gaze, remembering how his breath fanned along your cheek. "It hurt a lot, yet I cannot blame you a single bit. I shouldn't have came onto you suddenly, knowing how you felt about your independence."

He pushed his damp hair back, praying you didn't notice the way his hand shook from anxiety.

"No matter how many times you can yell at me, scream, and curse me out, I would still choose you. Again and again in every lifetime. You can try and push me off onto your sister, but it would never work." You were trembling, unsure if it was the rain causing your shaking, or the pound of your heartbeat.

"But… Ana is more of a debutante, an exceptional woman-"

"Yet it was never her. It would never be her. It was always you from the start." He proclaimed softly, his voice never wavering with you.

You were shocked, taking a step back as he stepped an inch closer, rain blurring your vision. Or was it the tears swimming in your eyes?

"Marriage has never been on the table for me. I have traveled all along the globe and yet that desire I desperately searched for… I have only found once meeting you. You are the bane of my existence, and the object of all my desires." Hansol's gaze was steady, his eyes glimmering back at your own tear filled eyes.

You cried out, a combination of a laugh and huff, reaching for his hands to slide into your own. You were both drenched at this point, the rain coming down harder now, yet neither of you cared.

"Hansol… I'm so scared. I'm scared because I can see a future with you that I've never imagined before. If you are patient with me… I think I would love to be yours." You took every ounce of strength to get out your confession, watching the slow spread of a smile forming on his lips.

"You do not have to accept my love immediately, or embrace it, or even allow it. Knowing you, you probably will not. But you must know, I will wait for the day you are ready, with open arms." His hands drew circles into your own, his grip squeezing you gently.

His proclamation moved you, tears silently falling from your eyes once more. Hansol brought a thumb up, brushing away the stray tears. You sniffled, feeling sheepish for still wondering about the ginger haired woman from earlier.

"So.. who was that girl in there?"

"Seulgi?" Hansol laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "A childhood friend of mine. She's been married with two kids for six years now."

Your lips formed into a pout, feeling silly for jumping to conclusions so quickly. Perhaps you already were whipped for him.

"Now I feel ashamed… I'm so sorry." He grinned lopsidedly at your sheepishness.

"Don't apologize. I told you there's nothing to worry about. My heart fully belongs to you." He took your hand, guiding it to his heart to feel the quick thumping there. He was anxious, his heartbeat showing how intense the situation was for him as well.

"Is it alright if I kiss you now? Or will you run away from me again?" You smiled up at him, rolling your eyes as you pulled him closer.

"I think I'm done running for now."

"Good, otherwise I'd have to get you a bell miss." You laughed at him, watching his eyes crinkle as his grin grew even wider.

With his finger coming under your chin to tilt you up towards him, he leaned down, gently pressing his slightly chapped lips against yours. Your mouths moved slowly together as you melted into his arms. The patter of rain continued to pour down on the two of you, a background thought as his hands gripped your waist tightly.

Anyone in The Ton could walk out into the garden right now and find the two of you tangled up in one another. Despite all of that, you had no care about who saw you.

Hansol pulled back, your eyes slowly opening to catch his wide, glowing eyes peering down at you.

"Was that okay with you?" He asked cautiously, searching your face for any discomfort.

"Your lips are better than I ever imagined." You mumbled, your eyes falling onto the pink flesh once more.

"You've thought about this before?"

"You're telling me you haven't, My Lord?" You teased, playing with the hairs that curled at his nape.

"Oh I've imagined more than just that…" Hansol had a new surge of confidence now that you had accepted his hand.

"Oh? Do tell?"

"If you'd allow it… perhaps I could show you instead." His gaze was heavy, a burning desire behind his otherwise calm expression.

Your stomach jumped, this time in excitement rather than anxiety.

"I would be honored, Hansol."

The adrenaline rush that flowed through you as Hansol lead you back in through a private entrance had you buzzing. The two of you were soaking wet, sneaking into the home through the entrance used most frequently by maids, to avoid any unwarranted attention from the event carrying on inside.

"We're not too far off from my suite." He spoke in a hushed tone, his hand gripping yours tightly.

As you rounded the corner leading to the stairs, a young maid appeared, jumping with a quiet yelp. You jumped in response, not expecting to get caught so easily.

"Lord Hansol?" Her eyes traveled between Hansol and yourself, most likely wondering why you were drenched and using the maid entrance.

"Marge, keep quiet on this one yeah? If my mother asks, I stepped out for a while." He placed a single finger over his lips, a plead for the maid to remain quiet. A faint smile formed across her face, nodding in agreement as she bowed quickly and hurried past.

The two of you shared a look, both of your lips twitching to fight the laughter off. Hansol continued on, stumbling up the stairs as the strums of the symphony in the ballroom rang through the staircase. Eventually, he turned down a long hallway, stopping at a wooden door. He pulled out a key, unlocking the door and quickly dragging you in behind him.

You watched as he lit the oil lamp, the room coming to life as you took in the area around you. You spotted a guitar and fiddle in the corner, a stand with sheet music next to it. A large wooden desk took up the middle of the room with a small couch nearby. His bed took up a majority of the room, the high frame catching your attention. There were drawings and postcards all along his walls, creating a very unique flare to his room that fitted Hansol.

"Like what you've done with the place." He laughed, shoulders coming up in a nonchalant shrug.

"Could use some improvement." The click of the lock caught your attention, Hansol leaning against the door casually. His arms were crossed over his chest, taking in your form from afar. His silent authority had an effect on you, Hansol not saying a word yet you knew what he wanted.

"You should change out of your dress. Can't have you catching a cold now."

"You should come untie me then." You spun around, pulling your damp hair over one shoulder as you heard the rustle of his trousers approaching. In seconds, a soft hand pressed along your shoulder blade, another toying with the ribbon down the back of your dress. Painfully slow, Hansol unraveled the back, your straps slipping over your shoulders. His breath hit against your neck, causing goosebumps to form with a shiver. He played with the strap, tugging it further down as your breath quickened.

"Step out of it." His voice was soft, yet you felt the command behind it.

You slid the red satin down, Hansol's hands lightly trailing along your body as you stepped out of it. His hands moved to quickly untie your corset, feeling the shell drop around your feet. His hand was steadying as you were nearly bare for him. You slowly spun around— the sharp inhale of air at the sight of you, unmissable.

"Your turn." You tugged on his white button up, the navy overcoat long gone the moment he stepped in the room. With a faint smirk, he held eye contact as his fingers flew down the buttons, his chest slowly revealing itself. He tweaked with the buttons along his trousers, pulling them down painstakingly slow. You bit your lip in anticipation, Hansol fighting the smug look off from how eager you had grown.

You both stood in front of each other, stripped down to just underwear. Your eyes shifted frantically, wondering who would make the first move.

Hansol took a step closer, his hand grazing against your hip. "Don't get shy on me now." Your name coming from him sounded sultry, a fire igniting in your lower belly.

You slid your hands up his chest, wrapping your arms around his neck loosely.

"Kiss me again, Hansol."

He was weak when it came to you, wasting no time to capture your lips against his own. The kiss was rough this time, the weeks of unresolved tension coming to a head. His grip around your hips tightened, backing you up towards the edge of his bed.

The backs of your thighs hit the edge, causing you to topple back onto the bed. You remained connected, Hansol devouring your lips. You readjusted towards the middle of the bed, Hansol resting his hips against your own now. You felt him, thick and heavy, straining against his undergarment. You pulled him impossibly closer, the smack of your lips driving you insane. Hansol grinded his hips into yours, his length rubbing against your clit dangerously.

You gasped into his lips, moaning against him as you were desperate to keep his lips on your own. One of his hands trailed down your body, feather light touches along your burning skin. Finding your sensitive nipple, Hansol gave a tug, causing your hips to buck up into his own in pleasure.

He broke away from your lips, your moans spilling free as he worked on both of your breasts, neither one safe from the attack of his lips and mouth. His clothed length continued to dig against you, a wet patch forming in your underwear from the delicious drag.

"Hansol… it's too much." You groaned, a finger sliding through the mess of locks as he sucked and bit your sensitive buds.

"Tell me," He pulled off of you with a wet pop. "Have you ever touched yourself?"

You nodded, your eyes hooded as you stared down at Hansol who worked his way down your body. He kissed along your stomach, stopping short of your thighs as he gripped along your underwear.

"Yes."

His gaze darkened, slowly dragging your panties down with his jaw going slack. The sight had you squirming, eager to feel him between your aching thighs.

"I touched myself to the thought of you before, Hansol. I imagined it was you splitting me open instead." You admitted breathlessly, watching as he halted all actions.

As if his brain was frying in real time, he swore he could cum his pants from the imagery alone. He closed his eyes with a groan, imagining how you looked fingering yourself as his name spilled from your lips.

"Let me bring your fantasies to life then."

With little warning, you felt a long finger swirl around your entrance before pushing in. Gathering some of the slick there, he brought the finger back up to your clit, swirling his finger as you wailed from the sensation.

"Please try to keep it down. I don't need my family knowing I'm defiling you like this."

"You're such an ass-"

You jolted from the intruding feeling of two long fingers pushing into your cunt, your slick making it easy for Hansol to slide them in. You gripped him impossibly tight, fisting the sheets near your head as you rocked your hips. He worked you open, scissoring his fingers inside to stretch yourself for him.

"Have you had anyone taste you before?"

You felt your cheeks heat up as you nodded, thinking of the shop owner you had a crush on, back at Ellerium that you had given your first kiss to. He had ate you out along the counter of his shop after hours, but not going farther to 'save yourself for your future suitor.'

He hummed, leaning down to kiss along your plump thighs. His kisses trailed up, stopping just short of your cunt. His breath was sending chills up your spine as he glanced up at you momentarily.

"Bet I'm better than him."

His face was buried in your pussy instantly, a scream escaping you as his tongue moved brutally. He sucked loudly on your clit, fingers pumping into your dripping pussy with a gush.

You were trembling, gripping his hair tightly as he hummed into your cunt, devouring you like you were his final meal.

Your hips were chasing after him uncontrollably, his tongue alternating between fucking in and out of your hole and sucking on your clit. His nose bumped against your clit, sending shockwaves through you. His hand was resting along your thigh, keeping you spread wide for him.

You weren't going to last much longer, the buildup of your orgasm approaching quicker than you expected.

The vibrations of Hansol's groans against your cunt enhanced the feeling, your legs shaking as you moaned desperately.

"Hansol, I feel different.." You huffed out, the growing heat of your orgasm feeling more intense than you've remembered before.

"That's it, let go for me."

The view of him glaring up from between your thighs was sinful, his mouth playing you like a fine-tuned instrument. Hansol was in his element, enjoying every quiver and whimper you gave him.

One final pump of his fingers, and a rough swirl of his tongue along your clit had your orgasm rocking your body, stars shooting within your vision.

Hansol took everything you gave him, drinking up every drop of you as you yanked on his hair, grinding your cunt deeper into his face. He sighed blissfully, eventually pulling his face away with kisses all along your inner thigh as you came down for your high.

"Would you like me to give a rating?" You teased, sitting up on your elbows. Watching carefully, Hansol wiped his face, licking his fingers clean like it was nothing.

"Save it for after perhaps?" He chuckled, stepping back to slip out of his underwear, his thick length slapping up against his stomach.

Your jaw dropped at the sight of him, long and heavy, his tip red and leaking from neglect. He gave a few light strokes, holding your gaze as your wide eyes watched him eagerly.

"Hansol, let me taste you." You crawled down the bed towards him on your hands and knees, reaching for the thick length.

"No, not this time. This is about you." You glanced up at him through your lashes, a smug look forming on your face.

"This time? You plan on defiling me once again, Hansol?" He made a face at you, causing you to bust into laughter.

"I'm going to be ravishing you for the rest of our lives, viscountess." His tone was teasing, though you knew he was serious. Your stomach flipped at his implication, the conversation in the garden flooding your mind.

"Well then, don't leave me waiting, viscount." Your grin matched his own, his lips colliding with yours as he wore the smile on his lips still.

Not once breaking the kiss, he pushed you back down, crawling on top of you once more. His cock was poking against your inner thigh, an airy sigh leaving your lips from the feel.

"Is this the first time-"

"Yes… I've…I've never…" You trailed off, your cheeks growing flush.

"There's nothing to be ashamed or shy about. I want to know so I can take care of you, properly." His gaze was soft and reassuring, his hand trailing along your body slowly.

"Relax, I'm going to be careful." One of his hands slotted between your thighs, guiding two fingers past your glistening folds. You purred into his ear, allowing him to pry you open once more.

"You're doing so good for me." You hummed in response, feeling his digits slide out of you. He shifted above you, bringing your legs around his waist. The head of his cock brushed against your hole as he lined himself up, stopping just short of pushing in.

"If you're uncomfortable at any moment, do not hesitate to stop me." You nodded, your heart thumping in your chest.

"Use your words."

"Yes, I will, Hansol." You managed to get out breathlessly and the corner of his lip twitched.

"Good girl."

Hansol slowly pushed his cock in, the tip alone causing you to throw your head back with a loud wail.

Your walls clenched around him tightly, Hansol taking shaky breaths as he eased in inch by inch. He stopped about halfway to allow you to adjust, your hands gripping the sheets so hard your knuckles turned white.

"So perfect, you're doing wonderful." His words were igniting low in your belly, clenching around him on impulse. It took every ounce of strength to keep Hansol from fully ramming his cock in after you squeezed around him.

"Keep going, I'm okay." Your voice wobbled as he glided the last bit of his cock into you, bottoming out with a groan. You stayed like that for a moment, before the throb of his cock started becoming unbearable.

"Hansol, please move."

He pulled out nearly to the tip, before snapping his hips slowly back into yours. The sound that left you was guttural, Hansol groaning in time with you.

He kept his pace slow, admiring the way you shook under him, your eyes struggling to stay open with every thrust. The sight was lighting a fire in him, determined to keep your pleasure in the forefront for tonight.

You forced your eyes open, catching the way his lips were parted, the chocolate brown locks dangling over his lust-filled eyes.

The clap of your skin connecting filled the room, Hansol's lips on your neck driving you crazy. You clamped down on him, earning a deep groan in response. You needed him to pick up the pace— and desperately. You were fully adjusted to him, and eager to get wrecked.

"Hansol hon, can you speed it up a bit?"

His lips detached from your neck, tossing you a glance as he gave a strong roll of his hips. His cock dug into you, making a shaky moan leave your mouth instantly.

"Are you sure?"

"I am begging you to ruin me."

Hansol was a simple man. His lady asks for something, and she shall receive.

As if a switch flipped in him, he brought your leg higher up, a shaky breath escaping your lips in preparation. He drew his hips back, ramming into you deeply, the change in angles making his cock drag along your walls sinfully.

You were gushing around him, your wetness dripping where your bodies connected. Hansol watched carefully as his cock slid in and out of you, the clap of your thighs against his own driving him insane.

You were squeezing him so impossibly hard, Hansol knew he wouldn't be lasting much longer. He focused on your clit, gathering your slick from your hole and drawing circles along the bud.

"Oh my god!" You had never felt pleasure build up like this before, gripping the back of Hansol's neck as he worked for your second orgasm.

You felt the familiar build of your climax, mumbling nonsense as Hansol's cock split you open, his moans reverberating in your ear. His pace had picked up, rough drags of his veiny cock filling your warmth, your own moans pushing him closer to the edge.

"Hansol, I think I'm close.. so close.." Your eyes screwed shut as you felt the coil inside you snap, Hansol's name flying off your tongue as you spasmmed on his cock, shaking hard while you gushed down his length.

"Perfect, so perfect, god you're perfect." He buried his face in your neck, his hands moving to roughly grip your waist, chasing his high with a heavy slap of his balls against your puffy and overstimulated clit.

You could barely breathe, the waves of your climax still jolting you. In attempt to help Hansol out, you squeezed down on him, a guttural moan ripping from his mouth as he gave a final few shaky strokes. Quickly pulling out to cum along your stomach with his head thrown back, he moaned your name lowly.

Hansol leaned toward, dropping his weight next to you, shaky breaths filling the room. You were spent, your pussy aching from the stretch moments prior.

"Ready for your rating now?" You teased. Hansol huffed a mix of a strangled laugh and groan, lifting his head to meet your eyes.

"I'd rather not hear it at all." He deadpanned, yet the gleam in his eye told you he was messing with you as well.

"I wasn't too rough was I? I wanted to stay slow for your first time but-"

"But I am a heathen and wanted you to pick up the pace. Don't worry, you were amazing." You pinched his cheek, catching the light flush on his face before he ducked away, his ears still showing the pinkness.

"Was it not your first as well?" You tilted your head, Hansol shaking his in response.

"You thought I could devour you like that with no experience?" His eyebrow shot up as you opened your mouth to speak, closing it quickly as the words couldn't come to you.

"Well I know what you were doing on your European tour then…" He rolled his eyes, sliding off the bed to enter the attached bathroom, returning with a damp rag. He worked the rag over your body, soothing any spots he may have overdone earlier.

"To answer you, there has only been one other." You averted your gaze, feeling better knowing Hansol was nearly as inexperienced as yourself. "Anything else, Seungcheol has taught me."

You snorted, not expecting him to say that. The grin on his face gave away that he was teasing, earning a smack on his arm from you.

"You're insufferable, Choi Hansol."

"You'll learn to deal with it, my Lady." He planted a light kiss against your temple. Picking up his white button, up he helped you slip it on, only bothering with 2 of the buttons before you swatted him away, turning into the pillow. You heard him rustle with something, his trousers back on as he slid into the bed beside you.

"My sister is probably worried about where I am…" You suddenly felt a sense of consciousness, remembering the ball that was occurring a few floors down.

"No worries, Joshua knows." You cracked an eye open, watching the goofy expression spread on Hansol's face.

"How in the world does Joshua know?"

"You were too concerned yelling at me to notice Joshua watching us from the window." You move to throw a pillow at him, Hansol hiding his face with a cackle. "I caught him before we took the back entrance, we made eye contact briefly. He knows."

"Wonderful… Now Ana will be screaming about babies when I go back…"

"Speaking of babies… Should we make one right now?"

"Don't make me smother you with this pillow, Choi."

When you returned to the Hong residence the next day, hand in hand with Hansol, the drawing room exploded with commentary.

Ana shouted a quick witted "I knew it!" as Joshua slowly clapped, shaking his head with a congratulations.

"See this was the cousin I was talking about!" Chan added, laughing as you rolled your eyes at him in faux annoyance.

"About damn time, anyone with eyes could have seen you two from the start. The first dinner together I knew you would end up like this!" Mrs. Hong commented, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Ana squealed, throwing her arms around both you and Hansol. "I'm so happy for you, sister. You have no idea how much you deserve this." She pulled back with glowing eyes as you held her gently, your soft smile mirroring her own.

"Thank you, Ana. Couldn't have happened without you."

"Uh.. Yeah, I know!" She tossed her hair over her shoulder dramatically.

"Actually we have some news to share, now that you're here." Your eyebrow quirked up as Chan and Ana glanced at each other.

"We're engaged!" She whipped her hand out, the expensive diamond glistening unmistakably.

Your whole face dropped, Hansol's mouth flying open as he shared a look with you, knowing you were seething.

"You got engaged. Without my blessing beforehand?" Your eye twitched, the smile on Chan's face falling.

"Well, you know. Ana was telling me how much you approved of me and that you wanted her wed by the end of the season. So uh, surprise?"

Hansol didn't know if he would have to hold you back from scratching his cousin's eyeballs out, so he rested a grounding hand on your back.

Chan wasn't wrong at all, but you felt offended knowing he didn't ask you first. It had come up briefly between the two of you recently, but you had no idea he would've taken the initiative to go ahead and propose.

"Lee Chan, you are very lucky I like you and said you'd be a good match for Ana." Your anger subsided as you stepped forward, wrapping your arms around Chan. He went stiff, before returning the hug with a sigh of relief.

"I wish I knew before but, I understand. I'm just happy you two are betrothed." You stepped back with a calm smile on both of your faces, Chan nodding in agreement.

"So… am I now your brother in law or your cousin in law? Hansol did you pop the question yet?" Chan grinned widely, watching the way his cousin's eyes widened half a fraction; the typical blank face Hansol wore shifting to one of confusion.

"Uhh, not quite…"

"Well.. what are you waiting for Hansollie? Two weddings are better than one!" Chan gave a hearty laugh. You turned around, meeting Hansol's slightly panicked eyes.

"Oh my, father is going to flip when he finds out both of his daughters came back with a husband."

"Hansol isn't my husband-"

"Yet!" Everyone in the room called out, your face growing hot. Hansol scratched the back of his neck, a lopsided grin on his face.

As you met his gaze once again, you both casually lifted your shoulders, grinning at one another. You had found your perfect match, and after all the years of turmoil, there couldn't have been anyone better for you than Hansol.

The grin on your face was so wide your cheeks hurt. No matter how hard you tried, you and your sister were inseparable. To know you would be next door neighbors, even after marriage was joyous. Ana was bouncing off the walls, already rambling about how you needed to make haste and go dress shopping by midday.

Hansol came over to you and wrapped an arm around your waist, his bright gaze turned down towards you.

"I think 'Lady Choi' sounds perfect going before your name doesn't it?"

"Perhaps you are right, Lord Choi." You grew overwhelmed with your emotions, burying you face into his chest. Ana squealed in the background how cute two of you were, as the vibrations from Hansol's laugh echoed against your cheeks. His embrace was warm and secure, giving you a new meaning of home you didn't think you'd ever find.

The ladies of Ellerium would be leaving, but your heart was full, knowing that a piece of home would always remain with you.

The Double Life of My Dad by @chogiwaw ⬩➤ FULL FIC

🎭starring: Choi Seungcheol x f!reader Based on the show Papadol be warned: alcohol consumption, smut

📼Preview: Seungcheol's face was all over the world. walking around the city? his face was almost in every billboard. Turning on the tv? He was probably in one of drama that played in some big TV station. Going to the cinema? His recent movie probably was being played there. Music apps? His solo or his group music topping the songs chart. But when the director yells cut, the camera stops rolling and the lights turn off, he's just a simple 35 years old man who can't wait to go home to be with his wife and daughter.

There's no such thing as love… nevertheless by @paradiseonthemoon ⬩➤ PART 1

🎭starring: Yoon Jeonghan x reader Based on the show Nevertheless be warned: alcohol consumption, smoking

📼Preview: When it came to a serious talking stage or relationship, Yoon Jeonghan was always quick to leave and ghost. His mindset being more on the side of "why cant two human beings of the opposite sex be really good friends who occasionally kiss and have sex here and there". Eden Park was quite the opposite. Always being in a relationship or talking stage, she was always a very committed person and loyal. Being alone for the first time and starting to be independent, just how far is she willing to let Jeonghan in.

Who Holds Your World by @onionhassayyo ⬩➤ MASTERLIST

🎭starring: Joshua Hong x f!reader Based on: Daily Dose of Sunshine & House be warned: Medical/Psychiatry Setting, Prejudice, Mental Health Crisis

📼Preview: She heard their whispers, even though she pretended not to. “She doesn’t apply herself.” “She cares TOO much.” “She’s a liability.” They don’t know that she holds the whole world for them. Her parents, her siblings, her friends, her job. And when she refuses to carry it all anymore, she gets called the villain. And so the cracks begin to form. She holds it together for as long as possible, but when the walls come tumbling down, who is there to hold the world for her?

Gemini by @caratchronicles ⬩➤ FIC: PART 1

🎭starring: Wen Junhui x reader Based on the show Percy Jackson and the Olympians be warned: Mentions of blood, war, greek gods and greek mythological lore, panic attacks

📼Preview: As the saying goes, "History repeats itself". Eons after the Second Titan War, the world is left in a similar state of despair. Good prevails, but so does the imbalance and injustice. Now standing on opposite sides, the Gods and Demigods don't think that the damage done by The Aegean War can ever truly be repaired. When yet another prophecy pushes you to fight for your friends, you must decide for yourself: Are you worth fighting for too?

546 Days by @livmarauder ⬩➤ TEASER | FIC: PART 1

🎭starring: Kwon Soonyoung x f!reader Based on the show The Rookie be warned: mentions of blood and gore, mentions of violence, mentions of murders, topics on kidnapping, mentions of weapons such as snipers, pistols and shotguns, mentions of death of side character, mentions of anxiety, breakdowns, insecurities and ptsd, mentions of drug use/being drugged, misogynistic comments

📼Preview: When Idol Kwon Soonyoung finds himself at rock bottom after getting slammed for multiple crimes he didn't commit and a scandal that sets his career aflame, becoming your rookie was the last place anyone expected him to be. Under your own fire of having so many rookies wash out under your watch, you have no choice but to decide if he's worth the risk or if its your personal mission to get him to quit.

Caramel Pudding by @cxffecoupx ⬩➤ FIC: PART 1

🎭starring: Jeon Wonwoo x f!reader Based on the show Grey's Anatomy be warned: drinking, hospital settings, sickness (brain cyst), mentions of surgery or other treatments, death of the main or side characters.

📼Preview: It's been long since, but the doctors at Seattle Grace still remember Izzie Stevens as the doctor who fell in love with her patient. When Alex started her intern year, she scoffed at the story. But when a handsome man keeps showing up at the hospital with weird injuries, she can't help her feelings. And with the reputation that comes with her last name, each wrong move puts a mark. Will she be able to handle the case, or will history threaten to repeat itself?

Every thorn has its twilight by @cherrymayz ⬩➤ PART 1

🎭starring: Lee Jihoon x f!reader Based on the show Spy x Family be warned: violence, mentions of blood, possession and usage of weapons such as guns and blades, mentions of murder, threats, war, criminal organisations, death, self-condemnation and self-blame

📼Preview: You and Jihoon have been living a peaceful married life for the past year. One fine morning, WISE and The Garden assign the two of you with the same mission, unbeknownst to either organisation. What happens when the spy and the assassin end up finding out each other's identities? Will you be able to keep the peace you so desperately long for or will you ruin it with your own hands?

Chaste (a laid story) by @pomegranate-teardrop ⬩➤ FULL FIC

🎭starring: Lee Seokmin x reader Based on the show Laid be warned: major character deaths, smut, anxiety, themes of mental health and medication, deep intimacy discussions, profanity, insecurity regarding nudity, aphobia, implied enbyphobia/exorsexism, some body horror and gore, smoking, drinking, social ineptitude, grief, mentions of food

📼Preview: Seokmin, stage name DK, is the most infuriatingly successful actor you’ve ever crossed paths with, and you’ve known him since elementary school… let’s just say it’s been a long twenty years. After two decades of him one-upping you without trying — or even noticing — it’s finally your time to shine. Just one problem: he’s your character’s new enemy with benefits. Actually, more than one problem because the writer’s room is getting real demanding about these intimacy scenes and that curse you so heroically took on for ruby (yes, the sex kills curse, what other curse?) is starting to pick off past love interests from this very set.

Words are futile devices by @mellowgyu ⬩➤ PART 1

🎭starring: Kim Mingyu x f!reader Based on the show Hospital Playlist be warned: domestic violence and homicide, parent loss, abuse, grief, self-isolation, alcohol dependence, hospital setting and related injuries, mentions of blood, stress, suggestive themes

📼Preview: You never thought of words as important when your world is solely ruled by actions and sutures..That is until you are revisited by the words of the boy you did not have to translate your soul to. However, with the escalation of time, the boy you once knew now is someone you need to notify of your every action…not that you mind the sudden intrusion of the man who has always smelled like sandalwood and all the peace you have ever known.

Read me and weep by @gentleisa ⬩➤ FULL FIC

🎭starring: Xu Minghao x f!reader Based on the show Criminal Minds be warned: body insecurity and smut

📼Preview: Technical Analyst LN YN and FBI Agent Xu Minghao are known in the BAU as a dynamic duo. A duo full of reportable comments, inappropriate nicknames and so much warmth. Anyone with eyes can see that YN is in love with Minghao and it's likely that he's in love with her too. What happens when tensions finally bubble over? When someone else is introduced to the story?

Loser like me by @hopecutie ⬩➤ PART 1

🎭starring: Boo Seungkwan x f!reader Based on the show Glee be warned: mentions of food, stress, smut and other suggestive themes

📼Preview: There is nothing ironic about show choir, except when you walk into auditions a terrified junior and walk out a lead vocalist. Or when you find a place to belong, then are forced to transfer schools and lose touch with everyone. Or when, years later, you're presented with the opportunity to coach your former glee club to victory—alongside your old co-vocalist, Boo Seungkwan. Will you find the courage to sing again after having left it behind? Will you and Seungkwan pick up where you left off? And will your high school's glee club finally win nationals?

Fated Season by @luvrung ⬩➤ TEASER | FULL FIC

🎭starring: Chwe Hansol x f!reader Based on the show Bridgerton be warned: smut, mentions of anxiety, commitment issues, eldest sibling issues.

📼Preview: At 27 years old, you no longer had eligibility in the yearly season of courting. Your only desire now was to get your younger sister married on her first season out this year. You never expected the loop that the Choi family would throw your way with their youngest son Hansol. He was perfect for your sister— yet why was he so intrigued by you?

Love, Intertwined by @choco-scoups ⬩➤ FIC: PART 1 PART 2

🎭starring: Lee Chan x f!reader Based on the show Business Proposal be warned: smut and other suggestive themes

📼Preview: When a series of unfortunate circumstances leaves the stranger you fell in love with, holding a bad impression of you, you decide that maybe love wasn't in your cards yet and try to move on. But what happens when your paths keep intertwining, taunting you to cross the line? Will you dare again? Or will you not?

Predictable. If you had to use one word to describe your mornings, that would be it. In a job full of the unpredictable, you took solace in your morning routines that never strayed far from the beaten road. It was so predictable that Mingyu, Minghao and Seokmin could even tell what you were doing from the get go, no matter what time it was before you step into work.

5am - Wake Up and Get Ready 5:30am - Morning Run 6:30am - Home and Shower 7am - Breakfast & Smoothie Prep 7:30am - Leave for the Station 8am - Reach the Station 8:30am - Roll Call

Which is why at exactly 7am, you exit your bedroom, fresh as a daisy to find Minghao already at the stove, preparing breakfast and humming to himself as the smell of bacon fill your nose.

"Morning." He greets, not sparing a glance at you as he continues to move around the kitchen, with the bacon still sizzling on the pan. You make your way around the kitchen island, giving his arm a quick squeeze in greeting.

"Morning, Hao." You glance curiously into the bowl, wondering what he was mixing. A small grin appears on your lips as you realize what the mixture is. "Pancakes? Are we feeding a whole school here, big brother?"

Minghao rolls his eyes, letting out a soft scoff as he pushes you away from the bowl. "I figured, since it's rookie day that we will need the extra little bit of energy to keep us from loosing our minds today." He raises an eyebrow. "But if you don't want to eat it, I guess I could just pack the rest for Seokmin and Mingyu. Your eyes widen as you let out a flabbergasted gasp before whacking his shoulder, making him yelp a little in response. "You wouldn't! I'm your sister!"

"Step-sister." Minghao corrects a little pointedly, rubbing the spot where you hit him as you roll your eyes in response.

"to-May-to, to-Mah-to." You quip back, emphasizing on the different syllables. Minghao roll his eyes, biting back a smile as he shoos you away from the stove. You walk around him towards the fridge, pulling out ingredients for your morning smoothie.

"Besides," Minghao starts softly, clearing his throat as you glance over at him, "I thought we could also have these like when we were kids." He continues to stir the bowl, chewing his bottom lip. "Bacon pancakes were definitely the best way to start the school term."

Minghao and you have been half-siblings since you were 6 years old, your mother having met his father in the most cliche way possible by accidentally spilling coffee on him at the coffee shop down the road from your house. Your mother, being the people pleaser she was, immediately offered him one of your fathers old shirts from the closet as he laughed at her and told her that it was okay. They then got to talking and bonded over their shared grievances before eventually giving this new relationship a shot. When their relationship started getting more serious, it was time for the 'Meet the Kids' Session, where your mother brought you to Minghao's house to meet him and his dad for the first time.

You remember being in that little pink dress your mother had forced you into, and staring at the boy who looked like he was contemplating slamming the door in your faces as soon as he saw the two of you behind it. Thankfully, he didn't and just stared at you even after his father ushered you and your mother into the house. You shuffled awkwardly under his gaze as he continued to quietly stare at you, almost as if he was analyzing you.

"Honey," your mother started, pushing you a little towards the boy, "This is Minghao." His father repeated the same process, speaking your name softly as you stood right in front of the older boy. His eyes flitted around your face before staring you dead in the eye and opened his mouth as you braced for whatever mean words he wanted to say.

"Would you like to see my seashell collection?" You blink once. Twice. Three Times. "Seashells?"

Minghao gave one firm nod before your eyes comically widened as you nodded your head excitedly. Just like that, his face lit up and he gave you a toothy grin before grabbing your hand and leading you to his room. Where he showed you his really cute and pretty seashell collection.

Fast forward to a marriage and 20 or so years later, here you were, sharing a four room apartment with your step-brother; who still had the same seashell collection in his room which was getting bigger with every trip you two had taken together.

You blink at the older man, warmth filling your chest as you smile a little, remembering the fond memories. "I love that." You answer softly, closing the fridge door. "Maybe that should be our new tradition for every rookie day now."

Minghao simply hums, a small grin on his face as you pull out a chopping board from the cupboard. "Want one?" You ask, sparing him a glance as you lay out all the ingredients in-front of you.

"Sure."

The two of you work your way around the kitchen, seamlessly moving out of each others way and getting everything done before both of you settle across from each other.Plates stacked with bacon and pancakes, as well as the smoothie that you made with whatever you could find in the fridge. The two of you eat in silence, chatting momentarily here and there about anything and everything, a simple "Let's go grocery shopping this weekend", or "Should we go out with Gyu and Seok this weekend?"

Your morning ends with Minghao going to take a shower while you pour the leftover smoothies into to-go cups for him and yourself. Clearing the dishes, you smile to yourself as the soap bubbles coat your arms. These are definitely what mornings are suppose to look like. Predictable. Structured. Unsurprising. After a morning like this, what could possibly go wrong?

The quiet moment before roll call is definitely the best part of your morning. It is further affirmed by the two tall troublemakers sitting on top of the break tables in the TO Break Room.

"You guys are aware that there are completely comfortable chairs just beside the table, right?" Minghao asks as soon as the two of you enter the room, deadpan etched in his tone as he gestures towards the four chairs on either side of the table. "You guys are even spoiled for choice when it comes to which seat you'll pick!"

The two whip their heads towards you and your step-brother before they roll their eyes at his words, almost in sync. Their reactions make you cover your mouth, biting back a smile as you try not to giggle. "Just for that, I'm greeting Nova first." Mingyu, the taller of the two says as he stands up and walks towards you before pulling you into a giant bear hug making you groan as he squeezes you tight.

The action is definitely for show for Minghao making you tap hard on Mingyu's biceps, a way to tell him to get off nicely. "Can't. Breathe. Gyu." You manage to mutter out between taps. Mingyu, the ever-loving oaf, did not listen and instead, squeezes you tighter in response. Before you could pass out, the other tall man saves you by yanking Mingyu off of you, pulling you into his embrace instead. "Nova." Seokmin chirps, giving you a squeeze as you smile up at the man.

"Hey, Sunshine." You chirp back, embracing his hug as he squeezes you just a little tighter at the mention of the nickname. Seokmin lets you go before pulling your older step-brother into a side hug, which he begrudgingly accepts as you take a seat on top of the break table, much to Minghaos' dismay as he grimaces when you shoot him a teasing look. "Can't believe it's already our twenty-first Rookie Day!" Mingyu exclaims, taking his seat beside yours, on the top of the break table, the protein shake in his hand sloshing slightly.

You share a look with Minghao, who sits on the chair next to the table (just to prove a point, you're sure), before collectively rolling your eyes. "You're making it sound as if it's like getting the best present in the world." Mingyu raises an eyebrow as he takes a gulp of his protein shake. "It is for you and Nova." He says pointedly, closing the shake with a 'click'. "The poor souls that get the two of you as their training officers better start praying for their lives."

Minghao lets out a scoff as you exasperatedly gasp. "Me?" You ask, feigning ignorance as you dramatically place your hand on your chest. Seokmin lets out a little giggle at your antics, taking a seat next to Minghao on the chair — a way to keep him company. "I'm an angel. The rookies should be glad that it's me training them instead of a tall lanky bozo like you."

Mingyu's jaw drops at your statement as Seokmin starts laughing harder, almost falling off the chair while Minghao smirks, his amusement shining through as he watches you and Mingyu bicker. "Well! At least they don't call me Medusa behind my back!" He shoots back.

"Better than being called Brunette Ken, with all the muscles and no brains." You deadpan out, taking a sip of your smoothie as you shrug. "Besides, Medusa's a badass. She turns people to stone."

Mingyu scoffs at this, a pout making its way onto his face. "Your heart is made out of stone." He sourly mutters.

You roll your eyes, about to retort when you hear a knock on the door. The four of you turn towards it to see Seungcheol leaning against it, a grim expression on his face.

"Sergeant." Mingyu exclaims, his mood picking up instantly after seeing him. He mocks a salute which makes Seokmin giggle and Minghao shake his head with a slight grin on his lips. "May I say you're looking lovely this morning." You let out a giggle before looking at Seungcheol.

Seungcheol, however, did not crack a grin. He sends a nod in Mingyu's direction before locking eyes with you. "Nova, my office in ten."

You blink in surprise, caught off-guard by the seriousness in his tone, before giving him a curt nod. "Yes, Sergeant." He turns without another word, making you look towards the three men who stare at you, as if deciding whether to start praying for you or to reassure you.

"Did you do something to piss him off?" Seokmin inquires, his eyebrows furrowing with worry.

You shake your head. "No… I don't think so." Running through the previous weeks events in your head, you visibly freeze.

Minghao, ever the observer, raises an eyebrow at the action. "What did you do?"

You chew on your bottom lip. "I might've eaten his leftover kimchi stew in the fridge the other day when he wasn't in the office."

The three guys visibly freeze at your confession, unsure of how to react. They share a look between each other before turning back to you.

"The one from the place down the street that he was raving about last week?" Minghao asks, his voice laced with seriousness. In any other situation, you probably would've cackled at how serious your brother looks but instead, you swallow your saliva and nod slowly.

It was almost comedic watching the three guys' expressions change before your very eyes into one of grievances (Mingyu), one of disappointment (Minghao), and one of exasperation (Seokmin).

"Well, we loved working with you." Mingyu says empathetically as he reaches over to pat you on your shoulder.

"I can't believe you would do that." Minghao deadpans, shaking his head. "You know better than to mess with his food after the Bulgogi incident." Minghao states before nudging a thumb in Mingyu's direction.

"Hey!" Mingyu whines out as a pout overtakes his features. "We said we weren't going to bring it up anymore."

"We do when someone messes with the sergeant's food instead of learning from your mistakes."

Mingyu was about to retort when Seokmin stands up, animatedly waving his arms in any direction available making the three of you jump slightly.

"Guys! C'mon!" He says exasperatingly, his arms never wavering. "We need to figure out a way to get her out of this!"

"She brought this upon herself." Minghao says, crossing his arms. "The amount of times I have to remind you guys not to eat his food is getting out of hand." He mutters, locking eyes with you making you shrink back, a little sheepishly.

"What's going on?"

The four of you turn towards the door to see Jun. The older man assesses the room with the precision of a sniper — which he is — with an eyebrow raised. "Are you guys bullying Nova again?"

Sergeant Wen Junhui, is one of the leaders of Vanguard, a Special Enforcement Unit which is usually in charge of all the high risk cases in the area. To you and the rest, however, he was just known as Jun, one of the first few friends the four of you made in the academy. He was also your guys' senior by one year. Other than having a noticeable soft spot for Minghao, he had a bigger noticeable one for you — always making sure that the guys were not bullying you as much while always having your back.

The guys used to make fun of you all the time, saying that Jun probably did that because he had a crush on you — much to Minghao's dismay as your older stepbrother. You used to shut it down as well, always telling them to shut up. However, you did secretly have a small crush on the older man. Not that you would ever admit it. However, all of those theories turned into history when Jun met his girlfriend a year ago.

"She ate Choi's leftover kimchi stew that was in the fridge the other day." Minghao deadpans, making Jun's eyes widen before locking them with yours.

"You didn't." He says in utter disbelief, making you smile sheepishly as Mingyu nods.

"Oh yes she did."

"Nova…" Jun sympathetically drawls out, making your cheeks heat up before you throw your hands up exasperatedly.

"I know okay! Can we please let this go?" You beg. "I don't want to think of all the bad outcomes before they even happen!"

"Maybe we could say that the janitor threw it out." Mingyu suggests, ignoring whatever you just said, making you glare at him.

Minghao shakes his head. "No, Hyunseok is smarter than that after making the mistake once." Minghao recalls, making Seokmin shudder as he recalls the memory as well.

"Maybe he didn't even notice." Jun suggests hopefully, hopping on top of the break room table next to Mingyu. Mingyu furrows his eyebrows before shaking his head almost disappointingly.

"I think the top marksman badge from the academy that hangs above his desk would disagree with you."

You feel the pit in your stomach get deeper with each word they say, making you groan as you run your hands down your face. "I beg of you, please, can we just stop talking about this." You muffle out from behind your hands.

The room goes silent at your words before you feel a hand on your shoulder. You peek out from behind them to look at Minghao, the owner of the hand, who tongues his cheek. "You'll be fine, Pixie. Just go in that room and do what you always do." He clicks his tongue before gesturing towards the other three men in the room. "We kid and mess with you because we like you, I'm sure it's nothing serious."

Your cheeks flush a little at the endearing childhood nickname that Minghao uses every now and then when he's serious or trying to comfort you. The rest had tried to use it after hearing Minghao say it the first time when you were all in the academy together, but that was quickly shot down when you threatened major bodily harm in the worst ways imaginable.

You glance towards the three other men in question who give you reassuring smiles, making you let out a breath that you didn't know you were holding. You glance towards the clock before hopping off the table and dusting your uniform.

"Well, time to face the music." You mumble to yourself.

The four guys share a glance before Seokmin places a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "We'll see you at roll call." He says, giving you an infectious grin that almost makes you forget that you are walking towards potential death.

Almost.

You bid them goodbye before walking towards Seungcheol's office. You raise your fist, taking a deep breath to compose your nerves, before knocking three hard knocks on the door. A soft 'come in' comes from the other side of the door, making you push the door open to see Seungcheol leaning against his chair, his expression unreadable as you enter the room.

"You wanted to see me Sarge?" You ask, hoping your voice didn't waver. Seungcheol nods and gestures to the chair in front of his desk.

"Shut the door and take a seat."

You nod, obeying his words before shutting the door with a soft thud and sitting in the chair, Seungcheol watching your every move. He sits upright, analyzing you with a small frown on his face that makes your nerves spike as an awkward silence envelopes the two of you. He opens his mouth to start but you cut him off before he can even get a word out.

"I'm sorry! I'll buy you the stew later for lunch if you don't give me the Bulgogi scolding."

Seungcheol eyebrows immediately furrow at your words, considering them for a moment as you continue to babble on about how you're willing to add on all the extras that could be added, moving your hands around animatedly.

"What?" He asks, confusion written all over his face, making you stop mid-ramble. Your hands freeze in place as you turn to look at the man, your expression almost mirroring his.

"Wasn't that what you wanted to talk about Sarge?"

"I don't even know what you're spouting right now, Nova."

"Oh." You awkwardly mumble out, lowering your arms slowly to your side. Seungcheol squeezes the bridge of his nose as he lets out a sigh, shaking his head. "Then why did you call me here, Sarge?"

He clasps his hands together before leaning them against the table. "As you know, its rookie day, meaning that all the new rookies are coming in today." You nod slowly, urging him to continue. "Normally, I wouldn't make such a big deal of talking to you or the other TOs about the rookies, but upper management has been flagging records, specifically yours."

You freeze at that, watching as Seungcheol reaches beside him and grabs a piece of paper, turning it around and placing it between the two of you. You lean closer, eyes scanning the paper, noticing a table with numbers and names.

Training Officer - Lee Seokmin: Total Rookies - 20 Total Wash Outs - 3 Total Passes - 17

Training Officer - Kim Mingyu: Total Rookies - 20 Total Wash Outs - 1 Total Passes - 19

Training Officer - Xu Minghao: Total Rookies - 20 Total Wash Outs - 8 Total Passes - 12

You briefly screen past the rest of the names and numbers before your eyes land on yours, which was right under Minghao's.

Total Rookies - 20 Total Wash Outs - 11 Total Passes - 9

There was nothing unusual about these numbers. There was a reason why you were known as Nova to the rest of the district since your rookie days. However, what caught your attention was the words written underneath your numbers in the report that the rest did not get.

"Evaluation of Nova: Fierce by nature but tends to leave her rookies to fend for themselves in many reported situations. Needs to get at least double digits this year. If not, removal from TO program as seen fit." Your head shoots up to look at Seungcheol as soon as the words register in your mind. "Removal from TO program? Sarge, you can't be serious."

Seungcheol let out a sigh, grimacing slightly. "Internal Affairs is indeed taking this as a serious issue, Nova. They flagged that your teaching methods have been deemed unfit for taking in the newer rookies. They would like to at least see double digit numbers out of you this year if not," he points at the statement, "removal from TO program, effective immediately."

"Sir, with all due respect, this is bullshit." You manage to spit out. "My rookies turned officers rate may be low but the officers developed under my watch are the ones who are the best of the district. Even IA has got to know that."

Seungcheol sighs again and clasps his hands together, gripping them together tightly. "Look Nova," he starts, "of course I know that this is Internal Affairs way of bullshitting that you can't be here in this program. Your track record for rookies is definitely one of our best."

He pauses to gesture towards the statement again. "However, IA has flagged the number of wash outs that happen on your watch. Regardless of whether it is by luck that I always assign you the worst rookies, or that they do something stupid during the job or wash out during Plain Clothes Day… it doesn't matter." He leans against his chair, looking absolutely drained. "I had to fight with IA about this because they almost flagged your brother for the same exact reason." You chuckle with no humour, a little hurt by his words. "So you save him instead of me?"

His gaze hardens at your words. "You know it wasn't like that, Nova. Don't be like that, please." He says lowly, his tone cracking slightly, making guilt pit at your stomach. You knew it wasn't but you couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

You had met Seungcheol in an Undercover Class during your first year as an official officer and he quickly became an elder brother figure to both you and Minghao, always forcing you two to reconcile whenever you both had petty fights. He rose up the ranks faster than anyone you had known of due to his amazing leadership skills as well as his prior army experience that he had kept to himself a lot. When he had first made Sergeant at this district, you and Minghao immediately put in your transfer papers to transfer to his.

He sighs, reaching over to grasp one of your hands in his, a gesture you were familiar with, a way of showing of showing comfort from the older man.

"The two of you were almost kicked out of the program without any consultation." He says before rubbing a thumb over your hand comfortingly. "I was only called as a common courtesy because the guy in charge of the case owes me a favour from the army days. I fought tooth and nail for you and I was only able to save Hao because his passing numbers are in the double digits. Which is why they're offering you the same courtesy." You feel empty at Seungcheol's words and the thought that you and your brother almost suffered the same fate.

You and Minghao were known as the 'Deadly Weapons' during your years at the academy. Your records together broke everyone else's the minute you guys were rookies, making training officers in record time. You, more so than Minghao, had a track record for putting your rookies under immense pressure, tossing them into the deep end and letting them try to swim and fend for themselves more often than not.

Hence, the nickname, Nova— more so than Medusa— followed you through all those years.

You believed in teachable moments but at the end of the day, you were still only twenty-seven. A year younger than Minghao, Mingyu and Seokmin, and you had definitely committed your fair share of mistakes during your few years as a training officer. You were harsh on some, didn't train some of them enough before plain clothes day and there were just some circumstances that couldn't be avoided while out on the field.

Seungcheol taps a finger on your hand, making you snap out of your thoughts. You look at him, his eyes filled with sympathy that makes you swallow your emotions and sit up straighter.

"Alright." You manage to say. "If double digits is what they want, the next rookie is going to be the best one I've trained." If you didn't know Seungcheol for long, you might have breezed past the way he visibly freezes at your words, or the way he hummed— a habit he did when he was hiding something.

You raise an eyebrow at that. "Sarge." You say, suspiciously eyeing the man. "What are you hiding?"

Seungcheol can't meet your eyes so you pull your hand away from his. "Seungcheol." You say, your tone more serious, making the man glance upwards.

"That was the next thing we need to talk about."

Your heart sinks again. "That doesn't sound good." You air out, sitting more upright than you already were.

"Your new rookie is, Kwon Soonyoung."

You blink at him before letting out a small laugh. "Wow, poor guy. If I had the same name as that god-forsaken idol of a murderer, I would definitely change my name straight away. Especially if I was training to become a police officer."

Seungcheol lets out a cough of a laugh before locking eyes with you. "Yeah," he says, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "But he is the Kwon Soonyoung, and he was found not guilty."

You stare at Seungcheol for any signs of humour before feeling your heart in your throat. "Sarge, please tell me you're fucking with me." Seungcheol looks at you, his eyebrows raising. "Does it look like I'm joking, Nova?"

You shoot from your seat, feeling your blood rushing. "This has gotta be a joke, Choi." You spit out. "A tabloid murderer—"

"An exonerated tabloid murderer." Seungcheol says, interrupting your rant and causing you to glare at him before continuing.

"—joining our district and being my rookie? Are we just letting anyone join nowadays?"

Seungcheol let out a sigh before standing up and walking over, standing a few meters away from you. "Actually, Officer Kwon had to sue the city to even be in this position because he was wrongfully charged in the first place. The trial found him not guilty and let him into the academy." You let out a slow breath as he continues. "And once he was there, he earned solid scores. His record also tells me they're better than yours."

You freeze at that, your frown deepening. "You can't be serious." You deadpan out.

Seungcheol shakes his head, picking up a paper on his desk before turning it to you. Your eyes widen as the score '389' reflects clearly on the sheet of paper causing you to internally curse. The murderer had scored one point higher than you. One Point.

Seungcheol pulls the paper away from your face, placing it back on his desk as you collect the million thoughts racing through your head. "Internal Affairs has decided that he is your new rookie to really test that your training methods work."

You feel your chest burn with anger. "This really feels like a threat, Sarge." You manage to spit out, your tone and words laced with venom, making Seungcheol sigh.

"It's the offer you're getting, Nova. So I guess the question is…" Seungcheol trails off, sitting at the corner of his desk as he crosses his arms in front of him. "Whether you're going to condemn him before you even meet the guy or are you going to give him the proper treatment to ensure that he passes with flying colours, so that you and him are able to stay in this district together."

Your eyes narrow at his choice of words before steeling yourself. "If he cannot hack it, I will cut him. Regardless of whether I'm a training officer or not after the fact." You swiftly turn towards the door, not wanting to stay any longer.

Seungcheol calls out your real name, making you pause as you turn back to him. "You're one of the best officers I have, Nova. I hope you know that even though Internal Affairs is being a bitch about it, I would have assigned him to you, regardless of everything happening because I know that you can handle it."

Your heart wrenches slightly at his words as you analyze his expression filled with sincerity and sympathy. It makes you let out a slight scoff as you shake your head. "If I can help it, I will not let a murderer walk out onto our streets, Seungcheol." You steel your gaze on the older man. "Even if its the last thing I get to do as a training officer in this district."

With that, you walk out the door.

All the sounds muffle as you continue down the hallway making your way towards the main meeting room for roll call as a number settles in between your thoughts.

546 Days.

You had seen the number written on Kwon Soonyoung's contract under your name.

546 Days under your watch.

546 Days where he will either pass with flying colours or flunk out under your watch.

546 Days to prove that all the blood, sweat and tears were worth it.

546 Days to prove that he has a chance to stay.

546 Days to prove that you were meant for this job.

546 Days, and the clock starts now.

Soonyoung can count the number of times he has been caught red-handed on one hand.

The first time being when he was six years old and he broke his mothers favourite vase, the second being when he had accidentally stepped on his dog — Latte's — tail and she had to be taken to the vet when he was ten. Third, when he sneaked out to meet a girl by the convenience store near his house that he liked when he was sixteen, which was also where he had his first kiss.

However, he didn't think the fourth would be at the age of twenty-eight, handcuffed in the back of a cop's car where he could still feel his hands slicked with blood, hear his heart pounding in his ears as he felt the adrenaline continue to rush through his veins.

Everything felt like a rush, as if he was acting in a new movie. Except this was real life.

He remembers the door being broken in, he remembers his hands stained with red as he was forced to move away from the body. He remembers the muffled yelling of the officers telling him to stand down and surrender when he hadn't even moved from where he was sitting.

He remembers being tackled by the officers, feeling them slam his head into the floor as they handcuffed his bloody hands together and forced him up on his feet, without a second thought for him.

He remembers being read his rights in the back of the car, he remembers being processed and being read his rights in the interrogation room.

He remembers flinching as the detective hit the metal table and yelled at him to answer their questions, questions he doesn't even recall hearing.

Worst of all, he remembers clutching her body in his arms, his hands getting soaked with red as he felt the tears run down his face, hearing his own yells that were muffled and he was sure that it was all just gibberish. Even with his face on the floor and his hands handcuffed behind his back, he could still see the pool of blood that she was left in, her white dress that he had gotten her for her last birthday was soaked with the crimson of her blood. Her eyes, that was once so full of life just bore into his, lifeless and dim.

He had never felt so broken.

Everything felt like a movie, he remembers calling in his oldest friend — Jeonghan — he remembers his manager getting tons of calls, looking more stressed than he had ever seen him, but he thinks the worst part of everything was the look on his parents face when he had gotten convicted, when he was almost convicted without trial.

Soonyoung woke up with a start, his bangs slick with sweat as he felt the cool air prickle his slightly sweaty skin. He groans, running a hand through his hair as a million thoughts ran through his mind.

Her in her white dress soaked crimson from her own blood. Her lips pale, her body cold and limp in Soonyoung's arms as her blood soaked his skin as well, painting his skin red.

He can't remember how many times he had woken up from the same nightmare, but he knows it had to be at least in the sixties or seventies now, considering he used to have this nightmare three times a week during his first week of trials.

That was almost a year and a half ago at this point, he remembers the endless weeks of trial, the sleepless nights of solo-confinement and shudders. When the jury ruled 'not guilty' and he was exonerated, Soonyoung spent the better part of the first few months going for therapy sessions that Jeonghan practically had to drag him to.

"Self-pity is okay." Jeonghan had assured him when Soonyoung brought it up once how much of a burden he felt, wallowing in it. "You went through something that no one should have to experience. It's okay to wallow in the self-pity for a while but don't let it become something that turns you into a shell for the rest of your life."

Soonyoung remembers wanting to argue then, about how it felt wrong for him to live when she was gone but upon seeing the tired look on Jeonghan's face, he shuts up. He was thankful for the older man, who represented him in court and managed to get a settlement for him which was the only good thing reaped from this god-awful case. It was so messy and the evidence was tainted by so many sources, that the case itself was just a nightmare.

Jeonghan had asked what Soonyoung wanted to do with the settlement after the case was over and Soonyoung couldn't tell him. He knew he couldn't go back to being an idol after this — not that he wanted to — the public opinion of him was the worst it had been in years. But after settling down and resting his head on a soft plushy pillow while staring at the ceiling, it clicks.

He used the settlement to sue his way into the police academy and the rest was history.

Soonyoung glances towards his digital calendar on the wall and curses lowly under his breath. Maybe it was just his luck that he happens to have this nightmare plague his mind on the first day of his rookie training. His eyes, flit towards the time on the bottom right of the calendar. He lets out a sigh as it reads 6:20am, an unfortunate time for him to be awake. He forces himself to sit up on the mattress, knowing that sleep will not come easy after the nightmare.

He gets off the mattress and shuffles out of his room, the air of the recent nightmare still lingering which suffocates him slightly. As soon as he opens the door, Soonyoung gets the shock of his life seeing Jeonghan sitting at their kitchen island, a cup of tea in one hand and his phone in the other, scrolling.

"Morning." Jeonghan nonchalantly states as he takes a sip of his tea. He barely glances up at Soonyoung, acting as if it was normal for him to be up at this ungodly hour. Soonyoung blinks at the older man, staring at him making Jeonghan finally glance up, noticing that he hadn't moved from the doorframe and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"I should be asking you that." Soonyoung blurts out, shuffling into the kitchen. He leans against the kitchen counter as Jeonghan locks his phone, placing it face-down on the countertop. "Why are you awake at this ungodly hour?"

Jeonghan shrugs. "Was burning the midnight oil working on a nightmare of a new case so I didn't get a lot of sleep." Jeonghan pauses, analyzing the younger man. "I was planning to wake up earlier anyways. Wanted to see if you needed anything before you went in for your first day."

Soonyoung feels himself freeze at the double meaning of Jeonghan's words, which of course doesn't go unnoticed by the older man who slides off the island seat. "Tea?" Jeonghan offers softly. Soonyoung feels himself nod before moving to occupy the seat that Jeonghan was in, as if he was on auto-pilot.

Jeonghan shuffles around the kitchen, humming softly to himself as Soonyoung taps along, fingers moving along to the beat as he watches the older man move around the kitchen. Jeonghan had offered Soonyoung to move in with him right after the ruling, when Soonyoung had sold everything that even held a small resemblance to his old idol life, wanting to start anew.

At first, he was hesitant, he didn't want to intrude on Jeonghan's space, and after bringing that up to Jeonghan, the older man simply rolled his eyes and practically moved Soonyoung in without consent.

Jeonghan places the mug in-front of Soonyoung before leaning against the counter.Soonyoung takes the cup with a soft 'thank you' making Jeonghan hum in acknowledgement as he eyes the blonde man in front of him. He takes a small sip, sighing a little in contentment as he feels his chest warm from the hot liquid.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Soonyoung sighs as he meets Jeonghan's gaze, shrugging. "Nothing new." He states, his words bitter as he takes another sip. "Just of that night."

Jeonghan was painfully familiar with that night. He had asked Soonyoung to walk him through it at least a dozen times to make sure that there were no loopholes in his story that the DA would eat him alive for.

Jeonghan let out a sigh. "Are you sure that you're ready for today?" He asks, concern slipping into his tone. "The therapist said that she could always write you a letter to start next week."

Soonyoung shakes his head. "No." He had already considered this the other day when Minyoung, his therapist, brought it up during their most recent session together. It seemed too much like an easy way out and Soonyoung knew that as soon as he took it, it would make his journey a little less purposeful.

"I need to do this." Soonyoung states with a quiet resolve. "I need to make sure that no one else goes through the same thing that I did and I also need to do this for…" He trails off, not being able to say her name. But Jeonghan gets it, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, you were always the more resolved one out of the two of us." Jeonghan softly jokes, breaking the tension as Soonyoung barks out a laugh.

"No way." Soonyoung starts, shaking his head. "Have you seen yourself in court? You nearly ate that other lawyer alive."

Jeonghan scoffs at that. "Because their defense was bullshit." He snarkily states, shaking his head. "Like, how the fuck does 'your honour, the defendants footprints were found on the carpet where the body was found' hold up in court?" Jeonghan blurts out, his hands waving exasperatedly. "Like, no shit Sherlock, it says that in the fucking report."

Soonyoung laugh as Jeonghan continues to rant about the lawyer, his hands continuing their movements. When Jeonghan finally calms down, they launch back into another round of random but easy conversations to pass the time as they finish their cups of tea.

Jeonghan stretches slightly, glancing at the clock. "Well, time for us to get ready."

His words make Soonyoung look towards the clock hanging on the wall, realizing that it was already 7:30am. He goes to pick his cup up but Jeonghan beats him to it, stubbornly shaking his head at Soonyoungs' protests. "I got this, you can't afford to be late on your first day."

Soonyoung scoffs. "And you can?"

"Well, I'm not at the bottom of the food chain, Boot." Jeonghan quips back, a small smirk on his face. The younger boy rolls his eyes, silently flipping the older boy off before making his way into his bedroom.

"Hoshi?"

Soonyoung stops in his tracks, hearing the childhood nickname. He glances at Jeonghan who is standing by the sink. "Yeah?"

Jeonghan analyzes Soonyoung, chewing on his bottomm lip. "If anything bad happens today, I want you to tell me about it." Soonyoung blinks and opens his mouth but Jeonghan raises his hand, stopping him from whatever he was going to say. "I don't care how gory the details are or how fucked up the case is. If anything happens, you either tell me or text Minyoung about it." Jeonghan inhales a shaky breath, strict concern written all over his face. "Promise me, please?"

Soonyoung's heart clenches at Jeonghan's words before nodding. "I promise."

Jeonghan let out a slow exhale of relief and nods. "Good." He turns back to the sink. "I'll see you at dinner, don't do anything stupid that makes you late."

The tension of the earlier statements break at Jeonghan's nagging making Soonyoung roll his eyes. "Yes, mum."

"Don't start with me, Kwon Soonyoung." Jeonghan chastises, jokingly stern which makes Soonyoung's eyes roll again as a scoff falls from his lips. He enters his room, shutting the door behind him with a soft 'thud' before his eyes flit towards the rookie uniform hanging next to his mirror.

He inhales sharply, letting the silence wash over him as the fact finally settles that today is his first day in the actual police world. He didn't have the safety net of the academy and he has to be prepared for anything.

Soonyoung turns toward the window where sunlight starts to seep in as it rises slowly over the horizon of the buildings. Pink and orange clouds fill the sky as dark blue starts to seep in, the orange ball of light peeking through the buildings. Soonyoung smiles, slightly bittersweet. Pink and orange were her favourite colours after all.

"Thank you for another beautiful morning, Seoyeon."

"You're kidding." Seokmin states in disbelief, a small frown on his face. You give him a blank stare as Minghao, Mingyu and him peer into the windowed briefing room. "Kwon Soonyoung? Like the murderer?!"

"Exonerated murderer." You state bitterly, Seungcheol's voice ringing in your head. "Choi was very clear about that fact when he told me about it."

The four of you stand outside the briefing room, leaning against the desks as you stare at the exonerated murderer in question, sitting at the front row, engaging with the other three rookies.

"He looks so…" Mingyu trails off, tilting his head as Minghao fixes him with an unamused look. "Normal?" Minghao asks with an eyebrow raised.

Mingyu shakes his head. "Small."

Seokmin scoffs at that. "You're a giant, everyone is smaller than you by default."

The two start to bicker but you tune them out as you stare at the blonde headed rookie, squinting and analyzing him as he laughs at something the rookie next to him says. Despite being slightly older than them, you can tell that they're close from the way that they were cracking jokes with each other. Soonyoung, however, is nervous. You can tell from the way he keeps tapping his fingers against the metal table, no doubt worried about how the day was going to turn out.

"Pixie." You turn to your right to see Minghao leaning against the desk next to you as Mingyu and Seokmin continued their bickering. "Are you alright?"

You open your mouth, ready to let out an easy white lie but hesitate when you see the concern in Minghao's eyes, making you sigh as you fold your arms. "Not really." You mutter, turning back to look at the rookie. "I don't know how Sarge is expecting me to ride out there with this guy having my back, Hyung. It's like a train wreck waiting to happen."

"I'm sure Sarge has a good reason for putting you with him, Pixie." Minghao gently says. "He probably knows that this is the one thing that will put you on the board for the Sergeants' Exam. A challenge that will put you a notch above the rest." Minghao nudges you, a teasing smile tugging on his lips. "And," he adds, "if he doesn't make it, you can always wash him out. You're the queen of doing that after all."

An awkward laugh bubbles out of your throat as you feel your heart sink, digesting Minghao's words. When the three had crowded you after your meeting with Seungcheol, you hadn't entirely divulged all the details from the meeting. You said that the brass just talked about the new rookie that you needed to shoulder and that it was the wrongfully incarcerated man sitting at the front row.

You couldn't bear to talk about the consequences of what would happen if Soonyoung washes out on your watch, just like you couldn't bear to tell the details of how Minghao was close to being in the same boat as you.

Minghao, ever the observant one, raised an eyebrow at that and asked why the meeting had taken so long if it was just about that. You, ever the adaptable one, replied that you had fought with Seungcheol for the rest of the time about the decision before he finally pulled rank on you.

Not entirely a lie, but not entirely the truth either.

"Still." You say, doubts swirling in your head. "What if I can't make him a good officer, Hao?" Minghao shakes his head before grabbing your hand, squeezing it gently in his.

"Pixie, you will deal with it." Minghao reassures gently, squeezing your hand again. "You're one of the best training officers we have and you will teach this idol what it takes to be a police officer and whether he deserves to be here." He continues, his words fiercely imprinting themselves into your mind. "You're Nova for a reason."

The doubts clear slightly at Minghao's words, making you smile at your step-brother as you nudge him. "Best training officer huh?" You ask, a teasing edge in youe words that makes Minghao roll his eyes.

"I take back everything I said."

Your smile widens. "Too lateeee." You singsong out making Minghao scoff, shoving you lightly.

"Shut it Pixie." He says, a ghost of a smile on his lips as you continued to tease him endlessly.

"Four musketeers." A loud, strict voice drawls out, snapping the four of you out of your conversations. The four of you turn to see Seungcheol leaning against the frame of the briefing room door with his arms crossed. Your eyes widen slightly, when the hell did he get there?

His eyebrow raises as he scans the four of you. "Are you four waiting for an invitation for roll call?"

At his words, Mingyu pushes himself off of the table, a cheeky smile on his face. "Of course sir, a hand delivered invitation from you really shows that you care about the four of us."

Seungcheol rolls his eyes before clicking his tongue."How about an invitation to clean the drunk tank instead, Officer Kim?" A small smirk plays on his lips. "I heard they had some real pukers last night."

Mingyu's eyes widen before he clears his throat. "No sir."

Seungcheol raps his knuckles on the door before gesturing into the room. "Inside in 10 seconds. If you aren't," he turns, a sly glint in his eyes, "you can clean the drunk tank with your tongues."

The four of you immediately stand up straight and walk in through the back door, sitting at the second last row of the room as the rest of the officers and the rookies watch you. Your eyes slowly scan the four rookies before they land on your own, locking eyes with him. He gives you a small smile, nerves definitely creeping in as you narrow yours, keeping your face as neutral as possible. His smile drops as you break eye contact, crossing your arms as you turn to look at Seungcheol.

Seungcheol — the watch commander on duty — stands at the front with Jun at his side as his second in command. You glance at Jun who locks eyes with you, giving you a small smile and a wink that makes you bite back your own smile, rolling your eyes at his antics.

"Alright, looks like we got some new blood this morning." Seungcheol starts, giving a once over to the three younger rookies before looking straight at Soonyoung. "And some, pushing it a little bit."

He rounds the stand, "Stand up." The four rookies scramble to their feet. "After six months at the academy, you have earned the right to be here but you'll have to prove yourself to stay. The way we do things matter. Protocol and tradition are the metal from which every police officer in this city is forged." He gives them a once over again. "Are we clear?" Seungcheol asks, his eyebrow raised.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Seungcheol rounds the stand to where his papers are. "All of you can sit, except for Officer Kwon." He sizes Soonyoung up, folding his arms in front of him. "Normally, we would be doing the traditional introduction for new probationary officers but you," he takes a few steps towards Soonyoung, "are anything but traditional, Officer Kwon."

He clicks his tongue as Soonyoung places his arms behind his back in army stance. "So," Seungcheol continues, "I am giving you ten seconds to introduce yourself to the rest of the station before rumours start to spread like a wildfire."

Seungcheol signals for Soonyoung to turn around and face the rest of the station. You watch him take a shaky inhale. "I know that there's nothing that I can say in 10 seconds that will change everyone's opinions of me." He lets out a bitter chuckle as he shakes his head, looking at the floor. "Believe me, I've tried." He looks back up as he gives everyone a once over. "But I promise to always have your back and let my actions speak for themselves. And I promise to always strive to tip the scales towards justice." He locks eyes with you. "Because I know what it feels like when they're tipped the other way."

You feel Seokmin, Mingyu and Minghao all glance towards you, trying to gauge your reaction but you just continue to stare at your new rookie, who breaks eye contact as Seungcheol speaks. "And I want to make something very clear."

The whole room turns their attention back to Seungcheol. "Officer Kwon was found not guilty and he earned the right to be here like the rest of you." Seungcheol looks around the room. "He survived the academy, with phenomenal scores and I'd like to repeat," his eyes lock with yours, "that he has earned every right to be here."

You deadpan at the Sergeant, resisting the urge to roll your eyes as he turns to Junhui. "Now, Sergeant Wen shall lead us to our training officers favourite activity," he starts, moving to the side. "The 'Training Officer Match-Up'."

Jun takes the stand before looking at the rookies at the front. "Our contestants for this years matchup are," Jun raises his hand to address them one by one with a smile on his face, he eyes the first one. "Boo Seungkwan, who I am told is the newest military band recruit."

Boo Seungkwan whose hair was dyed a light brown, gives everyone a small wave as Jun eyes the next one. "Hansol Vernon Chwe, whose parents hoped that he would have the force on his side."

You roll your eyes at the dad joke as Seokmin giggles beside you. You watch Vernon rub the back of his neck, whether from second-hand embarrassment or just embarrassment from the attention, you didn't know.

"Baby face, Lee Chan, who is our youngest rookie in history." The baby face in question dons light brown hair and smiles a huge infectious smile that slightly cracks your neutral facade. Jun's eyes sweep to the next one, his gaze hardening. "And as you've heard, our idol-legacy, Kwon Soonyoung."

Jun clears his throat, clapping his hands together as he turns to face you, Minghao, Mingyu and Seokmin. "And our winners are." His eyes flit downwards to his list. "Officer Lee, you get our newest choir boy."

Seokmin, buzzes with excitement making you glance at him, smiling softly. Being apart of the Military Band himself, you're sure that Seokmin and his rookie are going to get along very well.

"Officer Xu, you get our Star Wars fan." You glance at Minghao, a small smile on his face as he rolls his eyes at Jun's antics. "Officer Kim, you get our newest baby face." Mingyu shoots Chan a smile as you watch Soonyoung turn around and lock eyes with you. "Which leaves idol-legacy rookie Officer Kwon to ride with our very own legacy." Jun reads out your name from the list as you narrow your eyes at the rookie who gives you a small smile.

Seungcheol turns to address the rookies again. "Don't let today be your last. Forget the academy, listen to your TOs and you might just survive out there today."

You hear Minghao clear his throat beside you, no doubt holding back a smirk at the Sergeants' words as you shake your head at Seungcheol's antics. "Right, hop to it." Seungcheol claps his hands together. "Be safe out there."

Seokmin hops to his feet as he bids you and the rest goodbye, with promises to see you at lunch as he all but skips to meet his new rookie. The scene makes you laugh a little to yourself as you watch him animatedly introduce himself to Seungkwan before going to prepare their shop.

You stand up slowly with the other two, Mingyu stretching as he does, letting his back crack before shooting the two of you a toothy grin. "See you guys for lunch." He glances at you and Minghao, a cheeky smile on his face. "Don't make your rookies quit before lunch, I'd like to get to know them before you throw them into hell."

The two of you collectively roll your eyes as Minghao shoves Mingyu hard, making the taller man nearly collide into his own rookie. You immediately cover your mouth to muffle your giggles as Mingyu springs to apologize to the baby face while shooting your step-brother a sharp glare.

A small smirk plays on Minghaos lips as the two of you watch Mingyu and his rookie exit the briefing room. Minghao taps you on the shoulder, making you turn your attention to him as he levels with you. "Be safe." He starts sternly, glancing behind you, no doubt at your rookie, before looking back at you. "Call me if you anything happens, okay?"

Despite the nerves pricking at your skin, you jokingly roll your eyes as you mock a salute. "Will do, Sir!" Minghao rolls his eyes at your antics, shoving you softly before walking towards Vernon who's patiently waiting for him at the glass door of the briefing room. You watch them walk towards the logistics room before taking a deep breath and steeling your resolve as you turn to find Soonyoung standing right behind you.

"Ma'am." Soonyoung greets, a small smile on his face as you give him a once over, crossing your arms.

You internally sigh, this was going to be a long day. You briskly walk out of the room, not caring if he is behind you or not."

Soonyoung blinks in surprise and scrambles to catch up with you, nearly tripping over his own two feet. "I've heard a lot about you Ma'am, from the academy!" Soonyoung chirps up as he tries to keep up with your pace. "You are a legend! It's so nice to meet you—"

You stop abruptly, nearly causing Soonyoung to slam into you as you turn to face him, a scowl on your face. You glance behind the two of you, before Soonyoung feels himself be pushed into the interrogation room to your right, slamming the door behind you.

"Sit." He hears you say, eerily cold making Soonyoung blink.

"Pardon?" Soonyoung says as he watches you roll your eyes at him.

"You deaf, Boot?" You spit out before pointing to the chair across the table. "Take a seat!"

Soonyoung scrambles to take a seat. He watches you pace slowly around the room, walking a round around him before you lean against the table.

"Alright, Riot," you start slowly, making Soonyoung shudder at the nickname. "I want to make something very clear to you."

Soonyoung nods slowly, listening to your words. "I would hold off on any sentiment that you have from meeting me, Officer Kwon. I am going to make today the hardest day of your career, hell, the hardest day of your life." You start as Soonyoung watches you steel your gaze and lean closer. "You have twenty extra seconds to tell me why you think you deserve to be a police officer and why I shouldn't just wash you out now for a past that you can't run away from."

Soonyoung feels his throat dry up at your words as his eyes widen. "Twenty?" He manages to sputter out. "With all due respect ma'am, twenty seconds seems too little for you to just cut me over."

He watches you roll your eyes, pushing yourself up as you fold your arms. "Twenty crimes and scandals collectively." He hears you state, making him freeze, his heart sinking in his chest. "Is the reason why I am giving you twenty seconds, Boot. And honestly, it's plenty more than I should give you considering your track record."

"Which I was found not guilty for." Soonyoung finds himself saying before he can stop himself, making you scoff.

"Which some of the public disagrees with." You state, unfolding your arms and leaning against the table once again. "It doesn't matter whether you won the case or not Boot. The fact of the matter is that you were accused of them in the first place. Even if it was wrong time, wrong place that you and your godforsaken lawyer claimed in court, this isn't court. You can't be going around arguing with everyone who finds that ruling false."

You lean in closer again, causing Soonyoung's eyes to narrow. "So, twenty seconds to explain to me why you deserve to be here, why you aren't a liability to this department and a threat to my safety." You snarkily say before lifting your right arm. "Your twenty seconds start now, Boot. And if I like your answer…" You trail off, pulling away to steely eye him again.

"You can be sure that I'm going to make these next 546 Days a living hell."

When Soonyoung hears the click of your watch, he panics. He sputters out words, trying to plead his case but you just watch him, an unamused expression on your face. He runs through a thousand and one words in his mind, trying to find the right words to say but his mouth runs before his brain catches up.

"Of all the things I've heard about the department's legend, a quitter wasn't one of them."

Soonyoung watches you freeze, your eyes narrowing as you glare at him. "Watch yourself, Boot." He hears you coldly say but he catches your voice wavering just slightly.

Soonyoung has always been really good at reading people. It was one of the skills required to be an adaptable idol and he always used it to his advantage. Whether it be doing fan service for the fans or just charming the upper management when he was still under contract — he always managed to see what others didn't want.

So, with a leap of faith, he sees the angle and runs with it.

Soonyoung takes a deep breath before composing himself and flits his gaze to lock eyes with you. "No, I don't think I will, Ma'am." He coolly says as he crosses his arms. "Everyone at the academy was saying how much of a legend you are, taking on even the weakest rookies and turning them into machines." He shrugs. "Sure, some of them wash out…" he leans forward, "But I never would've thought that the department legend, Nova, would rule a rookie out without even giving him a chance."

"Riot-" You warn but Soonyoung interrupts you, his adrenaline and mouth running before he even has a chance to think.

"Ma'am, you're not even giving me a chance to prove myself." He pointedly says. "We haven't even gone on the shift yet and you have me here," he emphasizes by gesturing around the room, "Holed up in the interrogation room because you would rather use whatever you heard about me instead of getting to know me."

"Officer Kwon." You start but he interrupts you again by chuckling bitterly.

"How is that even going to work in your report?" Soonyoung challenges, voice low. "How are you going to tell the brass that one of their top scoring academy students, despite all that he has been through, washes out on the first day because Academy Legend, Nova, didn't even bother to give him a chance?"

Pin drop silence rings in the interrogation room as your watch goes off, signaling that his twenty seconds are over. Soonyoung stands up, still holding your fiery gaze as he matches with one of his own.

"So," he starts, after catching his breath, "Am I out or what?"

He watches you with bated breath, an unreadable expression on your face — which scares him more than it should — before you break eye contact and slam your fist on the table, making him flinch slightly. as you mutter out a string of Cantonese and Chinese curses under your breath. He watches you run a hand down your face before you glare at him again. "You got one shift, Kwon." You spit out, rounding the table to stand in-front of him. "But make no mistake," you press a finger into his chest, "One wrong move and you can kiss this cop career goodbye."

He swallows, as you raise an eyebrow. "Are. We. Clear?" You bite out making him nod slowly.

"Crystal."

You stare at him for a couple more seconds before you take a step back. "Go set up our shop Riot."

Soonyoung gives you a brief nod before walking out of the room, closing the interrogation door behind him with a soft 'thud'. He leans against the wall and lets out a shaky exhale as his heart continues to thunder in his ears. He honestly couldn't believe that he just did that. He stood up to you and basically called you a quitter and somewhat of a coward to your face. To you, the cutthroat Medusa or Nova of the Academy.

"Good going, dipshit." He mutters to himself, pushing off the wall. He feels the pit in his stomach get deeper as he walks to the logistics room to get the gear. "This is going to be a long day."

REPORT 1 OF 546 - SNIPED THROUGH THE HEART

At the academy, they run a lot of simulations. For example a bank robbery, a hostage situation that is about to hit the fan, hell they even run you through a simulation of what happens when you get kidnapped.

But none of the simulations could ever prepare Soonyoung for the cold shoulder that you've given him since the interrogation room. You've barely said more than three sentences since leaving the station, the shops' air uncomfortable with awkward silence.

Soonyoung wants to apologize to you but he know that he can't do that by any means. He had said those things for a reason and he will not apologize for saying all those things if it means that you give him a chance.

Which is how he ends up in this situation at lunch.

"You said WHAT?" Soonyoung winces at Seungkwan's loud outburst as he recalls the morning to his fellow rookies, leaving Seungkwan baffled, Chan's jaw dropped open in shock and Vernon who looks dumbfounded at all the words that just came out of his mouth.

"Keep your voice down, Boo." Soonyoung hisses, glancing around to see a few of the officers side-eyeing the four of them. "Do you want me to get condemned even more?"

Seungkwan rolls his eyes. "You should for all the stupid words that have been coming out of your mouth. He sarcastically states, making Soonyoung shoot him a glare as Chan shakes his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you actually had the balls to say that to her." Chan says, making Soonyoung groan, placing his head in his hands.

"I can." Vernon nonchalantly quips back, taking a sip of his soda, and making Soonyoung's head shoot up to glare at the man who just shrugs back at him.

"I'd be surprised if you actually make it through the day, Kwon." Seungkwan states, stabbing his fork into his salad bowl before shoveling the salad into his mouth.

Soonyoung slouches in his chair, his face full of disdain. "I'm fucked," he mutters out, glancing towards the three other rookies. "Aren't I?"

The three share a glance with each other, having a silent conversation which makes Soonyoung groan again. He had met the three on his first day at the academy, and despite knowing who he was and the fire he was under, they welcomed him with open arms, Chan jokingly stating that they would rather have him in their group to keep an eye on him. You know, keep your friends close but exonerated murderers closer.

Soonyoung lets out a surprised laugh at that while Seungkwan chastises the younger man for even thinking of making a joke like that as Vernon shakes his head, a small amused smirk on his face. He learned that the three were childhood friends, having grown up living on the same street as each other. There were times where Seungkwan and Vernon mentioned a fourth person being in their group but immediately shut their mouth about it whenever Chan was around.

Soonyoung, not wanting to pry, never asked about it because of the incident during their academy days where Seungkwan accidentally said their name and Chan immediately shut down for the rest of the week. Sure, Soonyoung would be lying if he said he wasn't even a little bit curious about what Chan's past was with that person, but he knew better than anyone else that some wounds and stories just aren't meant to be opened.

"Well, on the bright side," Chan starts, nudging him, "at least you managed to make it through the first half of the shift." He says a little chirpily, trying to lighten the mood as Vernon nods, giving Soonyoung a thumbs up as Seungkwan scoffs.

"Unless Medusa turns him to stone and eats him alive later." Seungkwan mutters out before letting out a yelp as Chan whacks him in the shoulder blade, a sign to keep quiet. Seungkwan levels him with a glare. "Why you little—"

The two start to bicker as a few officers glance over at the two to see what the commotion is about as Soonyoung and Vernon share a tired glance, not knowing whether to stop them or hide more into their rookie uniforms in embarrassment. Soonyoung glances towards you, sitting at the training officer table with the rest, an easy smile on your face that makes him frown slightly. He really needs a way to prove you wrong. And he needs to find it as soon as possible.

On the other side of the courtyard, as you're the talk of the rookie table, Soonyoung is the talk of yours. "So," Mingyu says, taking a seat opposite you with his tray as you're munching on your salad bowl. "Have you cut him yet?"

You roll your eyes. "Ha.Ha." You say sarcastically, stabbing a piece of lettuce."Very funny, Gyu."

Minghao takes the seat on your right while Seokmin sits to your left, giving you a small smile. "Judging from the fact that he's sitting with the rest of our rookies," Minghao starts, nodding towards the rookie table. "I take it he had a passable morning?" He asks, making you shrug your shoulders.

"I tried to give him the old fashioned Medusa talk and he didn't budge." You mutter out, moving the salad around in the bowl. "In fact, he has some balls, called me something of a coward for trying to cut him before he even makes it out for the shift."

The three go quiet, making you glance up from your food, looking at the three blinking at you, their eyes wide. You furrow your eyebrows. "What?" You ask pointedly, a little uneasy by the looks on their faces. Mingyu blinks. Once. Twice. "I'm shocked that you didn't throw him out of the shop as soon as you started your shift." Mingyu states, a little shell-shocked, making Seokmin nod.

"I'm surprised he didn't come back with any bodily injuries." Seokmin quips back making you snort in disbelief at the two taller men.

"Shut up you two." You mutter out as Soonyoung's words keep ringing in your mind as if they're on replay. You grimace slightly at the memory before glancing at said rookie at the table, happily eating his lunch which makes you grimace even more.

Minghao notices, glancing towards your rookie before locking eyes with you, his gaze fleeting all over you, calculating and analyzing. You raise an eyebrow at his look. "What?" You ask, making Minghao shrug.

"Nothing. It's just…" He trails off, as if unsure if he should say it or not. It makes you uneasy.

"Spit it out Hao."

He chews his bottom lip before relenting. "If he really doesn't have what it takes like you said, you would have already taken all the high risk calls this morning so that you could wash him out as fast as possible." Minghao steels his gaze on you, tilting his head slightly. "So, is there a reason why you haven't?" You gnaw on your bottom lip. You knew the reason why.

Firstly, it's the fact that Soonyoung is right, his scores are impeccable, there was no reason for you to want to wash him out as much as you really wanted to. He is the perfect rookie on paper, almost on par with you and Hao, but he was right, you didn't know him. Second, the more obvious reason is of course the more selfish one where you could lose your job if he washes out. But you couldn't tell Hao that, so you settled for something… in the middle.

"Honestly," You start, "I want him to realize for himself that he isn't cut out for this job." You wave your fork around. "I mean, we've all been through it as well, it was hard for us the first few months. The academy can only teach you so much, when we got out of there, we were like baby birds trying to figure out how to fly again."

The three go quiet, slowly digesting your words. You had been thinking about this since this morning. You've heard Seungcheol talk about it a few times, when rookies quit on their own terms, it doesn't go on your permanent record which means that the brass would be forced to give you another rookie. Any rookie would be better than this stuck-up idol-legacy and you're sure of it.

You take a deep breath. "So, I took it easy this morning to draw him into a false sense of security before we take all the high risk calls the rest of the shift." A semi-white lie.

"Damn," Mingyu whistles, breaking the silence. "That's a very Medusa of you, Nova."

Seokmin nods. "It a little scary how your brain works Nova." He shudders. "I'm so glad that I'm on your good side."

The tension breaks as Minghao shoots you a smirk and you laugh a little at Seokmin's words. "Shut up." You say, with no actual malice this time, a small smile making its way onto your face. "Eat your food losers before we're actually late for the next half of our shift."

The rest of the lunch is filled with easy banter as you and the rest of the guys joke around, conversations flowing easily before Seokmin glances at Mingyu's watch. "Well," He lifts Mingyu's arm up. "That's all folks!" He cheerily says with a wink, making you laugh as Mingyu rolls his eyes at Seokmin's antics. He pulls his arm away from Seokmin, shoving him slightly.

"Get your own watch you loser." Seokmin lets out an astounded gasp at Mingyu's shove and opens his mouth, ready to bicker when Minghao puts up a hand, stopping the two.

"Please," he deadpans, "don't start."

Mingyu and Seokmin share a glance with each other, before turning back to the mediator. "But he—" Seokmin starts but immediately shrinks back seeing Minghao's motherly glare, looking a little like a kicked puppy.

You shake your head at their antics before standing up, rolling your shoulders. "Right," You start before eyeing your brother. "Can you help me clear my trash? I got a rookie to straighten out."

Minghao stares at you for a moment before he begrudgingly nods, making you give him a smile and a back hug. "You're the best!"

He rolls his eyes but pats your arms nonetheless. "Yeah yeah," He drawls out. "You only say that when I do something for you."

You pull away. "Because you're the best when you help your baby sister do stuff."

"Step-sister." He corrects making you roll your eyes before you bid them goodbye.

You walk over to the rookie table, steeling yourself when the baby face meets your gaze and his eyes widen as you try not to smirk at the way he starts to lose his composure. You stop right behind Soonyoung's chair before kicking it lightly, making him jump before he turns and locks eyes with you. You gesture to the shop. "C'mon Boot." You snark out. "Crime ain't going to fight itself."

You walk backwards as Soonyoung's eyes widen before he scrambles to his feet, ready to follow you. You raise an eyebrow and cross your arms. "Leaving without clearing your trash, Riot?" He stills at that as he turns to face the table where his food wrappers still were. "Are you expecting your fellow rookies to clear up after you?"

"No, Ma'am." He mumbles, grabbing the food wrappers and tossing them into the nearby bin as you see his fellow rookies all share a look with each other. You roll your eyes as the blonde man made his way to you before the two of you stalk off to the shop together.

The three rookies watch as the two of you walk away, Soonyoung scrambling to catch up with your fast pace. For someone shorter than him, you sure are fast. After the amusing scene, Chan eyes Vernon and Seungkwan. "I bet you $100 that she's gonna try to make him quit before end of shift today."

Seungkwan rolls his eyes as he picks up his trash. "No duh." He sarcastically states, "That's basically free money for you. We should bet on something more interesting."

Chan frowns at that statement. "Like what?" Seungkwan shrugs, throwing his trash away.

"I bet you $500 that they're going to get together." Vernon states nonchalantly, clearing his tray before placing it above the trash can. Chan and Seungkwan freeze at the statement before looking at Vernon as if he had grown a second head. Vernon looks over the two before he frowns. "What?" He asks, curious about their expressions.

"Bro," Chan drawls. "Those two?"

Vernon shrugs. "I can see it happening."

Seungkwan shakes his head in disbelief. "I think she would rather die than date Kwon."

Vernon eyes the two before raising an eyebrow. "Then it's easy money for the two of you right?" He challenges making Chan and Seungkwan look at each other, as if calculating the risks.

Vernon lifts up his hand making Chan smirk, shrugging slightly. "Sure, I'm in." He grabs Vernon's hand, shaking it.

The two look towards Seungkwan who looks like he's still contemplating before he lets out a sigh, taking Vernon's hand. "Fuck it, I'm in."

Vernon grins at the two as Seungkwan rolls his eyes again. "Don't look so happy," Seungkwan quips, starting to walk to where his training officer was with Chan by his side. "You're going to be down a thousand dollars by the end of this."

Vernon shrugs his shoulders, trailing after him before glancing at the two of you again. Soonyoung clumsily stalking after you as you try not to roll your eyes as he almost trips over air. He smiles a little to himself. "We'll see."

The shop is quiet again, the awkward silence unbearable as you drive around. You keep feeling Soonyoung's stares and glances drill into the side of your head. At first you could avoid it, focusing on the road ahead, but it didn't take long before it began to annoy you.

"If you have something to say, Boot." You say, shocking Soonyoung as your voice pierces through the silence. "Spit it out."

You see Soonyoung pull his bottom lip between his teeth from the corner of your eye as he gnaws on it before sighing. "I- I," his voice cracks slightly, no doubt from his nerves as he clears his throat. "I just wanted to thank you for giving me a chance, Ma'am. I promise you that I won't let you down."

His words make you glance at him and upon noticing the hope sparkling in his eyes, you sigh. "Like I said earlier, Officer Kwon," Your tone hard, "I would hold off on any sentiment. We had a slow start to our shift which means you still have the whole other half of it to make mistakes, so don't make promises that you can't keep." You raise an eyebrow and lock eyes with him through the rear view mirror. "Understood?"

Soonyoung visibly swallows, giving you a curt nod before he proceeds to stare out the window, taking note of the street signs.

The two of you continue to drive before you hear a gunshot, making Soonyoung flinch as your gaze hardens. "Kwon, radio it-" You stop as you watch the car in front of you swerve to the side before crashing into a lamppost making your eyes widen as you quickly pull over to the side, unbuckling and hopping out of the car in record speed as Soonyoung does the same.

You and Soonyoung pull out your guns as you round to the drivers seat and your heart drops. You see a male in his late forties, three gunshot wounds to the chest as the blood begins to seep into his shirt. You turn towards the windscreen, eyes narrowing as you notice the three shots bunched up together. You internally curse, pulling out your radio and looking at the high rise buildings. "Control, 7-Adam-21," You scan the high rise buildings. "We got an active sniper with a long gun at the 45 Bronco Avenue. Requesting backup and patch me through to 7-Adam-100."

"Copy." You hear dispatch state before there was static and Seungcheols voice patches through.

"Nova? What's going on?"

"Sir, we have an active sniper at the 45 Bronco Avenue." You repeat, actively scanning the buildings. "Requesting for you to shut down all eastbound traffic from Main and have Vanguard on stand-by, just in case."

"Copy." You blink in surprise as Jun's voice patches through. "Vanguard will secure the perimeter. Stay safe, Nova."

"Copy." You state, a small smile on your face at Jun's concern before Seungcheol's voice patches through again.

"Nova, Kim and Xu are on their way to your location, one minute out. Wen, I've sent Lee and his rookie to meet up with you to secure the perimeter."

"Copy Sarge." Jun says. "Nova, you and your rookie secure the scene, do not go after the shooter before backup arrives."

"Noted." You state before you address the crowd that had gathered in a panic. "Get off the street! We have an active shooter!" Your heartbeat thuds in your ear, pounding as you feel your blood pulse before you whip around to address Soonyoung. "Kwon-" You pause, noticing Soonyoung staring at the body, his face pale. You frown, "Kwon?"

He doesn't hear you, continuing to stare at the body, his chest pulsing faster and faster. Your eyes widen, realizing what was going on before you round the front of the vehicle to his side. "Kwon." You sternly say, reaching over and turning him around by his shoulders as he starts to hyperventilate. You force him to sit down, his body wrecking with uneven breathing as you gaze all over his face, your mind racing. "Breathe, Kwon! Deep breaths." You chastise, watching as his eyes unevenly focus everywhere except you, like you weren't even there in front of him.

You gnaw on your bottom lip before your ears perk up, hearing sirens behind you. You turn around, noticing Minghao and Mingyu step out of their respective shops. They jog over to you, faces serious with their rookies right behind.

"What have you got?" Minghao asks.

You stand up, blocking their view of Soonyoung. "We got a shooter, sniper from what I can tell from the bunched up shots through the windshield." You nudge your thumb towards it, your words urgent. "I've notified Sarge already, he's shutting down all traffic from Main and Vanguard is securing the perimeter with Seokmin and his rookie." You glance downwards at your rookie who is still in his head before looking towards your two fellow training officers. "We've lost about five minutes on the target but judging from the shots, I'd say they were at either of the Northwest buildings over there from the traffic flow." You gesture towards the buildings.

Chan and Vernon who were behind their TOs notice Soonyoung, their eyes wide as they start to walk towards him. You hold up a hand, stopping them in their tracks, a sharp gaze in your eyes. "I'll deal with him." You sternly say before turning back to Mingyu and Minghao. "I'll get him out of this rut and I'll secure the scene, we're already loosing precious time, go after the sniper."

Mingyu and Minghao share a glance before looking back at you, nodding curtly. They take off down the street, pulling out their guns. "C'mon, Chwe." Minghao calls out, making the rookie give one last glance to Soonyoung before jogging after his TO and clearing the streets. Chan however, ignores his TO's calls and continues to stare at Soonyoung, frozen to the spot even as Mingyu runs further away.

"Officer Lee." You call out to him, making his head snap to you, meeting your stern gaze. "I will deal with him. Follow after your training officer." You watch him swallow, opening his mouth to protest but you stop him. "If you don't, I will personally see to it that your TO writes you a blue page for not following orders." He pales a little at that which makes your gaze soften slightly, as you let out a small sigh.

"I will take care of him." You reassure, your voice still carrying the stern edge. "I promise."

He looks between you and his friend again before nodding and chasing after his training officer. You sigh, crouching back down to your rookie. You call out to him a few times before realizing that you need to shock him out of this anxiety driven state. Taking a deep breath, you slam your hands down hard onto his shoulders, startling him as you almost snap him out of it. He immediately locks eyes with you.

"Kwon." You sternly breathe out, looking directly into his eyes as his breathing is still uneven. "I need you with me." You mutter sternly, trying to get through to him. "I know it's a shocking discovery seeing a dead body but, I need you to focus on me and get through it."

He stares at you, his eyes still glassy as his breathing still doesn't stabilize. You gnaw on your bottom lip, mind racing before taking a deep breath and changing tactics.

You aren't sure if tough love would work, but you needed it to because there was a shooter at large while you're here trying to get your older rookie to get the hell back onto his feet. You level with him again.

"Officer Kwon." You spit out, shocking the rookie. "I need you to get the fuck back up on your feet." He stares at you, his breathing starting to even out due to your harsh words, colour returning to his face. You continue to get him to focus on you, coaxing him with hard words before the glaze in his eyes fade as colour fully returns to his face.

"Okay?" You ask. He shakily nods which makes you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding.

You give him a once over before moving him to the opposite side of the street as he starts to regain his senses. You grab a bottle of water from the shop and hand it to him, not bothering to look at him before securing the scene. You don't know how long you spent trying to get Soonyoung out of his episode before navigating the scene, but Seungcheol appears as supervisor on scene.

"Nova." He greets before looking around you, his eyebrows furrowing as he frowns. "Where's your rookie?" You grimace, gesturing to the opposite end of the street where Soonyoung is, clutching the water bottle as if it's his lifeline.

Seungcheol follows your gaze before his frown deepens. "Did he puke?"

You shake your head. "Panic attack." You simply state, crossing your arms as you both stare at your rookie. "Seeing the bullet holes and the body seems to have brought up some… unpleasant memories." You give Seungcheol a condescending look. "Almost as if he shouldn't be a cop."

Seungcheol rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "Luckily," he starts, a smirk pulling at his lips. "He has the best TO in the business to get him through this." You roll your eyes, ready to retort when Mingyu and Minghao jog up to the two of you, their faces grim. You watch as their two rookies immediately break away from them and jog towards your rookie before you focus on the two other TOs, your heart dropping at their expressions.

"You didn't get them did you?" The two shake their heads, matching frowns on their faces as you let out a small groan.

"Fucker got away on a zip-line before we managed to get a read on them." Mingyu bitterly states, slowly catching his breath. "We also didn't get a good look at him before he jumped off the building via zipline." Mingyu pulls out his city-issued phone, a picture of the scene on it.

You and Seungcheol lean closer, examining the picture. "Looks like the guy has elite training." You note making Minghao nod grimly.

"Mingyu and I accessed the scene after he jumped out and it looks like it was pre-planned, Sarge. The pegs in the walls to hold the zip-line look like they were hammered in, a day or two ago."

Seungcheol's eyebrows raise before fixing his gaze on Mingyu. "I'm surprised you didn't jump out after him, Kim."

You let out a snort as Mingyu blinks, a little stunned by Seungcheol's statement before scoffing. "Well, I was halfway out the window when Xu pulled me back, sir." He sarcastically states making Seungcheol roll his eyes, a ghost of a smirk tugging on the sides of his lips.

Minghao, who was examining the body and the scene, chews on his bottom lip before calling out to Seungcheol. "Sarge. We're definitely looking for a professional here."

Seungcheol's eyebrow raises. "What makes you say that?"

Minghao points towards the windscreen. "Moving car and still manages to hit their target dead center in the chest?" Minghao shakes his head. "I can think of maybe a couple dozen professionals who can do that." Seungcheol absorbs Minghao's words and nods.

"Well, at least that narrows the search down to a couple dozen people." Seungcheol says as your phone buzzes, you bring it out, scanning the report.

"Our victims name is Viktor Park." You begin to read. "He was an accountant working for ANB Funds and Savings before he quit his job. Database says that he was cited on about a dozen different laundering cases but never caught."

Seungcheol grimaces at that, "Sounds like we're looking for a gun for hire then." You glance back towards the car as you try to piece everything together while Minghao speaks up, almost as if he was reading your mind as he goes through the process bit by bit.

"So," Minghao clicks his tongue. "Viktor is a man of routine and judging from his car and the amount of papers that had fallen out of his briefcase," He gestures to the scattered papers at the backseat. "It looks like he was going to work. If he is a man of routine, it means that he drives down this street everyday because our shooter was just waiting for him to turn up."

Mingyu nods at Minghao's words. "So, maybe the person Viktor was working with needed him dead because they were scared that Viktor was going to leak information about the job?"

Seungcheol nods slowly. "Maybe." He states. "But we need to look at the facts and investigate." He runs a hand down his face. "Just our luck that we're down our detectives today because one's out sick and the other is dealing with the overrun cases in homicide."

You glance at Seungcheol before looking at Minghao and clearing your throat. "Well, Minghao has been studying to take the detectives exam in two weeks." You state, making the three men turn to you. Minghao blinks, shooting you a panicked, 'what are you doing' look. The action makes you shoot him a reassuring wink before continuing. "You could give him your all-powerful speech and make him detective just for the case." You lock eyes with Seungcheol, giving him a cheeky look before lifting a finger. "Plus," You add. "It's good on the job learning experience."

You watch as the gears turn in Seungcheol's head before he nods, turning to Minghao, who looks like he's trying very hard to decide if he wanted to murder you or thank you. "By the power vested in me— come here." He gestures for Minghao to take a step forward, making you and Mingyu stifle your giggles at how Minghao stiffly steps forward. "By the power vested in me by the LAPD, I hereby declare you Detective for the case." Seungcheol says, knighting Minghao. "With great power comes great responsibility."

You let out a snort at the famous quote, quickly covering your mouth as Minghao looks like he's about to puke from the immense pressure. Seungcheol claps a hand onto Minghao's shoulder. "You'll be fine, Xu." He says reassuringly. "Now, I'm assigning Nova and Kim to you as well because it looks like you need the extra set of hands." Seungcheol raises an eyebrow. "Understood?"

Minghao visibly swallows before shallowly nodding, his still slightly pale face making Seungcheol smile and walk off to go relieve Jun and Seokmin from the perimeter. As soon as Seungcheol is out of earshot, Minghao turns towards you and Mingyu who had matching smiles on your faces. "I hate you." Minghao deadpans, making your eyes roll.

"No you don't." You quip back, making Minghao shake his head.

"I'm not ready for such a big responsibility, Pixie!" He exclaims nervously, making you soften, seeing your older brother in distress, actually believing that he wasn't ready for this.

"Hao," You gently start, grabbing your brothers hand in yours. "You analyzed the scene and connected the dots in half the time that I did, even though I was the one who secured the scene." You give his hand a quick squeeze, a small smile on your face. "You're the best one to take the task out of the four of us."

Minghao looks at you, gnawing at his bottom lip before glancing at Mingyu who gives him a reassuring smile, swinging an arm around his shoulders. "She's right." Mingyu simply assures, "You've also been studying for this exam for like ever!" He exaggerates, waving his other arm animatedly, making you giggle at his antics as a small smile ghosts over Minghao's lips. "Having this hands-on experience might make it a whole lot easier to digest the information and further prepare you for the exam."

Minghao digests both of your words, glancing between the two of you before letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, visibly relaxing. "You're right." He says, his nerves steeling. "Let's get started then."

You grin widely at your older step-brother who has a look full of determination, "That's the spirit!" You hum out, letting go of his hand. "Alright, Detective Xu." You tease, making Mingyu laugh as Minghao shakes his head at your antics. "Where shall we start?"

Minghao thinks for a beat. "Well, first we need to secure all evidence in the car, his briefcase, phone, wallet as well as the papers are all evidence for the case." He glances towards Mingyu, "Can you and your rookie help to further secure the scene? I'll get dispatch to send forensics to relieve you guys later."

Mingyu takes a quick glance at you before nodding. "On it." He says before calling out to his rookie. Chan scrambles up, shooting Soonyoung one last look before he scurries over to Mingyu as they start to secure the scene and bag evidence.

"How come you didn't want me to further secure the scene?" You ask, your eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Minghao's gaze shifts to you before glancing towards where your rookie and his sit, making you frown as the information clicks in your head. "Right." You mutter as Minghao gives you a sympathetic look.

"As much as I want you here with me, working the scene," He chews his bottom lip slightly. "It seems as though your rookie needs to work through a couple of things before he can be allowed onto any homicide scene."

"So, you don't need me?" You ask him, voice small, making him shake his head 'no'.

"I need you and your boot to check with control and ask them to form a list of the couple dozen that could've done this to our victim. See what you can dig up on them before we knock on doors." His eyes darken as he grimaces. "Our hitman already murdered in broad daylight. I'd hate to see what would happen if we didn't have any backup." You nod slowly as Minghao locks eyes with you, his eyes softening. "There's no one else I trust with this job, Pixie." He assures, his voice gentle. "You're my number one. I'll always need you, okay?"

His assurance brings a small smile to your face as you nod in understanding. He pats your head once. "Let's get to work then." He says before looking towards the pavement where both your rookies sit, in silence it looks like. You gnaw on your bottom lip as Minghao calls Vernon over, making the rookie give Minghao a curt nod. He gives Soonyoung a solid pat on the back before he stands up and jogs over to his TO, a tense expression on his face. Minghao shoots you a look before going back to the scene as you heave out a sigh.

You walk over to your rookie, whose colour had returned to his face, and stand before him. "C'mon." You mutter, turning on your heel and walking back to the shop, pulling out your walkie in the process. "Control, I need a list of retired Army Personnel that have a registered long gun to their name."

"Copy, will be sent to your box upon completion."

As dispatch clicks off, you slip into the front seat as Soonyoung slips into shotgun, not meeting your gaze as he clears his throat.

"Ma'am, I—"

You hold up your hand, closing your eyes as you take a deep breath before opening them. "Save it, Kwon." You mutter out bitterly, shooting him a look of disbelief. "All this time when you were training to become a cop, it never occurred to you that you might need to walk into a murder scene?"

Soonyoung gnaws on his bottom lip, hesitating a little before answering. "I thought I was better. I haven't had a panic attack since my fifth session of therapy which was almost a year ago." He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I guess seeing this in person again was just a little more overwhelming than I thought it would be."

You raise an eyebrow at that. "Just a little?" You pointedly ask which makes him heave a sigh again.

"But this is good," Soonyoung starts, "I found another trigger and I'll continue to work through it to become a better version of myself."

You shake your head at that, chuckling to yourself in disbelief. "This isn't a therapy session, Riot." You bitter state, as you try not to burst out in anger. "This is people's lives we're talking about. What happens when we're out on the street and you have a panic attack because there's someone else lying in a pool of blood while we're in the middle of a shoot out?" You ask, getting angrier by the second as Soonyoung watches you with wide eyes. "What happens then, Officer Kwon?" You hiss out as you jab a finger into his chest, your fiery gaze hard on him. "Will you just leaving me hanging on the edge of death because you can't work through your issues? Or will you die in the line of duty because you were paralyzed?"

Silence envelops the shop at that, your chest heaving as you catch your breath from spitting out the words laced with venom, causing Soonyoung to pale even more under your stare. You take a deep breath before removing your finger pressed against his chest as you lean back into your seat. "Work through your issues on your own time, Riot." You bitterly bite out, taking the shop out of park. "If not, we're going to have a serious problem."

For the next two and a half hours, you and Soonyoung work together in silence, researching and documenting the information that Minghao needed before you and the rest could go knocking on doors. A knock on the briefing room door interrupts your silence. You peer up to see Minghao standing there, leaning against the doorframe. "How's everything?" He asks, making you shrug.

"No complaints here." You say a little curtly making Minghao's eyebrow raise, sensing your tone. He doesn't push though, not that you expect him to. He was always professional in front of your rookies, but you know that as soon as you guys get home today, he will definitely annoy you till you tell him what it was about.

You silently grimace at the thought before pushing it away. Minghao looks at the whiteboard you and Soonyoung set up with the information for the case, scanning it with a slight bit of pride in his eyes. "Ready to call in the team?" He asks, making you nod.

"Let's do it."

Less than twenty minutes later, you are seated on top of the briefing room tables (much to Minghao's distaste) in between Mingyu and Seokmin as your rookies sit on top of the tables, a few rows behind you with a couple dozen officers in between the rows. Minghao stands at the front with Vernon seated at a table by the whiteboard, while Seungcheol and Jun scan the whiteboard you and Soonyoung had filled in. Seungcheol turns to look at you. "Alright, Nova, walk us through it." You give him a curt nod before standing up and ushering for Soonyoung to hand out the hard copy prints.

"On your hardcopy list, you will find one of the dozen targets that Officer Kwon and I have accessed using the records to figure out which one could be our sniper. It's shorter than our list from this morning but an even dozen is still a lot." You pick up a laser pointer from the side of the whiteboard before continuing, shining on the map shown at the side. "Officer Xu will be splitting you guys into four respective groups and each group will be dealing with a section of the map that Officer Kwon and I have narrowed down. We have reason to believe that our suspect is still armed and he isn't afraid of us, so thread carefully and never leave each other without backup."

You glance at Minghao, who gives you a curt nod before taking over as you go back to your seat. "Nova and her rookie have pulled their last known addresses from the database, their respective military missions where they served as well as any priors they may have had since being discharged from the army." Minghao grabs a list from the table before glancing around the room. "I'll be splitting you into your respective sections now so listen up."

He goes down the list, grouping people together until he reaches the last section. "Lastly, in Section D, we have Officer Kim, Officer Lee and Nova, with their rookies respectively." He says, glancing over at you and the two tall training officers. The three of you nod your head before Minghao addresses the room again.

"Sergeant Wen and his Vanguard unit will be securing a perimeter, if any of us need any help or our suspects try to run. Sergeant Choi and I will be stationed in the middle of the perimeter in a stakeout van just in case anything goes wrong." He takes a deep breath before raising an eyebrow. "Any questions?" The room was silent as Minghao scans the faces before clapping his hand. "Alright, let's get to it."

The room clears out, the different sections trailing out as Minghao turns to the three of you. "Would you like Officer Chwe as additional backup?"

You share a glance with the other two, calculating. "I guess it wouldn't hurt…" Seokmin starts as Mingyu raises an eyebrow.

"Will Choi allow you to just pass us your rookie?"

Minghao shrugs at Mingyu's question. "From Nova's list, it seems that your section has more of the dangerous targets. I don't think he would mind if I sent Chwe with you as an extra set of hands, plus," he glances towards his rookie who is still seated with the three of yours. "He won't learn a lot from me just sitting in the stake out van."

Minghao turns his attention back to the three of you. "So, what do you say?"

You quickly glance at Mingyu and Seokmin before nodding. "Sure, wouldn't hurt, just check with Sarge to see if that's okay, though." You stand up from the desk, stretching slightly. "Right, we're going to set up the shops, you should go ask Sarge now."

Minghao gives you guys a nod, turning to go find Seungcheol before Seokmin and Mingyu turn their gazes to you with a look on their face. You raise an eyebrow at both of them. "What?" You ask, getting a little uneasy at their hard stares.

"Are you sure about bringing your rookie with you after what happened today?" Seokmin carefully asks, making you blink at him in disbelief.

"Who told you?" You ask, pointedly as Mingyu looks away, a little sheepishly as the tip of his ears turned slightly pink.

Seokmin clears his throat as you shoot Mingyu a glare. "That's not the point, Nova." Seokmin says, turning you away from Mingyu and locks eyes with you, concern sparkling in them. "If you want to leave Kwon here because you feel like he isn't ready, I'm sure Sarge will understand that and let him work the front desk. Then you can take Chwe as your backup."

You stare at Seokmin, gnawing on your bottom lip as you consider his words. He is right. After the incident this afternoon, you have no reason to let Soonyoung out onto the street. Minghao probably wanted to assign Vernon under you for that exact reason — to look out for you and your rookie. You turn to look at Soonyoung who is seated with his back turned to you as he chats with the other three rookies. He smiles, almost adoringly as Chan and Seungkwan animatedly argue with each other about something as Vernon sits there, shaking his head in embarrassment.

You look at him for a beat too long before turning back to meet Seokmin's gaze. "I can't take the easy way out to train him, Sunshine." You say softly, your gaze hardening with determination. "I also can't spoonfeed him and just let him stay at the desk because it's going to get hard and he can't handle it." You shake your head. "That's not my style and that's not the training officer he needs. So," You take a breath before plastering on a determined smile, "I say he's going onto the field."

Seokmin stares at you, worry etched into his features as he glances over at Mingyu, who has a similar expression on his face. The two of them have a silence conversation before Seokmin sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Alright," he relents, shaking his head. "But you are to stay with me and Boo at your 8 and 9 O'clock at any given time." He raises an eyebrow, "Understood?"

You roll your eyes at his words. "What am I? Five?" You quip back, folding your arms. "I don't need babysitting."

Seokmin sighs at your stubbornness as Mingyu speaks up. "Your brother—"

"Step-brother." You interrupt, making him roll his eyes as he breezes past your comment.

"—has asked Seok and I to keep an eye on you and your rook out in the field. I know that you can handle yourself, Nova, but this assignment can go south at any moment. So, if anything happens, I don't want you playing 'Hero' with a backup who couldn't even handle it when he saw a dead body this morning."

Seokmin nods as he levels you with a sympathetic expression. "We're just looking out for you, Nova, just like you would look out for us." A small smile appears on his lips. "Plus, we can't have four musketeer movie night if we're missing a musketeer."

You let out a breath of a laugh making Seokmin smile wider before he grabs your hands, his expression softening to one of concern. "Just promise us, please?"

You glance between the two older men before sighing and nodding your head. "Fine," you mumble, "I promise."

Seokmin nods, satisfied with your promise, giving your hands a squeeze before Minghao walks back into the meeting room. "Rolling out in five!" He announces, clicking his tongue. "And Sarge gave the all clear for Chwe to join the three of you."

Seokmin gives him a nod. "He can ride with me then."

Minghao nods, thankful for Seokmin's initiative before calling out to Vernon. "You'll be riding with Officer Lee and his boot," Minghao says sternly. "Watch their six and don't do anything stupid." He warns, his gaze hard on Vernon who swallows nervously and nods. "Yes, Sir."

Minghao locks eyes with both Mingyu and Seokmin as they silently chat, making Seokmin hop out of his seat. "Right, let's go grab extra gear." He says to Mingyu, the taller man nodding as they call out to their rookies plus Vernon, before heading out of the glass briefing room.

Soonyoung makes his way to you when Minghao held up his hand, freezing Soonyoung in place. "I need a chat with your TO, Kwon."

Soonyoung pauses at that as you internally sigh, turning to look at your rookie. "Follow Officer Lee and Officer Kim, they will brief you on how to set up our shop properly." Soonyoung takes once last glance between you and Minghao before nodding. "Yes, Ma'am."

He jogs out of the room to catch up with the others, making you turn back to your step-brother who is already fixing you with a look that you're all too familiar with. "I'll be fine." You assure him before he can say anything as you roll your eyes. "God, you guys are acting like I haven't been doing this for like, ever."

Minghao rolls his eyes at your words. "I haven't even said anything, Pixie."

You scoff, folding your arms. "You didn't have to, Hao." You shoot back, raising an eyebrow at him. "Telling Seok and Gyu to look after me? C'mon, Hao, I thought you knew that I was better at discerning these things for myself."

"Of course I know that you can discern these things for yourself, Nova," He says. "Doesn't change the fact that you have a wildcard for a rookie, who has some trauma despite his amazing numbers, and that I'm not on the field to have your back today." He factually states, shaking his head. "Plus, you also tend to let your ego get the better of you in situations like this." Your gaze slightly hardens at his words as you feel a slight thud in your chest, his words piercing you like a knife.

He shakes his head, noticing the change in your expression. "It's not a bad thing, Nova, it happens to the best of us when we think we can handle something that we can't control." He sighs, his voice dropping lower. "It's happened to all of us, you can attest to that, you were there." He runs a hand through his hair. "I just need you to push your Nova-persona to the side for a second and question whether this is actually the right move, please."

Hearing his voice crack and the pleading tone laced in his words, makes your anger dissipate slightly. You know that he means well and he has a point. However, it doesn't change the fact that he thinks that your ego is clouding your judgment, though. You take a slow inhale, composing yourself and clearing your head before fixing your eyes on your older brother. "Hao, I'll be fine. Like I said, this isn't my first rodeo." You say, as gently as you could while still being serious. "As for Kwon, I'll handle it if things go wrong. I just need you to trust me, please."

Minghao stares at you for a few seconds before sighing out in exasperation. "Fine," He says, giving in, "But radio me the second something goes wrong." He fixes you with another hard gaze. "I don't care if someone else needs my help, I'll go to your section myself."

You resist the urge to roll your eyes at your older brothers words. You don't have enough time to get into another argument with him about how he is just supervising. So instead, you bite your tongue and (just) nod. "Got it."

Minghao's eyes soften at your tense tone as he lets out a soft exhale. "Be safe." He says softly, his older brother persona shining through as he gives your hand a quick squeeze, before leaving the briefing room. You let out an uneasy exhale of a breath as everyone's words swarm in your mind.

You run through them for a few seconds, letting your guard down as everyone's worries highlight in your mind. You know it's risky, but you're Nova, if you didn't have that, you didn't have anything. You shake your head, slapping your cheeks a little. "Focus." You softly scold yourself. With a deep breath, you jog out of the room to meet up with Soonyoung who is already seated in shotgun. You slide into the shop, fastening your seatbelt as quickly as you can while Minghao calls for roll out, making you shift into drive.

"What did Officer Xu want?" Soonyoung ask, making you click your tongue. "Nothing that you should be concerned with." You answer briefly and curtly before casting a stern glance his way. "What you should be concerned with is whether you're ready to handle things later if shit hits the fan."

Soonyoung is silent as you fix him with a look as soon as you reach a red light. "Are you going to break down on me again?"

"No, Ma'am." He answers fast, almost a little too fast despite not sounding so sure of himself.

You nod, "Good." You focus your eyes on the road again, "Let's do this."

"Third house is clear." Mingyu says through the walkie which makes you signal to Soonyoung to cross the name off of the list. "Neighbours said that the family went on vacation to the Maldives on Monday and they'll be back next week."

"Must be nice having government pension money to bring your family to Maldives." You say into the radio earning a laugh from Seokmin and a scoff from Mingyu.

"Well, after doing around four tours for them, I bet you he got a raise in between." Mingyu states, making you smirk and shake your head at the small skit you guys are doing, looking over at Soonyoung.

"Who's next?"

He runs his finger down the list, landing on the fourth name. "Liam James," He reads out. "Lives just two streets from here. He did two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before becoming a private contractor."

"To be honest, that just sounds like a fancy way of saying he became a hitman." Mingyu says over the radio making you snort.

"Let my rookie finish, please, Officer Kim."

"Sorry, sorry."

You gesture for Soonyoung to continue. "Some domestic priors with an ex-wife while he was still in the army but nothing since." You nod. "Kwon and I will take first point this time."

Seokmin and Mingyu chirp a 'copy' over the radio as you shift the gear into drive and head two streets down, with them keeping watch at the edge of the street. You reach the house, giving it a once over before turning to Soonyoung. "Alright, what's the game plan, Boot?"

"We knock on the door and see if he's home."

You raise an eyebrow. "And if he isn't?"

Soonyoung's eyes flit between you and the house. "Then we look for probable cause. If we find one — like a gun for example, we radio it in to Officer Lee and Officer Kim."

You nod. "Good, let's go."

The two of you hop out of the shop, walking towards the front door of the house. It looks almost like a summer home, white fresh paint on the walls, white picket fence as well as a blue roof. It looks exactly like one of the houses that a seasoned veteran would spend their money on. You gesture towards the door. "Go on." Soonyoung nods and clears his throat before giving the door three firm knocks on the door.

"Liam James?" Soonyoung shouts towards the door. "LAPD, we have a few questions to ask you." The door opens and a tall man in his 40s appears, dressed in denim jeans, a plaid shirt with a bomber jacket on. He looks shiftily between to the two of you.

"What do you want?" He asks gruffly.

"LAPD, sir," Soonyoung starts, flashing his badge. "We'd just like to ask, where you were this morning around 11am?"

The older man looks between the two of you before huffing out a chuckle, making you raise an eyebrow. "That's an ominous question." Liam says, glancing suspiciously between the two of you as a wary smile appears on his face. "Why'd you need to know?"

"There was a sniper shooting this morning." You simply say, making Liam click his tongue in recognition.

"Ah, yeah, heard that on the 1pm news just now and because of my background, you guys came to see me." You nod, noticing him shift on his feet, a nervous tick that you silently take note of as he looks directly at your rookie.

"Your question actually has some irony to it because I was at the gun club just a few blocks from there."

Soonyoungs' eyes flit to you for a second, looking back at the suspicious man as you plaster on a small smile. "Lucky us then," You reply, your tone even. "Got any proof of that, Sir?"

Liam nods. "I think I have a receipt for some ammo and a new gun that I bought. Let me go in and get it."

You nod, stepping forward slightly, "Mind if we step inside, sir?" You say, your voice feigning cheerily. "It's really hot out today and we've been looking for this guy since this morning."

He looks between the two of you, his face unreadable. "I do actually," Liam says, closing the door a few more centimeters to prevent you from peering inside. "But, I'll be out in a second." He gives you one last smile before disappearing and closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door closes, Soonyoung whips around to you, his eyes wide. "I'm getting a vibe."

"Good," You curtly reply, your eyes narrowing at the door. "At least your instincts are working." His eye twitches a little, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at your tone and sarcasm. "His alibi is pretty solid though." You hum out, peering into his living room through the side windows.

Soonyoung nods at your words as he follows your gaze, scanning the living room with you. "Gives him a reason to be in the vicinity but his vibe is really off." You hum at his words, the gears in your head turning as you pull out your walkie talkie. "Officer Kim? Officer Lee?" You say into the walkie.

There was some static but all you were met with was silence, making you frown, "Gyu? Seok?" Still no reply.

"Er, Ma'am?" Soonyoung calls out to you, making you look over at him, your walkie talkie still in hand. Soonyoung peers into the house through the translucent and semi-opaque windows before pulling out his gun. You watch, your eyebrows furrowing before he gestures for you to look inside. Turning to where he gestured, you see a rifle propped up against the cabinet near the front door, making your eyes widen.

"That gives us probable cause, right?" Soonyoung whispers to you, which makes you nod, stashing your walkie and pulling out your own gun. "Should we call for backup?"

"Signal isn't going through." You say, your voice hard as your heart starts to race. You take a step back, gun still in hand as you scan the house before something glints on the top of the roof, catching your eye.

"Kwon," You call, getting Soonyoung's attention as you squint. "Is that what I think it is?" Soonyoung squints the sunlight out of his eyes as his gaze flits around the rooftop, before narrowing on the object on the roof.

"Yep," He confirms, visibly grimacing. "It's a signal jammer."

"Fuck." You curse, your blood pumping faster as you run through a million scenarios in your head.

On one hand, you knew that this guy was armed and dangerous, waiting for backup is the smart thing to do. Not to mention that you had promised your fellow TOs that you would wait for them if something goes wrong. Prior to hitting the streets, the three of you came up with a plan. As house visits were meant to be wrapped up fast, it shouldn't take more than ten minutes per house unless something goes awry. If it does go awry, the other two officers would rush down with their rookies to check whether everything is alright.

You glance at your watch. Seven minutes had passed. You calculate the probabilities in your head, before making a decision that you are sure is going to come back and bite you in the ass.

"Here's the plan." You tell Soonyoung sternly. "According to the plan, Lee and Kim will come in three minutes but by how calculated this guy is, he might disappear the second they get here and we can't afford to lose him due to his backup plans upon backup plans." You point out, running through the points. "So, we take the probable cause and we start the timer for three minutes. No matter what happens, we stall." Your eyes flit between Soonyoungs'. "Understood?" He visibly swallows before nodding. You give him a curt nod as you hold up your gun higher and use your free hand to open the door.

Stepping into Liam's house, you peer at the rifle before gazing into the living room, the first room of the house. "I told you to wait outside." Liam says, his tone serious and angry as you step forward, meeting him halfway in the middle of his living room, your gun pointing straight at his chest.

"Sir." You say, your voice low as you noticed his hands wedged into his pocket. "I'm going to need you to show us your hands."

Liam lets out a chuckle in disbelief, "This is a mistake." He spits out, looking between you and Soonyoung, "I have the receipt for the stuff right here." He holds out the piece of paper towards you as you take a step back, making his arm falter.

"And we will get to that sir. But right now, my training officer has asked you to show us your hands."

Liam's eyes flit between you and Soonyoung before he lets out an exhale of disappointment, shaking his head. "You really don't want me to do that," He warns the two of you, making your eyes narrow.

"We'll be the judge of that." You narrow your gaze, aiming your gun at his shoulder. "I'm only going to say this one last time," You say, your voice even as you enunciate each word. "Show. Us. Your. Hands."

Liam chuckles lowly before his face twists into something more menacing as he shrugs. "Fine," he barks out. "But you asked for this." Everything happens in a split second.

Before you can even react, Liam pulls out a pistol from his pocket which makes your eyes widen. "GET DOWN!" You yell at Soonyoung, diving behind the coffee table as Liam pelts bullets into both your directions. Your eyes close tightly on instinct, placing your hands above your face to shield it from the concrete wall shavings and wood splinters flying your way. The clicks of the gun trigger fades down the hallway but the shots continue, making your blood rush as you feel the adrenaline coursing through your veins.

You peer above the coffee table, scanning the room till you notice Liam standing behind the connecting wall of the living room and the kitchen, making you scowl as you fire a few shots at said wall, missing him by a few millimeters. You continue to fire and duck before looking to your left to see Soonyoung on the floor, cowering behind the display cabinet near the front door.

Soonyoung whose gun is near his thighs, not a single bullet fired as he peers from behind the cabinet every few seconds while his hands shake uncontrollably as he looks as paralyzed as he was this afternoon. His chest heaves, making you curse under your breath as Mingyu and Seokmin's words flash in your mind. Their concerns had come true at this very instance.

"OFFICER KWON!" You yell out over the shots, making him look directly into your eyes as you pelt a few more bullets into the wall. "IF YOU DO NOT FUCKING GET UP AND ENGAGE THE SUSPECT—" You pelt a few more bullets up at the suspect, letting the threat fall on his ears as you duck down and meet his gaze again, hard. "GET THE FUCK UP, KWON SOONYOUNG!"

Soonyoung continues to blankly stare at you as you reload your gun with your spare clip, watching from the corner of your eye as Liam moves even further towards the backdoor. Your blood runs cold as panic ensues. If he gets to the back door, it's game over.

You faintly hear Mingyu and Seokmin's shops in the distance as they race down the road. The sirens should've placated your adrenaline rush, but all you could focus on, is the man moving closer and closer to his exit. Without a second thought, you lunge over the coffee table and run to the connecting wall that you were pelting bullets into, just a few minutes ago.

Your heart races as you duck behind any surface you can as Liam continues his assault of bullets, one of them grazing your shoulder and causing you to flinch in pain as you feel the sting and burn it leaves behind. You grit your teeth, continuing to run and duck as you reach the connecting wall, slamming your back hard against it as you try to catch your breath. The assault of bullets cease, making you peer around the wall to catch a glimpse of Liam reloading his gun as he makes a break for the kitchen counter. Your eyes narrow as you fire a few rounds at him, cursing as he manages to evade them. He ducks behind the kitchen counter, his escape route through the backdoor almost clear, making your heart pound in your ears. Liam fires a few shots back at you without looking up, making you crouch even further behind the wall to check your clip.

Two bullets left.

"Fuck my life." You mutter lowly. "Liam! It's going to be really bad for you in about thirty seconds." You shout, hearing him scuffle behind the kitchen counter.

"You're going to have more cops out there than you can handle." You shout, wincing as you feel a spike of pain from the bullet graze, your adrenaline waning as your heart rate starts to slow down. "You'll have an easier time with the DA if you surrender now because if you kill an officer, you'll never see outside of the four gray walls ever again." You reason, trying to get him to relent.

"Shut up you bitch!" Liam yells before firing a few more rounds as you making you shelter yourself behind the wall. "I rather die than go to prison."

You click your tongue, "I don't know about that, Liam!" You say calmly, trying to push him to talk more. "If you shoot me, my rookie will have to put a bullet between your eyes. I'll be pissed off and have to take a few weeks to recover but you?" You chuckle lowly. "Will never see the light of day again."

You hear him bark out a laugh, "You mean the guy who hasn't fired a single bullet at me?" You tune into the sound of his voice as you slowly round the wall and walk towards the counter as quietly as you can as he continues with a scoff. "Yeah, right, sweetheart." You grimace at the pet name, feeling your blood boil slightly at it. "I bet he's cowering behind the display shelf isn't he? What a rookie you raised." He chuckles mockingly, as you reach the counter before jumping over it and pointing your gun dead center between his brows, making his eyes light up with shock as he stares at you.

"It's his first day." You shrug,nonchalantly as you keep your hand still, never wavering, "But it'll be your last, the second you reach for the gun again." You harden your gaze on him. "Drop it." You say calmly, your tone even and hard. Liam's gaze switches between meeting yours, eyeing the gun in your hand and his that is pointing towards the floor.

There's silence for a beat before he sighs and throws the gun to the side, raising his hands in surrender as he give you a condescending smile. "Alright, sweetheart," He says,"You're smart, I'll give you that." You narrow your gaze before his eyes widen like a madman, "But not smart enough."

Before you could even think, he swipes his feet under yours, knocking you off your feet and the air in your lungs as you choke on your shock and saliva. Liam quickly jumps to his feet as he whistles lowly and steps his boot onto your wrist, crushing it as you let out a yell of pain.

He gives you a sick smile as he picks up the gun from your hand with no push back and crushes your wrist harder under his boot making you gasp from the pain. Liam cocks his head to the side, in mock sympathy. "Poor you," he coos out, his voice laced with fake honey, "This is what happens when they put women in command, sweetheart." He chuckles lowly, shaking his head. "You ladies all think that you're smarter and better than us but working in the government is a man's job, darling."

You grit your teeth at his words as he applies even more pressure on your wrist and leans in closer, leveling the gun with your face. "Such a shame that I have to kill you." He clicks his tongue, "You really do have a pretty face." His smile widens as your blood runs cold.

This is it. You had let your ego get in the way and you were never going to see your friends or Minghao again. You brace for impact, closing your eyes as you hear him cock the gun before hearing a shot.

The gunshot rings loudly in your ears as you feel the pressure on your wrist immediately fade. Muffled voices come from behind you before Minghao appears by your side, his eyes wide with concern as his mouth moves too fast for you to catch what he is saying while he sheathes his gun back into his holder.

"Pixie." He breaths out, his voice getting clearer and clearer as each second passes. "Chwe!" He yells, almost out of breath. "Request for an RA and an ambulance now!"

You hear a thousand different dialogues going on as Minghao gets you to try and focus on him. "Suspect in custody, requesting for an RA and ambulance to our location, over." You hear Vernon briskly say as Minghao accesses you for damage as he mutters on about how stupid you are. He freezes, seeing your shoulder and grimaces at the amount of blood there was, seeping through your uniform.

"Nova!" You hear Mingyu and Seokmin's footsteps before you see them, as they crouch in front of you, just behind Minghao who's still holding your face between his hands as his eyes flit around your face.

"I can't tell if she has a concussion." Minghao says, his voice cracking slightly. "Pixie, can you hear me?" You blink, feeling your body start to crash from the adrenaline as your head starts to unfog, watching Seokmin chew on his bottom lip.

"I think she's in shock, Hao." He says before Mingyu gets your attention.

"Blink twice if you can hear us, Nova." Mingyu says, concern lacing his voice as you respond by blinking twice along with a shaky exhale.

"I'm—" You manage to choke out, feeling all your senses returning as your body aches and your wrist throbs, "I'm okay." You breathe out, causing Minghao to let out a shaky exhale before he pulls you straight into his chest. Your head collides into his shoulder as he chokes back a sob, making your heart clench as he squeezes you tighter into him, not caring who is watching. "Hao…" You slowly say as you run a hand soothingly down his back as you meet Mingyu and Seokmin's eyes which are swirling with relief.

"Fuck you, Pixie." He spits out into your shoulder, "I thought you were gone." Your heart clenches a little more as you slowly push yourself out of his embrace to look him in the eyes.

"Hao," you say gently, coaxing the boy to lock eyes with you. "Look at me." He looks at you and your chest drops at how broken and empty his eyes look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that." You whisper out as you try for a small smile. "But I'm okay, you saved me." You let out a shaky breath, teething on the edge of sobbing as the shock hits you fully. "Thank you for saving me."

Minghao gnaws on his bottom lip as you let a few tears fall, sobbing slightly making him pull you back into his chest as he runs a hand through your hair. "I'm here." He says quietly, gently kissing your hair as you soak his uniform. "You're safe."

Minghao doesn't leave your side once, even as you're getting patched up for the bullet graze as the paramedics check you for any other injuries, clearing you from all signs of a concussion. "You're very lucky." The paramedic tells you, eyeing you as she cleans the bullet graze. "A couple more centimeters to the left and it would've hit you in the neck."

You felt lucky. You knew that if Minghao and the rest were even a second later, you would've died. Minghao's hand holds yours as they check your wrist before placing it in a small brace, ruling it as a bad sprain that would heal in a few days. You thank them, looking at your brother as he fills you in.

Seokmin and Mingyu requested backup the second they heard the gun, but due to the shots getting fired, they had no clear way to enter.

Minghao, who was in the stakeout truck, immediately rushed over without a second thought. They formed a quick plan for Seokmin, Mingyu and their respective rookies to secure the back of the house just in case the suspect ran. Minghao and Vernon took the front, waiting for the right time to enter. But the moment Minghao heard your scream, he lost all sense of the entire plan, running inside and firing into Liam's shoulder.

Minghao stays quiet for a beat after finishing his retelling, making you take a few sips of water from a plastic bottle that Minghao got from his shop. "Slowly." He chastises as you gulp down, not noticing how dehydrated you are. "You're going to choke." You resist the urge to roll your eyes, knowing that Minghao is doting on you because you nearly died in front of him.

After you get patched up, Minghao insists on driving the shop back to the station for debrief. "Don't we need to get Kwon?" You ask, slipping into shotgun as Minghao scowls.

"I asked Mingyu and Seokmin to take him back to the station." He levels you with a gaze before starting up the car as you slump into the seat. "You're going to wash him out, right?" Minghao asks after a few beats of silence. "You kind of have to at this point."

You chew your bottom lip, "I don't know, Hao." You softly say, making Minghao let out a scoff of disbelief.

"You're kidding, Pixie." He says, his tone incredulous. "You've washed out rookies for less!" He bites out, his voice getting louder and louder with each word as they're laced with more and more venom.

"It's not that simple, Hao." You shoot back, your voice low as Minghao snorts.

"Pixie, it's as simple as riding a fucking bike." He spits back, his fingers squeezing the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles start to turn white. "He's clearly going through a midlife crisis of becoming a cop. He was a fucking idol for godsake!" He laughs, not a single trace of humour in it as he rambles on. "He may have gotten good scores, Nova, but that doesn't change the fact that he almost let you die and didn't have your back." He briefly locks eyes with you through the rear-view mirror before looking back at the road. "I have your back if you need to wash him out so please, Nova." He lets out a quiet exhale, "Don't be a hero and try to train the impossible rookie."

You let silence envelop the shop as you take in Minghao's words. He is right. You had washed out rookies for less and over smaller mistakes. This situation is different though. The consequences of you washing out this rookie are different.

Kwon Soonyoung has a tie to your career that either means you keep getting to do what you love or risk loosing it all because he was not prepared. If you'd place both options on a scale, you honestly wouldn't know where it titled to more. Lady luck is not on your side either way.

"Pixie." Minghao breathes out, shaking you out of your thoughts. "What are you keeping from me?" He asks, his low voice making your heart clench slightly.

You could tell him. Keeping it from him even for just the past shift was already making his perception of you change. You don't know how to tell him that Soonyoung needs to pass by any means necessary in order for you to keep this job. You live and breathe this job and no one knows that better than him. But you also know that he would force you to take all the easy calls, or that he would fight tooth and nail to get the rookie transferred to him because there is no consequences for him, and you simply can't let that happen.

"I'm not hiding anything, Hao." You say, your voice calmer than you thought it would be as you gaze out the window, the streets of Los Angeles whizzing by as you refuse to meet his eyes. "Can we please, just get back to the station for debrief?"

Minghao lets out a sigh, sounding like he wants to argue but nothing comes as he continues driving. You spend the rest of the way back in silence as you try not to let your exhaustion get the better of you and fall asleep in the shop, opting to just crash in your bed later after getting a cup of hot chamomile tea and a shower.

You and Minghao hop out of the shop and go straight to the meeting room where you are met with Seungcheol's stern gaze as he stands at the front door of the meeting room. You feel uneasy as he accesses you from top to bottom, an unreadable expression on his face with his arms crossed.

You tiredly brace for impact as he meets your gaze. "Glad to see you're alive." Seungcheol says, his voice even, "I also see that your rookie came back earlier without you." You swallow, opening your mouth to respond when Minghao beats you to it.

"I told Kwon to ride with Kim back to the station." His tone eerily even as he takes a quick sharp glance at you. "I needed Nova to debrief me in the car so I drove the shop back and we took the scenic route to have more time."

Seungcheol looks between the two of you before sighing and shaking his head, "I expect your reports on my desk before the end of shift." He relents, walking into the briefing room as you trail in after him with Minghao behind you.

You meet Soonyoung's gaze as soon as you walk through the door and notice the way his face pales as he immediately breaks eye contact and fiddles with his fingers. His face is filled with regret that makes your blood boil at the thought of him cowering behind the desk. Clenching your fist, you take your seat between Mingyu and Seokmin who share an uneasy glance at the obvious growing tension between you and Minghao.

The debrief goes quickly. You opt to stay quiet for most of it, only filling in the parts you need to before the shift ends. You stand up and walk out of the meeting room when Seungcheol's voice stops you as he calls Soonyoung, a tense tone in his voice.

You opt to stay quiet for most of it and only filling in the parts you needed to before the shift ends. You stand up and walk out of the meeting room when Seungcheol's voice stops you as he calls Soonyoung, a tense tone in his voice. You watch from the outside as Seungcheol slowly walks over to your rookie, his gaze hard with his arms crossed.

"I hear you left your training officer to fend for herself." Seungcheol says, his voice low. If looks could kill, Soonyoung would probably be six-feet under with how intensely he looks at him.

Soonyoung swallows, "Sir, I—" Seungcheol holds up a hand, interrupting Soonyoung before he could start rambling.

"Save it," Seungcheol hisses out. "I don't need your explanations or excuses, Officer Kwon. I will know all the reasons as soon as your TO gives me the report later." He steps closer to Soonyoung. "And if she writes something just a little out of place," He quietly threatens. "You're done, Officer Kwon."

Soonyoung nods grimly before Seungcheol shoos him away, making him walk out of the room, his head hung low before he almost runs into you with your arms crossed and an unreadable look on your face.

The two of you stare at each other for a beat before Soonyoung clears his throat, "Ma'am." He starts, his voice soft as he takes a deep breath. "I just wanted to say that whatever you write in the report, I take full responsibility." You don't respond, opting to let him continue. "I know I let you down today. You gave me a shot and I screwed it up." Soonyoung locks eyes with you, "But if by some grace of some God out there that I make it through till tomorrow. I promise you that I'll be the best rookie that you ever have."

You let his words fall into the silence surrounding the two of you, letting it sit there as you let the guilt in his heart stew a little longer. "I'm not going to fire you, Officer Kwon."

His eyes widen at that. "What?" He sputters out, not doing anything to mask his shock.

"Don't get me wrong, Kwon." You say, your voice tense and low, "I should be firing you for the stunt that you pulled off today. Whatever you did and didn't do at the sniper's house just proves to me that you are a liability to the department and to me." You shake your head as you let out a bitter chuckle before narrowing your gaze on him. "But I want you to admit it to yourself."

Soonyoung hesitates as you take a step closer towards him. "You're going to walk in here tomorrow and quit because you won't be able to get any sleep tonight." You tell him, your voice low, "Because the events of today will haunt you and eat away at you until you have no choice but to quit."

You take a few steps backwards, almost walking off when Soonyoung stops you.

"Why don't you just fire me then?" He says, his voice slightly bitter and low making your jaw clench.

"I'm trying to save you from the shame and ridicule, Officer Kwon." You bark out a curt laugh. "There is honour in resigning and realizing that you aren't up for this job. That this is just a walking mid-life crisis moment that will either get you or me killed." You spit out, walking closer to him before jabbing a finger into his chest. "Because if you get fired from this job, what's next, Kwon Soonyoung?"

You let the words sink in before shooting back more, "Go back to being an idol? Live a quiet life?" You spit out, venom lacing every word. "You will have nothing." You say, your tone hard and tense, before dropping your hand and shaking your head. "And haven't you been through enough of that for just one lifetime?"

Soonyoung doesn't reply you, opting to just stare at you with an unreadable expression on his face. "I figured." You mutter, taking a step back. "Goodnight, Kwon Soonyoung." You curtly say, "It was nice to meet you." With those words, you turn on your heel and walk away, leaving Soonyoung by himself to deal with the aftermath of your words.

REPORT 2 OF 546 - THE FIREBALL OF SECOND CHANCES

You feel a migraine coming on as soon as you walk into the locker room, slightly later than you normally would. Everyone had given you funny looks on the way in and you can't blame them, you look like straight death.

You didn't get as much sleep as you thought you would last night. You had gone home and locked yourself in your room, barely saying a word to Minghao who didn't say anything to you either, not that you expected him to. During your arguments or disagreements, there are always a few days of silence and no interactions between the two of you. Having grown up in the same household for majority of your adolescent to teenage years, you both realized that the best way to deal with fights or disagreements was to give each other space until one was ready to talk without wanting to throw something at the other.

This decision was made because the last time you and Minghao had tried to solve a fight, only a couple of hours after you had it, a few cups had broke from the pillows thrown across the room at each other. Minghao was always the calmer one of the two of you, keeping himself in check with his meditation and tea, which meant he would normally be the first to calm down and talk to you.

However, this time around, you are sure that Minghao is adamant on not speaking to you until you come to him first. Minghao had a couple of old rules that he used to ground himself with. One of them being that if you'd lie to him and cause a fight, he wouldn't be the one to break the silence.

You sigh, opening your locker before a frown makes it way onto your lips as an old picture of you and Minghao taken during your rookie days blatantly stares back at you, making you nearly slam your head into the locker door. You hold off on that sentiment though, opting to freshen yourself up before putting on your uniform and walking out the door. You walk to your desk to gather some paper work when you hear someone clearing their throat beside you. You look to your right to see Seungcheol standing there with his arms crossed in-front of his chest.

"Got a second, Nova?" He asks making you nod as he gestures you to follow him into his office, closing the door behind him after you enter. You stand with your hands behind your back as he stands in-front of you and accesses you for a beat, his eyes flitting around your face. "Rough night?" He asks making your eyes widen slightly before you mask it almost immediately by shaking your head.

"No, sir." You state, making Seungcheol's eyebrow raise before he goes to sit at his desk.

"Take a seat Nova, I have a few questions about the report that you submitted last night." A small 'Oh' escapes your mouth before you can stop it, making Seungcheol look at you, his gaze hard. "Would that be an issue?"

You awkwardly clear your throat. "No sir." You say, trying to make your tone as even as possible as you take a seat. "By all means, please ask away."

Seungcheol stares at you for a few seconds before placing two reports in-front of you, one being yours and the other being Minghao's. "When I was reading yours and Officer Xu's report last night, I couldn't help but notice a couple of discrepancies between the two of you." He raises a hand slightly, "Now, don't get me wrong, officers do have different ways of doing the incident report but the main incidents are normally the same, the only discrepancies being just the way they write it. Overall, the gist of the report doesn't change." He uses both hands to point at the report summary that you and Minghao had written. "The two of you however," He starts, his tone serious. "Seem to have different opinions on what actually happened in the house."

You feel your mouth dry up as you stare at the two different report summaries, running through a million thoughts in your head. When you were writing your summary last night, you had opted to not mention anything about Soonyoung's second panic attack or him leaving you to fight for yourself and just wrote that you had tried a different approach to put yourself in harms way instead of him.

Minghao, on the other-hand, had written the truth and nothing but the truth. He had written about how Soonyoung didn't fire a single shot at the suspect and did nothing to stop the misogynistic words coming out of the suspects mouth and had opted to do nothing while you were getting hurt. You continue to stare at the reports, not knowing what to say. Seungcheol sighs in frustration, "Nova." He starts, his serious tone making you peer up at him sheepishly, meeting his unamused face. "Did you or did you not intentionally lie on your report?"

You chew your bottom lip, "I may have exaggerated the truth slightly?" Is all your brain can come up with, making Seungcheol sigh as he presses two fingers at the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.

"And why would you do that?" You keep quiet at that, making Seungcheol lock eyes with you as his jaw clenches slightly, "Well?" He asks, getting impatient which makes you sigh.

"Because if I had written that in the report, I would've been forced to wash him out." You mumble out, making Seungcheol's frown deepen even more.

"Instead you told him off last night outside the briefing room to try and get him to quit this morning." Seungcheol pieces together, making you nod. He stares at you in disbelief, leaving you to sputter out reassurances.

"On the bright side, I think he's coming to quit today and I need you to not stop him."

Seungcheol stares at you for a second longer before leaning back in his chair slightly. "Nova," He starts, a slight edge to his tone, stopping you in the middle of your ramble. "Did you purposely put yourself in danger so that you could get him to quit?"

Your eyes widen at Seungcheol's accusations. "What the hell?" You sputter out, unsure if you heard him right. "Are you seriously asking me if I risked my life to give Kwon Soonyoung a heart attack and get him to quit?" You ask, your tone strained as you give Seungcheol a once over in disbelief. "Do you really think I would do something like that?"

Seungcheol clicks his tongue as he eyes you carefully, as if he's calculating his words. "Given your explanation and how you risked everything yesterday after you promised both Officer Kim and Lee that you would call for backup, with you lying on your report, putting yourself in a situation when there were a hundred other ways to solve it given your training and adaptability…" Seungcheol trails off, shaking his head, "I don't know what to think, Nova. I've never seen you like this."

You feel your heart sink lower and lower into your stomach at every word that comes out of Seungcheol's mouth. He is right. You've never lied on a report, there were a hundred different ways you could have handled yesterday and you know because you ran through all the scenarios in your head. However, only one of them gave you the highest percentage of Kwon Soonyoung walking out and realizing that he wasn't cut out for this job.

You could've gone with Nova or yourself and you went with Nova. "Sarge." You say after finding your voice and resolve, "My job is on the line." You say, your voice strained, bitterness lacing every word. "I've had to work twice as hard as any other officer here, Seungcheol." Your eyes locking with the older man, "I have to make sure that every report is written to expectation, that every case I take is flawless because that was just the hand that was handed to be because of my gender, Sarge."

You let out a bitter laugh. "But because I am ruthless when I have to be, that I take no bullshit and train the rookies after me to be the best of the best especially if they're girls, I get handed a shitty hand because my wash out rate is too high." You take a shaky inhale of a breath, feeling your chest tighten. "So, if Kwon Soonyoung walks in here with the intention to quit today, I beg of you to please let him." You say, your voice softer than it has been since you had entered the office. "I need this, Seungcheol, more than anything."

Seungcheol stares at you, his expression softening from what it was a few moments ago. His heart aches for you. Of course he knows that you had worked harder for than anyone else for this opportunity. It was evident when he had met you on that first day of the academy. You, bright-eyed, nudging Minghao at every single relic or clipping that was on the wall, ecstatic and not believing that you were finally here.

He remembers all the boys mocking you behind your back as they watched you that first day, how you were the only girl in the class which automatically put you at the bottom of the food chain without even giving you a chance. However, his favourite moment from that was how you proved all those boys wrong that very day in combat class. You had gone against every single one of those assholes and flipped them over as if they weighed nothing, effectively knocking out more than just the wind in their lungs and the smug smiles on their faces.

You had also effectively knocked out everyone's perspective of you, replacing it with the hard determination on your face as you looked around the room, an eyebrow raised as you wondered aloud who wanted to go next. He was so glad that he decided to take the assistant teaching role for that class because he hasn't seen something as amazing as that before then. Now, as he stares at you, that memory at the back of his mind, he sees the same girl with the same quiet resolve. Except, now, it is slowly breaking before his eyes. The girl, who made everyone jump out of their skin at just the thought of her, was looking at him as if she was about to lose everything, just because of a bad dice roll that was handed to her.

There is only one right choice.

He calls out your name softly, grounding you slightly as you continue to stare at him as he studies you for a beat. "If he does step into my office to quit," Seungcheol lets out a slow exhale, "I will let him."

You feel your heart skip a beat at his words, your eyes widening as you open your mouth to thank him. He holds out a hand, stopping you.

"However, if he does not quit today, or any other day, I need you to promise me that you won't treat him as if he's some lost case, Nova." He says sternly, his eyes boring into yours with a fiery look in them, "Because if he's as stubborn as you, Nova, the minute you give the guy an expiration date, he will try his very best to prove to you that he's worth it which will lead to stupid and reckless decisions."

He glances down at the reports on the table before flitting his eyes back to yours. "And I think one case filled with stupid and reckless decisions during the first month of his probation is enough, don't you think?"

You swallow at the intensity of Seungcheol's words as you slowly nod, still digesting them slightly. Seungcheol gives you an unreadable look, "He had top scores at the academy for a reason, Nova. If you give him the proper training instead of throwing him into the deep end of your cases, he will definitely get over this mental block that is stopping you from turning him into the best rookie that you've ever trained."

He lowers his voice down to a whisper, "Remember what it was like to be in his shoes, Nova."

You feel your heart in your throat as you digest his words. Seungcheol looks out to the right of his office and whatever he sees makes one of his eyebrows raise making you blink at him, slightly confused.

"Looks like you have your work cut out for you, Nova." He says softly, his eyes never leaving the sight. You whip your head to the left, eyebrows furrowing at his words before your eyes widen at what's in front of you.

Because Kwon Soonyoung is standing there, grabbing the war bags and talking to the logistics people as if your ultimatum yesterday meant absolutely nothing to the man. He has a neutral expression on his face, wearing his rookie uniform as he taps his fingers against the desk, waiting for the rest of the equipment, and you feel your heart drop slightly.

"Well," Seungcheol says, getting your attention back to him as he takes the paperwork from you. "I'll help you and Xu adjust the inconsistencies in your reports." He glances up at you, his eyes glinting, a small smile on his face, "Get out there and make good on your promise."

You can't help but let yourself gawk at the man in front of you as he shoos you out of his office. "You're dismissed." He simply says, pushing you out and closing the door behind you as the blinds knock against the glass door.

You internally curse at the older man before turning to face your thirteenth reason why, who has just placed the body-cam over his uniform and turned it on as you taught him the day before. You storm up to him, the words already on your tongue before your mind could process them.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Kwon Soonyoung?"

Soonyoung turns and lock eyes with you, his expression unchanging even as you storm up to him, looking at him as if he should be anywhere but here.

"Ma'am." He greets, utterly ignoring your words from before as your eyes narrow on his. "Don't 'Ma'am' me, Boot. Didn't I specifically tell you what would happen to you if you didn't turn in your papers?" You spit out, venom lacing every word.

"Then cut me." Soonyoung replies, without wasting a single beat, his answer resonating in your mind as his tone cut through your venomous one. He is filled with determination as he stares at you. You stare at him, pressing your tongue to the edge of your cheek as he levels you with his determined gaze, "I know you think I'm some privileged train wreck that sued his way into this department just because he wanted to play dress up, but I'm not." He says firmly.

"I'm here because I have to do this," He says, his voice never wavering, his expression not changing, "Because I can't live with myself if anyone else goes through the same thing that I have."

You stare at him, feeling your blood boil slightly as his selfless nature shines through his words. You bite the inside of your cheek, letting out a small groan as you look towards the older man, whose eyes you can feel, burning holes in the back of your head.

Seungcheol looks at you, his eyes glinting slightly and a small smile on his face before he shrugs his shoulders after you fix him with a silent glare. There's a debate happening inside you, your Nova persona fighting your true self, before you sigh internally and face your rookie. Letting yourself study him for a beat, you wonder if he just made this decision on a whim.

You internally curse when you realize how well-rested he looks compared to you, debating whether you did the right thing. Not that he knows that, of course. You pinch the bridge of your nose, closing your eyes, "Alright, Boot." You grit out through your teeth before you fix him with a hard expression, "If you're that committed to making me give you hell, I might as well make sure you can walk through fire."

You visibly see Soonyoung's posture relax as you narrow your eyes. "I just hope you aren't scared of getting burned." His eyes flit around your face before giving you a curt nod. "If that's what it takes to get you to believe me," he starts, "I'll gladly take every fireball you throw my way."

You scoff at his words, watching a small smile appear on his face, his serious facade breaking slightly as you resist the urge to roll your eyes, "Go set up our shop then, Boot." You say, nudging your finger in the direction of the police lot, "Don't make me regret this."

He gives you a wider smile, the serious facade fading into something more him which made your heart crawl its way into your throat as you wonder what you had just signed yourself up for as he levels your gaze, "Yes, Ma'am."

REPORT 14 OF 546 - THE MOTOR POOL HIT

When Soonyoung had agreed to get through every fire filled obstacle you were determined to throw his way, he didn't actually think he would succeed. Whether it was by sheer dumb luck or some kind of determination, he would never know.

You had put him as the primary for every single call that the two of you took, meaning that he was the one making every decision and dealing with every single consequence. It had been smooth sailing so far, you actually giving him the chance to prove himself — although, you looked like you wanted to slam your head against the wall every time he made a mistake.

Again, whether it was by sheer dumb luck or some kind of grace by God himself, he made it through, with only a couple of parking misdemeanors, some minor drug cases and only one homicide case that was closed shut pretty fast with the help of Vernon and Minghao.

Yep, just typical two weeks as a police officer.

Truth be told, he had thought about quitting the second he had made his way into the apartment and collapsed, sprawled out face-down onto the couch. The events of the day kept replaying like an annoying b-list movie he couldn't get rid of.

Three gunshots, dead body, panic attack. Bursting through the door, more gunshots, you on the floor with the guy standing over you.

He shifts on the couch, closing his eyes as he took deep breaths like his therapist had told him.

Three gunshots, dead body, panic attack. Bursting through the door, more gunshots, you on the floor with the guy standing over you.

Deep breath in. Three gunshots. Deep breath out. Dead body. He feels his breathing start to quicken. Panic attack. He inhales a shaky breath. Bursting through the door. He exhales, lesser than he should've. More gunshots. He feels his heart start to pick up. You on the floor. He tries to stabilize his breathing as his body starts to shake. The guy standing over you, gun in his hand. He lets out a shaky breath, a sob on the tip of his tongue as it keeps replaying.

Three gunshots, dead body, panic attack. Bursting through the door, more gunshots, you on the floor with the guy standing over you. (Breathe in) Three gunshots, dead body, panic attack. Bursting through the door, more gunshots, you on the floor with the guy standing over you. (Breathe out) Three gunshots, dead body, panic attack. Bursting through the door, more gunshots, you on the floor with the guy standing over you. (Breathe in) Three gunshots, dead body, panic attack. Bursting through the door, more gunshots, you on the floor with the guy standing over you. (Breath out)

He feels his body start to shut down as everything around him muffles, his brain deciding to take a different turn, changing to the day his hands were stained red as he presses his palms over his ears, hearing everything and nothing. He doesn't know how long his spiral lasts for because when he snaps out of it, he is sitting on the floor instead of the couch, his knees tucked to his chest. Another development was that Jeonghan is there, clutching onto him like he is his lifeline as his eyes flit around Soonyoung's face, concern etched in them.

"Breathe, Hoshi." Jeonghan says, his voice cracking slightly as he notices the haze behind Soonyoung's eyes starting to fade. "I'm here." He voices out softly, running his hands up and down Soonyoung's arms.

Soonyoung takes in Jeonghan's appearance, noticing that he is still in his suit while his briefcase is beside him, looking as if it was tossed haphazardly. He had just come home, which meant that Soonyoung has been sitting here for nearly an hour, in his own spiral.

He feels Jeonghan get up and walk to the counter, but not before whispering to Soonyoung that he would be right back. A beat passes before he feels a tissue being dabbed around the corners of his eyes. Soonyoung was so in his head that he didn't realize his face was wet, his eyes swollen and he's been crying for the better part of his hour spiral.

The two sit in silence, the only noises breaking it being Soonyoung's sniffles and Jeonghan's small reassuring words of comfort that slowly ground him back to earth. Half an hour later, Soonyoung finds himself on their couch; fresh pizza and soft drinks on the table and Jeonghan by his side, flicking through Netflix, the two not saying a word to each other. Soonyoung watches Jeonghan flick through the channels, a little confused as to why he hasn't said anything until it lands on one of their favourite shows. Jeonghan clicks on it before opening the pizza box and fishing a slice out onto their disposable plates and passing it to Soonyoung without missing a beat.

Soonyoung finds himself staring at the plate, outstretched in Jeonghan's hand as he gnaws at his bottom lip. Jeonghan click his tongue, making Soonyoung look up at the older man who has an eyebrow raised. "Take the plate, Hoshi," Jeonghan says, reading Soonyoung almost immediately as he orders him to take it with a deadpanned tone. "My arm's getting tired."

Soonyoung resists the urge to hesitate even more, noticing Jeonghan's expression and takes the plate with a soft 'thank you'. Jeonghan scoops a piece of pizza for himself as the movie plays softly in the background, white noise as Soonyoung chews slowly on his pizza.

He eyes Jeonghan, who has his gaze fixed on the television screen, concentrating on the scene playing out as if they hadn't seen the movie over a thousand times together and could recite it word for word ever since they were young.

"Staring is impolite, you know." Jeonghan states, his gaze unmoving from the screen as Soonyoung jumps slightly at his voice. Jeonghan takes a bite of his pizza as Soonyoung blurts out the first thing on his mind. "You aren't going to ask?"

Jeonghan pauses mid-chew for five seconds, digesting his words before swallowing his food, turning to look at the blonde haired male with an unreadable expression on his face. "Are you going to tell me the truth if I do?" The dark haired male asks, setting the plate down onto his lap.

Soonyoung feels his heart rate pick up slightly, nervous at the expression on Jeonghan's face. Having grown up with Jeonghan, Soonyoung has gotten used to being able to read the older man whose habits hadn't changed one bit. However, Soonyoung forgets that Jeonghan also has one of the best poker faces known to mankind. One of the most needed points to be a good lawyer.

He studies Jeonghan for a second more, prolonging the inevitable to see if Jeonghan would break his facade slightly. When it seems like the poker face has decided to prevail, Soonyoung sighs before giving in, spilling everything to him.

Jeonghan sits there, not interrupting once as Soonyoung recalls all the information from the day, his voice cracking and wavering every time he mentions something that he did wrong. He feels a sob in his throat as he remembers what happened when he got home, telling him about his spiral as well as Seoyeon.

When Soonyoung finishes, his throat aches for water, his lungs gasping slightly for air as he stares at his cold half-eaten pizza on his lap. The room is quiet, the only noises coming from the television as Soonyoung gnaws on the inside of his cheek, awaiting Jeonghan's response. "Hoshi."

Soonyoung peers up at the older man slowly, the gentle tone of his voice paired with the nickname making Soonyoung's heart clench slightly. As soon as he locks eyes with the black haired man, his breath catches as he sees Jeonghan's eyes fill with tears.

"Hyung…" Soonyoung starts, speechless. Since they were young, he had only seen Jeonghan cry twice in his life. The day his pet rock went missing when he was seven — which they had found moments later underneath a pile of his clothes — and when Jeonghan had placed first during the bar exam. Never did Soonyoung expect Jeonghan to cry about this.

"Why are you crying?" Soonyoung asks, placing the plate on the table as he scoots closer to Jeonghan, who cleans the stray tears with the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry for not noticing how bad your panic attacks are," Jeonghan said, placing his own plate on the table before fully turning to face Soonyoung, "I should've pushed harder for you to start next week instead." Soonyoung shakes his head immediately, "Stop that." Soonyoung chastised softly, "This isn't your fault, hyung. I needed to go and experience this today even though it fucking sucks like hell." He said, joking lightly, which makes Jeonghan let out a small watery laugh.

Soonyoung softens slightly, "I needed to do this, hyung, and honestly, no matter if I went this week or next week, the outcome would've been the same." He says, taking a shaky inhale, "I didn't think of how badly that night would affect me out on the street today."

They stay silent for a few moments, slowly digesting the different words said before Soonyoung sighs. "I need to find a way to get over that night."

"I think…" Jeonghan starts, hesitating slightly as his tongue darts out to swipe over his lip, "You need to forgive yourself first for what happened that night."

Soonyoung feels his heart lurch and the breath getting knocked out of his lungs at Jeonghan's words.

"It wasn't your fault, Hoshi." Jeonghan says gently, observing how Soonyoung had stilled. "You being twenty minutes late for that meetup had nothing to do with her death."

"But I could've stopped the guy." Soonyoung mutters out, making Jeonghan shake his head. "Or you could've died." "But-" "No." Jeonghan interrupts sternly, effectively shutting the younger man up. "Hoshi, you need to stop blaming yourself for the things that you can't control. So what if you were twenty minutes late that day, it wouldn't have stopped the person from executing their plan and killing her." His voice softens, "No matter how much we try to theorize how it would go, we can't know, Hoshi, and it really fucking sucks that we can't, but the important thing is that what we do after that." Jeonghan shifts on the couch, staring dead into Soonyoung's eyes before lifting up a finger. "Do we let the 'what ifs' stunt our growth or," He lifts up a second finger, "do we turn those 'what ifs' into new things for us to do, for us to continue to live for her?" Soonyoung feels his throat slowly close up at the words of his oldest friend, them sinking in harder that he thought they would. "We can't change the past, Hoshi." Jeonghan says softly, dropping his hands onto his lap, "but we can damn well make something of the present that will impact the future."

Soonyoung stares at Jeonghan, "No wonder you became a hot-shot lawyer," Soonyoung finds himself blurting out before his mind has a chance to catch up. Jeonghan blinks at the man, his eyes slightly wide in surprise before he lets out a snort.

"Only you would think to say that after the amazing speech I gave." Jeonghan says, shaking his head as he scoots backwards, away from Soonyoung. "That last line was really cheesy man, even you gotta admit that." "Fuck you," Jeonghan says, with no actual malice as Soonyoung lets out a snicker, "Last time I ever give you advice."

Soonyoung teasingly hums at that. "I don't think so… you love me too much to ever stop giving your old grandfatherly wisdom."

Soonyoung feels the pillow collide with his face before he could even see Jeonghan reach for it. Soonyoung sputters for a second, his back hitting the couch as Jeonghan laughs, a smirk on his face. "How's that for grandfatherly wisdom?"

Soonyoung rolls his eyes at the older mans antics, about to retort when Jeonghan asks, "So, what about the ultimatum?"

Soonyoung blinks at the man, his mouth suddenly drying up, "I don't know." Soonyoung answers honestly, "Maybe I'm not as cut out for the job as I think."

Jeonghan shakes his head at that, "That's bullshit, Hosh." Jeonghan says, his tone slightly deadpanned. Soonyoung shakes his head, about to retort but Jeonghan interrupts him once again. "Ignoring the fact that I haven't seen you this passionate about something in a long time, the fact that you were worried about it and that you keep thinking about it proves that you are cut out for this, Hoshi. If you didn't want it this much, you wouldn't have even tried as hard as you did today." Jeonghan's eyes glinted with a fiery glaze, "And that counts for something." He finishes firmly, making Soonyoung gnaw on the inside of his cheek.

"If you call it quits now, you're also proving this Nova lady or whatever right." Jeonghan narrows his eyes slightly at Soonyoung, "And I know you won't just let her psych you out into quitting, you're way too stubborn for that." Soonyoung scoffs, Jeonghan's words rolling about in his brain, making him take a step back and access the whole situation. "You're right." Soonyoung softly breaths out, "I need to do this." Jeonghan lets a small soft smile appear on his lips, "Atta boy." Jeonghan whispers out, resting his hand on Soonyoung's shoulder. "Thank you." Soonyoung says, his voice barely above a whisper, "For reminding me."

Jeonghan shrugs, "No worries." He hesitates for a second, a mischievous ghost of a smile on his lips, making Soonyoung raise an eyebrow, "If you really want to say 'thank you' though," Jeonghan clicks his tongue. "I accept cash and credit."

Soonyoung scoffs again before launching the forgotten pillow into Jeonghan's face, making the older man yelp in surprise as his back hits the edge of the couch, causing the boy to nearly fall off it. Soonyoung laughs. "Watch out, tiger boy," Jeonghan mutters out before bashing his friend in the head with another pillow. "Officer Kwon." Soonyoung snaps out of it when a snap appears in front of his face, clicking at him impatiently and making him look up to lock eyes with the watch commander.

"In another world, aren't you, Officer Kwon?" Seungcheol asks, his eyebrow raised as he locks eyes with Soonyoung, making some of the P2 officers snicker. Soonyoung clears his throat, "No, sir." He says, feeling a flush rise up from the back of his neck, "Was just thinking about how wonderful you look this morning."

Seungcheol's eyes narrow at his words, twitching slightly which makes Soonyoung give him an awkward smile. Seungcheol sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Soonyoung takes the opportunity to glance at you and the other training officers. Mingyu and Seokmin are sitting side-by-side, giggling under the palms of their hands. Minghao has a small smirk on his face while you look like you are planning his funeral.

Upon meeting your eyes, glinting with that fiery spirit of yours, Soonyoung opts to stare back at the front and wait for Seungcheol to bite his head off instead. Anything was better than meeting that medusa gaze of yours. He internally shudders at the thought.

"Glad seeing me makes your morning, Officer Kwon." Seungcheol finally deadpans. "I can't give you the same sentiment though for being a major pain in my ass for the amount of paperwork on my desk because of your little incident last week." Soonyoung winces, remembering the incident before the pictures appear on the screen in front for the whole briefing room to see.

"Not one, not two, but three totaled police shops in a span of a week." Seungcheol announces, clicking through the different photos where Soonyoung had driven into a storefront, a hydrant, and off the side of a building respectively.

"In my defense, sir," Soonyoung starts sheepishly, pointing to the last photo where the shop had landed at the bottom of a 10-foot tall building, "Officer Nova and I didn't see the ambush coming during our stakeout." "And the person who created the word, rolls happily in their grave."

Soonyoung hears Seungkwan and Chan let out a quiet snicker beside him, making him internally sigh as he resists the urge to glare at them while Sergeant Choi continues to glare at him. He can also hear Mingyu let out a laugh before covering it with a cough as he hears you sigh, no doubt with your eyes closed as you grimace at the rookie. A look that Soonyoung has seen one too many times during the two weeks of being your rookie.

"The motor pool have decided to put a hit on you if you destroy the next one that they're giving to you today." Seungcheol states, turning the presentation off and giving Soonyoung a stern look, "And their punishment is going to be worse than whatever you're conjuring up in your head at the moment." Soonyoung gives Seungcheol another sheepish smile before murmuring out. "Understood, sir."

Seungcheol stares at Soonyoung for another beat before walking back to the stand in the middle of the room. "Alright," Seungcheol says, clapping his hands together. "Do some good work out there."

A few murmurs fill the room before the scrapping of chairs ring out as everyone moves out of the room. Soonyoung takes a shaky inhale before standing up and turning to face you, already behind his chair with your arms crossed, making him jump. "Jesus." Soonyoung gasps, placing his hand on his chest as you raise an eyebrow at him, a ghost of a smirk on your face. "How did you get here?"

"I walked, Riot." You say, your eyes glinting slightly with amusement. "Something that you would need to start doing if you wreck the new shop today." "Which won't happen." Soonyoung chirps out, more confident than what you are used to, making you roll your eyes.

"And you wonder why your nickname is still Riot." You deadpan out before walking out of the briefing room. "Shop ready in 5, Officer Kwon." You call out, raising your hand, all five fingers pointing upwards. "I need to start with a cup of oolong tea if you decide to Mission Impossible our car again." "Thank you for the vote of confidence." Soonyoung mutters to himself before scurrying out of the briefing room to get the war bags.

You decided to let Soonyoung drive as sort of a peace offering after the first two days of hell training you had put him through. You were always the one with your hands on the wheels but after a few talks with Mingyu and Seokmin about easing off of him a little, you decided to change your tactics slightly. Unconventional rookie means unconventional approaches, right?

Which is why during the start of the second week, to switch it up, you let him drive for the whole week — which lead to the mess of the second week.

Given the track record, Soonyoung expected you to take the wheel again after the disastrous week he had behind the wheel. Which is exactly why his expression right now is comparable to a fish out of water as he sees you slide into shotgun with your fresh cup of pipping hot oolong tea.

Seungkwan, who was walking past with his own war bags in hand, stops by Soonyoung's side. "You're going to catch flies." He states, almost monotonous but with an edge of amusement that makes Soonyoung snap his mouth shut. "What's with the face?"

"She's sitting in shotgun." Soonyoung simply states, before scurrying to the drivers seat as you meet his gaze through the side-view mirror, eyebrows raised as if to ask, 'What are you waiting for' or 'Get the fuck in before I plan your funeral'. He hopes it's the former and not the latter because you're still hard to read.

Seungkwan looks over at you in shotgun where you meet his eye, your medusa gaze making him pale as Vernon and Chan walk up to his side. "Why do you look like a ghost?" Vernon asks, eyeing his best friend up and down as he watches Seungkwan swallow uneasily. "Just got reminded of why she's medusa is all." Soonyoung hears Chan's snort before climbing into the vehicle which blocks out the remainder of their conversation. "Having fun?" You snark out, taking a sip of the tea in your hand. "No, just thinking of whether you have nine lives since you're letting me drive again." Soonyoung states, his mouth moving before his brain even has a chance to process what he is saying. You pause mid-sip to meet his eyes, narrowing slightly, "Are you comparing me to a cat, Officer Kwon?" You ask, your voice low and dangerous. Soonyoung curses internally, shaking his head quickly.

"Maybe more of a panther instead of a cat, Ma'am." Soonyoung says, once again without thinking as he digs himself further into the metaphorical hole. He curses again. He really needs to stop doing that. He watches your eyes narrow even more, your lips pursed as he awaits for you to bite his head off.

"Boot." Soonyoung hesitates. "Yeah?" "I think you better start driving before you say something else that makes me push you out of the shop at max speed." "… Yes Ma'am."

"A couple of misdemeanors before lunch can only mean one thing," Chan starts, taking a seat in between Soonyoung and Vernon, placing down his tray of food. "We're about to have the worst second shift."

Soonyoung visibly grimaces at Chan's words. "Now, why would you say the forbidden words?" Seungkwan hisses out at Chan, who looks like he is all but contemplating flinging his half-eaten bowl of caesar salad at the younger boy.

"If the second half of our shit sucks, it's all because of you," Vernon deadpans out, pointing his fork at the younger boy and causing Chan shrink slightly in his seat. Soonyoung glances at Chan, "Have we not learned our lesson from the last time the forbidden words were said?"

The last time was referring to just a week ago when the ambush happened, which nearly caused the demise of himself and the academies best. If it wasn't for your quick thinking of climbing out through the back, switching places with the war bags to climb out of the boot, he would actually have been a pancake in a grave right about now.

"To be fair," Chan states as he glances at each of his fellow rookies, swallowing slightly at their expressions. "It wasn't like anything too bad happened." Soonyoung resists the urge to push Chan's face into his lunch as Seungkwan's eye twitches slightly and Vernon shakes his head before returning to his lunch, muttering under his breath.

On the other side of the seating area, Mingyu and Seokmin are having the time of their lives, teasing you for whatever had happened during roll call this morning. You try to resist the urge to shove their lunches in their faces. The keyword being try. Because a couple of seconds later, they are cleaning their faces with a few wet tissues that Seokmin grabbed from the counter after you decided to push both their heads into their lunches.

"That wasn't very nice." Mingyu whines out as he cleans the pasta sauce off of his face, making you snort. "And constantly making fun of me and my rookie is?" You pointedly quip back, taking a bite of your lunch. "We were just playing around." Mingyu says, his pout deepening, "You normally like our jokes." "They just aren't funny today, Gyu." You snap back making Seokmin frown at you, as you didn't bother to meet their eyes. You peer upwards to see Minghao sitting alone, two tables over, his earbuds in as he eats his lunch, making you grimace more.

Seokmin and Mingyu share a look, understanding the reason for your mood immediately. "Well, I'm gonna bother your dear brother with my jokes if you aren't in the mood for them today." Mingyu says, picking up his tray rather abruptly. You frown, feeling guilty for snapping at the older man. "I'm sorry." You say quietly, making Mingyu shake his head, a small sympathetic smile on his face. "Don't be," He reassures quietly. "I'm just keeping him company." You offer a small smile back before he leaves, walking to Minghao's table. He shoves Minghao hard, letting out a hearty laugh as Minghao scowls at the taller male and they start to bicker. You watch them fondly before looking towards Seokmin who grabs your hand and starts to trace circles on them with his thumb.

"You guys still haven't talked to each other, huh?" Seokmin asks, the question rhetorical seeing as how he already knows that from how far apart you and Minghao have been sitting at the morning briefings since that day.

However, you nod all the same, "Longest we've ever gone without speaking to each other." You whisper out, eyeing your older brother again. He seems to have gotten into an easy conversation with Mingyu. "Comparable with the time that I accidentally sold him out during our year at the academy."

Seokmin winces at that, remembering the 'Minghao Ice Out' as he and Mingyu referred it to when the two of you weren't around. It was the worst fight the two of you ever had. You had accidentally thrown Minghao under the bus for a mistake the two of you committed in the first month at the academy, causing the two of you to fail the given assignment.

You were brazen and left his side while he executed the wrong strategy compared to what the two of you had discussed beforehand. It was a mess and it ended up with both of you getting the worst punishments of your lives, leaving both of you fractured, in more ways than one. That held the record for the most number of days that you and Minghao had no contact, which was 14 days. The two of you only talked through texts or through your best friends, who were getting sick of playing messenger at that point. Who broke first? Mingyu and Seokmin did.

They locked the two of you in their kitchen and told you guys to fight it out and resolve it before they would even consider letting you two out. So, you and Minghao sat there for almost eight hours until you broke first, asking him if he was hungry. With full bellies and a lot of unspoken guilt, the two of you worked it out.

However, you doubt that it would happen again this time around, seeing as Minghao hasn't said a word to you nor does he wait for you to leave the house, taking night shifts sometimes to avoid you on your days off. On the days that you both had the day off, he would leave the house early in the morning while you were out for your run or in the shower with his laptop and study materials for the detectives exam, opting to study at the library instead of at home just to avoid you.

You even tried to change it up a few times, just so that the two of you would end up in the house at the same time, but he always managed to maneuver your workarounds. Curse you for either being so predictable or curse Minghao for knowing your habits so well because of how observant he is. The silence was driving you insane, but you were too stubbornly set in your way to not tell Minghao everything that was going on.

"I'm not going to force you to tell me what's going on with you, Nova." Seokmin says gently, continuing the circling on his thumb on your hand. "Nor are Mingyu and I going to force the two of you into a room to work it out, we aren't in our early twenties anymore where that would work." He jokes lightly, bringing a small smile to your face.

"But," Seokmin starts, locking eyes with you, concern etched in every part, "When you and Minghao had that fight ages ago, two weeks before your training officer exam, Minghao could see how worried you were and swallowed his ego just because he wanted you to be okay for the exam, despite whether or not it was his fault or yours."

You chew lightly on your bottom lip, remembering that fight. "His detectives exam is in two days, Nova, and whether you can see it or not, this fight is wearing him down as well." Seokmin admits, gesturing for you to look at Minghao. You turn to look at him, like really look at him. Minghao, whose hair was just a little more unkept. Minghao, who looks a little paler and skinnier, as if he had been skipping meals. Minghao, who you didn't realize had dark rings under his eyes, whose legs were shaking nonstop — which almost never happens because he has chastised you more than once for that bad habit. Your heart sinks. Seokmin is right.

"He needs you, Nova." Seokmin whispers out, the two of you still looking at the man sitting next to Mingyu, who looks like they are having a deep conversation as well. "He feels guilty for yelling at you, but he only said all those things because he cares about you. You know at the bottom of your heart that it's not his fault. Not this time."

Seokmin glances at his watch before giving your hand a squeeze and letting go. "Think about it." He says gently before giving you a squeeze on your shoulder as he goes to round up his rookie. You stand up, clearing your trash before feeling a pair of eyes on you. You turn to see Minghao staring at you, his lips pursed as he eyes you up and down.

You study him for a beat before giving him a small, weak smile and a nod. Minghao's eyes widen, just a fraction before he gives you a small nod and walks away with Mingyu and their rookies behind them, leaving you feeling emptier than when you had started lunch. "Ma'am?" Soonyoung queries, appearing by your side and making you push all your emotions to the side so you can compose yourself, turning to him with your faux determination. "Let's roll out, Boot."

Soonyoung swears that you haven't been this quiet and deep in thought since his first two days on the job. After walking in and somehow, convincing you to let him stay, your personality had gone full Nova.

You were snarky, witty, and you were the definition of the medusa drill sergeant he's heard about during his early days at the academy with the other three rookies. So, when it takes a turn and you don't quip back at his dumb comments, he knows that something is wrong.

"Are you and Officer Xu fighting?" He finds himself asking as he takes a turn from downtown to a more neighborhood part of the city. He watches you freeze slightly — almost unnoticeable — before you compose yourself and narrow your gaze onto him.

"And that's your business because?"

Soonyoung bites his bottom lip, wondering if he should prod even further. But when he thinks about it, he's already asked the question and you haven't bitten his head off so maybe this ishis chance to prod even further.

"It's just that the two of you hadn't had lunch together or sat next to each other once in the last two weeks since… that day." He says, his voice a little soft, periodically glancing at you as to still keep his eyes on the road. "Vernon also asked me just now during lunch and he said that he brought it up with Xu but he just shot it down to just the two of you having differing opinions on something." Soonyoung glances at you again, a slightly longer one this time to find you deep in thought, digesting his words. "I was also wondering…" He starts, hesitating slightly as he purses his lips, "If the differing opinions was me?" He asks, his voice soft with an edge of guilt.

He awaits your response, fully expecting you to tell him to 'Shut the fuck up' or that it was 'None of his business' but instead you sigh, as if you were too tired for all those unpleasantries today. "We're just having a disagreement on a personal matter, Boot." You simply state, opting to look out at the window to avoid Soonyoung's careful glances. "Nothing about you and nothing to concern yourself with."

Soonyoung bites his tongue, wondering if he should argue back. He decides against it, giving you a nod, even though you aren't looking at him. "Yes, Ma'am." He states, giving you a full glance. "But, if you ever need someone to talk to about older siblings, I might have a few tidbits to share myself."

That has you glancing back at the blonde haired man, "You have siblings?" You ask, your eyebrow raised, making him nod. "One older sister and a younger sister." He chirps out. He keeps a hand on the steering wheel as he uses his free one to pull out his personal phone from his side pocket, while his eyes are still on the road. He throws it at you, giving his password almost immediately, which makes you narrow your eyes at how trusting this guy is as he is urging you to go to his liked photos. Staring back at you is a picture of his family having a family dinner as Soonyoung holds onto a small brown Norwich Terrier.

"… Did you just call your dog your younger sister?" You ask, glancing towards the man as he nods furiously.

"Of course," He states, not noticing your bewildered expression. "Latte is a very beloved 'Kwon' family member if I do say so myself." He says, pride etched in his tone. "She also sits with us and eats with us every night." "… You're talking about the dog…" Soonyoung once again nods furiously despite the bewildered tone you are using.

"We also have fights!" Soonyoung provides, making your expression turn even more amused. "She barked at me the other day for not letting her eat the last of my galbi. She wouldn't come and cuddle me that whole day too." Soonyoung all but whines out with a small little pout on his face, recalling the memory from just over the weekend. "She also eats my slippers sometimes." He adds, shaking his head at the thought, "We feed her so many nice things, yet she still chooses to eat my slippers."

The laugh you let out surprises not only Soonyoung, but yourself as you try to stifle it back to get your Nova Training Officer mode back. Soonyoung stares at you, wide eyed, as you try to hide your smile behind your palm, looking away from him. An expression unlike the ones he's usually the cause of which makes his heart skip a beat slightly as he realizes how pretty you actually look when you laugh.

He had noticed it before, he wasn't blind of course. But he was never the one who caused it. It was always brought out by either Mingyu or Seokmin, once even Jun. But somehow, hearing your laugh come after something stupid he said or did, just sounds a hundred times sweeter.

He smiles at you softly without even realizing it as you clear your throat, flushing a little under his new intense gaze. "You're quite the character, Officer Kwon." You say, clearing your throat again as you cough, trying not to smile as his words keep playing in your head. "A little weird if you ask me."

Soonyoung scoffs slightly, a small smirk on his face. "Weird enough to make you laugh," He teases lightly, making you roll your eyes. "Because you said some stupid shit." "Stupid shit that still made you laugh, Officer Medusa."

You roll your eyes, "Don't push it, Riot." You warn, hoping your voice has actual malice in it. He fully turns to you, a small, mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yes, Ma'am." He says, a small triumphant grin on his face. The expression makes you roll your eyes, about to chastise him, when a blur of movement appears from the corner of your eye.

Your eyes widen as you watch a person run in-front of the shop, "Look out!" You call out, urgency in your voice as Soonyoung fully steps down on the brakes, screeching slightly but not before hitting the person, cracking a little bit of the windscreen. The two of you immediately slide out of the car and rush to the person's side to see a female in her early twenties lying on the ground. "Ma'am!" Soonyoung calls out, his voice loud with panic as some passerbys try to take a peek of what's happening, "Are you alright?" The girl, who looks like she's been crying, grips hard onto Soonyoung's arm as he tries to get her to sit upright to examine her.

You pull out your walkie immediately, "Control, this is 7-Adam-21, requesting an R.A for a female, early twenties, struck by a car. Sent to our location at," You pause, taking a look around before noticing a street sign, "15 Jameson Avenue." There is some static before a small murmur of 'Copy' comes through, making you stash your walkie.

"Ma'am." Soonyoung calls out to you, his slightly strained tone making you look at him as he holds up her wrist, "She has duct tape on her wrist."

Your heart sinks as your eyes widen at the realization, seeing the gray wraps around her wrist, worn and a little strewn out, making the gears in your head move. She has been abducted by someone.

Soonyoung peers back down at the crying girl, examining her. She has some cuts on her face, some dried blood on her hands and face, making his face turn into one of grimace as she begins to claw at his uniform.

"Please don't let him get to me!" She screams out through her sobs as she looks at Soonyoung with pleading eyes. "Please don't let him take me!" She wails out, "Please don't let him take me again!"

Soonyoung purses his lips, his eyes wide filled with concern, "Who?" He asks repeatedly as you feel your blood run cold as you eye her semi-bloodied and dirty clothes, your mouth getting dry as she keeps screaming intelligibly and saying a mixture of words at once. Soonyoung internally curses at the sight, only one thought going through his mind. Chan just had to say the words to make the second shift flip.

Even after being an officer for the past few years, you don't think you could ever get over the sounds of the BP monitors and the rushing of doctors around the room as you and Soonyoung rush the bed down the hallway to get her to a secure room. The doctors soon took over as the girl kept clawing at Soonyoung's arm, not wanting to let him go as she kept wailing and screaming.

"Dilated pupils." One of the doctors calls out as the other nurse hooks her up to the heartbeat monitor.

You watch as Soonyoung tries his best to soothe the girl, who you can tell is in shock and heavily drugged, "Shh," he keeps whispering to her as he holds her hand that is gripped tightly to his. "It's okay, you're safe."

She keeps crying as you stand beside Soonyoung, not wanting to crowd her before she starts to mutter out some tangible words. "Tara." She mutters out, her eyes slightly dazed yet focused on whatever is running through her head. "Tara." You frown at her words, once was a coincidence but twice is a pattern.

"Who's Tara?" You whisper out to her, reaching for her free hand as she tries to steady her gaze on you. She mutters out the other girls name one more time, seemingly still out of it before the doctors turn to you and Soonyoung, her eyes wide and stern. "You guys need to leave so we can treat her."

"What?" Soonyoung starts, opening his mouth to argue until you grab his wrist, squeezing it to say that it isn't the time as you notice the doctor's stern and alarmed gaze. "Let's go, Boot." You mutter out to him, shooting him a small glance. He purses his lips, wrestling with the decision of whether to argue with you or not before deciding the latter and just gives you a small nod. "You okay?" You ask him softly as he looks at the floor, each of his steps heavy with thoughts. "No." He answers honestly, "I hope it doesn't get worse than this though."

You open your mouth to reassure him when you hear someone clear their throat in-front of the two of you. You and Soonyoung turn to see Seungcheol there with his arms crossed. "Clearly you misinterpreted my words on the motor pools hit," Seungcheol says, standing in-front of Soonyoung, "Because hitting civilians was definitely the complete opposite of what I was advocating for with that presentation this morning."

"Sarge," You say, stepping between him and Soonyoung, your tone serious as he refocuses his gaze on you, "It wasn't Officer Kwon's fault." You defend, "She ran in front of our shop and Officer Kwon didn't have any time to react." You say softly, locking your fiery gaze with Seungcheol's stern one as you defended Soonyoung. Seungcheol has an unreadable expression on his face, his mouth opening to retort when a familiar monotone voice interrupts him.

"Fourth shop in two weeks is definitely a record, Nova." You grimace as you turned to face Jun who is leaning against the hallway wall with a teasing smirk on his face, making you roll your eyes. "Do I need to remind you that you currently have the record for most shops in the motor pool going to the crematory, Wen Junhui?"

He blinks in surprise before lifting his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright." He says, the teasing grin still on his face, "Don't go full Nova on me." You resist the urge to roll your eyes at the older man as he stands beside Seungcheol. "What are you doing here anyways? Vanguard didn't have enough cases for you in New York?"

Jun has been away on a Vanguard Mission that was working with the FBI on, catching a Mafia Heiress, who has been on the run after her brother had run their family operation to the ground. He told you and the rest that he was going to be gone for the rest of the month, but that doesn't seem to be the case as he stands in front of you in the flesh.

Jun shrugs, "They relocated me back to LA for the time being because mystery heiress managed to avoid our trap and is back on the run. Sources say that she's turning up in LA so we hope that happens." He eyes you with a small glint, "Joshua also sends his regards by the way."

At that, you do give him a small smile at the mention of your childhood friend. Agent Joshua Hong is a FBI Agent who runs Sentinels, a special unit in the FBI that is a taskforce to catch all well-known criminals who are either on the run or off the grid. He had offered you a job after you finished training at the academy, but being dead set on sticking by Minghao, Seokmin and Mingyu's side, you declined, saying that you would rather have two feet on the ground instead of up in the air for majority of your career.

"Glad to see that he still remembers me after not responding to all my messages." You mutter out, rolling your eyes before refocusing on the case, "Are you here to lead the case?"

Jun immediately goes into Sergeant mode at your question, his posture straightened as he shakes his head, his face immediately going serious. "Vanguard unfortunately has another important case that I need to get back to after this, but Sergeant Choi called me here for you to give me a rundown to see if I can afford to lend you any backup." He glances at Seungcheol, "Which we are also quite scarce for at the moment."

Seungcheol lets out a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he squeezes his eyes close in annoyance. "Just what I needed to hear today." He mutters. Jun gives him a sympathetic look, patting his shoulder before turning back to you and your rookie. "Give me the rundown and we can go from there." Jun stays silent the entire time you and Soonyoung give him the rundown, from when the girl had run in-front of your shop — which had Soonyoung wincing slightly at Seungcheol's scowl — to the ride to the hospital as you kept trying to ask her questions that all ended up unanswered due to the fact that she was having a hard time focusing.

"She also mentioned someone named Tara." You recall, hearing the last few words that she said. Seungcheol and Jun share a glance as you start to piece the stuff together in your head, "Could it be another girl?" Jun's face hardens slightly. "Could be. We will need to run the names to see if anything turns up but the detectives are unfortunately still swarmed with their own cases."

"Already covered." Seungcheol says, taking a glance towards you before looking back at Jun. "Xu is meant to take the detectives exam in two days, and given his really good work from the sniper case, the brass has deemed that he could use the practice to give him the leg up to really prepare him for the examination."

At the mention of Minghao's name, you freeze a little, wincing at the thought of interacting with your step-brother at the pivotal moment of the case. Seungcheol notices the wince, frowning slightly before refocusing on Jun who nods at his words. "Cool, I can probably only lend you Jihoon for the time-being as we wrap up the monstrous cases that was left to me while I was in New York." "Wow," You say, composing yourself slightly as you switch to tease Jun, "Definition of a great 'welcome back'."

Jun rolls his eyes before giving you snarky grin, "You know it!" He cheers, before excusing himself to call Jihoon, the second in command of the Vanguard team. Seungcheol turns to you and your rookie. "Officer Kwon, could you get control to ID the girl and send it back to your box?" He eyes you, "I need to speak with your training officer."

Soonyoung gives you a brief glance as you grimace slightly, cursing Seungcheol's good observational skills as you can already guess what he wants to ask. You give Soonyoung a small nod, asking him to leave to which he gives you a small reassuring nod back before walking out of the hallway to walkie back to control. Despite yourself, you smile slightly as you watch Soonyoung walk away before turning to Seungcheol, who has an eyebrow raised. "Getting along well with your rookie, are you?"

Your eyes widen for a fraction before you compose yourself and shake your head while clearing your throat. "Well," you start, "you were the one who asked me to give him a chance."

Seungcheol scoffs before settling back to the matter at hand. "You and Xu having a scuffle again?" He asks, plain and straight to the point. You grimace. "Yeah," You answer honestly. There is no point hiding it from your hawk eyed boss. He probably knew that you and Minghao had been having problems since the second day of rookie season. He just has a habit of not interfering or mentioning it till shit either hits the fan or it becomes too much to be dealt with professionally. You don't quite know if its the former, the latter, or just a precautionary measure at this point.

"But, we've been dealing with cases professionally amidst our fight, we should be okay working together for this." Seungcheol gives you a look, one that you've come to understand that he is amused but still in disbelief, which makes you internally roll your eyes. "We will be fine," You reassure once more, your tone hardening slightly. He gives you one last up and down before nodding. "Alright," He says, "It better not come back to my desk as another abnormal paperwork then." You are about to give him another round of reassurance when the man you two were talking about decides to walk down the hallway, with Vernon hot on his tail.

"Got your message." Minghao says, reaching to where you and Seungcheol are standing as he gives you the firmest and briefest nod possible before fixing his eyes on Seungcheol for his mission.

"Good," Seungcheol simply says, "We're just waiting for the base info from Officer Kwon." He peers over your shoulder, "And speaking of Officer Kwon." The three of you turn to find Soonyoung walking back to the four of you with a pep in his step, "Victim's name is Julie Wilson." He speaks, reading it off of his city issued phone, "Twenty two, college student who was reported missing by her dorm-mate two weeks ago." You grimace slightly at the information, "Did you find anything about Tara?"

Minghao's eyebrows furrow at that information and beats Soonyoung before he has a chance to answer. "There's another missing girl?" He asks, turning his attention to you. You compose your nerves, staring at your brother who has been avoiding you like the plague as you nod. "Julie kept mentioning a girl named Tara on our way here and when she was on the hospital bed," You swipe your bottom lip with your tongue, contemplating your words. "She kept saying she was sorry for leaving her."

Minghao's eyes darken at the realization. "Fuck," He mutters lowly, running a hand through his hair. "Language." Seungcheol calmly says before resting a hand on his shoulder. "Use the facts that we know and start from there." Seungcheol instructs as Minghao gives him a curt nod. "Control is still searching for any missing persons reports about a girl named Tara." Soonyoung answers, redirecting it back to your question, "They said the information will be redirected to our box the moment they find answers."

Minghao gives a nod before turning to Seungcheol, who raises his eyebrow, "It's your case, Detective. Give your orders." Minghao's eyes widen for a second, slightly taken aback before he mutters out a 'Right' and turns to you, "You and your Boot can start canvassing around the area where you found her." "You mean where her boot hit her with the shop like Mad Max." Seungcheol points out.

You roll your eyes at the statement, "Again," You pointedly say, glaring at Seungcheol, who looks like he was having a hard time keeping a smirk off of his face. "Kwon did not hit the girl with our shop. She ran in front of it."

Minghao, who looks like he has a ghost of a small smile on his face despite the two of you not being on good terms — probably because he is happy seeing you squirm — waves his hands. "Okay," He relents. "The two of you can start by canvassing the neighbourhood, do door to door if you need to. We need to know if anyone has seen this girl or saw where she was running from." He pauses as you watch the gears turn in his head, "Did she say anything about who her captive is?"

You shake your head, "She was heavily drugged by the person and I'm guessing she probably also doesn't remember how long she was running for before we found her." Minghao grimaces slightly at the information, "Right," he mutters out bitterly, "Because our job isn't hard enough as it is." You hold back a snort at his statement before Seungcheol speaks, "I'll assign Kim and Lee to the search as well. The downtown area of Jameson Street is too large for one shop to be canvassing alone."

Minghao nods before letting Seungcheol take his leave, probably to walkie to Mingyu and Seokmin about the new canvass they are assigned to, leaving you and Minghao standing next to each other. Minghao takes a quick glance at you, making you do the same as the awkwardness starts to settle in at the fact that this might be the first time the two of you are full-on speaking in the last two weeks other than the occasional, 'Here's the report' or 'Groceries are in the fridge'.

Soonyoung's eyes flit between the two of you before he locks eyes with Vernon, who seems to have done the same thing, clocking the awkward tension between the two of you. They share a silent conversation as the two of you try (and fail) to not make it obvious before Soonyoung clears his throat.

You lock eyes with your rookie, snapping out of the awkward haze you were in as you straighten up slightly before shuffling over to him.

"I guess I'll see you later." You mumble out to Minghao, the awkward tension getting more palpable as each second passes. "Yeah," He mutters, scratching the back of his nape, "See you."

With that, you take off down the hallway, your heart in your throat as Soonyoung trails behind you, almost struggling to keep up with your fast pace. You burst through the doors of the hospital, finally catching your breath, the tension making you feel like you're suffocating as Soonyoung slows down to your side.

"Are you alright?" He asks, his voice barely above a whisper as he crouches down to your height. You let out a huff, "Never better." Your voice sounding strained as you straight yourself up. "Let's go catch this bastard."

REPORT 15 OF 546 - BEARING THE EMOTIONS OF THE WORLD

Canvassing the neighborhood was definitely at the bottom of the list for your favourite patrol tasks. It was good policing, sure, but it was only ever done when an abduction and/or a kidnapping had taken place and from the statistics, 7/10 times, it was always a female. 3/5 of the times that you canvass, you won't be able to find anything, which was definitely what had happened yesterday. You, Mingyu and Seokmin had divided up the search grid to try to at least get some of the ground covered but with almost a new call happening every 10 minutes, the three of you only managed to canvass 1/6 of the search grid.

Minghao and Vernon had stayed behind to question Julie at the hospital, waiting for her to detox so that he could ask her questions while the memories were still fresh, but ended up not getting a lot to go off of. He had updated the three of you in the group chat that you guys shared, meaning that you had read the messages before having a restless night of sleep.

"Morning." You greet lowly, taking a seat between Seokmin and Mingyu with a small cup of oolong tea in your hand. You take in their appearances, their hair just slightly more unkept than usual along with matching small frowns on their faces as they murmur out greetings of their own. You grimace slightly at their expressions, "I take it night shift didn't find anything after they picked up the baton?" You ask, hopes that you are wrong shattering as Mingyu gives you a heavy nod.

"They got through a bigger part than we did but," Mingyu trails off, shaking his head, "Still nothing on where the missing girl could've been." You figured as much. Minghao didn't come home until 5am in the morning to take a quick nap, shower, and grab a new uniform set before he was out of the house again.

Cases like these always disrupted your morning routine, so while Minghao was having his nap, you made a batch of Pu-er tea, Minghao's favourite, to help him with the nerves and pressure. You left it to steep on the stove before hearing his shuffles, making you head back into your room to avoid meeting him but hoping the tea would be enough of a peace offering for now.

You laid in bed with bated breath as you heard him whip his room door open, taking a few steps before his shuffling came to a stop. There was silence for a few beats before you heard him let out a soft sigh as he shuffled around a little more and the stove was turned off. When you had emerged from your room an hour later, long after he left, you noticed that the pot was less than half filled, making a small smile appear.

"Alright," Seungcheol says from the front, making you snap out of your thoughts as you peer at the front to see Jihoon, Seungcheol and Minghao standing at the stand beside the projection screen.

You watch Minghao take a sip from his tumbler, making your heart clench slightly before he takes the lead for the presentation. "As you all know, yesterday at 14:45, Officer Nova and Kwon came across Julie Wilson, who was seen fleeing from an unknown area with duct tapes wrapped around her wrist." Minghao gravelly begins, his eyes sharp as he changes to the next slide, "Our victim was heavily drugged and she was unable to tell us how long she had been running for or what exactly her captive looked like."

He inhales heavily, "However, we have reason to believe there may be a second target that Julie mentioned leaving behind," He changes the slide to show a girl, who looked just slightly younger than Julie, a bright smile on her face that makes your blood run cold. "Her name is Tara Hill, twenty-one years old who was reported missing three weeks ago."

Jihoon picks up a stack of papers from the stand and starts to hand them out to everyone with details on it such as her last known address, her common route to her school, as well as printed out images of Tara. You feel a pit of dread in your stomach looking at the pictures that Minghao, Jihoon and Vernon had managed to dig up from the database, her bright smile making you gnaw on your bottom lip as your determination to find her spikes.

"I've approved extra shifts and O.T until we find this girl," Seungcheol says as he eyes the room, "Everyone canvasses between calls, understood?" A murmur of 'understood' echoes through the room, making Seungcheol nod.

"Alright, Sergeant Jihoon and I will be running base back here, manning the tip line so if you hear or see anything at all, ask them to call the number on the piece of paper handed back to you so that we can collate the information and find the girl faster." Seungcheol says, gesturing to himself and Jihoon who looks like he would rather be anywhere else but here. Jihoon glances towards you, making you give him a small thumbs up, to which he replies with a roll of his eyes and a subtle slice across his neck, making you grin slightly at his antics.

You and Jihoon weren't close but being Jun's right-hand meant that you two would work together during the cases when Vanguard needed patrols help with their cases. Meaning that the two of you had a small banter situation going on that was almost the same as when you were dealing with the two lanky men that were seated on either side of you.

"Let's do some good policing." Seungcheol says, grabbing your attention back as he dismisses the whole room. You stand up, stretching slightly as Seokmin glances at you. "Talked to Hao yet?" He asks, making you shake your head 'no'. "The case is taking up all his time right now," You state, glancing towards your brother, who has dark rings under his eyes. "We need to solve this today no matter what." You lowly state, glancing towards Mingyu and Seokmin. "Hao needs to be able to focus on his detectives exam tomorrow."

They both give you a firm nod before rallying up their rookies so that they could get a start on the canvassing before any calls come through. The gears turn quickly in your head as you made your way to your shop where Soonyoung is placing the war bags in the trunk.

"We're making a quick stop at the hospital," You announce to him, making your way to the passenger seat of the car. His eyebrows furrow as he closes the boot. "What for?" He asks, his head tiling to the side as you turn to look at him. "To ask Julie some questions before we start our canvass." You nonchalantly respond, making his eyes narrow more in confusion. "Aren't Xu and Vernon on that?" he asks, making his way to the drivers seat as you slide into the passenger seat.

You shrug, "Doesn't hurt to ask another round just to see if we can get more information." You state, "Besides, Tara can't wait." Soonyoung stares at you for a beat before nodding. "You're the boss." He states, grabbing his seatbelt to click it on as you give him a small smirk. "Glad to see you're good with authority now." You quip, making him huff out a laugh. "Figured I would give it a try since we were bonding yesterday." You narrow your eyes slightly at that comment. "We weren't bonding, Boot." Soonyoung nods his head, seemingly believing it, but the smile on his face says otherwise, "Whatever you say, Ma'am." You roll your eyes as he shifts the car into drive and steers out of the parking lot.

"He grabbed me when I was walking on my way home from college." Julie sniffles out, her eyes slightly swollen with tears as you look at her, sympathy written all over your face. "I never saw him but," she trails off, her eyes watering more as she recalls the memory, "I just felt the cloth go over my nose and then everything went black."

Soonyoung notes all the answers onto his notepad as you sit on the stool beside her bed, "Do you remember anything about the house?" You gently ask, handing her a tissue to wipe her eyes with.

She dabs at her eyes as she shakes her head 'no'. "He kept me in the basement with Tara, only coming to see us to bring us food and wave a gun around to try and scare the both of us." Her voice catches slightly as she sniffles, "He always wore a halloween mask over his face, to conceal his identity from us."

She lets out a shaky exhale, "I think he liked it, when he threatened us," She sobs out, making you soothe her as you hand her another tissue paper, telling her that it is alright and that she is safe.

You and Soonyoung share a glance. "Anything else?" He gently prompts, his voice soft so as to not scare the traumatized girl, "Anything that can help us find this place and Tara?"

Julie hesitates for a second, taking a quick glance at you before looking at Soonyoung, "I might be crazy but…" she takes a sharp inhale, "I kept hearing a voice shout 'Fatality' every few minutes." She turns to look at you, her eyes begging. "Tara could never hear it but I swear it was there."

Your eyes widen at her statement, whipping out your phone, typing in something into your search bar before flipping the screen to her. "Was it this?" You ask her softly, pressing play on the YouTube video as the sound fills the room, making her eyes widen. "Yes." She breathes out making a small grin appear on your face. But before you say anything, there is a knock on the door. You and Soonyoung whip your heads to the door to find Minghao standing there with Vernon behind him, giving you an anxious look as your brother is silently seething.

"What are you doing here, Nova?" He asks, his arms crossed as he looks between you and your rookie. You curse internally at your brothers expression before exiting the room, making Soonyoung give a quick glance to Julie. "We'll check on you later," Soonyoung reassures her, giving her a small smile before he shoves his notepad and pen into his patch pocket.

Minghao eyes you, his arms crossed and posture rigid. "Well?" He asks, the tone of his voice teetering on the edge of rage as he raises an eyebrow. "I'm waiting."

Your eye twitches at his tone, "We came by on our way to canvass, didn't think it would be a big deal—" "Protocol is key here, Nova." Minghao interrupts, his voice hard and rough as he seethes, making you take a step back as you meet his gaze. "Everything goes through me or Sarge, Nova. You know that."

Soonyoung's eyes narrow slightly. "What's the problem here?" He asks, making your heart drop as you watch your brother's glare shift to your rookie. "We're all trying to catch the same guy here."

Minghao lets out a scoff. "Why are you talking right now, Officer Kwon?" He asks, his brazen voice making Soonyoung frown. "Do you have a problem with me or something?" Soonyoung asks, his voice raising slightly and making Minghao give him another cutthroat glare as you heave out a sigh. "Enough!" You exclaim out exasperatedly, placing your hands on both of their chest as you sternly glare at the both of them before pushing Soonyoung backwards and behind you, so that your brother's focus shifts to you.

"Did she tell you about the voice saying 'Fatality'?" You ask, making Minghao's expression twist into one of confusion. "What?" He asks after a moment of silence, his eyebrows furrowing even more, "'Fatality'?" You nod eagerly as you watch the gears turn in his head. You sigh. Watching his brain lag, you pull out your phone again to find the sound. "Listen." You say playing the YouTube video as a video game theme plays in the background before the announcer voice booms out through the speaker, "Fatality."

Minghao's eyes widen in recognition before he locks eyes with your excited ones, "Pixie," He says aloud, his voice brimming on excitement, "You're a genius."

You feel your neck flush slightly, warm with pride as your brother positively acknowledges you for the first time in weeks, the nickname bringing a warmth to your chest. Soonyoung and Vernon eye each other, confusion etched on their faces. "Sorry, what?" Soonyoung asks, his eyebrows furrowed, feeling a little lost as he eyes the two of you, who are buzzing from finding the clue to solve the case.

You flip your phone over for Vernon and Soonyoung to see as they peer at the screen, seeing the grainy pixelated characters fight it out. Vernon squints at the screen, "Is that Mortal Kombat?"

You nod eagerly, humming out a sound of affirmation, "The 1992 version to be exact." The two rookies look over at you, shock etched onto their faces as they look at you as if you had grown a second head. You frown at their expression, feeling a little awkward under their intense gazes, "What?" You ask, your voice tensing as you give them a stare.

Vernon immediately breaks his gaze from your face, clearing his throat as Soonyoung closes his mouth, swallowing. "Nothing," Soonyoung murmurs, making you narrow your eyes before you get back on track and pull out the search grid.

"Anyway." You mutter out, unraveling the search grid and placing it on the coffee table nearby, allowing the three men to see. "Mortal Kombat is normally at arcades and there are seven in our search grid," You gesture for Soonyoung to give you the pen, circling the seven arcades in the area. "However," You murmur as you start to cross out five of them, "There are only two old timey arcades in the area that have the oldest version of Mortal Kombat released in 1992. Which has the voice line that Julie recognizes." You put more emphasis on the two arcades that lay on either sides of the search grid.

"We can take one and radio Seok and Gyu to take the other." Minghao suggests, making your eyes widen. "You want to go with me?" You ask, your voice coming out softer than you intended, making Minghao's expression soften as well. "Yeah," He says, hesitating slightly, "Unless you don't want me to. I can get Gyu or Seok to go with you instead."

You immediately shake your head, straightening your posture, "I would love you to have my back again." You say softly, making a small smile appear on Minghao's face, giving you a firm nod. "Let's catch this bastard then." You smile to yourself, locking eyes with your brother's determined ones. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

Stopping right outside the old-timey arcade makes you freeze, feeling a wave of nostalgia hit you as you recall old memories of going to the arcades with Minghao and your parents.

Slamming the car door shut, you scan the area as Soonyoung appears by your side. "Judging from how loud the machines are," You murmur, tracing the edge of the building as you look at the neighbourhood houses surrounding the arcade.

"Along this street right?" Soonyoung asks, catching your drift as he points towards a row of houses right at the opposite end of where the arcade entrance and Mortal Kombat are.

You nod, watching Minghao get out of his own shop and walk towards the two of you. "I've updated the Watch Commander and Vanguard already. Gyu just informed me that they've reached the other arcade and are doing door to door now."

You hum in understanding, gesturing to the row opposite the entrance, "We were just saying that it has to be this row of houses because Mortal Kombat is right there." You say, pointing towards where the machine is, hearing the sound effects.

"Brings back memories, huh?" Minghao asks, making you nod before you glance towards the houses. "Let's start." You and Minghao pause for a moment to canvas the outer area of the houses before you land on one where a security guard is sitting on his porch.

"Maybe we should ask the neighbours first." You say, glancing towards Minghao, "Security guys are always nosy." He nods, agreeing with you, "I'll take Chwe and we'll do a knock on the first house then." He states, making you nod as his eyes narrow on you. "Stay safe and don't do anything I wouldn't do." He warns, making you shrug, giving him a small smile. "No promises."

He continues to stare at you, making you shrink slightly at his brotherly glare, a reminder that the two of you still have some unresolved issues before you relent and nod, "I'll be careful." That answer seems to satisfy him as he gives you a curt nod before walking towards the first house down the street.

"Let's go, Boot." You solemnly command, making him give you a small nod as you feel your skin prickle, slightly on edge as you use your chin to nudge towards the security guard, "Show me what you got." He nods, walking towards the house before approaching the security guard as you stand a little bit away but still in earshot of him and the civilian, accessing the streets for dodgy houses and just observing your surroundings.

"Hello there, sir." Soonyoung greets chirpily, making the older man stand up to access him with a wary smile on his face. "Good morning." The security guard greets, "How can I help you?" A dog barks in the distance, making you glance towards that area as you take a few slow steps down the street, still on high alert with your ears perked to listen to Soonyoung's conversation. "…and we were wondering if you saw anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, nothing that I can recall," The man says as something catches your attention from the corner of your eye, making you pause your slow walk. You turn to the right to see the security guard's car window slightly wound down, something inside reflecting sunlight in your direction.

You squint at it, curious before you peer upwards to see Soonyoung still deep in conversation with him. You chew at your bottom lip before waking towards the car, glancing every few steps to see if the security guard is watching you.

"Have you seen these two girls at all?" You hear Soonyoung ask as you quietly approach the car. "No, not at all." The man answers, shifting slightly, "Uh, are they okay?" You peer into the opened window, squinting slightly as your eyes flit through the amount of things in the backseat of his car before it lands on something that makes your blood run cold.

Their voices muffle slightly as you spot a halloween mask in the backseat of the car. Your head immediately whips upwards. "Kwon!" You yell, getting the blonde's attention as you whip out your gun, pointing it at the security guard. The guard, who seemed to have sensed danger, immediately pulls out a pistol from his right back-pocket, pointing it straight at Soonyoung, making your eyes widen in horror.

"MOVE!" You quickly shout, making Soonyoung dive right, just in the nick of time as the guard took his first shot, missing Soonyoung by just a few centimeters. You fire a few shots of your own, barely missing him as he sprints to his porch, whipping the front door open and clambering inside. You internally curse at all your missed shots before you watch Soonyoung immediately stand and run after the man, his gun out.

"Kwon!" You call out to him, wanting to reason that the two of you should wait for backup but he interrupts you. "I'm going in!" He yells, feeling adrenaline coursing through his veins before he disappears through the front door.

You yell out a very loud 'Fuck' at your rookie's new heroic spirit that you no doubt have instilled in him in the past two weeks after the incident at the house. You peer to your left to see Minghao and Vernon already dashing down the street, making you weigh your options. You could either sprint in after Soonyoung or wait for Minghao and Vernon to get here. The only problem with the latter is that the suspect is armed and your rookie isn't exactly a top-notch shot. As you hear another gunshot go off in the house, the decision is long made for you as your body begins to move on it's own as you sprint into the house, ignoring Minghao's cries for you.

Soonyoung swears that his blood has never pumped this hard in his ears. Never when he was performing his heart out in-front of tens and thousands of people, never when he was practicing the hardest choreography that he has ever done and especially not during the absolute episode of his first shift.

However, as he rounds the corners of the empty house, he swears his heart starts to work overtime. After blatantly avoiding your calls for him, he's as quiet as a mouse, weaving through the multiple corners of the house before ending up in the backroom, his eyes fleeting around the room on high alert. He rounds the last corner, peering into the last room of the house, a tiny backroom that seemingly has only one access point. Remembering his training, he steps into the room and scans it, closing the door quietly behind him.

This is the last room in the house and if the guard isn't here, that would mean…

His thoughts trail off as he notices an open wardrobe, light filtering into it slightly and making him frown as he walks closer to it. He moves some of the hangers out of the way before noticing the makings of a hidden door. His eyes widen. "Bingo," he mutters to himself, his hand reaching for the door to whip it open when something stops him.

Or someone for the matter.

Soonyoung almost yelps out in surprise as he feels a hand on his shoulder, whipping around with his finger already on the trigger of his gun to face a very angry you. "You're a fucking idiot, Kwon Soonyoung." You quietly hiss out under your breath, your rage-filled tone making him give you a small sheepish smile. "You could've been killed-" You start to chastise before he interrupts you.

"Ma'am," He quietly states, trying not to flinch at the intensity of your glare. "You can yell at me later, the guy is down there." He reasons, gesturing towards the hidden door. He watches as your jaw clenches slightly. "Fine." You state, "But this isn't over." You say, walking in front of him, mumbling under your breath how you got saddled with the most reckless rookie ever as you take point at the right side of the door.

Soonyoung watches you, his heartbeat still pounding in his ears as you shoot him a look with your eyebrows raised, "Are you waiting for Christmas?" You hiss out, gesturing your gun towards the other side of the door, "Get the fuck over here."

Soonyoung's eyes widen as he scrambles to the left of the door. He is definitely going to get an earful from you later about how badly this could've ended for him. He watches you take a deep breath before signaling to him that you will open the door on the count of three. He nods, making you turn to the door, your hand up before counting up.

As soon as your third finger goes up and you whip the door open, making Soonyoung point his gun inside, his finger alert on the trigger and he peers down a musty old staircase. "Clear," He quietly whispers out before he shuffles forward, to begin his descent down the stairs with you right on his sixth.

He switches the flashlight on at the top of his gun as he continues to walk further down the creaking staircase, his heart in his throat as he startles at every new sound. When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, the room is eerily quiet, only filled with the sounds of his and your slow breathing as well as the ventilation fan that is working overtime at the corner of the room.

Soonyoung notices two doors on either side of the room, which are mostly concealed behind many high shelves and boxes. He takes a small glance towards you, silently asking what the two of you should do, making you chew on your bottom lip before signaling to him that the two of you will need to split up.

It is dangerous for sure, Soonyoung understands how dangerous the situation is, but if the two of you end up going into the same room, it's even riskier as he could trap the two of you inside. The guard has the advantage at the moment, he is hiding and because this is his own house, he knows the ins and outs of everything. Soonyoung gives you a small curt nod as he pieces everything together before he slowly walks towards the right side of the room. He shines his flashlight and gun at every nook and corner that he sees, rounding each high shelf until he reaches the other side of the room, the door right next to him.

His eyes narrow slightly at the hatch on the door before he presses himself to the left wall of the door, his right hand on his gun while his left one rests on the latch. He gives himself a mini countdown before opening the locked door, peering inside to see Tara lying on the floor. His eyes widen, "Tara?" he says aloud making the young girl peer up at him, squinting slightly at the flashlight as Soonyoung takes her appearance in, his heart sinking slightly at her sullen eyes, pale lips, and dried blood all over her face. She scoots backwards, making him stash his gun as he raises his hands in surrender, not wanting to scare her even more as he makes his way towards her.

"It's okay." He mumbles to her, slowly approaching, "I'm with the LAPD." He watches as recognition floods her face, making her eyes fill with tears as he notices her recognize his uniform. He wastes no time crouching down next to her, "You're going to be okay." He soothes as he uses strength to rip off the duct tape on her arms, making her stay stationary to the wall before he moves towards the wrapped duct tape on her ankles.

"Look out!" Tara shrieks beside him, making him whip around, only to have his head slammed in by a hard metal object. He groans lowly, falling to the floor as his surroundings become slightly disorientated, his heart racing while his head throbs in his ears.

He hears Tara's muffled yelling but can't seem to make sense of it as his vision focuses in and out. He faintly notices the silhouette of the guard, making him curse internally as he tries to force himself to get up, to focus on reaching for his gun that is still attached to his duty belt.

He hears the muffled cocking of the pistol, his blood in his ears and his heart hammering against his chest, making him squeeze his eye shut, almost as if he was trying to will himself into getting up. He faintly hears the man chuckle before the house shakes, making Soonyoung open his eyes to see dust coming down from the ceiling, making the guard panic before he dashes out of the room.

Soonyoung, slowly regaining his focus, stands up without a second thought as his blood boils slightly at the thought of the guard making him dash out of the room.

"Wait!" Tara yells out, through a choked sob, "Please don't leave me." She begs, making Soonyoung stand at the door, his pulse still running a million miles an hour. "You're safe," He calls out to her before giving her a small reassuring smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes, "I'll be back." He promises before he gets out of the room, whipping his gun around, trying to spot the guard. He sees a flash of a shadow, immediately pointing in it's direction just to see the guard escape through a thin window at the corner of the room. He silently curses as he hears footsteps from the stairs, whipping around to see Minghao and Vernon with their guns out, descending down at a rapid pace.

"Kwon!" He hears you cry out as you come into view, your face full of concern. Vernon's eyes widen upon seeing Soonyoung's head. "Shit," Vernon mutters, "Are you alright?"

Soonyoung quickly nods, "I'm alright but the guy's on the run and someone needs to stay with Tara." Vernon and Minghao take a quick glance at each other before Minghao raises an eyebrow, eyeing the two boots. "Well, it's not going to be either one of you," He says sternly. "Get out of here and go catch the guy."

Soonyoung and Vernon's eyes widen before they immediately dash out through the open window, making Minghao turn to you, "I'll stay with Tara." He says, his tone having an edge of finality in it, "Take the shop and go give them backup." Minghao knew that you were a better shot at the end of the day, and if it came to it, you won't hesitate to take it if the guy doesn't surrender. Knowing that there is no time to argue, you give him a curt nod before you race up the stairs to get into your parked shop.

Soonyoung sprints down the neighbourhood streets, barely hearing the sirens as his eyes zero in on the guard running through the neighbourhood park. Soonyoung feels his lung's gasping for air but decides to ignore it, sprinting with Vernon, the two of them hot on the guards tail.

Soonyoung's mind is blank as he jumps over hurdles after hurdles before he sees the guard trip, dropping his pistol. He pushes his limits more and forces himself to run just a little bit faster to catch up with the guy before he can get up.

However, lady luck is not on his side as the guy ditches the gun and begins to sprint again. "Stay down!" He vaguely hears Vernon yelling from behind him as he chases after the guard once again. He barely registers the siren sounds from yours and his shop before you stop at the street right next to the exit he was heading to. You pull out your gun and intercepted the guy, yelling "Freeze!" making him raise his hands in surrender.

Soonyoung, who feels the adrenaline in his veins, the rush of blood to his head and visions of the girls trapped in the basement, only sees red as he tackles the guy. You stand there, frozen as you watch your rookie aim fist after fist at the man's head.

"Kwon!" You immediately yell, stashing your gun before you curl your arm into his bicep, halting his rage and making him peer up at you, his chest heaving as his eyes glaze over. "That's enough." You lowly hiss, glaring right into his eyes as he takes in heavy breaths. "He's done."

The glaze in his eyes clears as he takes a sharp inhale, as if he was just registering what he had done, peering back down to the guard, whose face is starting to get swollen and bruised.

"Hook him up, Boot." You calmly say before yanking your arm out from underneath his as Soonyoung swallows, feeling his throat suddenly dry up before he scrambles to follow your instruction, flipping the suspect over and handcuffing him. Soonyoung takes a quick glance at Vernon, whose eyes are wide at the spectacle, seemingly at a lost for words as Soonyoung feels the adrenaline start to slow, his head running a million miles per minute at what he had just done. He is definitely going to get it later.

The four of you stand in Seungcheol's office, giving him the rundown and debrief as Minghao calmly relays the facts to the man, with you retelling your part of what had happened in the house. You glance every now and then at your rookie, who is definitely zoning out the rest of the room.

You tense at the slight bit of concern that floods your veins as you stare at the man, who looks like he is wrestling with his inner thoughts, making you sigh internally, knowing you will need to talk to him later.

As the debrief wraps up, Seungcheol gives you and Minghao a nod of approval with a small smile on his face, "Good work, the two of you." He praises, his eyes fleeting between the two of you, before he glances towards your rookies behind the two of you.

"You two," He starts, making your rookies lock eyes with him, "You're dismissed. I need to speak with your training officers."

You glance behind to see the two rookies glance at each other before giving Seungcheol a firm nod and leaving the room. Seungcheol turns his gaze back to you and Minghao, studying the two of you for a beat. "I take it the two of you haven't made up yet?"

The abrupt question startles you, making you blink at your watch commander as you see Minghao doing the same from the corner of your eye. "Not yet, sir." Minghao says, locking eyes with you. "But we will solve this tonight."

The finality in his tone makes your heart stutter slightly, still wrestling with the choice of whether to tell Minghao or not. Seungcheol nods, "That's all I needed to hear." He says, sounding pleased with himself. If this was any other situation, you would have rolled your eyes at his antics before giving a sarcastic comment, but it has been a long day and you need to save your energy for dealing with Minghao.

Minghao and you leave Seungcheol's office, the tension definitely palpable in the air before Minghao reaches a set of benches right before the locker rooms, plopping down onto it as he let out a soft groan. He stretches slightly as you silently stare at him, awkwardly shuffling on your feet and making him glance up a you, his expression soft as he pats the bench.

You take the cue and sit down next to him, resting your palms on your knees as silence enveloped the two of you. Your tongue traces your bottom lip, wetting it as you feel the tension get more unbearable, until you can't take it anymore.

"Hao," You start, taking a shaky inhale, "Look I—" "Stop." He says softly, interrupting you before you can start to ramble. "Let me talk first."

You quiet down almost immediately, giving him the floor as he runs a hand through his hair before locking eyes with you. "I'm sorry for whatever I said in the car the other day." He mutters out, mirroring you as he rests his palms against his knees. "I wasn't trying to force you into telling me what happened but," he hesitates slightly, "I'm worried, Pixie."

He runs a hand through his hair again, almost tangling it in. "You've been more reckless ever since that day you had that talk with Seungcheol in his office." Minghao softly admits, a soft edge of frustration laced in his words, "You've also changed. Your methods have changed, you're excusing Kwon's actions sometimes and you stand up for him every chance you get even when you were advocating for him to quit since the first hour on day one."

Minghao takes a shaky inhale. "You don't need to tell me whatever is making you feel like this, Pixie," he admits, his tone slightly resigned as he stares at the floor, "But I need to know that you will make it home every night and that you will be able to solve this internal conflict that you are having with yourself." He locks eyes with you again, your heart clenching slightly at the dullness of them as they stare heavily into yours, "Because I can't lose you, Pixie, not ever and especially not like this."

You feel a rush of guilt spike immediately, making your chest ache from how fast and hard it hits you. Minghao's eyes flit around your face, studying you for a beat. "I trust you more than anyone else in the world, Pixie," He softly says, his expression softening even more, "And if you have a reason for not telling me, I know that it's a good one," He nudges you slightly, "Plus, if there's anyone who can solve something that everyone else thinks its unsolvable," he gives you a small smile, filled with adoration, "That person would be you."

The pain in your chest grows at the admittance and you feel your walls break almost instantly as you digested his words. Minghao studies you for a beat, taking your silence as quiet understanding before he speaks again. "I don't expect us to solve this today." He says softly, grabbing your hand into his, "We had a long day and I have my test tomorrow so why don't we just go out for food and—"

"Hao." You speak up, your voice soft, interrupting him and making him tilt his head in question. You let out a shaky exhale, "When Seungcheol called me into his office the other day, half of it was to tell me about Soonyoung being my new rookie, but the other half," You trail off, composing your nerves slightly before continuing, "Was about the brass."

Minghao's eyes narrow slightly, "What about the brass?" He questions, slightly frowning.

You shift slightly, turning to face him, "Seungcheol had a report on his desk with all of our stats from the past twenty Rookie Days we've had. While everyone's report and yours were clean, with only a few wash outs," You take a shaky inhale, "Mine was the worst, with only nine successful rookies."

Minghao blinks at that, "Why is that an issue?"

You gnaw on your bottom lip, "It's an issue because the brass needs to pin the heat on someone when all these total rookies add up and we don't have enough manpower on the streets, Hao." You mumble out bitterly, "They're going to claim that my methods are unorthodox. Yes, I produce the best rookies, but I also wash out the most and 'leave them for the sharks' as they put it."

Minghao's eyes widen at that, "What?" He asks, his voice low, serious and stern, "That's utter bullshit." You grimace slightly at his words, watching as he goes on a small spiral of his own, "They can't do that." "Well, they definitely can if they're threatening it." You speak out softly, making Minghao scoff as he shakes his head, borderline seething now.

"That's why you can't wash Soonyoung out," he mutters, starting to silently pieces everything together, "Because if you do, you lose this." You gravely nod at his voice as silence swarms around the two of you. Not the comfortable kind as you feel the air prickle your skin, the topic leading the air to become heavy amongst the two of you.

"That's fucked." Minghao finally admits, making you nod slowly. "It really is," You say, echoing his sentiment. "I guess we need to start trying harder to wash him out then." Minghao says, clasping his hands together, "I think we can think of a few ways to make the guy wash himself out."

You think back to yesterday and today and how Soonyoung has been. He was attentive, he took your criticism. You contemplate. "If he cannot hack it, I will cut him. Regardless of whether I am a training officer or not after the fact." "Remember what it was like to be in his shoes, Nova." "I'm here because I have to do this, because I can't live with myself if anyone else goes through the same thing that I have."

Those three sentences keep ringing at the back of your mind before you take in all of Soonyoung's actions today and how he risked everything to save the girl. How committed he was and how he saw red after the incident which lead to the altercation. "No." You softly say, surprising Minghao, "I don't think he should quit."

Minghao stares at you, his eyes slightly wide as he analyzes your face. You hold your breath, awaiting his argument. But instead, you just watch him deflate and sigh, the day definitely taking a toll on him.

"Alright." He simply says, giving you a soft smile as he squeezes your hand, making you frown in confusion. "You aren't going to argue with me?"

He raises an eyebrow, "You want me to?" You immediately shake your head, making your half-brother huff out a laugh, a teasing smile on his lips, "Don't get me wrong, I still don't like the guy, but after witnessing what he did today," He trails off, shaking his head, "Figures why you like him and want to keep him." He says, turning to you with a cheeky smirk on his face. You feel the back of your neck flush at his words before you use your free hand to slap him hard on the shoulder, making the older man yelp.

"Oi!" He exclaims, rubbing his shoulder with his free hand. "Don't add injuring a fellow police officer to your rapport now, you already have a bad rep with the officers at the motor pool because of your fellow rookie." "Need I remind you that you were the one that crashed your shop into the house today to get through the front door?" "Well, whose fault is that?! You didn't listen to me and got the front door locked after you ran inside to save your reckless rookie! What other choice did I have?" "Every war bag is equipped with a lock-pick, Xu! Which you would've remembered if you didn't come saving me as if you're some knight in shining armour." Minghao snorts before dragging you to your feet by your joint hands, "C'mon," He says, snarkily as he pulls you, "We're getting nowhere with this argument because we're both starving." You roll your eyes, "Just cause I was winning the argument." "Don't start."

You slam your locker door shut and grab your backpack before making your way out of the female changing room, bidding goodbye to the night shift team. You roll your shoulders, trying to get the ache out of them as you push the doors to the precinct open and take a deep breath, the cool night air filling your lungs.

You stand there for a second, soaking in the night before you catch something at the corner of your eye that makes you peer over to see a blonde head of hair. You watch as Soonyoung stares at the sky, contemplating as he sits on the bench right outside of the precinct. He is dressed in plain clothes, which you realize make him look a lot younger than he actually is despite being two years older than you.

You feel your body move on it's own as you approach him, your sneakers swiping a few rocks away. As you stand by his side, he seems to be in his own world, not noticing you. You clear your throat.

"Not going home yet?"

Soonyoung jumps slightly before whipping his head to the side to see you standing there, a ghost of a smile on your face as you try not to smile or laugh at scaring him.

"Waiting for Vernon, Chan and Seungkwan to get out of the locker room. My roommate is picking us up for dinner." He states as he eyes you. "How about you?"

"Waiting for Officer Xu, Lee and Kim. We're supposed to go for dinner." You say, rolling your eyes as you shift the strap of your bag on your shoulder, "They complain that I always take the longest but I swear, if the three of them are in there at once, they will take hours."

Soonyoung lets out a small laugh at your grimacing tone, "Do guys actually have all those locker room talks or something?" Soonyoung looks at you, not even bothering to hide his slight amusement. "Locker room talks or something?" He repeats your words, making you nod. "Yeah, like girls' bathroom talks."

At that, Soonyoung lets out a louder laugh, his shoulders relaxing by a fraction, making you smirk despite yourself. Soonyoung slides to the right, making place for you. "Want to sit?"

Despite everything in you saying 'no' and that you aren't supposed to get close to this rookie that you deemed irresponsible, you do anyways. You know he isn't like that anymore, it would be pretty dumb if you still thought that way after getting to know him the past two weeks, despite not wanting to. You let out an exhale as you sit before silence envelops the two of you as you both stare at the moon and the stars dotting the sky.

You glance towards Soonyoung, whose shoulders look like they tensed up again in just a couple of seconds. "How are you doing?" You ask the man, making him glance at you before going back to stare at the moon, gnawing at his bottom lip.

"I'm…" He hesitates slightly, watching your expression morph into a 'don't lie to me' one, making him relent. "Honestly, I could be better." He mutters out, not wanting to meet your eyes. You let out a hum, stretching slightly. "Why's that?"

He lets out a sigh, "I've always known that people can be capable of horrible things," he softly says, kicking a few pebbles with his shoes as he swings his legs lightly, "but to see it firsthand was…"

He trails off, his head dropping lower but his words resonate with you as you digest them, understanding what he means. You lean back on your hands as you stare at the sky. "You've also experienced it firsthand." You say softly.

Soonyoung barks out a bitter laugh. "You're right," he mutters, mirroring your posture.

You stare at him for a few moments before nudging him to make him look at you, "Can't let it infect you." You say quietly, after he locks eyes with you. "As a civilian, you can be driven by emotion as much as you want. As a cop?" You shake your head, "You need to rise above it because it's not your job to punish this man for what he did as much as you want to."

Soonyoung stays silent as you gently reason with him, "Doesn't make it suck any less." He finds himself muttering, making your expression soften.

"It doesn't." You agree, "When you were on stage, you were in-charge of it all, the emotions you were inflicting on others through your music, the music that you could perform on it and everything that was meant to be up there, but here?" You let out a small sigh, solidifying your words and point. "Overcoming that impulse and need for control will be the hardest thing that you do in this job."

You let your words sit for a beat with Soonyoung before a few muffled voices catch your attention, making you peer behind to see the three men joking around with each other, pushing each other slightly as they make their way out of the building.

You roll your eyes at their antics before looking back at Soonyoung, who seems amused by them, "Guess that's your cue." He says, making you scoff as you shake your head. "Wish it wasn't," You say tiredly, making Soonyoung laugh at your deadpanned expression before a small smile makes its way onto your face. You stand up, slinging your bag onto your shoulder again, "You did good today, Officer Kwon." You praise, making Soonyoung blink at your words.

"Did you just compliment me?"

You roll your eyes, "Don't get used to it." You say pointedly as he shakes his head, a wider grin on his face now. "Wouldn't dream of it, Ma'am." He says, his eyes twinkling, making your chest warm slightly even though you don't know why.

You clear your throat as your entourage makes their way over to Mingyu's car, Minghao calling out your name. "That's my actual cue." You say as Soonyoung nods, opening his mouth to speak when you are both interrupted by yet another loud group of people, the two of you turning to see Chan and Seungkwan arguing with each other as Vernon trails behind them.

You smile, amused before turning to Soonyoung, "Looks like that's your cue as well." You say, your grin teasing as he huffs, standing up as well. "Unfortunately," He mumbles before turning to you, eyeing you for a beat before his expression morphs into a more appreciative one.

"Thank you." he says softly, "For the talk." You shrug, "I'm your training officer, every moment is a teachable one." You watch him resist the urge to roll his eyes, making you laugh as you take a step away from him.

"See you tomorrow, Officer Nova." He says, giving you a mock salute which has you rolling your eyes as you step a few steps backward, a ghost of a smile on your face at how stupid your rookie is. "See you tomorrow, Officer Kwon."

PART TWO (Coming Soon)

©livmarauder2026 Thank you guys so much for reading part one! I hope you guys are excited for part two which should hopefully be released sooner or later... please comment down below if you want to be tagged for that (pending date is june atm!) Like my work? Join my Permanent Taglist! All my fics are 18+, which means blogs without age or age indicators will not be tagged If you like this, please consider reblogging or liking, it really makes my day! <3 Thank you again for showing rookie soonyoung love! <3

A plan definitely devised with ulterior motives, as you started the moving in process yesterday evening. The furniture started coming in first, you were busy putting everything together when the night has fallen. You fell asleep on the couch for a while before your best friend came over at the crack of dawn to help you unpack.

The elevator dings and you get in laying down the box to catch a breath.

"Wait!" You hear a loud thump and a shoe stopping the doors as they halt.

You look up to see the person and are startled watching Chan panting trying to catch his breath as the doors open up for him.

He was wearing casual clothes, his hair messy and unkept, sweat on his forehead indicating he was either working out or doing a strenous activity. You did not want to know what it was.

Wait, what was he doing here?

As if he finally took in his surroundings, Chan gets into the elevator. But the shock on his face as he sees you is palpable, it crosses his features for a second before changing into a blank expression. Nobody would've known about it.

You do though, unfortunately.

The entire ride neither of you talk, while you were itching to talk something you didn't know if he wanted to.

Soon, the elevator stops at your floor and he gets out first reminding you that he never actually pressed a button to his floor and got down at yours. You follow him your mind racing with possibilities like you are connecting dots at a crime scene and that's when it happens, the sound of electronic lock beeping and you swear you hear your heart beating so loud it feels like it might fall out of your chest.

He lives right next door to you. He is your neighbor.

As if the realization dawned him as you open up your door he looks at you with a look you can't pinpoint to be exact and goes in shutting it behind him loudly.

Okay, rude.

As soon as your door is closed you lean against it falling onto the floor. Your heart doesn't help neither does your body. You were going to move on from him. You were going to go on a date on your own accord and get over him.

It has been 13 days since you last saw him and you were sure that your plan was working. And now, he is here? Living right next door? You did not know if you were supposed to be happy or sad.

"Are you good?" Jieun asks looking at you from the living room, the show she was watching paused on the laptop.

"No?" You were honestly confused. So you do the best thing to get rid of your stuffy chest. You cry it out.

Chan crushes the paper in his hands aiming it towards Seungcheol's head, who was currently sleeping on his couch like a fucking baby.

It has been a few days since he ran into you. And as if that wasn't enough, he heard you cry the sound so loud it broke something in him. He brushed it off thinking it wasn't because of him, that maybe you were just crying because the moving in — he guessed by the box in your hand and the empty apartment beside his which you went into — was stressful, but his hand that almost reached your door bell with worry said otherwise.

And now, watching Seungcheol on his couch, in his apartment, sleeping on his favorite pillow and Chan did not know what else to do other than find a way to get rid of his frustration than finding an escape.

He did not hate you, but he did not know what he felt either. And if he ever tried to confront himself, all he could do was remember that your actions hurt Seungcheol—which sometimes felt like an excuse he was trying to make up if he was being honest. So, he never tried to wonder what exactly he was feeling.

But now you were his neighbor, and if not now when else would he be confronting himself? Because having you so close and yet so far away every single day, Chan was losing his fucking mind around you. He so desperately wanted to talk to you, or was he just feeling guilty for hurting you the last time you saw each other? What exactly was he feeling?

Yeah, he had to figure out his shit.

The paper ball Chan threw, fell far away from his aim and Seungcheol just stirred in his place, no sign of waking up. There was one more option left, that would help him relieve whatever is going on in his mind —something that always helped him clear his mind — so he woke Seungcheol up with an offer the grumpy man could not refuse.

The sound of grunts fill the air, sweat permeating through as Seungcheol did not stop holding back, a wicked gleam on his face as he threw another punch.

Chan huffs out a laugh dodging him, and hits him right across his jaw making him lose his balance for a second before throwing another hit. Seungcheol, who spits out some blood just goes ahead smiling like a maniac—which he was—and takes down Chan with a punch to his ribs.

This was their getaway. Boxing.

Their shared love for a fight to relieve some muscles and clear the mind never reduced over the years. In fact, they were sure the amount of injuries they had along the years somehow made them more stronger.

Mingyu blows a whistle, signaling them to take a break. Chan and Seungcheol just fall on their backs in middle of the ring, groaning because of the pain while also laughing, because it has certainly been a while since they did this.

"You beasts," Mingyu curses throwing water bottles at both of them while taking a seat in the ring.

Kim Mingyu was the doctor they befriended after Chan 'accidentally' broke 2 of Seungcheol's ribs. Their grandfather was furious at them for fighting in general, and since then they found a secret place for their little activity so the old man would not get a whiff of it. He would just get mad again, and they did not want to lose this.

Mingyu figured out stuff quickly, and wanted in on it for reasons unknown and Seungcheol welcomed him immediately because he was always ready to prove to anyone who watched, that he was the best at this.

"So, what's your trouble this time?" He asks looking at Seungcheol who just shrugs.

"I am fine, this kid on the other hand—" He throws an hand over Chan's shoulders pulling him ruffling his hair while the younger tries to get out of his hold, Seungcheol just glares at him making Chan stay and not try to get out.

"I am fine. Just work stress and this old man—" Chan continues to lie while Seungcheol rolls his eyes.

"He's not telling the truth," Seungcheol cuts him off looking at Mingyu.

"I can see that." Mingyu answers, his gaze unwavering on Chan.

Silence passes for a few minutes and Chan sighs telling them everything on his mind. He thought he would just figure this out by himself, but seems like he was going to get help.

Nobody says a damn thing as Chan continues speaking, while Seungcheol sometimes just scoffs or laughs he doesn't say anything much either.

"—And I started to give up on the idea of pursuing her because it felt wrong to go after a woman who hurt you." He looks at Seungcheol, who just raises a brow at him.

"That's just bullshit," Seungcheol scoffs, catching him off guard.

"If you wanted to pursue a girl, go for it. If I have any issues, fight me about it. Fight for her. You are just making up excuses because the last time you opened up your heart it got crushed." Seungcheol just outright scolds him, looking at him like he had the audacity to get a batshit crazy excuse.

"Yes, she did hurt me. But it is was just a lie to get out of that damn sham of blind date, I was just mad I never had the Idea of sending someone instead of me to the dates," Seungcheol continues.

"Wait, then why are you still 'dating' her friend?" Chan was confused. Seungcheol was the last one who would say things like fighting for love, brushing of someone who betrayed him and everything. What was he on?

"That's our business to take care of,"

"I never thought I'd say this but Seungcheol is right. He just could've phrased that a lot better," Mingyu looks at Seungcheol who gets defensive immediately and picks a fight with the doctor. Their fight looked like two ducks blabbering to each other, while the sight made Chan laugh their statements did not leave his mind.

Seungcheol was all about tough love, while what he said was harsh and confusing, Chan felt like that was what he needed to hear. And considering that Seungcheol didn't really have any qualms about the person Chan had a crush on—it being you, but was just mad about how his methods to approach it cleared a lot of stuff on his mind.

It has been 2 weeks since he saw you, while it seemed for the best of everyone's sanity. Chan did not know any kind of rest since then. He was worried he lost you, while that was what he was trying to do, he still felt like an asshole to miss your presence and hoped he would run into you at some point because you were living in the same place as him.

And that day seeing you move in made his heart feel lighter than it did in weeks, because you were here. Right beside him. He would be a fool to not go after you — even after Seungcheol wanted him to go— after almost losing sleep every night wondering if pushing you away was right or wrong.

Work took away lot of your sanity leaving you nothing but a shell of a person. No one in your team survived the new product line launch. After what seemed like a whole lifetime, the crucial period was over and it has been almost 2 months since your last team dinner. Despite the work being a bit easier than before in the recent few weeks, nobody was into the idea of a dinner so soon.

But you still suggested the idea and this time everyone agreed that they really need a break. The smiles and carefree attitude from everyone after a long while filled your heart to the brim, even though you would never admit it to them—because Yunjin will hold that moment of cheesiness over your head till you were six feet deep in ground—they were people you really cared about a lot. Having a boss who was around their age was something new, but they respected you and gave you the benefit of doubt when you became the head despite whatever people had to say about it. Those days in the beginning when you started, they even defended you to people. It always motivated you to work harder to prove that their trust in you was never going to fail them.

"How are you going to get home, Boss?" Seungkwan asks, the only sober one tonight. Apparently, he needed to get home sober because his girlfriend was done with his drunk antics, which intrigued everyone but he didn't spill the beans when asked why. So you became his black knight downing the drinks in games he lost. Safe to say, you shouldn't have done that.

"I live a block away, I will just walk." Seungkwan looks conflicted but lets you go on the premise of you texting him immediately after you reach. You wave to everyone and leave while he takes care of getting them into cabs.

Your place—where you were starting to realize you needed to start being smart about your money, where you were often staying awake at nights with Jieun working together and falling asleep in the living room, where you daily run into the one person you did not want to—was near to your work and the regular restaurant your team frequented.

Including that damn convenience store that you keep trying to forget.

That day after your burst of emotions against your door you realized that everything in your life was weighing on you. Especially Lee Chan.

While your friend convinced you that he is a good person, which she knew because of her "dates" with Seungcheol, you did not want to feel like a goddamn child again. Waiting for love that closed doors on you long ago while you were just a fool to not see it.

Despite seeing him almost daily while going to work, you never spared more than a glance or never talked to him either.

You're plan to move on still going on solid.

How were you going to do that? No idea. But, since work finally let you take a breath without making you feel like you were going to die, you were going to get on those damn dating apps or maybe hop bars? How does someone even find a person to date? You were a bit rusted in the area since it has been a while since you went on a date, willingly. You were going to get your friend's help and figure out a way.

You sigh walking into your gated community, the walk tiring you out because of your drunken state. The giggles of kids who were playing in the park welcomes you, a sense of relief that your decision to move out wasn't a bad one fills you whenever you hear those giggles.

Your block comes into view, you were skipping on your feet now. Glad to finally be home after an exhausting day, ready to hit the bed and not wake up till Monday.

But when did anything ever go your way?

Just when you reach the elevator, your ankle twists. Your reflexes save you as you end up catching onto something for control, but then you hear a loud rip of fabric and gasp looking at what you did. You ripped someone's tote bag, their files falling onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry." You repetitively chant the apology, scooping up everything you can.

"Its okay. I was about to catch you, glad you didn't fall." You hand them their files and finally get a proper look. It was a man who was smiling at you, while he looked your age he had some kind of air surrounding him that you couldn't pinpoint.

"I'm Kyumin," You exchange greetings and promise to pay him back for his bag, to which completely refuses.

"That's completely fine it wasn't intentional. Just let's greet each other when our paths cross. I am new here and I don't really know anybody yet." He whispers the last part making you smile.

"Me neither."

"You sure you can get home safe?"

"I will be fine, thank you for the help. I am so sorry about your bag." He just waves you off and tells you he got some work and leaves.

Feeling a bit dazed you get onto the elevator the encounter making you smile that you finally made an acquaintance. You go trying to press your floor just to see that it's already taken care of and look back to see none other than Chan looking at you with his hands crossed. You jump back with a yelp.

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice you." You tell him, your voice slurring, you were not a lightweight but the alcohol took its sweet time to make you feel like you were one. It found the perfect time to make you dazed, because now you needed to rush to your place before you could vomit.

"I did," He mutters, his eyes just straight up glaring at you.

"Did you say something?" He shrugs when you ask, just looking at his watch as you narrow your eyes at him.

What was his deal?

The elevator halts to a stop, the ground beneath you shaking as you fall to hold onto the ledge.

"Fuck," You hear him curse as he holds you, taking you in to see if you were fine. It reminds you of the day he saved you from a car, he looked just as worried.

"I'm fine," you brush him off finding your footing, he looks at you but doesn't say anything before moving to press on the emergency button. A female voice filters in, she and Chan exchange a few words about getting the elevator to run soon. But you tune them out, not really feeling so good.

The sudden jolt of the elevator and the ankle that almost got twisted had your body shaken and now you are so close to puking your guts out. You really shouldn't have lifted your alcohol ban you had since a few months, but you got your own place and everything felt nice you wanted to celebrate.

You sink on your knees resting your head low as you try breathe slowly.

You are going to be fine. You will be fine.

"Are you okay?" Chan is again beside you, bellowing out a few curses and calling the emergency people to get to opening up the elevator soon.

Why was he so worried about you?

"I feel sick," you mumble out.

"Do you have water with you?" You nod at him. He searches through your bag handing you the bottle, helping you take small sips nothing big.

You feel it then. The warmth.

He had you in his arms, asking you if it was okay as he rubbed your back gently in a soothing manner.

You slowly nod, and look up at him.

His hair was a bit longer than the last time you've properly seen him, his eyes those chocolate swirls had you enchanted just as the day you first saw him. And his brows were furrowed in worry, you brush them out with your fingers before you know it.

"Don't frown much, it'll ruin your pretty face." You tell him and a little smile spreads on his face.

The same smile that knocked wind out of your chest. Fuck, moving on from him is going to be quite hard if he smiled at you like that.

"Don't frown much, it'll ruin your pretty face." You tell him and a little smile spreads on his face.

The same smile that knocked wind out of your chest. Fuck, moving on from him is going to be quite hard if he smiled at you like that.

"Don't frown much, it'll ruin your pretty face." You say, a silly smile on your face as you push away the frown on his face. Chan smells the alcohol from your breathe and realizes your drunk. No wonder you were sick.

The emergency team responded that earliest they can get to work would take about an hour so, so he had to make sure you weren't going to get sick again in meanwhile.

"Your smile looks so pretty," your voice drops an octave, it sounds so sad yet you still have that silly smile on your face. It just doesn't reach your eyes anymore.

"Thank you," Chan replies.

The lavender scent of yours embraces him pulling him in but the hazel eyes of yours were just filled with sadness.

Why were you so sad?

"I'm sorry," you mumble. Before he can ask why, you sit up straight and he moves away giving you space as he watches you shake your head leaning against the wall of the elevator just looking ahead before falling asleep. He doesn't wake you up, just makes sure that you won't fall if you shift.

He lifts you up as the rescue team comes and soon both of you get out of the place, an entire hour he spent playing games on his phone while holding your head so you wouldn't fall.

The jerk of being picked up must've woken you, you look up at him and smile before nuzzling into his neck, his body warming up at the action. He almost loses his grip on you, but holds you tight.

Reaching your door, he lets you down. You tell him to look away and type in the code as he does and drag him in holding his hand.

"Look at my house, is not so pretty?" You look back at him with an expectant face and he nods walking in making sure to not get further than the shoe area.

You go around showing him your furniture, giggling to yourself about some jokes and almost trip but catch yourself before walking into another room.

And when you don't come out for a while, he walks in to make sure you didn't fall or hit yourself only to find you on your bed holding onto a shirt of yours he recognized as the one you wore when he first met you at the convenience store.

"Why is this so hard?" You mumble to yourself as you let your tears fall, he wonders what was making you feel this way and just slowly rubs circles on your palm.

He shouldn't be staying in here for this long. With one look at you he walks out into the kitchen and writes down a note to remind you to take care of yourself when you wake up and gets out of your apartment, the lock clicking in place making him sigh in relief.

It was a sight to watch you sound so excited about furniture, your eyes shining —the sadness he saw before nowhere to be found— that almost resembled the stars and your hands moving around as you spoke.

But seeing you look just as sad and exhausted worried him to say nonetheless.

After talking to his friends the other day, Chan since then tried to make a move, or even strike up a conversation with you. But you were always busy, and actively ignoring him. He didn't think he'd ever get the chance again. He thought that maybe the chance was gone and he went out of his way to not cross paths with you again, not make you uncomfortable anymore by being in the same space as you. It was hard because you were his neighbor, but who was Chan if he was not just a guy trying to make sure the person he liked was comfortable. He found out a way to do that.

But today, it got so late and he could not walk around the entire place before catching another elevator, so he took the one at the parking lot, and then you got in at the upper ground floor smiling to yourself and looking a bit drunk.

He didn't want to disturb you but the situation kept escalating and all he wanted to do was make sure you were okay and safe. That was how he ended up taking care of you. And the fact that you unconsciously felt safe with him to talk or act the way you did made him feel bittersweet.

Because if you were indeed comfortable as you did, why were you ignoring him?

That was a question he had to ask the sober you.

Chan was an hopeless romantic. Finding love in the tiniest things but what he wasn't was someone who believed in miracles, or even coincidences. But maybe it was a miracle that you both found your way to each other again. Maybe it was a second chance that he was being given.

But what if you did not feel the same way? What was he going to do then?

You groan your limbs aching as you stretch on your bed, the silk sheets feeling odd under you.

Silk sheets?

You wake up quickly making your head spin because of the force as you take in the room. It was indeed your room, the pictures hanging on the walls and the stupid band poster says so.

You look down and see that the silk sheet was just a shirt you hugged to sleep.

You get out of your room and find a mess of a living room, everything thrown around cursing yourself to not drink again.

You remember being drunk, you remember almost tearing up someone's bag but after that you had no memory of the night. This was also why you really didn't drink much, you were crazy when the alcohol hit you. It was slower to kick in than it did to others but god, did it have long lasting effects.

You see a paper folded into a triangle in the kitchen and walk up to it. And find a note written for you.

Do not forget to take medications for sobering up.

-Lee Chan : )

What in the ever loving fuck does that mean? Was Chan the one who dropped you at your place? How did that even happen?

You remember absolutely nothing else from last night and it is starting to kill you.

Why did he leave a smiley face? What have you done?

"So, you remember nothing?" Seungkwan asks as he moves around to play. The racket in his hand seemed like it was part of his body with the way he moved it so flawlessly. You were an average player, but a player nonetheless.

Seungkwan wanted to meet you over for coffee, a treat because of you drinking instead of him last night. His girlfriend dropped him off, whom you met and realized she is someone from your company itself and Seungkwan just laughed awkwardly. You didn't pry anymore.

After coffee, Seungkwan suggested that to wake your mind it'd be fun to go play badminton for a while so you wouldn't feel so tired, but it just feels the opposite now.

The sound of the rackets hitting the shuttlecock fills the area, and you try so hard to match up with his pace but you end up losing. Again.

"Yeah, nothing." You tell him as he helps you up from the floor, both of you walking together to take a seat on a bench for a breather. You were talking to Kwan about problems from last night, while he definitely wasn't the best guy around to talk about secrets, he had honest answers which you always welcomed.

"Did you see him again?"

"No, I'll probably run into him soon."

"How do you feel about it? You must have some kind of gut feeling or sixth sense about it, right?" One more reason why you were talking to Seungkwan of all people. He had many women in his life making him experienced in giving advice in some things you couldn't possibly ask someone who was not a woman. But because you didn't really have many friends or acquaintances, except for Tzuyu, Yunjin who were busy today. And Jieun, who was out of town on a "date" with her boss.

At this point you wonder if she did fall in love with him with the way she never stops mentioning his name.

"There was nothing alarming about the incident, I feel warm at the mention of it? I'm guessing it's a good sign?" Kwan gets into thinking as you continue, and soon he asks you a question throwing you off into deeper thinking.

"Do you still like him?"

"I'm trying to move o—"

"Do you still like him?"

"I feel dumb remembering the incidents—"

"Do. You. Still. Like. Him? It's a yes or no question, boss."

You didn't admit this to yourself either, admitting it felt like you were going to manifest it into reality. A reality where he was just kind to you, but also where he saw you as someone who lied, you had your own reasons for doing so and you did not regret that. But that didn't matter anymore, because you were going to run into him daily even if you try to avoid him and you are going to get tensed and feel sad trying to move on. Because—

"I do, I like him so much it physically hurts not to talk to him."

"Well, there's your answer and from everything that you told me—." He holds your shoulders making you look at him, "—It seems like you have to stop running away, even if running away seems like the best thing to do at present, it wouldn't give you any kind of peace later."

You just stare at him, his words sinking into you. He was honest about it, telling you something you didn't dare look in the face as if it was a demon you were scared to look at. But even if it scared you, you realize you had to do something about your feelings towards Chan.

Most importantly start talking to him, make it a normal thing so your heart would stop jumping at the mention of him.

Chan was exhausted to say the least. He could not feel his legs even though his body moved on auto-pilot. He had packages to take upstairs and mail to grab but he didn't know if he'd make it to his apartment without collapsing.

Seungcheol started acting weird since morning, while it was just the usual, the air around him felt so otherwise. It just did not feel right, whatever he was doing. And worst of all, he 'fired' his girlfriend for reasons he wouldn't tell Chan about and the younger was just glad the fake relationship was just finally over because the acting whenever he saw their grandfather was getting on his nerves. The blow out of it hanging at the back of his head and nightmares of him going to Switzerland for Seungcheol's blind date, if their grandfather finds it was fake all along haunted him.

A laugh cuts his thoughts as he reaches his floor, and sees you standing outside your apartment looking at a guy and laughing.

Who the fuck was this guy?

"Thank you," You stop when you find Chan looking at you, and the stranger in front of you looks over too.

"I should get going," He bows leaving. Chan makes a note to figure out who this guy was and looks back at you.

To say you were beaming would be less of a statement, and seeing you finally smile at him after what seemed like a lifetime Chan feels his heart race. He wondered if you knew the power you had over him, he wondered if you knew that your smile could wipe out darkness so vast it would be light all over.

"How are you?" You look surprised as if you really asked that, a habit he realized you had when you were nervous —You would blurt out things and get shock, your eyes widening. He just nods at you, thanking the heavens that whatever bought you back to the way you were before you began avoiding him, and that you were speaking with him, in sober state of mind.

"How is your hangover? Did you rest well?" You nod the smile never going away. And he sees it then, the dimple he had the blessing of seeing the other day when you were drunk, it shows again.

He was going to die at this state. He had to calm down.

"I apologize for inconveniencing you the other day, I usually never drink and that day it was just one accident after another—"

"Accident? Were you hurt anywhere?" Chan didn't mean to, but his voice came out strained at the thought of you getting hurt.

"Oh, no. No, not that way. Accident in the sense where I seemed to have just slipped once."

"Were. You. Hurt?"

Your cheeks go red the blush spreading across your face, despite being concerned over you he could not stop smiling as he sees the affect he has over you. Is this really happening?

He takes a step back from when he came into your space few seconds ago, and clears his throat.

"I am fine, thanks for being concerned." You tell him and you do something that Chan never in his lifetime would've thought would get to see. You wink at him shocking yourself doing so, and you just wave your hand before excusing yourself and getting inside your place.

Chan could not move an inch from where he stood at your door, his heart thundering against his chest as he felt his own body get hot.

It seems you were also attracted to him, just the way he did.

Despite having your own place to go now, Jieun's parents wanted you to come over and stay for a day because they missed you. While your own father did not even bother to call, not that you expected anything from him anyway.

As you drive back home, after many attempts by Jieun's mother to make you stay for one more day, you feel your heart full looking over to see bags of side dishes she prepared for you and the amount of concern she had when she got to know you were losing weight because of stress from work. You tried so hard not to cry, and hugged her tight making a promise to take good care of yourself and she kissed your cheek.

A mother's love was always wonderful, despite it being taken away from you quite early in your life, you were glad to have found two people who cared for you like one. You make a note to check on Mrs. Chae and call her frequently during weekdays to make sure your father would not find out about it.

Locking your car you grab onto the bags from Jieun's mom, which were quite heavy now that you hold them, and walk towards the elevator slowly and put them down waiting for it to show up when you feel a tap on your shoulder.

"Good Morning," Kyumin, the guy whose tote bag you tore accidentally the other day was smiling at you widely. You would've returned it, hell you would've even given him a box of a side dish from your bag but since the other day when he somehow found the exact flat you lived in made you a little wary of him.

Maybe he just saw your name on the mail that got mixed up in his and found your flat or he stalked you, was a question you had no answers to. You could not go around accusing someone of something. But the smile he gave when he greeted you, never seemed to have reached his eyes, just like at this moment, where they looked odd.

"Hello," you reply curtly and watch his smile fall.

"Do you need help carrying these bags?" Before you could say anything he already had a bag in his hand and when you tried to protest he almost took the other one before his hand was swatted away. You wish you did that.

The bags are taken away from him and you look up to see a very mad Lee Chan who is just outright glaring at Kyumin, his jaw clenched. His face was neutral but his eyes held something akin to rage and that somehow soothed you.

Maybe because you were just as angry but were holding yourself back from making a scene.

"I got them," He replies to the man behind you, who you watch nod and walk away without a complaint. You turn to your neighbor who now looked at you with an intensity that made you warm and smiled.

"You good?" You were a puddle was what you were.

"Do you know him?" He asks you.

"Not really," Chan hums as he looks over to where Kyumin ran off once again.

"Thanks for saving me, again.—" The elevator dings and both of you enter, "—at this point I should just call you my knight in shinning armor with the amount of times you swooped in and rescued me," you joked.

You saw from your front door camera the other day when Chan came to see you after your drunken shenanigans and you closed the door with an involuntary wink at him—he blushed so much he resembled a tomato and smiled walking away unbuttoning his jacket.

Since the beginning, you had a hunch or maybe a gut feeling that the attraction you felt towards him was mutual. Maybe that was why moving on seemed so hard. And now, since the universe intertwined your fates as neighbors, and he smiled at you every time he saw you making you nothing but a puddle or warm you realized you were not going to lose this chance.

So, shooting your shot it was. Even if it meant finding the cheesiest line you could throw at him just to make him laugh at the silliness of it. You were actually a natural flirt when you weren't being melted like ice because of someone's gaze on you.

His lips twitch before he shakes his head, "Knight in shining armor," he mutters to himself before looking at you with a smirk.

You reach your floor and get out first and he quietly follows you not saying a word as he watches you fumble with the password twice and enter your place. You welcome him in, ignoring the mess as if he hadn't seen it before in a state far worse and guide him to leave the bags in your kitchen counter.

"Thank you for carrying these," you hold out two boxes of side dishes as a sign of gratitude but he lays them on the counter behind you before caging you between his arms.

"If I am your knight in shining armor,—" he leans in being so close yet so far away as he speaks in whispers, "— does that make you my princess?"

"I believe so,"

And for what feels like hours he just stays there right in front of you, his eyes taking you in and you do the same. His darkened eyes and the little freckles on his face that you almost wouldn't have seen unless you were this close to him. And his lips? They look so plump that makes you want to bite them, and you really might.

"You should do it then sometime," He says and you realize you said the last part out loud.

God, you wish the earth would just swallow you now.

But his eyes never leave your lips as he says before coming back to your eyes.

"Will do," you answer trying so hard to hold your ground and not blush. And with a smile that tickles you everywhere making you smile too, he leaves. Already out the door but not before he says something that has you falling on to your floor holding your chest so tightly.

"See you soon, Princess."

Oh, he was playing back the tricks. He was flirting back.

Sweet heavens, you are going to fall hard and heavy with this man. Because not only does he have a personality and the smile you admire and adore, he knew how to flirt just the way you liked it, like he was made for you.

Seeing that man in front of your place and making you laugh so heartily ticked Chan off that he almost kissed you right infront of him. It was bullshit and he knew, but he somehow did know you were not going to push him away. If he understood anything since the last few days of spending maybe a few minutes with you, those accidental brushing off hands, those shy glances and most importantly the way your breath hitched when he came close to you, he knew you liked him back.

But after that day Chan had no way to talk to you as he was stuck at work since two days reaching home at odd timings because of some mood swings Seungcheol was going through. The intense wave of emotions from his boss was something he had never seen.

Angry, rule following and maybe a tad bit obssessed with himself was his usual but not where he was so emotional coming towards making his research team work their ass off on making a dish he was not taking a likening towards.

Especially an researcher named Kang Jieun.

Chan did not know the beef between them but he hoped that his brother stoped being an asshole towards her because she made the dish right on her 1st try.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because they need to know the consequences of lying to someone," Seungcheol said looking out the window. The sun set a few minutes ago and it looks like he was going to make her stay for a while. Again, something he never saw Seungcheol do. Even talking in riddles like he was doing now.

He was on edge since his breakup with his "girlfriend" but his attitude was just not it.

"St—"

"Go home, Chan."

"Bu—"

"Go. Home."

"Alright, lay off of her though."

"You brat," Chan was out of his cabin before Seungcheol threw the ball on his desk at him not before he ran into the one and only Kang Jieun who looked so exhausted bringing over another set of dish for taste testing.

"Good luck," She freezes hearing Chan and says nothing before rushing inside.

"What is with this people today?" He mutters to himself before shaking his head to let it go just go home.

It was a bit late than usual when he usually runs into you after work, so Chan rushes as soon as he can after getting to his car only to find you in front of the apartment block wearing a coat larger than your size clutching it tight to yourself.

He leaves his car to a side running towards you, to see you literally shaking despite the sweat on your forehead.

"Hey, Is everything alright?"

You choke out something but shake your head, your eyes were filled with tears and you were biting your cheeks.

"Someone tried to open my door, I.. I chalked it up to them finding wrong apartment—" A tear slips from your eyes, he wipes it away, "—But they tried to do it again and again," he watches your throat tighten and you take a gulp of water he hands over to you making you sit on a bench nearby before you can continue.

"Did you see who it was?" Chan was holding himself back from running out to find who it was and smash them against a wall for scaring you this much.

"Kyumin, the guy who tried to take my bags the other day," He saw your eyes now burn with the kind of anger that reflected his own. You looked hurt, sad and also so angry you were crushing the bottle in your grip. It must be your fight or flight response, rushing you through both.

"Do you know where he is?" Despite knowing you were just as angry and mad to take down that man, Chan softened his tone towards you, to make you feel safe and comfortable talking to him.

You shake your head at him, telling him that when you saw that it was Kyumin from your front door camera and tried to open the door holding onto your baseball bat, that bastard ran away. And you came down to the play area immediately because you did not feel safe staying there anymore.

"I know a way to find him,—" Chan stands up holding out his hand towards you, "— Do you want to do this?"

You look at him, the simmering rage in your eyes reminding him of the moment when he thought that if you committed a murder he would've gotten behind it.

He still would make sure you get away with it if it meant you were going to not shiver and not be scared again because of that bastard.

You were sitting in the police station giving the detective a statement of the incident that happened two hours ago.

Your hands were still shivering and you could not talk properly because of the tears lodged at the back of your throat. The fear does not seem to leave you and you were scared. You did not know what was going through your mind when you ran downstairs taking steps instead of elevator and stood near the guards, the sounds of children giggling and playing around gave you a bit of calm but you could not stop crying at all.

And then Chan found you. He held you as you were breaking. Just as he promised, Chan found Kyumin from the security footage of your community hiding not so far away and he took you along letting you kick the man as long as you pleased before calling the cops. He didn't let Kyumin get to you at all before he punched his nose. You were grateful for Chan about this.

You hear your name being called and turn to see Jieun running towards you with a very angry looking Seungcheol walking in behind her.

What the fuck?

Jieun just sighs and doesn't say anything about her cover being blown as she scoops you into a hug immediately. The familiar scent of your best friend tips off everything for you. The very exhausting and tiring evening wearing down on you as you cry on her shoulder and she holds you through it.

After what seems to be another long hour of collecting statements from you—through out which Jieun holds your hand—and Chan regarding Kyumin, the cops finally let everyone go.

You had so many questions you wanted to ask Jieun about how Seungcheol found out about her, you wanted to thank Chan for swooping in and saving you again. But exhaustion makes your body ache, and darkness consumes you before you know it.

"She will stay with me," Jieun who was none other than the Jiwon aka the fake girlfriend of Seungcheol now stands before Chan and Seungcheol as she looks over to you sleeping inside Chan's car after you passed out.

"I will take care of everything," Seungcheol tells her, no sign of being mad at her for hiding her identity in his eyes as he promises her. Jieun must've found it confusing too but she didn't say anything as Chan hands his car keys to her.

"Take my car. Hyung will give me a ride back home after we are done." Chan tells her and Jieun just gives him an appreciating smile before taking the keys. He watches as they drive away, a bit of relief spreading through him that you were in his car with a person you knew very well to be your emergency contact.

"What do you want to do?" Seungcheol asks his eyes not off of Chan's car.

"Put this bastard behind bars,"

"This is my area of expertise,—"Seungcheol cracks his knuckles before smiling at Chan,"— that fuck is going to rot behind the bars."

Seungcheol wasn't called "The Devil" for a reason, and Chan wasn't his right hand man if they weren't very well known to be dangerous since the moment they became adults. Seungcheol walks away laughing making Chan smile at that. He was going to have fun torturing that guy for everything he had done.

It has been two weeks since the incident at your place and you got know from Jieun the next day, that Kyumin was being booked under so many cases that there would be no way he was going to get out of prison unless he was dead. You wished everyone who went through this psychological torture because of him finally get to have the relief of him being behind the bars. You had to go in for testifying once and that was it you were done, you did not want to hear anymore about him unless if the news was that he was in prison.

The moments were not that noticeable and you blamed yourself for not noticing the signs that he was a stalker with the way he acted.

Knowing he was going to rot with the amount of cases someone dig up to keep him down in prison for the rest of his life gave you a semblance of relief. Yet, going back to your place scared you more than you liked to admit. But the longer you stayed with your best friend, the more she would start treating you with fragility and you didn't want that, you didn't want to worry her that she called you at any moment she was free to see if you were feeling okay or if you were eating well.

So after a week you told her everything was fine and got back to your place, it reminding you of everything no less than an house of horrors.

You would get through this, you can't make everyone worry sick because you did not want to see that sympathy in their eyes when they looked at you. No, you were not going to be weak.

Throwing yourself in work seemed like the best option, while you felt the need to face a few things, you just did not have the heart to go out and meet people only for them to see your hands shiver and —

"Boss, the reports regarding—"

"Yeah, leave it here." You cut Seungkwan off who just nods, the air in the room off. You sense it and see that everyone is staring at you, worried about you. Fuck.

"It's pretty late, you guys should leave."

"What about y—"

"I'll be fine," They hesitate for a while but when you glare at them they immediately move. The sounds of chairs being pushed back and computers being shut with hurry as everyone tries to pack up makes you huff out a laugh making everyone freeze.

"We love you, boss!" All of them yell at once, the people passing through watch it and it makes you laugh so hard you give them a thumbs up as they leave.

The laugh builds up and up for a moment before you burst out into tears on your desk.

Why weren't you strong enough to move on? Why were you still scared of going home? Fuck, you were supposed to be strong, but it hurts you so much to try and act like you can get through this. Why was this haunting you even in waking hours?

Fuck!

You pack up and get out of your office, the traffic not helping your mood a bit nor does the sound of your stomach rumbling that echoes in your car as you park. You check the time and groan seeing its almost 9'O clock. Instead of going back to your place you get out and decide to walk to the nearby restaurant, hoping that maybe the evening walk would help.

The cool evening air embraces you softly as you make your way out of the apartment blocks, kids playing around soothing you like it always does. You liked kids, until a certain decibels maybe. Walking into a lane full of restaurants, you see a line of people waiting to get into one of them that looks new. You decide to skip the wait to get to the one beside it, a hole in the wall place that you knew would have the best food and service.

To prove you right, it was completely filled with chatter, hearty laughs from students and adults. You needed normality to forget everything, to move on. And you couldn't breakdown again, you have to hold yourself together like you always do.

"Alone?" An old lady asks you as you walk in, you nod and she just smiles pointing you towards a spot that is just perfect. Against the window you can look outside as people cross the place and most importantly the fan overhead along with pretty lights.

After giving her your order and her pinching your cheeks for reason unknown but making you smile like a child, you walk towards your place and take a seat.

"Had a good day?" You almost tumble out of your chair when you hear the voice as you curse out loud.

"Fuck, you scared me." Chan just laughs at you, his hand on yours to make sure you weren't actually falling out of your chair.

It has been two weeks since you last saw him and it somehow feels like a lifetime. His hair grew a bit resembling a mullet, strands of it falling on his face, his eyes looked a bit tired but shined as they took you in. He was wearing a his usual suit the jacket thrown over his chair, his black shirt stretched over his chest and you immediately look away.

"How are you?" His voice was softer now, gentle just the way Jieun talked to you nowadays, you were sick of it.

"I'm perfectly fine," you reply curtly, the tone being more cold than you initially tried to convey. You did not want one more person to treat you like you were made of glass. It was getting tiring and you so badly wanted people to treat you like they usually did.

"Okay," And the rest of the night he doesn't say anything, except pouring water into your glass from the pitcher, sliding over a pair of chopsticks. Giving you tissues when the food almost makes you cry when it gets so spicy.

He was silently present, making sure you could lean on him despite your little cold answer just now and it hurts you. Seeing Chan again was not supposed to go this way. You were supposed to thank him for listening to you that day. For letting you kick that bastard without getting a scratch on yourself. For making sure you were safe the entire time. But instead you were acting the wrong way. Like he was the one who wronged you.

You did not like this at all. Why were you making a mess of things when they were perfectly fine? Why were you crying at everything?

"I think that's a lot," Chan's voice jerks you out of your thoughts, his hand on yours as he stops you from downing another glass of soju. You look around to see almost 4 empty of bottles of it, the restaurant you were in now almost empty and your bowls of foods were cleaned thoroughly by you.

Your limit was 1 bottle, but you drank 4? Oh fuck you were going to be a mess. You had to call Jieun. You try to get your phone out and call her but it slips from your hand and clatters on the ground with your screen getting cracked.

"Oh god," you feel water droplets on your hand, and realize you are crying. No, not again. You were getting tired of crying for everything. You sit down, closing your eyes to hold them back and do so successfully but it all goes to vain when you open your eyes to see Chan kneeling in front of you on the floor, his eyes filled with concern and hand holding out tissues for you.

Chan did not know what he did that made you act so curtly, but that did not hold him back from helping you throughout the night. Your act of drinking did concern him, but when you started blabbering words that made no sense, he decided it was time to step in even of you did not want him too.

The signs were there, you were hurting and pushing anyone away if they showed you slight concern. He knew it well, he acted the same way when people talked shit about him poaching off of Seungcheol's family as if that was true in any way. Seungcheol had his back glaring at people whenever he was around and heard shit like that but Chan could not say anything without it back firing again. It broke him just like you were breaking right now.

He shakes his head and sees you on the floor holding your phone that was cracked and crying. You stop a second later though, biting your cheeks to stop crying. That breaks his heart so much that he wishs he could get back into that holding cell to break that bastard's bones again.

The day after he was apprehended, Seungcheol helped him pull out all the previous crimes he committed and got away with, many of his victims were ready to get that bastard in if it meant he would stop torturing them the way they did to you too, and because of Seungcheol's little connections Chan would go in to that holding cell every night and take out every ounce of his stress on him.

Was it right? No.

Would that change anything? A little.

Would that make Chan see red a little less than he was seeing? Absolutely.

So he did not stop until Seungcheol stepped in and told him that prison was not going to be fun for that fucker and Chan should lay off if he did not want to kill him.

While the idea was entertaining to Chan, it was messy. So, he left the rest of it to Seungcheol who took his sweet time to make sure that idiot was stuck in prison for the rest of his life.

"I'm sorry," you were talking pretty calmly for a person who was blabbering just a moment ago, Chan did not know if he had to be concerned or relieved about it though.

"There is nothing to be sorry about," he helps you up, grabbing your bag and his jacket to walk you home. You do not protest, trying your best to walk in your heels but you do almost trip twice.

"Hold on a second," he leans you against a wall before making you wear his jacket and throwing your bag onto his neck before sliding his arms under your knees and head to lift you up.

"Woah," you react, your hands around his neck holding tight at that moment before you relax against him.

"You good?" You just nod and stay like that, having you in his arms giving him a sense of calmness he did not have since the day you left to stay at your friend's. Jieun was kind enough to fill Chan in on details on how you were doing whenever their paths crossed at work, but she never asked why he was interested in knowing though. Even if she suspected anything, she did not say.

That was how he knew you came back to your place a week ago, but he somehow never ran into you. You moved in shadows and when he did see you once and tried to approach you, you were gone in a split second

The guards just smile at Chan as he walks in, your breathes become a bit shallow as you fall asleep in his arms. He moves slowly not to wake you up but also mostly not to lose the feeling of you in his arms too quickly. He liked the warmth you gave him, the lavender scent of yours that became a part of relaxing him too.

Getting to your door he slowly lays you down on your feet, you stumble for a moment but just stand there against your door not going in and just looking at him, your head tilted a sign of you drunk making him laugh like a silly man.

"Thank you for saving me that day,"

"I would've done anything if you asked me, princess—" he says trying to lighten your mood, "—It is my job as your knight, is it not?" You smile at him as he says that. A giddy smile and it strikes his heart as those dimples pop out.

"Anything?" Chan nods and you take a step towards him, looking up at him with those hazel eyes.

"Kiss me." You whisper, his heart racing as he realizes what you just said.

"You're drunk,"

"You said you'd do anything I ask," you pout. Chan almost scoffs at you for pouting, weakening his stance every second just by standing so close to him and asking him to kiss you.

"Well, I guess I should ask someone els—"

He bends closer to you, your eyes go wide as your words drop out of your mouth.

"You will not." Chan says, his eyes not leaving yours.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?"

"You're testing me,"

"Yes, so?"

You just stare at him, defiance in your stance making him wonder if you were actually sober. While he knows if he doesn't kiss you, you would not ask anyone else, but who was he to not play your game.

But then in a split second you drop to your knees, holding your head in your hands as you take heavy breaths.

"I might be getting sick."

"What's your door code?" He asks as you stand up to enter it yourself but fumble it twice before shaking your head. You must not be able to see well.

"Can I take you to my place?" You were now covering your mouth, and nod.

He holds you, taking you to his place guiding you to the washroom. He comes in to hold your hair, but your short hair keeps slipping from his loose grip that he ends up keeping a shower cap on your head so it won't fall out as you puke your guts out.

"Are you feeling better?" You nod and then you just lay against the wall making Chan sigh. He helps you up and laying you down on his couch, worrying you would not like to fall asleep in his bed.

"You think I'll be okay?" You try to talk to him. There were tears in your eyes as you look at Chan from the couch. He brushes the hair falling on your face back as he nods.

"Yes, I do."

"Even if I'm not strong?"

"You are the strongest person I know,"

"I missed you, my knight in shining armor," you give him a tired smile, making him smile too. What would he not do to just see you smile everyday, he was whipped and he did not know if he would find this kind of peace anywhere else other than when he was beside you.

"I missed you too, my princess."

Listen, you weren't the best at holding your alcohol but you did not think you would get yourself embarrassed, twice in front of the man you were actively crushing on. When you woke up you almost screamed taking on the unfamiliar surroundings. The photo frame on the table beside the couch told you that this was Chan's place.

Oh boy.

And as if it could not get any worse with your head blasting, you realize you remember nothing from last night except one thing. You asked him to kiss you. But you do not know if he did indeed. You were going to stop drinking now from now on.

Waking up on his house, Where he put you to sleep on his couch, with a blanket draped over you, you think he might have not kissed you. But you did not trust yourself.

"Good morning," Chan greets you walking in to the living room from what you guess must be where he slept. He is also wearing nothing but sweatpants that hang low on his hips. He is killing you first thing in morning.

"Breakfast?"

"Yes," you slowly get out of the couch trudging yourself over to the kitchen. His apartment had the same layout as yours, and he decorated it so well. You were glad to be here in his own space, because you would have otherwise never guessed Chan was into musicals unless you saw the posters hanging in his bedroom.

Yes, you peeked a little in to what looked like his bedroom before he could catch you.

He doesn't say anything as you take a seat at the table pouring yourself a glass of water. He moves around the kitchen with an expertise of someone who cooked their whole life and was always known to make the best dishes.

"How's your head?" He grabs plates and lays them on the table before getting the eggs he made to place in front of you, you help him grab glasses on the other side of the table along with spoons and forks. It felt domestic, the way both of you moved around together.

"Exploding." You watch his lips twitch at your description.

"Look, I am so sorry I keep bothering you all the time, it is not what it looks—"

"You are never a bother to me," he says it so easily as if it was breathing. And he doesn't even look up from serving the breakfast on to your plate as he does.

"Yes, the situations we end up in are often crazy but I never regretted being in them—" His gaze comes to yours now, warmth rushing over your body, "—especially if it means I get to spend it with you."

Wow. Flirting was not new to you, it was just a game of push and pull until someone ended up in others bed. But when you flirted with Chan, you knew it wasn't just attraction, you wanted to always see his eyes that comforted you and that laugh that rushed through you.

And seeing him admit it out loud changes things. In a good way.

"Did I…. You know… ki—" He interrupts as you look so uncomfortable asking him the question. You weren't new to it, but you were new to everything when it came to him.

"No, I did not. You were drunk and I did not want to take advantage of it."

"What if I was sober?"

"I would've done it." He admits it quickly making you wish you hadn't asked the question.

"Take me out before you do that, Mr. Gentleman." You try to joke but he doesn't laugh.

"Well, since it's Saturday."

"No, I was just joking—"

"Will you go on a date with me."

"Yes," You shock yourself with answering so quickly as if you weren't just trying to convince him that you were joking but he doesn't seem to be shocked nor does he look like he was going to judge you for that.

"Thank you for the breakfast," You make a run towards the couch and grab your things.

"I'll meet you at 5 in the evening, and make sure to dress comfortably!"

You just yell back an "Okay" running out of his place but stop in front of yours listening to his laugh flowing out of his own to the entire floor.

You just slowly hit your head against your apartment door after you get in.

You felt like a schoolgirl reliving her first love and you do not regret feeling that way.

Listen, you weren't the best at holding your alcohol but you did not think you would get yourself embarrassed, twice in front of the man you were actively crushing on. When you woke up you almost screamed taking on the unfamiliar surroundings. The photo frame on the table beside the couch told you that this was Chan's place.

Oh boy.

And as if it could not get any worse with your head blasting, you realize you remember nothing from last night except one thing. You asked him to kiss you. But you do not know if he did indeed. You were going to stop drinking now from now on.

Waking up on his house, Where he put you to sleep on his couch, with a blanket draped over you, you think he might have not kissed you. But you did not trust yourself.

"Good morning," Chan greets you walking in to the living room from what you guess must be where he slept. He is also wearing nothing but sweatpants that hang low on his hips. He is killing you first thing in morning.

"Breakfast?"

"Yes," you slowly get out of the couch trudging yourself over to the kitchen. His apartment had the same layout as yours, and he decorated it so well. You were glad to be here in his own space, because you would have otherwise never guessed Chan was into musicals unless you saw the posters hanging in his bedroom.

Yes, you peeked a little in to what looked like his bedroom before he could catch you.

He doesn't say anything as you take a seat at the table pouring yourself a glass of water. He moves around the kitchen with an expertise of someone who cooked their whole life and was always known to make the best dishes.

"How's your head?" He grabs plates and lays them on the table before getting the eggs he made to place in front of you, you help him grab glasses on the other side of the table along with spoons and forks. It felt domestic, the way both of you moved around together.

"Exploding." You watch his lips twitch at your description.

"Look, I am so sorry I keep bothering you all the time, it is not what it looks—"

"You are never a bother to me," he says it so easily as if it was breathing. And he doesn't even look up from serving the breakfast on to your plate as he does.

"Yes, the situations we end up in are often crazy but I never regretted being in them—" His gaze comes to yours now, warmth rushing over your body, "—especially if it means I get to spend it with you."

Wow. Flirting was not new to you, it was just a game of push and pull until someone ended up in others bed. But when you flirted with Chan, you knew it wasn't just attraction, you wanted to always see his eyes that comforted you and that laugh that rushed through you.

And seeing him admit it out loud changes things. In a good way.

"Did I…. You know… ki—" He interrupts as you look so uncomfortable asking him the question. You weren't new to it, but you were new to everything when it came to him.

"No, I did not. You were drunk and I did not want to take advantage of it."

"What if I was sober?"

"I would've done it." He admits it quickly making you wish you hadn't asked the question.

"Take me out before you do that, Mr. Gentleman." You try to joke but he doesn't laugh.

"Well, since it's Saturday."

"No, I was just joking—"

"Will you go on a date with me."

"Yes," You shock yourself with answering so quickly as if you weren't just trying to convince him that you were joking but he doesn't seem to be shocked nor does he look like he was going to judge you for that.

"Thank you for the breakfast," You make a run towards the couch and grab your things.

"I'll meet you at 5 in the evening, and make sure to dress comfortably!"

You just yell back an "Okay" running out of his place but stop in front of yours listening to his laugh flowing out of his own to the entire floor.

You just slowly hit your head against your apartment door after you get in.

You felt like a schoolgirl reliving her first love and you do not regret feeling that way.

To say you were nervous would be an understatement, you had no idea where he was going to take you and that just meant you had to dress in a way that would suit wherever he did take you.

But you also recognize it as soon as you get back to your place, the fear that drowned you whenever you stepped here was now replaced with an excitement that was not going to let you feel that fear again. You were thankful to Chan for that, and also Jieun who was on the call since last two hours making sure you were safe but not talking to you like you were fragile anymore.

She was back to throwing orders and gushing over you for going on a date with someone you liked for the first time in a while. Because this was all you wanted.

After seeing that it's already 5:00, you tell her you are going to update her on how it goes and cut the call as you look yourself into the mirror checking your outfit.

You were wearing an white off shoulder knit top with low rise jeans, you topped it off with throwing on a printed scarf and a bunch of your regular accessories — your vintage watch and a bracelet along with a few rings. It was comfortable, as he asked you to dress and you felt pretty.

The door bell goes off freezing you for a moment before you take a deep breathe in to calm and remind yourself that the person on the other side of the door was not going to hurt you as you walk to slowly open the door.

"Hey," You greet him locking the door behind you and finally take him in. He is wearing a pair of black shirt and pants, his sleeves rolled up, revealing his veined arms that were crossed as he leaned against the wall waiting for you.

"You look pretty," he says taking you in, you really stop yourself from turning so red as he does.

"You don't look so bad yourself," he just laughs holding out his hand for you to take. You slip yours into his and he squeezes it.

"Where are we going?"

"On a date,"

"So funny,"

"I try to be,"

"Just tell me, Chan." He doesn't say anything after that, no matter all the threats you make to go back home or get out of the car. He just drives pop songs filling the car as you forget about asking him about destination for a minute as you sing along to them but remember again to ask. He doesn't answer no matter what with a wicked smile on his face, and soon drives to a familiar road and then you see it, the movie theater you frequently visited.

"It was Jieun, was it not?" You ask as he parks the car and opens the door for you. He signals for you to hold his hand, and you do.

"Yes, but I guessed the movie. She just gave me the idea."

"Points for you, Mr. Lee."

"Stop taunting me, now."

"What are you going to do?" You tease him and he just squeezes your hand before smirking at you as an answer. And nothing more. You feel your insides getting hot at that.

Chan never thought he would ever love going to watch movies as much as he was doing with you. You were so immersed, your cheeks red whenever you realized he was looking at you instead of watching Ryan Gosling figure out how to talk to an alien being.

You cried a few times, you were in awe during the scenes that were filmed so beautifully, but he was in awe of how beautiful you looked falling in love with the movie.

Jieun told him you loved watching movies. Photography was something you always adored about them and the first thought that crossed Chan's mind was Project Hail Mary that was running in theaters. Jieun visually patted his back at the idea and threatened to take him down if he even made you cry and Chan was just happy you had someone so wonderful like her in your corner.

He had to later cut the call because Seungcheol was glaring at him through the video call, he was always a bit moody in the mornings. His brother was so in love with Jieun that the fact that there was a whole drama about her faking her identity did not matter to him anymore because he was afraid of losing the best thing he ever found. Chan could relate.

"She was never fake, it was just a different name," was what Seungcheol said looking lovesick because apparently at the time he lectured Chan to go and fight for you was around when he fell in love with Jieun.

You were now talking about how good the movie was as you continued eating your food. Each point well made that just made him admire you more and respect you for remembering things about something you loved despite it not being a part of your daily life as you kept saying.

"I really don't get to watch good movies anymore because of work, so this was a breathe of fresh air."

"I'm glad I made a good choice,"

"Yes, you did."

"Did you like the movie?" You asked him.

"I enjoyed it very much too, especially watching Ryan Gosling in glasses."

"He looked good, did he not?"

"He did." Chan answered raising a brow at you and you just turn red again finding the leftover pasta sauce on your plate so interesting, making him laugh at how reactive and open you were about how you felt.

You were headstrong, flirting with him all the time and he got hard whenever you did that, not that he would admit it yet. But when you blushed at everything and smiled so wide, it made him want to fall on his knees for you. Like you were something so precious he would rather die than ever hurt you. He realized he missed that smile the last two weeks.

"Where to now?" You ask, strapping yourself in and giggling like a kid as he drives out of the theater. Chan just looks at you with a smirk and doesn't say anything because he really loved the way you pouted whenever he kept you in the dark. Your lower lip jutted out while your eyes resembled boba, it was the most adorable thing he has ever seen and if to see that he had to be difficult with you, he would. Unfortunately, he cannot for longer periods of time.

Because the second he drives inside the parking lot and sees you looking at him like he is an interesting case you were trying to solve, or try reading into his mind just by staring at him, Chan leans over pecking your nose watching your jaw drop.

And then he runs out, you follow huffing at him because now you were turning red with each passing second and Chan knew he had to make up to the promise he made early in the morning. He tries to make you look at him, but you don't making him hold back his laugh that was bubbling out of him as he sees you look so shy.

"Look at me," He finally holds your hand again and this time you do not slip yours from his. But when he looks at you, he sees you raising a brow, your tongue poking your cheek as you pull him closer. He watches your eyes look at his lips, and then you are pushing him against your door and kissing him stupid.

Chan feels like he is in heaven. Because he knew pushing you to a certain point you were a completely different person, someone who would kiss him stupid like he wanted.

Chan tastes your strawberry lip gloss, the taste being so yourself and he does not hold himself back. Your hands were now holding his shoulders trying to reach his face, while Chan's roam around your waist, drawing maps on your back. You were nothing but an exquisite taste, and he fights with your tongue feeling you smile against his face, as you pull back to catch your breath.

Your face looking totally flushed, and your lips looking so plump from kissing him. You looked like an angel.

Oh, you were going to be the death of him.

It was hot, everything was hot and you did not wait as you nodding as he asked if you wanted to go to your place or his. Yours was a mess, so his it was. Once he opened the door, he had you against it, his hands holding you tight to himself as your tongues danced to a rhythm that moved both of your bodies. It was wonderful and everything you's every dreamed of.

But what you did not dream of was him asking you to jump into his arms, wrapping your legs around his waist asking if you really wanted to do this in most softest way. You replied kissing him hard, completely opposite of how he was holding you and treating you.

He walked towards his bedroom holding you like you weighed nothing. Laying you down on his bed and you immediately moved back towards the headboard, your cheeks hurting with the way you could not stop smiling because of him. Within seconds he was on you again, kissing you like he was a dying man and you were the answer to all of his prayers. It was messy, wet and just the way you liked it.

"Just so you know—" you tell him when he pulls back once to look at you, "—I don't sleep with anybody on the first date."

"I am honored to be breaking your rules then, Princess." He smiles against your mouth.

"Up," He taps on your arms and pulls your top over your head as you raise your hands, his eyes darkening as he takes you in. You help him pull out your jeans too, his clothes joining the pile of yours a second later. You were left in nothing but a pair of panties sticking to you the wetness so obvious to him and his hard member aching to be set free against his boxers.

"You are so gorgeous," He whispers before holding your hands above your head, his path of kisses trailing to your neck finding the sweet spot as he sucks over it and kisses on it again making sure to leave a mark before doing the same thing again and again at every place he finds.

But soon his attention gets completely stolen by your breasts, his hands leaving yours to focus on them, his tongue darts out sucking one while his thumb flicks playing with the other. Your hands drift into his long hair tugging them as the sensation gets too much and he responds with curses but doesn't stop and keeps on doing the same thing alternating his mouth and hands on one and the other never leaving them alone.

"Chan, Please." You plead him. To stop or to keep going? You did not know either.

"What do you want, princess?" His asks, his voice raspy as he looks at you. The string of saliva from his lips to your breasts destroying any sense of sanity your mind had left making you nothing but a putty in his arms.

"Want you...." He pinches your nipples making your eyes roll back and you let out a moan your back arching as you come.

Fuck, you were embarrassed to find your release just by being played with your nipples.

"Look here," He holds your chin before you try to look away, his chocolate brown eyes were now nothing just darkness that swallowed you in like it was black hole.

"That was hot," You just give him an awkward smile at that and he smiles at you before leaning and kissing your forehead. He gets down and takes down his boxers immediately, his cock stands up and almost hitting his stomach making you clench your thighs. And you see him, as he sees you do that.

He jumps on you like an animal, kissing you stupid as you feel his hand trail to your thighs, the other one holding them apart.

"I am going to make you cum on my tongue and then on my fingers before I put my cock in. You good with that, Princess?" You nod and he disappears between your thighs. His tongue sucking on your clit while he pushes in a finger.

"Fuck, you're so tight." God, he had such a nasty mouth.

He adds another finger in, his face never looking up even when you tug on his hair hardly, your thighs wrapped around his face almost suffocating him. If anything, he soon adds a third finger and you feel yourself getting closer even though you just came a moment ago. His ministrations make your eyes roll, the moans spilling out of you would have been a big problem to your neighbors but it doesn't look that bad because it was neighbor indeed, who was the cause behind your sounds.

"I'm close, fuck."

"Come on my tongue. You're doing so good," And he looks up, his fingers pushing in and out of you but his gaze never wavering as he makes you come again and again just as he promised. You pull him up, unable to hold on any longer as your hands start stroking his cock and he curses his head falling on your shoulder.

"Stop doing that," He grunts at you but you just smile and keep stroking him, whatever you can fit into your single hand, he was quite big.

"Fuck," He flips you on your stomach, the slap on your ass making you moan and arch your back at him.

"You like that?" He does it again leaning over your shoulder as he whispers in her your ear. You nod unable to form any words anymore, you vocabulary being nothing but sounds and his being nothing but grunts. He pushes his cock into your hole at once, without any warning making you arch your back gasping at the sudden intrusion and he laughs. He goes slow teasing you, your mind becomes a puddle as you want him to go faster and just use you instead.

No one ever made you feel this way in bed and you really liked this.

"Faster. Chan," His slow pace comes to a halt as he looks at you.

"You sure?" You nod pushing your hips against his and he curses before going as you asked.

He picks up his pace, leaning over your shoulder to grunt right into your ears, the sound throwing you off the edge just like everything he does. His hands sneaks up on you catching your throat, the grip tightening just enough and his other finds your clit.

"You like this?"

"Fuck, you are taking me so well."

"Say my name."

He has a dirty mouth thing. He says them as he goes faster, neither of his hands moving nor does he as he continues making noises near your ear.

"I'm coming,"

"Come inside," You plead him, your voice was not something you recognized anymore.

"You are going to be the death of me," he grunts out working his fingers on your clit as he makes sure you both can come together, and then you feel the air whooshing out of your lungs as you come and fall against the pillows, him following you a beat later. He removes the pillow he set under your stomach—which you did not notice him keeping there, and lays you down kissing your forehead before pulling out of you and getting down. You start missing his warmth not even a moment after.

He moves with precise movements as he brings out a wet cloth cleaning you thoroughly as you lay exhausted in his bed. He later joins you, pulling the covers over both of you and tucking you close to his heart, you feel it thumping against his chest so heavily.

"You were wonderful, baby." He kisses your forehead and you sigh smiling and laying on his chest. You feel so full, literally and figuratively, feel so happy and comfortable as he hugs you that you could not make what he was saying anymore as the tiredness consumed you making you fall asleep against the now steady beating of his heart.

When he woke up and saw the bed empty beside him, he thought you left. So, he ran out to the living room just to find you wearing your pajamas, which you must've gone out to your place and came back in. Seeing your hair being wet and looking fresh, he assumed you took a bath.

You look at him from the kitchen, holding bread in one hand and peanut butter in other. You place them on the counter, opening your arms for him and he runs to you, tackling you into a hug.

Kissing you was always the plan, but everything that followed was just him unable to hold back after touching you. He was addicted to you, like a drug that kept him alive. Your moans, the dazed look in your eyes and most importantly the way you trusted him. It made him hard again to think about it.

He pushed you against his kitchen counter kissing you slow, your hands over his neck pulling him closer as he does.

"Good morning," you whisper against his lips, a smile blossoming on yours and it spreads to him.

"Good morning."

"You look cute," He tells you pointing at the cherry pajamas now you were wearing.

"Thank you."

"Breakfast?" He asks ready to cook something but you just pull him back, hugging him tight shaking your head.

"After the marathon last night, you need to eat something that is not bread and peanut butter, princess."

"We could order in instead, lay down on the couch and….." you drawl out.

"And?" Chan tilted his head, liking your idea of a morning after a wonderful night.

"And maybe I'll let you eat me out?" You lean and whisper it in his ear and he immediately picks you up throwing you over his shoulders. You giggle, kicking your feet as he lays you down on the couch and unlocks his phone and gives it to you.

"Order the food, princess." Chan orders you, as he pulls down your pants to find you wear nothing. He smiles diving in as he feels your hands hold and tug his hair, his phone long forgotten as he eats dessert.

He did not know any other way to spend his morning with anything better than eating you out and listening to the sounds you make.

Good Morning to him, indeed.

To say you were insatiable would not be enough because you did not want to be separated from Chan or not have his mouth on you at any given time to the point it was getting concerning.

You lost count of the places he took you against. His place or yours? Did not matter anymore.

The shower, the kitchen counter, right against your door after work when you run into each other, the couches, the dining tables. And especially whenever he came back from running, because you loved how handsome he looked when he was breathless.

And Chan ate you out solely for his pleasure and god, that kind of men were the dangerous of all because he had you wrapped around his fingers, literally every day and night.

It has been three months since your first date and the wonderful events that followed, and life was getting better to say the least.

You were feeling a lot better after everything that happened, thanks to the people around you. You were also regularly having team dinners, your members spirits getting high. The usual banter, karaoke sessions and drunk nights when Chan came to pick you up and Seungkwan just gave you a thumbs up every time he saw the both of you while the others teased you about it.

But also most importantly, you had Chan — who planned such thoughtful dates you pinched yourself every single day to have him as yours. And whenever you planned dates for him, he would always show his gratitude by fucking you so good, that you would see the stars.

And the best part of having Chan as your boyfriend was dancing in the kitchen at midnights, laughing at Seungcheol whenever you and Jieun planned double dates— Seungcheol would just glare at you both or pout shocking you sometimes but he doesn't say anything else and you swear you once saw something akin to happiness in his eyes when he looked at Chan. The both of you were still scared of him though.

It was also nice have someone who would hold you tight after a very long exhausting day and whisper sweet nothings to you.

When you asked Chan about what was the best thing about having you as his girlfriend, he looked you dead in your eyes and said, "I get to see those dimples when you smile so wide," and went on to kiss you on your cheek before driving off to work. Leaving you stunned in front of your work place.

Safe to say, he was just as deep as you in this shit.

As usual, life cannot be rainbows and sunshine for so long because you were standing in front of your home, Chan squeezing your hand as you contemplated meeting your father.

"I can come along if you want," he offers, kissing your hand.

"This is my battle, Chan. I can't have him hurt you when we get inside, I would not let him breathe if he does so."

Chan was the best thing that happened to you. You were not going to let your father take him away from you.

"Okay, My queen—," He kisses you the taste of strawberry lip balm of yours he keeps stealing evident on his lips,"—Give them hell."

You watch as he walks back into his car and signaling you to walk in before he drives away. He called you his queen nowadays, and while you really liked being called princess, queen just hits different.

You look back at the looming door of doom of your house. You did not need to be a mastermind to figure out why your father called you to meet. The tail he put on you—yes, he was capable of doing that shit—must've been giving him information about you living a happy life, and just like the party popper he was, your father did not like it when you were living a happy life without his hand in it. It was some kind of shitty way to control you by holding things over your head if he had a hand in your happiness so you would not act out and since when you did not give him the chance to do so, he would throw a tantrum like a fuckin' child.

"How are you?" Mrs. Chae greets you as you enter in, she starts gushing over you, saying that you were glowing and asking who was it that was behind it.

"I will introduce him when the time is right,"

"Okay, stay mysterious."

"You're here," Your dad breaks the conversation between you and Mrs. Chae as you were talking about life in general, and the mood of the room immediately dampens as he steps in.

"You must really know how to behave with people who are not of your status," He says and you know what and who exactly he was referring to, it just makes your blood boil.

You are going to find exactly who his tail was, because you were not going to let your dad hurt Chan at all.

"You called me to talk about something important, I presume? Or did you want to hear yourself talk?" You ask him with a lethal calmness, your tone sharp.

"You're behavior is not going to be tolerated anymore. Whatever this little rebellion was, put an end to it."

"No." You look at your nails, bored.

"Break up with him," he orders you.

"And if I won't?"

"I will make sure he gets hurt for even looking at something that he does not deserve,"

"I am not an object you own, father. And you dare hurt him, you are going to die without an heir to your legacy."

"How dare you threaten your own father? This is what you become when you whore yourself too people not—"

"Fucking hell, stop talking about status and levels for god's sake. You are going to be buried in the same piece of land they would be buried in."

Your father's face turns red with anger and it makes you smile.

"Stop living in the air castles you keep building, father. When you fall down, there is going to be no one to catch you. Not even me."

"So, you are not going to break up with him?"

"Not a chance."

"Then resign the position you hold in my company." You expected this, he loved his company more than he ever loved you. And if he was going to threaten someone you loved, it was only fair you did the same.

"And people will know you do not have an heir to give your legacy over to—" you lean back in your chair as you continue, "— as a businessman as cruel and cunning as you are, I don't think I need to explain what that means now, do I?"

"Hong—"

"Keep your threats to yourself. If you hurt so much as an hair strand on the man I love, I will break away your empire until there would remain nothing but ash."

You were holding yourself back so much. The tears that were at the back of your throat could not be shown to the monster in front of you. Any sign of weakness and he would call you a child and make you feel small.

"You are sure this man is the one?"

"I swear on your life, I do."

"You are no less than a monster for hurting your own father,"

"I take after you, it would be a shock if I wasn't one." You were done here, you decide you need to get out of this place before the darkness you inherited consumes you whole that you would not see the light on the other side.

You walk out of the place and far away from the estate towards a crowded sidewalk before realizing you were far away from him, from his shadows and it is when you let yourself cry as the feeling of loosing a home finally dawns on you.

This was inevitable. But god, did it not break your heart.

You were sure your father would leave you his legacy, despite him controlling his expressions you saw him looking at you with fear. His clenched jaw a sign of it as something you recognized from his body language, since he never was someone who showed emotions. He considered it to be weak.

That was why you always laughed around with Mrs. Chae, because you were never going to be weak. No matter how much he tried to make you change or lose parts of yourself.

There were moments in your life when everything you dreamed of was your father looking at you with anything but hatred for being the only thing that reminded him of your dead mother. But then you grew up.

Taking away his legacy, the empire he built would not be easy. But being his heir had its perks. And when he decided to be alongside the monsters in hell and leaving you as the heir, you would be ready to make it something you love.

You were going to prove that having a heart does not make anyone weak. And the rest was to be dealt when you crossed that bridge but for now all you wanted to do was go home and hug Chan tightly watching Brooklyn 99 again and laugh together.

Because home is where your heart is, and Chan made a home for you in his.

ONE YEAR LATER

"Do you not like wine anymore?" Seungcheol asked Chan swirling his own glass as he took a sip, tasting it. Chan just looks at him confused.

"I drank wine yesterday?"

"You are not drinking it now,"

"Bullshit," Seungcheol was indeed talking bullshit as Chan suggested because the man was always worried whenever the girls — you and Jieun were out and did not allow him or Chan to tag along. He grew a likening towards you, as someone who always wanted a sister, he wondered if they would be like you if he had one.

It was getting late at night, while he knew Jieun was completely capable of taking care of herself especially with you by her side Seungcheol had no reason to worry but it always slipped through cracks and spread like a virus infecting Chan too.

Now both the men were watching National geography, a specific documentary about animals as they keep stealing glances at their phones on the table in front of them waiting for a call or a text.

"Camels are said to be—" Chan laughs immediately, Seungcheol takes a moment to register but just hits his brother when he realizes what made him laugh.

"It was one time, okay?" Seungcheol tries to defend himself about Jieun saying he looked and ate like a camel once.

"I said nothing," Chan raises his hands.

"You laughed though," Chan looked like he was going to laugh again, but before the oldest could argue his phone rings and he picks it up immediately, clearing his throat before answering.

"Yes,—" he looks at Chan as he answers and after a moment he says, "—we will be there, Thank you."

He cuts the call grabbing his keys and his jacket Chan following him behind as he tosses the keys to the younger.

"It is a rescue call, they are drunk at a restaurant."

Chan huffs out a laugh as he gets into the car to drive and Seungcheol just taps against the dashboard the entire ride. He runs inside as soon as Chan parks the car, making him shake his head at how lovesick the older was. He wasn't any better to be honest.

It has been over an year since they started dating, and not only did Seungcheol's love for Jieun grow exponentially, Chan has seen his grandfather dote on her solely because she made Seungcheol finally want to settle down. While the old man did know about the drama, he brushed it off saying that he did not care about the lengths Jieun went to make sure Seungcheol really loved her or not. It wasn't what it was, but no one wanted to correct him because his believes were completely harmless.

Chan saw you sleeping on the table as Seungcheol tried to wake his girlfriend up but could not to no avail.

Chan gently patted on your shoulder to see you wake up and look at him, the recognition flashing through your eyes as you take him in. Even though it has been over an year, your hazel brown eyes always did a number on his heart. The dimples that pop out when you smile wide too, a common occurrence nowadays and despite you complaining that your cheeks hurt whenever he made you laugh to see those dimples, he never stopped.

He would never.

"Hey," You greet him, voice soft leaving Jieun's hand who was actually a bad drunk just like Seungcheol because Jieun would start crying out of nowhere, but that did not mean the oldest never let her drink. He liked watching her act that way, he liked her in general that was another thing.

You stand up pretty good by yourself for a moment before falling into his arms. He picks you up, and you nuzzle into his neck instinctively just the way you always did before you even got together. The trust you had in him since before that had him wrapped around your fingers.

He lays you down in the backseat beside Jieun who is already asleep. Seungcheol just looks at Jieun and looks ahead the smile on his face never going away. Seungcheol smiling which was a rarity before, was now just something that your friend brought out in him easily. Both of them loving each other whole heartedly. Chan once wondered if his brother would ever find love, he was quite happy seeing them both together now.

You pinch Chan's cheeks before kissing him. "I love you,"

"I love you too," He kisses your forehead as he gets in, followed by Seungcheol. Ready to get back home. He looks at you in the rear view mirror, sleeping so peacefully it warms his heart.

You fought your father for him, who came around a few months later. Chan never knew what exactly happened but that day after you came home, you cried in his arms like you lost someone you loved and he could do nothing but just hold you through it.

And for a woman who fought everything she had to stand beside him and still look at him with so much love, Chan would bring down the world if asked.

Your fates intertwining was the best thing the universe could have done for him. Because without that he never even imagined the alternative of not being by your side, falling in love everyday with all versions of yourself.

You felt the same way too. Looking at your knight who shined like a star, you did not know the alternative of not being by his side, falling in love with him everyday like breathing.

The fate intertwined you two and you couldn't ask for anything better than this love you had. Your love, intertwined like your souls.

Thank you for reading this story and loving this with me!! I'd appreciate to know your thoughts through comments, reblogs. It helps me understand your thoughts and you too.

teaser-trailer