#leo fluff

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For a bunch of ninjas, your turtle friends sure were loud.

You could hear the boys’ playful banter and recounting of the night’s events echo through the sewer tunnels from your place on the Lair’s main couch. At this point, you were pretty used to waiting for your friends as they headed into the night on a mission or just patrol. Sure, some nights you would join them, putting your kickboxing and archery skills to good use. But for the most part, you decided to leave the crime fighting to the turtles in favor of some peace and quiet back at the Lair. Tonight was one of those nights. 

As you heard the laughter and footsteps thump closer, you sat up on the couch and simply listened. The first few times the boys had gone out and left you behind, you could not calm the anxiety racing through your body. What if their communicators broke and they couldn’t contact you? What if something happened and you weren’t there to help? That anxiety only amplified when you started your relationship with Leo. What if he needed you and you weren’t there? At the end of the night, when they inevitably made their way home, as they always, always, did, you nearly pounced on them, checking them over for any injuries and constantly asking if everyone was all right.

Now, after a little over a year of the same routine, you were much more practiced. It was as if you had gone through your own training, learning all the little signs that could signify the difference between an emergency and a victory. You again listened closely to the voices getting steadily louder, a soft smile playing across your lips. There were no sounds of labored breathing, no panicked voices or hurried footsteps. Just the boys taunting and teasing each other as they finally made their way into the Lair’s main living room. 

Still, old habits die hard. From your spot on the couch, you looked over each turtle intensely, trying to scope out any injuries or strain, but thankfully found none. Your eyes landed on Leo last, who was lightheartedly shoving Donnie for some comment he had made about a portal from the night’s escapade. Leo laughed and made some jab right back at his brother, but his shoulders seemed more tense than usual. You followed the movement, a tinge of concern niggling it’s way to the back of your mind. As if feeling your eyes on him, Leo turned to face you, a smile alighting his features. 

“Don’t worry, the wait is over! Your heroes have arrived!” Leo said with a flourish, making a grand gesture towards himself and his brothers, who laughed and rolled their eyes before giving you their own greetings.

You laughed at the display and the brothers’ lighthearted annoyance before piling on. “There’s my knight is shining plastron!” 

“Oh baby you know I’m more of a prince,” Leo said, confidence oozing from his voice. “You just can’t hide this face under a helmet. Gotta give the people what they want!” He struck a pose, finger and thumb framing his apparently princely face as he smirked down at you. His brothers groaned in protest before choosing to ignore you both in favor of heading down the hall to the kitchen, following the smell of the pizza you had brought with you about an hour ago.

Even with the blithe reply, that tinge of concern in the back of your mind alighted again. You could tell something was off. The smirk may be trademark Leo, but the light didn’t quite reach his eyes. You cocked your head slightly, your own smile just barley slipping as you once again raked your eyes over his frame, looking for any potential injuries you could’ve missed the first time. But you still came up empty handed.

Leo noticed your gaze travel over him. “Like what you see?” he purred, hand going to his hip as he raised an eyebrow.

Your eyes shot up to meet his. Of course he could turn your routine concern into an innuendo. You felt warmth reaching your cheeks, but you refused to acknowledge it, deciding instead to beat him at his own game. “Hmmm, I haven’t decided yet. Do a little turn, I need to see all the angles.”

He laughed and did as you requested, gracefully making a small circle as he held his hands up, presenting himself. You leaned back on your hands as your feigned appraising him. However, you couldn’t help but take the chance to quickly run your eyes over his shell, noting no cracks or blemishes. The back of his head and his muscled legs yielded the same result. Not a physical injury then. “Well?” He was facing you now, an expectant look gracing his features. “Do I meet your expectations?”

You sighed dramatically, flipping a hand dismissively at him, “I suppose you will do.” 

His laugh rang out again as he sauntered over to your place on the couch, lightly flicking your nose in response. “Oh how gracious of you mi amor.”

“What can I say? I know what I like,” you replied playfully, leaning forward to place a quick kiss against his lips. A softer smile spread across his lips as he followed your retreating form, lightly nuzzling your nose with his before stepping back. 

You blinked at the sudden retreat, very much expecting another kiss at the very least. Instead, he took off his gear and laid it haphazardly on a random beanbag chair. You could almost see the playful energy dwindle out of him as he flopped next to you on the couch, head lolling onto your shoulder as a huff of air escaped him. 

The slight concern turned into a full-on warning bell in your mind. Snuggling after a mission was nothing new, Leo’s main love language was touch after all, but it usually didn’t happen as soon as he walked through the door. Normally he would be too wired to sit still, practically bounce around the room as he regaled you with his heroics of the evening (always exaggerated just enough to make him out to be the true hero of the mission of course) and scarfed down enough pizza or take out to make any normal human sick. 

You decided you’d had enough beating around the bush. “All right Champion, what’s eating at ya?”

“Who says anything’s ‘eating at me’? Can’t I just cuddle up with my partner after a long mission?”

“Come on Leo, I know you better than that,” you replied softly, nudging him gently with the shoulder he was resting on.

He sighed, “Sometimes I think you see me a little too well.” 

“You said it yourself, you just can’t hide such a beautiful face.” 

He snorted at the remark and then fell silent. You reached over and grabbed his nearest hand, intertwining your fingers. The two of you stayed like that for a few minutes, you waiting patiently and rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hand as he sorted his thoughts. It was always this way with Leo. For someone who seemed to hide behind words, he always chose them carefully, especially with you.

“Tonight was just...hard.” He finally said softly.

“Hard how?”

Another sigh escaped him as he kept his eyes trained on where your hand held his. “Things didn’t go the way they were supposed to. The plan was to take out some Foot faces before they did something stupid, simple as that. But by the time we smashed into that warehouse, we were surrounded. It was an ambush, a trap. And I didn’t see it coming.” He took a second to huff out a frustrated breath, and you waited, not wanting to interrupt. 

“It wasn’t like it was anything we couldn’t handle, I mean the Foot clan hasn’t exactly upped their recruitment policies. But I was so caught off guard. I’m the leader, I’m supposed to know what’s going on and how to handle it, but I didn’t. I led my team, my brothers, into a literal trap. And it could’ve been so much worse. Hell, it almost ways. I was so preoccupied with trying to make sense of everything that I couldn’t even make a portal properly!” He flung the hand not holding yours up in frustration. “If it wasn’t for Donnie’s tech, I would’ve been knocked out cold. What kind of leader does that?! What kind of leader can’t figure out a situation or manage to hold his own?” He leaned his head into your shoulder more, dragged down by his own guilt.

Your heart tightened at the confession. Ever since being named leader, and especially after the Kraang incident, Leo had been impossibly tough on himself. You’d lost track of the number of times he had chosen extra training over coming to bed. How many strategy textbooks and medical journals he had read and reread between training and patrol and family time. He put in so much of himself to be the best leader, the best brother, he could be. And yet, in moments like these, he couldn’t seem to see that. 

As much as you wanted to bring all of this up, you knew from experience that it wouldn’t assuage the guilt tightening his expression. So instead, you said, “A leader’s job isn’t to know everything. There are times where you’re simply going to be surprised, whether it be for better or worse. I bet even Raph couldn’t avoid that when he was leader.” You received a small huff at that. “What’s important is what happens after.”

“Yeah, and I froze. I messed up.”

“What happened,” you pressed on, “is your team worked together to solve the situation. No one expects you to know everything that’s going to happen or to fight it all on your own. You may have frozen, but your team was right there to have your back, just like you would have theirs if the roles were reversed. It’s not all on you.”

He mulled over your response before sighing. “I just thought after everything we went through, everything I went through, I would have this figured out by now.”

“I don’t think there really is a way to figure it all out. You just need to trust your brothers as much as they trust you. Leader or not, you’re not alone.” Leo hummed in reply, seemingly deep in thought at your words. 

You pulled your eyes away from their focus on your joined hands and glanced at him sideways. You could tell the night and conversation were taking their toll from the way his forehead was creased and his drooped, exhaustion clearly pulling on his features.

After a minute, you carefully leaned away from him and gently nudged his head off your shoulder, causing him to look at you, an eyebrow raised. Rather than respond to the question in his eyes, you shifted so that you laid on your back across your half of the cushions, your shoulders and upper body supported by the arm of the couch. You looked at where Leo still sat upright, now caught between your legs, and smiled as you opened your arms invitingly. 

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging!” you said playfully, yet softly, mindful of everything running through his head. Still, he could use some lightness right now.

He returned the smile and gladly made to lay on top of you, his plastron fitting snuggly against your stomach and his head nestled on your chest. He wrapped his arms around your torso and sunk in, nuzzling his face further into you. Still smiling, you placed one hand on his shell as the other came up to rub against the back of his head. 

Leo sighed contently at the motion, somehow pulling you even closer. Looking down, you felt your heart both melt and tighten at his response. He carried so much responsibility on his shoulders: his brothers, his father, you, hell even the fate of the world on occasion. It was such a heavy burden to lift, even with the mutated muscles and shell on his back. You wanted nothing more than to take that weight, to give him a reprieve if only for a little bit. To show him just how important he was, leader or no. Lost in these thoughts, you closed your eyes and lightly dragged your nails across his skin and shell, receiving a pleasant shiver in return.

Then you started singing.

The lilting melody began softly, as if hesitant to break the comfortable silence the two of you had created. The notes gradually floated from you in an almost whispered caress. You couldn’t help the small smile that tugged on your lips as they formed around the familiar lyrics you’d sung so many times before. Only a few bars in, you felt Leo stir from his position on top of you. You abruptly halted your song, eyes flying open as you tensed.

It hadn’t been a conscious decision really. You often sang to yourself when you wanted comfort, always feeling calm and centered when the music surrounded you. It seemed only natural to want to bring that same comfort now, to wrap the two of you softly in your voice. 

But maybe that was selfish of you to think. Your mind flashed to other times you had found yourself singing around others, their smiles and compliments masking the annoyance you could see in their eyes. Maybe Leo didn’t want to hear you right now. Maybe he thought you were showing off when all he really wanted was comfort.

You cringed softly as you looked down at him, apology already on your tongue. But his face made you pause once more. He looked up at you, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. While the exhaustion remained, there was a twinkle of wonder and affection in his gaze that had you blowing out a light breath of air.

“Keep going,” Leo whispered into the small space between you. You stared back at him unmoving, the moment feeling delicate and indescribably precious. He waited, eyes never leaving yours.

So you began again.

As before, you started softly, the melody gracefully whispering into the silence around you. Then your voice began to grow, the song taking full form.

The melody floated off your tongue and hung suspended in the air like ribbon. You softly dragged and pulled the notes as you wove them together, blending them seamlessly. The tapestry of your song surrounded you both and softly wrapped you in its warmth. All the while, you found yourself unable to look away from Leo’s wonder-filled eyes. 

As you came to your favorite lyric, you reached up and gently grazed the tips of your fingers down and across his cheek, trying to imbue the words and motion with every ounce of love you felt for him. He leaned into your caress as his eyes went glassy. The true vulnerability and intimacy of the moment threatened to take your breath away, but you pushed on, determined to give him this gift, this piece of you however small. 

Because that's what it was, you realized. Singing had always been a part of you that you cherished, even if no one else seemed to. And here he was, the love of your life, soaking up every emotion-filled word and comforting note as if they were the last he would ever hear.

Words couldn't begin to describe the emotions swirling through your chest.

Without even meaning to, you had found your own way of showing just how much he meant to you, how much you admired and cherished him, regardless of any mission. Your heart soared at the thought as your eyes watered. Yes, you would gladly give him this piece of you over and over and over again. Every lyric, every note, every breath could be his if it brought an ounce of comfort. If it showed even a fraction of the love that filled your heart. He could have it all.

With a newfound purpose, you brought the song back down to a whisper, something meant only for the two of you. You shifted your hand so it was cupping his cheek. He once again leaned into your touch, a soft smile wobbling across his lips as a tear slowly made its trek down his cheek before your thumb brushed it away. You returned the smile knowing he understood. He knew exactly what you were trying to say, even if the exact words never left your tongue.

Too soon the song ended, leaving the two of you suspended in its afterglow. For a long moment, neither of you spoke, simply breathing in the comfortable silence. If it were up to you, that's exactly how you would stay, basking in the comfort and love that surrounded you both.

However, Leo could only stay silent for so long. “You’re incredible,” he finally whispered. Even having not moved for the entirety of you song, he seemed breathless. “After all this time, you still continue to amaze me.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” you replied equally soft, thumb still rubbing soothingly across his cheek. His smile broadened slightly at the remark, but there was no quick retort. 

Instead, voice still low, he asked, “Would you sing another?”

The whole gang's here (and by here you mean the living room); you and Leo, your room mate Isabella and her townie friend, and some of your respective friends from Leo’s advanced engineering courses and your job and classes. You and Leo had managed to sneak away a while ago, throwing on some comfy clothes and curling up in your bed buried under blankets. As much as you love borrowing his clothes, you think he looks really cute in your hoodies too. Your hand traces over the small of his back, his hoodie lifted slightly, fingertips grazing his warm skin. 

You know it’s probably only a matter of time before this beautiful little bubble you’re in is broken by one of the many people in your apartment right now, but you’re glad you can sneak away at least for a little while. You press a kiss to his forehead, engulfed in the eternal moment you’re in. The thought is gone as soon as it arrived, your harmonizing laughs echoing as a joke in the episode lands perfectly.

“No, he’s like, totally into me.” Isabella says, clearly trying to gain the attention of the other guys in the room. 

“Isn’t he like, with your room mate though?” Jamie, Leo’s friend from General Chemistry asks. She tries to let her down gently, having seen the way you and Leo are around each other. Isabella, not picking up on this at all, scoffs. 

“No way. I think they have a crush on him, but they’re not dating.” “I’m pretty sure they have a thing. Like, I don’t know if they’re exclusive, but-” Rider, your friend from work interjects. 

“A ‘thing’ isn’t dating,” she says, ever present air quotes around thing, “engaged ain’t married.” she scrunches her nose in a way she thinks is endearing. She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, cocking an eyebrow, bearing an eerie resemblance to the Debby Ryan meme. She breathes out a self assured laugh, getting the attention of the rest of the people in  your living room. 

“I’ll prove it.”

Ignoring their objections, she walks towards your room. 

Deep down in the crevices of your consciousness, you know you’re starting to fall asleep. You know it’s probably a bad idea to take a nap in the middle of having people over, but you also kind of don’t care. Life is hard, and you’re not going to deny you or Leo the simple pleasure of napping in a warm, heavy pile of bedding curled up with the person you love most. Reluctantly but overwhelmingly happy, you silently give yourself permission to fall asleep, Leo in your arms.

You aren’t sure how long you stayed that way, but much too soon after, your door opens and your lights are turned on. 

You squint over at Isabella, who’s asking you something. You’re too disoriented to understand what.

“Where’s Leo?” She says, clearly irritable at repeating herself.  You start to sit up to ask her to slow down. Before you can, Leo stirs under the heavy blankets. He sits up from his place on top of you, hoodie half way up his back, looking very groggy. 

“What?” He asks. She shrieks, and you both flinch. “Uh, Bella,” she insists on being called that since her friend told her she’s kind of like Bella from Twilight (you don’t see it, though she insists on you being her Jessica, whatever that means), “we’re kind of in the middle of a nap, can you come back a little later?” His voice is thick with sleep, and it hits your brain right in the happy chemicals. Before she can answer, he pulls you closer, flopping back into a comfortable cuddle. The familiar weight and warmth have you dozing off again in moments, so relaxed you don’t notice Isabella’s - in your opinion - very melodramatic exit. 

“Why didn’t you sleep upstairs?” You ask, standing up to place his coffee on his desk.

 “We spent the night interrogating the playboy. What time is it?” He asks, still confused and flustered. You look at your watch.

 “07AM”

 Jinyoung sighs and let his head fall back. “That prick is useless, really.”

 “Why?”

 “He won’t say anything. Because he doesn’t seem to know, but the forensic team found something”, he says sitting up straight again and reaching for a file to hand over to you when you get it from his hand he goes for his coffee.

 Jinyoung sips on the coffee as you read the file.

 “What is this crap? Drug-induced amnesia?” You look up in disbelief at Jinyoung sipping on his hot coffee, “Is this real thing?”

 “Hmm.” Jinyoung nods, swallowing the hot coffee, “Very much. Apparently the playboy has been playing hard with his options and recently he’s been consulting a countryside traditional doctor that makes herbal tea and traditional medicine. The forensic has a sample we found in his room, they’ll send the results when it’s ready. The bastards get to sleep and still complain about it”, Jinyoung mutters the last phrase in a moody tone as he drinks more of his coffee, “Ah~ I’m hungry now”

 “That’s great. Where did we get this from?” You ask trying to read the unrecognizable words in latin or whatever puzzling language that’s written along with the ones you do understand.

 “It came from the hospital he was admitted to after the fight with Jongup”, Jinyoung sips on his coffee as he rolls his chair to sit closer to you despite the divide between the desks, “His doctor confessed. There was more than just his usual intake of his usual drugs, including one that’d be most possibly curated by only with a special twist to it.”

 You sigh tiredly, edging yourself on your seat. “This could invalidate his signed confession.”

 Jinyoung manners his head and shrugs. Then, pauses to look at you closely.

 “Lieutenant, you seem to be enjoying this~”

 “You’re seeing way too much into it, Detective Park.”

 Jinyoung hums to himself with a crooked smile and pushes himself away from your desk.

 “I wouldn’t be so happy about it, Lieutenant”, Jinyoung says, knowing your mind has already went back to the possibility of re-investigating the case, assimilating as a serial killing case, “The media is on this like vultures and… I heard the Head Prosecutor wants to wrap this up as soon as possible.”

 You throw the closed file on the table at the mention of your still father-in-law, knowing how much of a headstrong the man is. It would take more than your stubbornness to turn this around if the man has his hands on this case.

 “If you’re right, it’ll happen again and they won’t be able to blame the playboy again. If we get it before narcotics-” You cut Jinyoung, moving on your seat, feeling unsettled.

 “I wish we wouldn’t need another dead body for them to take this seriously. Whoever the killer is escalated from homeless women, to prostitutes, to random girls and people kept sweeping it all under the carpet. Now, with Kim Da Eun’s case-”, you sigh in frustration, pushing your hair back, “Do they just expect a maniac like this to just… Stop?” You chuckle bitterly to yourself, “Head Prosecutor Cha has his head up his ass that might just be true.”

 Jinyoung fails at hiding his amusement when you curse your father-in-law.

 “I’ll just- You know, pretend I didn’t hear that.” He says, tapping his ears lightly with his first and middle fingers and stops when he stands up and walks backwards from you, “I’ll go grab some breakfast for him, okay? Anything for you, Lieutenant?”

 “Egg toast, no bacon. And tomato juice”, Jinyoung nods in response.

 As he turns around to leave almost bumps into none other than your Captain, Sung Dong Il, storming into the station. Jinyoung’s unapologetic pushed away by your Captain and turns around with his eyes open wide, brows furrowed in confusion. Not only you, but everyone else in the station watches as the Captain marches in wearing the official uniform. Jinyoung glances at you, trying to figure something out, bt you seem as lost as everyone else.

 “Maskot!” You Captain’s outburst makes Wonshik shot up from his seat in alert.

 “Yes, Captain!”

 “Prepare the conference room. Be fast!”

 “Yes, sir.” Wonshik salutes and rushes to do as he’s been told.

 “Park Jinyoung!”

 Jinyoung points at himself.

 “Me?” That makes Dong Il stop throw a glare at him.

 “Who else? Get these ready for the conference,” Dongil stops and comes closer to Jinyoung, speaking more quietly. “No one can take a peek, you understand?”

 “Yes, Captain.”

 “Good.” The man nods, unbottoming his uniform suit, “You’ll be in charge to hold the conference until it’s ready to start. Don’t curse.”

 “I wouldn’t.” Dongi snorts at the detective protest before turning to you.

 “What?” You ask, annoyed before he can say anything.

 “My office. Now.”

 He storms off to his office and you follow him with your eyes, before grunting lazily to stand up.

 “What’s his problem?” You complain.

 “Ah!~ Seriously, working in this department is really stressful!” One of the detectives sitting close to you complains, “Our superiors are always having mood swings. I want to retire.”

 “At 35?” You ask the man complaining as he messes up his hair, “Are you crazy?”

“I bet my salary this is about that spidey senses our Lieutenant has.” Jaehwan’s voice is not so subtle as he speaks.

 “Hey, I can hear you, asshat!” You throw a pen in his direction without much effort.

 “Sorry, Lieutenant.” He sends you an empty apology.

 “Don’t you have a goose chase to attend to?” You mock him, recalling his current case.

 “Yea, yea… Mock me all you want, Lieutenant. But, when I drag Bang Yongguk in this station with my own hands you’ll be the one to pay for the celebratory dinner!”

 “Oh-ho~ Is that so? Really.” You hold back a chuckle, standing up and making your way to the Captain’s office, “Make sure to not bite your own tail in the process, Detective Lee.”

 You warn as he clicks his tongue, watching you push the Captain’s door open and disappears inside the office. Jaehwan looks at Jinyoung who’s staring at you through the wall-sized glass window, the blinds are pulled down, but open and the people in the office can only see partially - including Jinyoung. No one can hear anything, but Dongil’s raged expression when he looks up to you worries Jinyoung, although he knows it shouldn’t it’s something that can’t be helped.

 “There goes your promotion.” He holds back when Jaehwan startles him with his voice maliciously speaking closer than he thought the other detective is. He looks at the other and plays it out with a scoff.

 “What does that come from?” Jinyoung asks, making an effort to turn his back as the Captain drawns the blinds closed and you throw yourself on the sofa carelessly.

 “You know what,” the other says with a crooked smile, standing on the way of a very busy Wonshik and leaning an arm the younger shoulder, “the Captain retires, our Lieutenant takes his place and there you are. Perfect scenario. Am I right, maskot?”

 “Don’t be jealous. It doesn’t match your personality.” Jinyoung provokes as both man part ways, not really being in the mood to talk much more than that.

 “Is it truth?” Wonshik asks in curiosity and one of Jaehwan’s brow perks up to look at the department's youngest member.

 “What?”

 “That Detective Park will be promoted along Captain Sung retirement and the Lieutenant take over”, Wonshik asks innocently and that makes Jaehwan laughs enjoyably.

 “You really don’t know anything. Do you?”

 Jaehwan laughs, but stops as soon as he sees Wonshik’s eyes brimming with curiosity, he stops walking and grabs the younger to do the same, holding the other in place, he waits for some passerby disappear, until both of them are alone.

“Listen here,” he starts, “Since you’ve been here for a while you gotta make up your mind to whom you want to be loyal to,” Jaehwan explains, “Most people stick to the partnership. So, I’m gonna tell you this… Park Jinyoung isn’t eligible to take any major role, he’ll never move a step from where he is right now. Like our Captain, his name is tainted.”

 ***

 “Close the fucking door!” The Captain as soon as you step one foot into the office. His anger vividly expressed, “I should’ve been against the Commander as soon as he pulled you in this case of all people. I could’ve pulled you out as soon as I saw things going smoothly. I’m no good for this job anymore, because of you, you know? All because of you!” Dongil let out his rent standing behind his desk while you stared at him with your puzzled expression.

 “I have- absolutely no idea what-” You try saying with a shrug and your hands shoved inside the front pockets of your pants.

 “Sure you don’t.”

 Dongil interrupts and takes large, angry steps to the wall-sized window, reaching to close the blinds. He saw Jinyoung with his eyes fixated on you. Your Captain never said and would never say anything regarding this. Not one bit, but it never meant that he was oblivious. His eyes travels back to you when the blinds are tightly closed, he found you sitting on your typical spot in his office, looking comfortable as you are, at home as you feel.

 “Then, what?” You ask, out of patience.

 Dongil should know being angry wouldn’t have any effect on, you’re never scared of anything. Never was. This got you here, but could ruin you as well. He would be damned if this wasn’t, at least, one of the reasons why your marriage is - in his opinion - so regrettably over. The old man pleaded to heaven it would work while knowing all the reasons it wouldn’t, you and Cha Hakyeon… Anyone could see the end, but you’re always defiant and Hakyeon found his change to rebel in you, for a good reason. At first Dongil thought it was just a rich guys rebeling to his rich, powerful parents, but Hakyeon loves you, he saw enough to know.

 “I don’t know if I should congratulate you or have you take a few days off duty. You need to sort out your life now, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

 Dongil sees your eyes darkening, your rather carefree manner vanishing as you hear his words.

 “I told you before-,” he starts again, sitting apart from you, grunting as he settles his old bones on the comfortable armchair, “You can’t solve every case trusting your guts, but this time… This time I’ll bet everything I have in your spidey senses, Y/n”, he says fondly.

 “What are you talking about”

 “The playboy’s confession doesn’t add up to his toxicology test. He’ll only be arrested for drug use and smuggling,” he explains, “The only lead we’ve got is with your theory and you better be right. You’ll hold the presentation. The Commander will be here at the afternoon?”

 “Sure”, you sort, self-assertive.

 “The Commander isn’t happy and he’s coming down to announce the outcome to the media, we’ll also be starting a new investigative team. I’m putting you in charge, so make sure you have the people you trust around you because the man is sending one of his lap dogs to spy on everything”

 “Who?”

 “I don’t know yet, but- It’s clear they don’t like you. Don’t disappointment me.” 

 “I won’t.”

 He sighs. And there’s a pause when all the tension kind of dissipates and you can tell the old man is just tired of it all.

 “Y/n, I want you to listen carefully now, okay?” You nod yet again and he it’s not the kind of response Dongil wants. “I won’t speak as your captain now, but as an old friend,” he makes another pause, leaning forward, looking in your eyes, “I’m not saying this because of me or you promotion or anything,” he starts, “But, particularly, I think it’s quite odd the Head Prosecutor Cha let go of this so easily knwoing you would be the only to lead the serial murder case-”

 “Now, I’m the one asking you to trust me, sunbae.” You speak up, looking directly in his eyes, “I know what I have to do.” Dongil sighs and hangs his head low.

 “All right. Just- be careful.”

 ***

 It doesn’t matter how confident you look, you’re skin twitches when you think about it. Taking this case means a lot more than it did before, losing it means losing everything. Beads of sweat form on the line of your hair, the room is suddenly too confining and overall hot.

 ‘Minjoo. I’m sorry’ - you think to yourself, but you can’t find it in yourself to feel regret or pained about it. You know what you have to do and you won’t step back. You blindly get to your desk and start to gather the folders, everything you need to make the presentation for the Commander and his lap dog when they’re here. Well, the other team members will be there too. You’ll need help from someone from Narcotics, maybe Taecyeon, an old friend, come over to lend a pair hands to the team.

 Jinyoung, Jaehwan, Taecyeon, the maskot, Detective Jung, Doctor Lee from forensic and his assistant… Those were the first names in your list. Who else? People you trust. You paused and looked around the troubled station now that something big was about to happen everyone was in an uproar.

 “Jinyoung!” You call as soon as he walks in and he makes his way to you immediately, “That breakfast- How about now?”

 You start walking away and Jinyoung leaves his current task at his desk before yanking his jacket out of his chair in quick, swift motions to follow you, without so much as a second thought.