An image of her flashed in his mind. His heart palpitated strangely, like it had been doing for the past few days, but it wasn’t dizzying anxiety like he’d felt just moments previous. If anything, thinking of the woman in his bed nearly made him forget why he was so on edge in the first place.

Jumin took a deep breath before he stood from his chair. After not moving for quite some time, the tension in his body was uncomfortable. He started towards his bedroom, remembering all he’d said to her last night as he felt his body untie some of its knots.

As he approached the door, he heard her light breathing and couldn’t help but smile. Peeking in, he admired the way she looked so peaceful, so carefree. He was sincerely thankful that she was able to get rest, despite all of the events that had transpired over the past week. He felt a flash of envy before it melted into gratitude for her presence.

How could he bear to let her go in the morning?

Jumin had taken a step into the room before he’d thought about it, unable to think of a reason that made sense for him not to move closer.

He stopped just next to the bed, able to hear her breathing much more clearly and realizing his own breaths had calmed back to normal.

Staring down at her, the only label for the emotion that was burning in his chest was love. He was in love with her. The feeling itself was not what frightened him, but the thought was horrifying. How could he love someone, let alone someone he’d met only days ago?

In multiple instances, his father had been beguiled by women he mistakenly put his trust in. He watched him ponder over it and inevitably give in, no matter how much Jumin urged him to see reason. Eventually, Jumin stopped trying.

But as soon as he no longer outwardly cared, that’s when those women began to focus on him too. The thought nearly brought him back into his nightmare, blinding rage flashing across his vision.

MC shifted in the bed in front of him, pulling him from his thoughts. It felt almost wrong to be upset in her presence. How could he lose himself in thought when she was right in front of him?

Jumin sat down slowly, working to clear his mind as he watched her sleeping peacefully. His eyes scanned over her face, taking a long look at her lips. Her kiss was like magic, some kind of force he’d only read about in books. Thinking of her smile made his chest feel fuzzy, and when he moved to look down at himself out of slight worry, Jumin realized he’d laid down next to her.

He paused, feeling his heart rate quicken. He had never lost control like he did when he was with her. It perplexed him, but he was equally as confused as to why he didn’t want that fact to change.

She was so close to him in that moment, so beautiful and so serene. His hand moved out towards her, lingering above her face before he brushed the back of his index finger along her cheek. Her deep breaths shallowed, prompting Jumin to wonder about how heavily she slept.

Taking his hand back, he waited as she returned to a deeper sleep, his eyelids growing heavier as he lay beside her. After a moment, he reached out again, pulling the blanket back over her shoulder. This time, he couldn’t pull away, and he rested his hand on her upper arm. She was warm, contrasting with his cool hand. He felt the hairs stand up on his arm, his fingers tightening around her minutely. She reacted with a short, low hum from the back of her throat, but she didn’t move an inch.

Despite the feeling that was burning in his throat, Jumin decided to let her rest, praying that he would have time to explore his curiosities on another calmer night.

A thought flashed in his mind for him to remove himself from the bed, from her arm, but the thought was quickly buried by fatigue. Jumin worked to keep his eyes open, to look at her for just a second longer, but his exhaustion got the better of him.

Hours later, when the sun had begun to rise, Jumin innately roused. Some days he wished that his bodily rhythm would allow for longer sleep, especially this past week.

He willed his eyes open, starting to sigh before his breath caught in his throat in panic. Her face was inches from his, and as the blood began to rush through his body, he realized that she was touching him too. She was still asleep, breathing slowly as Jumin looked down to see both her hands outstretched to him. One of them was draped over his upper arm, her hand reaching down towards his back, and the other had a small handful of his shirt. It had come slightly untucked in the night, leaving just enough fabric to be gripped by her hand just above his heart.

Jumin looked over her features, knowing that his heart should be racing with anger, resentment, or guilt. But when he searched, there was nothing but peace and eagerness to learn more about her. To hold her like she was holding him, and to love and cherish her for the amazing soul she’d offered to him in kindness. He would forever be indebted to her for the solace she’d provided him in his lowest moments.

Jumin watched her until drowsiness began to take over him once more. He was tempted to stay, to let her hold him as long as she wanted, but he knew he needed to keep himself grounded. It was important for him to let her go today or else there would be no possibility of them being together in the future. He had to regrettably detach from her, just for today, just enough to let her leave, so that he could be bound to her forever.

Jumin longed to reach forward and press a kiss to her cheek, her forehead, her nose, but he didn’t want to wake her so early. He slowly began to move backward out of her embrace, holding his breath as she twitched and took her arm back. But her hand still gripped his shirt, and even as he continued to move, that fact didn’t change.

Jumin reached down, his fingertips brushing over her wrist as a test before he gently placed his hand over hers. Hooking his pinkie finger under hers, he pulled her hand from his shirt achingly slow, nearly hearing his heart rate pick up as she latched on to his finger instead. Jumin placed their joint hands on the bed in front of him, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb until he could pull his finger free. The loss of warmth from her touch made his chest ache in a way he had become too familiar with these past few days, but he steeled himself.

Standing from the bed, he imagined himself waking up with her every day, kissing her good morning, and leaving her to sleep more. Jumin felt a small smile come to his lips, shaking his head and lightly scolding himself for daydreaming.

Taking one last look at her, he left the room, closing the door behind himself and realizing he finally felt rested.

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thank you for reading! thank for you for all the support on my first two days! I have had long nights and work, so I know I'm late, and then on top of that, I got a concussion this morning...

but! I'm still going strong, and I'll do my best to catch up! (even though I shouldn't be looking at screens ladglsjbgljgb)

"So many times in my life, I thought I knew exactly what was ahead of me. What direction I was going..." she takes in a breath, "usually I predicted it would be painful or dull at best. So I never imagined that I'd get to sit next to someone I love so much, looking at this beautiful sky." Jumin feels his chest tighten with emotion at her words and swears her eyes seem to sparkle as she continues to speak. "I really don't know anything, and perhaps that's a good thing. Not every surprise can be as wonderful as this..."

She leans back on her hands and glances over at him. The corner of her lips lift into a half-smile, "but there's no point thinking of that. Because right now matters most. Now I'm here with you, Jumin."

He pays no attention to the tears blurring his sight and scoots closer. A barely perceivable tremble in his hand as he reaches out toward her. He tucks her hair back and caresses her face.

"Often I find myself regretful that I couldn't have met you sooner in life and I feel anxious about this time together ending, but you’re right. All that matters is we are together, right now." He tells her quietly.

Their foreheads meet as they sit together listening to the calm waves come to shore. 

Again and again.

---

After looking around for a few more minutes, they were pulled back out to meet family. She felt so happy to be there, and it was all made better once the RFA slowly started showing up. 

Seven and Yoosung came together, the redhead stressing about Yoosung’s borrowed suit and tie. Jaehee showed up only a few minutes later, looking the least-stressed MC had ever seen her. She hugged each of them, unable to stop thinking about how happy she’d be when they came to her and Jumin’s wedding. The thought made her blush because of how ahead of herself she was getting. 

After all of the events at Jumin’s penthouse, they’d begun their relationship steadily and very much in love. She’d dreamed of him proposing for months, but she knew it was far too soon. It didn’t stop her from daydreaming, of course. 

“You look great, MC!” Seven grinned as the RFA all stood together and waited for the event to start. 

“Oh, thank you! Jumin helped pick out my dress,” she smiled shyly, moving slightly so her skirt would sway as she looked down at it.

“Does he get to help pick out your wedding dress when you get married too? Or is that a girl’s only thing?” Yoosung wondered, and her eyes shot to the college student as heat rose to her cheeks. 

“I mean–” She cut herself off with a laugh, avoiding Jumin’s eyes that she knew were on her. “I kind of like the American tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the ceremony, so no,” she explained, looking back at Yoosung to watch him smile.

“Oh, I’ve heard of that! I think that’s so cute,” he gushed, glancing over at Seven. As he began to talk to his friend, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad that the attention was off of her for a moment so she could reign in her daydreams. 

“MC,” Jaehee spoke lightly, the drink in her hand clinking against a ring she was wearing. “When do you think you and Mr. Han will get engaged?” MC’s stomach dropped, Jumin’s hand tightening around hers as she stiffened in place. 

“Well, I–” 

“It would be very concerning if she were to know the timing of such a decision,” Jumin answered, leaning closer to her and making her turn to look at him. “If she knew, I would need to consider the possibility that she has the ability to read minds,” he said, sending her a small smile. 

“Of course, Mr. Han,” Jaehee replied, clearing her throat softly. “I was just wondering for…business purposes,” she said slowly, sending MC a look as MC held back a laugh. Jumin lingered close to her for a moment longer than she expected, but when she turned to look at him, he was taking a sip of his wine, his expression unreadable. 

Before she could dive further into her fantasies, they were all ushered into the ceremony hall. Jumin released her hand and led her by the small of her back, and she held on tightly to the handle of her purse. She hadn’t expected any questions like that, but it was almost euphoric to be given more fuel for her wild thoughts, especially in such a beautiful venue that she could only hope to replicate whenever she had the opportunity to get married herself. 

They all sat down in the same row, waiting excitedly as the room filled with loved ones and the time grew closer. 

She turned to Jumin, seeing him already looking at her with a warmth that always made her stomach fill with happy butterflies. 

“I’m glad we came,” she whispered, placing a hand on Jumin’s knee. He smiled, nodding and leaning closer to her. 

“I don’t think we would have heard the end of it if we didn’t,” he teased, kissing her cheek and making her press her lips together happily. She chuckled at his reply, glancing away for a moment. 

“I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it,” he said before she could jest along with him. She turned back to look at him, slightly surprised that he’d said so. 

“Really?” she wondered, searching his eyes for any hint of joking. He blinked at her. 

“I mean it,” he whispered, nodding. “It’s a very important event for Zen and the RFA. I would be remiss if I wasn’t here.” She admired him for a short moment, thinking about how far he’d come since she’d first met him. 

“I’m so happy to hear that,” she replied quietly, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips just as the music swelled to signal the start of the ceremony. 

MC was simply in awe as the night progressed, tearing up when Zen started on his vows. Jumin offered his pocket square to her, making her chuckle. She avoided looking at him for most of the ceremony, afraid she would get lost in thought and completely lose sight of who the night was about. 

At the reception, she finally got to talk with Zen and his lovely wife.

“Congratulations!” she exclaimed, hugging both of them and grinning from ear to ear. She watched as Jumin shook Zen’s hand, both of them seemingly unable to think of something to tease the other with. 

“Thank you both for coming, seriously,” Zen beamed, wrapping his arm around his wife and making her smile. 

“We wouldn’t miss it,” MC replied, glancing up at Jumin and taking his hand. Zen looked between them, eyeing his wife before smirking and taking a breath to speak.

“So when are you two–”

“ZEN!” She heard Seven call, watching as the redhead bounded over and nearly knocked Zen over with a hug. 

Jumin and MC stepped away, giving them space and moving on to the refreshments and the festivities. She’d never seen the RFA so happy and relaxed, and it made her all the more eager to have her own wedding and give them another night to be carefree and all together. 

After a few hours and a couple of drinks, it was warm in the banquet hall, and Jumin offered to take MC outside for some air. Happily agreeing, she followed him, his hand firmly around hers as they maneuvered through the building and out into a beautifully lit courtyard.

“How are you feeling?” Jumin wondered, leading her over to a bench and letting her sit down before he followed suit. She smiled, shaking her head.

“Not good?” he prompted, leaning closer and assessing her expression. She snickered, shaking her head again and placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m over the moon,” she gushed, sighing happily as Jumin’s face softened and he smiled.

“Hearing that makes me feel the same,” he murmured gently. She felt her heart flutter, pausing briefly before leaning over to press a lingering kiss to his lips. When she pulled back, she saw his expression was now one of curiosity. 

“What was that for?” he wondered, his voice barely floating over the music that was loud enough to be heard from where they were. 

“Nothing,” she smiled. “I just love you,” she whispered, still close enough for him to be able to hear her. He searched her eyes, his lips brushing hers as he replied. 

“I love you too,” he whispered back. Her hand squeezed his shoulder slightly, her veins filling with unwavering love for him.

“No matter how long it takes for us to get married, I will be just as happy,” she spoke softly, scooting towards him and hugging him. His hands slipped around her, resting on her back. 

“Really?” he asked, the question resonating throughout his chest and against hers. 

“As long as I have you, yes,” she said, closing her eyes as she felt herself melting into his arms. “It doesn’t matter under what title.” He hummed in response, running his hands up and down her back slowly. 

“Friend,” he said, making her laugh and pull away from him. He was smiling teasingly, not usually the one to make a joke in a tender moment. 

“You know what I mean,” she joked back, shaking her head and deciding to keep it going. “We could get married right before we both die! On our deathbeds and everything,” she said, snickering as his nose wrinkled slightly. 

“How macabre,” he grunted, making her laugh loudly and lean in to hug him again. She chuckled once more in his arms before sighing out and relishing in the moment of silence and bliss. 

“I understand what you mean,” he said after a few wordless moments. “I agree. That is to say, I feel the same way,” he continued, making her pull away and look at him now that he was being serious. A thousand thoughts flooded through her mind – the vows they would exchange, the ring she’d be blessed to wear, the dress she’d toil over, and just all of the lovely moments that she would remember forever. 

Snapping herself out of it, she smiled and looked down at her hands. She could spend the rest of the night out there with him, but that night wasn’t about her. 

“Let’s go back,” she breathed out, not expecting it would be that hard for her to say. “I’m sure one of them is getting into trouble.” Jumin watched her, nodding after a moment and placing his hands on his legs to stand up. She followed suit, smoothing out her skirt and taking a step forward before she saw Jumin falter at her side. 

Turning to look, she felt time slow down as she watched him get down on one knee. Her heart felt like it was about to drop into her stomach, a lump forming in her throat. 

“Jumin, I swear on my–”

“Just a moment while I tie my shoe, my love,” he replied, her heart pounding in her ears almost making her ask what he’d said. Looking down, she saw that his shoe was indeed untied, her breathing slowing gradually. 

“You untied it with your precious feet that are probably aching in those heels,” he smiled, a look in his eyes that seemed mischievous. She wanted to ask if he’d done it on purpose, but thinking of the moment when he would actually propose would send her into a frenzy again. 

“I’m okay,” she said unconvincingly, waiting in silence as he tied his shoe and stood up once more. 

“Would you like to hold my arm as we walk, darling?” he offered, her lips parted in speechlessness. She could only nod, laughing a little and taking his arm to steady herself for many reasons as they started back towards the reception. 

Little did MC know, her engagement ring was burning a hole in the pocket of Jumin’s suit jacket. And neither of them knew how much the other daydreamed of being tied to each other forever.

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thank you all for reading! this one isn't my favorite, but I didn't wanna be behind a day again lol

please consider leaving a few tags of what you thought if you reblog! it means so much to me <3

see y'all tomorrow!

“My fiancé is too shy to admit it, but your attendance at our fundraiser would be disgraceful. Please consider this a revocation of your invitation.” Her eyes widened as she looked to see who the email was from, finding Jumin Han signed at the bottom.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and disbelief, but there was no denying that the email address was the one he used for business purposes. Could someone have hacked his account?

She put her head in her hands, sighing out in exasperation. Why did this keep happening?

Over the last six months, MC felt as if she couldn’t escape the bad luck that was finding her. It began with little things. Her apartment window shattering at 3 in the morning, losing her favorite bracelet, or finding a nail in her tire two weeks in a row.

It soon turned into bigger things that ruined not only her day but her week or even her month. She was fired from her job of three years because someone made up a story that she had threatened them with violence. Multiple party guests all decided to pull out at the same time. The worst was when someone forged a note from Jumin to her landlord saying that he was a crook and shouldn’t manage an apartment complex. Jaehee was still having that investigated.

She had been through three cars in the last six months, having had her catalytic converter stolen, her fuel line slashed, and discovering her brakes had rusted through. If she hadn’t had Jumin to help her make ends meet when she couldn’t, she wouldn’t have known what to do.

Thinking about all these things, she closed her laptop, not even going to bother trying to convince the party guest that there had been a misunderstanding. Just like with the note to her landlord, she didn’t believe for one second that Jumin would do such a thing. But her stomach was tied in a strange knot, one she couldn’t seem to untangle even with reason. She tried to convince herself that he must have been hacked, but she still reached for her phone and dialed his number.

She heard the phone ring not even once fully before it went to voicemail, and she pulled her phone back to stare at it in disbelief. As her unease grew, she checked to see if she’d gotten any texts from him before calling Jaehee next.

MC was holding her breath, happily releasing it after Jaehee answered almost immediately.

“Thank go-”

“I’m sorry, MC, can I call you back? Mr. Han and I are about to meet with the Chairman,” Jaehee spoke quickly, and MC’s smile fell.

“Oh, yes,” she replied, about to add that it was urgent before Jaehee abruptly hung up. Despite the momentary relief, the call brought her no peace of mind. She began a text to Jumin, but after a pause, she stood from her couch and grabbed her purse.

It was a brisk 15-minute walk to Jumin’s apartment, and she couldn’t keep her mind from running. She tried to scan the previous night for anything she’d done wrong while she’d been visiting him. When she found nothing, she thought back further, coming up short again. If Jumin was upset with her, she wouldn’t have known without the email from the guest. But was he upset with her? Was she overthinking it? Her mind was in a dizzying mess by the time she walked into the lobby of his apartment.

The attendant in the elevator gave her a strange look but still managed to smile at her. She was hoping her nerves would calm if she could get up there to his penthouse and just wait for him there. Elizabeth the 3rd would help her settle down too. She considered going straight to his office, but if he was meeting with his father, it was for something important that she didn’t want to interrupt.

Stepping off the elevator at the top floor, she nearly breezed past the guards as she always did.

“Ms. MC,” the taller one called. She turned to look at him – Juwon, if she remembered right – expecting the usual smile and finding a tight-lipped expression instead. Her stomach turned, wishing she’d thought of the possibility of being stopped there.

“Yes?” she wondered, turning to face the two of them.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you through at the moment,” Juwon replied, narrowing his eyes at her.

What?

“I understand,” she said after a moment, swallowing thickly and trying to think on her toes. “I just, I–” She choked on her words, pretending to clear her throat.

“I forgot my medication here last night again, and it’s really important I take it on time,” she said gently, lying through her teeth but finding it felt necessary in that moment. The guards’ expressions flickered, and they glanced at each other in hesitation.

“You can follow me inside if you’d like. I swear I’ll be less than a minute,” she offered, smiling at the both of them. “Just close the door if you see the cat,” she teased, finally bringing a smile to Juwon’s lips.

“Alright, but less than a minute is what we’ll stick with,” he said, nodding at the other guard to remain put as he moved towards her. She smiled, relieved.

“Thank you,” she breathed, knowing that he couldn’t get into the penthouse without a special code from Jumin or his father that changed every 10 minutes. She would be safe there for the time being.

They approached the door, and she pressed her thumb to the touchpad, feeling the relief wash out of her when the panel flashed red. She tried her thumbprint again, taking a shallow breath to try and calm herself. Her access had worked just last night! What had–

“Hey,” she heard behind her, turning to see the head of security, Mr. Jung, stepping off the elevator. Following him were four more guards, ones she’d never met before. She whipped around and tried to get in one more time, gritting her teeth when NOT AUTHORIZED popped up for the third time.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Mr. Jung said as he walked up to her, and she raised an eyebrow at him. His expression was stern, not the warm, friendly one she was used to.

“Why? What’s going on?” she wondered, feeling as if she was running out of options.

“Direct orders from Mr. Han,” he replied coldly, making her heart drop against her lungs and knock the wind out of her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, her vision spinning for a second before she felt a hand on her wrist. She twisted out of it, glaring up at him and holding back tears.

“I know the way out,” she sneered, pushing past them and stalking over to the stairwell that led back down. She trudged down a few flights in silence before she sat down, letting a few tears fall before pulling out her phone. No notifications from Jaehee, and none from Jumin either. Ignoring the way her hands had begun to shake, she navigated to that floor’s elevator and took it down, determined to get to the bottom of whatever was going on.

Just before MC could lift her arm to hail a cab outside, her phone rang in her hand. She lifted it to her face in a panic, praying it was Jumin but frowning when it was just her landlord. She thought about declining the call, but she decided to pick up, having let the only cab in sight fly past her.

“Hello?” she answered, being met with the wail of sirens and a slew of curses.

“Get yo– Here now! Your apartment– fire!” she heard, shaking her head in disbelief.

“What?” she yelled, her eyes wide as she stared at the ground and waited for a reply.

“Get here now!” she heard, pulling the phone away from her ear. Swallowing her growing anxiety, she waved down the next cab and headed for home, hoping that today wouldn’t get any worse.

When she arrived and saw the firetruck, she felt the tears threatening to fall again, running through the lobby towards the stairs. She could smell the smoke already. Her landlord was standing in front of the elevator, and a whole new fire was set ablaze in his eyes when he caught sight of her.

“This better be a joke,” he growled, pointing a finger at her.

“What is going on?” she demanded, glancing at the people in the lobby who were coughing.

“I’d love to know! You can tell me exactly why your apartment went up in flames,” he replied icily, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at her. She felt dizzy, shaking her head.

“You’re kidding,” she said weakly, thinking of all of the damage she’d have to deal with.

“I wish I was!” he exclaimed, cursing at her before a firefighter walked up breathlessly.

“It was the stove,” he explained, looking between the both of them and making alarm bells ring in her head. The landlord shot her a deadly glare before stepping aside to speak more with the man. She took wavering steps towards the couch in the lobby, seeing her neighbor Jiuen and rushing over quickly.

“Jiuen,” she sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. Jiuen turned and looked at her with wide eyes before hugging her from where she sat on the couch.

“MC! Thank God you’re okay,” she whimpered, shaking her head against MC’s stomach. “They didn’t know if you were in there or not when the fire started.” MC patted her head, not feeling like providing much comfort at the moment.

“Are you okay?” she wondered quietly, feeling her neighbor nod and hearing her sniffle in reply.

“I saw people at your door a little while before it all started and figured someone had come to get you, but the firefighters were scaring me because they didn’t know if they’d find a body in there–”

“What?” she interrupted, watching Jieun lift her head and pull away from the hug.

“Yeah, a ton of guys in suits,” she shrugged, wiping her eyes. “Did Jumin call and say he stopped by? I didn’t have time to go out there and say hi,” she wondered. MC balled her hands in fists, pressing her nails deep into her palms to keep her tears in.

“Thanks for worrying, Jieun,” she whispered, turning around and walking back out of the apartment building.

—

MC rolled over achily, reaching over to turn off her alarm and sigh. After getting a hotel room last night, she had crashed, exhausted and numb from all that had happened. She squinted at the light coming in through the blinds, picking up her phone and glancing at all her notifications.

Jumin had called her multiple times, Jaehee had as well, and the text notification bubble didn’t even have a number on it anymore.

She began to scroll through Jaehee’s first, sighing at all the questions and worry as she read backward to the previous night.

“The Chairman never showed up. I apologize for the wait.” She sighed, pulling up Jumin’s text and feeling her heart begin to ache at the worry. She was fuming mad, but seeing him so helpless wasn’t comforting.

A similar text to Jaehee’s caught her eye, making her tired brain finally start to wake up.

“My father missed our meeting. He’s never done that before.”

MC stared at the text, pressing her lips together.

Jumin’s father had never approved of their relationship. From the moment Jumin proposed at the party, he’d never once given her a smile that was real. She could see the hatred behind it, no matter how much he thought he was hiding it.

She pushed the thought away, reminding herself that Jumin was who she was upset with. Right?

The harder she thought about it, the more doubtful she became. Jumin had never done anything malicious to her, and she found it hard to believe that he could.

Sitting up from when she lay, she took a deep breath and steeled herself. She was going to put an end to whatever was going on.

Having been so out of it last night, she hadn’t realized she’d gotten a hotel close to Jumin’s apartment. The morning air was nice and refreshing on her skin as she stepped outside and began walking, her thoughts swirling in confusion and anger.

When she reached the lobby of his building, she noticed the security guards at the entrance. She walked back around the corner, chewing on her bottom lip as she took a deep breath and put her faith in her fiancé.

She waited through half a ring before Jumin answered her call, a deep exhale leaving him.

“My love,” he breathed in relief. She held back a larger smile, feeling the way her muscles relaxed at the sound of his voice.

“I’m here, Jumin,” she replied, looking around the corner at the door.

“My door is always open,” he said after a pause, sounding slightly confused. She leaned against the wall, shaking her head.

“Not for me,” she said quietly, waiting for him to respond but hearing silence.

“Where?” was all he asked, and she glanced upwards towards the top floor, knowing what he was asking.

“The lobby,” she answered, hearing rustling before the line went dead. She pressed her lips together, watching the guards as her heartbeat began to accelerate.

After a long minute and a half, she saw the guards turn to look further into the lobby, their shoulders tensing. She took that as her sign, and she started towards the entrance, nearly tripping over her own feet.

She could hear Jumin’s voice and many footsteps on the fancy tile as the doors slid open, their eyes meeting as she spotted him paces from the elevator.

“Mr. Han,” the head of security warned, following after him as Jumin strode towards her.

“MC,” Jumin called. She almost was able to smile in reply before two guards stepped in front of her, and she was walking so fast that she barrelled into one of them, stumbling to steady herself.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Jumin boomed, and she peeked over the shoulders of the guards to see who it was directed at. Mr. Jung came up to Jumin’s side, his eyes meeting her fiancé’s gaze apprehensively.

“Ms. MC has been trespassed from this property,” he told Jumin just loudly enough for her to hear. She wanted to panic, but the way Jumin’s expression shifted didn’t leave her with much to worry about.

“On whose authority?” Jumin asked lowly, and she lost sight of him as the guards in front of her pushed her forward a little.

“Orders from Mr. Han,” Mr. Jung replied, and she furrowed her eyebrows. Mr. Han. Jumin’s father. Of course.

She held her hands up in silent surrender, taking two steps back from the guards to be able to see Jumin, almost wishing she hadn’t. She’d never seen him so angry, but he didn’t look like he was about to explode; his eyes were on fire. She didn’t know gray could burn like that.

“That’s my fiancé,” Jumin murmured, and Mr. Jung’s mouth twitched as if he had something he wanted to say. Jumin raised an eyebrow expectantly, his jaw set and clenched.

“I won’t ask you twice to let her through,” he hissed, and Mr. Jung paused, looking towards MC.

“Mr. Han–”

“MC, come here please,” Jumin called, his voice shifting into a gentle melodic tone. She glanced at the guards in front of her, watching them make a space big enough for her to squeeze through the two of them. She walked over to Jumin, holding his left hand with both of hers and looking up at him. His expression was cold again, his eyes set on the guard in front of him.

“You’re all dismissed. You won’t enjoy yourselves if I see you again,” he spoke calmly, and the head of security took a quick breath in.

“Your father–”

“Now.” Jumin said, cutting him off. Mr. Jung glared at the both of them, growling to himself and turning away as the rest of the guards hesitantly followed after him. She pressed her forehead into Jumin’s shoulder, her deep breaths slowing as she felt Jumin squeeze her hand and raise his right to her head.

“Are you okay?” he wondered, lifting her chin to let his eyes roll over her completely.

“I’m fine,” she whispered, a lump forming in her throat. Jumin’s eyebrows pulled together in worry, and he pressed a short kiss to her forehead before starting towards the elevator.

“Let’s get inside,” he said reassuringly, holding her hand the whole ride up.

When she showed him how her fingerprint was no longer authorized at the door, she watched his eyes grow fiery again.

“I see,” was all he said, glancing at the camera pointed at his door and leading her inside.

Jumin sat her down on the couch and poured her a cup of tea, kissing her cheek and waiting until she relaxed before he started with questions.

Once MC started, it was a while until she stopped, watching Jumin grow more and more tense as her story continued. Now that she knew his father had something to do with what had happened yesterday, she wondered how much more the Chairman could be guilty of.

When she finally finished, she wiped a few stray tears from her face and looked up at him warily.

“I’m sorry I thought you were behind it all,” she said weakly, watching Jumin’s expression soften as his hand moved to cup her cheek.

“This was all a deliberate ploy to create resentment between us,” he replied, stroking the skin beneath her eye with his thumb. “Of course you came to that conclusion.” She shook her head, sighing.

“That doesn’t make it okay. I should have trusted you wholeheartedly,” she replied, pouting. He smiled, blowing an amused breath from his nose.

“What matters is you’re here now,” he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. She knew he was right, but still felt guilty.

“What now?” she wondered, watching his face harden as he exhaled slowly.

“I’m going to speak to him.” Jumin removed his hands from her, standing and starting towards the door.

“Jumin,” she called, following after him and taking his hand to stop him. “I don’t want to come between you and your father.” Jumin stopped, his firmly-set shoulders drooping slightly. He turned to glance at her, his eyes evaluating her face as he considered what she’d said.

“MC,” he murmured softly, turning around to face her and place his hands on her upper arms. “My father has let me down countless times. I acknowledge that he is my family, but if he continues to disrespect you, I cannot tolerate that,” he continued, his eyebrows drawing downwards as he spoke. She searched his eyes as she listened.

“You are who I am choosing to love. You have never let me down. I love you, and I have no doubt that you love me,” he spoke softly, beginning to smile down at her. She couldn’t help but return the smile, feeling her anxious heart begin to warm.

“And that is why,” he whispered, stepping closer to her and wrapping his arms behind her back. “I must put a stop to this. No matter who it is that tries to come between us, I won’t let them get away with it. I’m sorry it took this long for me to realize,” Jumin sighed, pulling her in for a hug and pressing her tight to his chest. She hugged him back, having felt his love for her in both his words and the way he was holding her. She held back more tears, relieved that nothing had gone wrong between them.

Jumin ran a hand across her back soothingly, making her close her eyes and settle into that moment. She pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder, feeling gratitude for the man who she loved so much flowing through her.

He pulled back, his eyes honeyed and straying far from that fire from before as he gazed down at her. She let out an amused sigh, pushing some hair away from his forehead.

“Weren’t we going somewhere?” she wondered quietly, seeing some of the warmth leave his expression.

“You’d like to come with me?” he wondered, his eyes scanning over her face.

“Yes, Jumin,” she replied. “We’re in this together.” He smiled at that, pulling away from her but staying close as he smoothed out his dress shirt and patted his pocket for his phone.

“Indeed we are, my love,” he agreed, holding out his hand for a mere second before she took it. Whatever was ahead for them, they would face it hand in hand.

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thank you so much for reading! I hope someone enjoyed this :) I haven't written anything since last year, so I'm rusty! also posting this late lol

stay tuned! I can't promise a full catalogue this year, but I'm going to try my best <3