#mmunknown

“Yea, that sounds like a good idea.” Mi-cha agrees as Saeyoung shuts his laptop, nodding solemnly.

The couple stands and walks to the door, “I’ll cancel the rest of our reservation.” Saeyoung tells the other two dejectedly before him and Mi-Cha return to their room.

---

Mi-Cha and Saeyoung stand on opposite sides of their hotel room’s bed repacking their suitcases. The bed is still a mess of tangled sheets from their lovemaking last evening, now just an unfortunate testament to how much things have changed in the past 24 hours.

She watches carefully as he folds a pair of his jeans and slowly stacks it atop the other articles in his suitcase. He hasn’t looked her in the eye all morning, he’s been quiet. Quiet Saeyoung is never a good sign, she knows. He’s lost in this head, it’s obvious from the way he keeps momentarily pursing his lips, or giving a short shake of his head. She knows he’s attempting to run every possible situation through his head. He’s trying to plan for every hypothetical scenario he can think of.

He bends down, retrieving his button-down shirt lost in last night's adventures. Silently he runs his fingers over the material before blowing a short and pathetic huff from his nose and placing it in the case. He grabs a fresh pair of jeans, a shirt, and a pair of boxers and heads toward the bathroom.

“I’m going to shower.” He deadpans, voice devoid of any emotion so much so that it aches Mi-Cha’s heart.

“Ok babe,” she answers softly, feeling a 100 miles away from her lover as he turns the water on and shuts the door.

Now she purses her own lips, she’s been here before. They’ve been here before and so she knows. She knows exactly what types of thoughts are going through his head. He’s scared. He’s scared of losing her, and Saeran of course. He’s scared one of them will fall in harm’s way. He’s always assumed their safety as his responsibility. Admirable to be sure, but that weight is heavy. Especially at a time like this.

So, when she hears the faucet turn off she poses herself at the door for a second, she gives him a moment to towel off before taking a deep breath and pushing the door open. She must have given him enough time because he already has a towel wrapped around his waist. His attention flicks to her for a second before turning away again, but she isn't going to give up that easily. Grabbing a smaller towel from the rack and tossing it over her shoulder she approaches him. Ever so gently she nudges his shoulder, coaxing him to turn and face her. He obliges.

“Hey.” She says, looking him in the eyes. “Talk to me.” She encourages.

He bows his head defeatedly. “Sorry I…” he trails off trying to find his words.

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about Saeyoung.” She tells him, gently leading him to sit on the seat of the toilet and plopping the towel over his still shower-soaked locks, rubbing. “What’s going on in this brilliant head of yours?”

He blows air out his nose and gives a small sad smile, “Nothing useful apparently.”

She halts her movements and pushes his head back so that they are eye-to-eye once more. “Now, you know that isn't true. Tell me what’s really going on.”

“I- I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know how to protect you guys. I don’t know who’s after us, not for sure. There are too many possibilities. Someones stalking my brother? How do I know they aren’t stalking you too? Or even me for that matter.” His voice holds no anger. Just anxiety and fear.

“You’d notice something like that” She assures him, resuming her toweling-off of his hair.

He shrugs dejectedly “Would I? It’s been a long time since my agency days. I’m sure I’ve gotten rusty. That's probably why this is happening. If I had just paid more attention, been more careful, then none of this-"

Mi-Cha doesn't let him finish, abruptly placing a single finger to his lips. "Shhh," she says, low and inoffensive. He looks up at her from underneath the white towel, his golden eyes full of turmoil and regret. "None of this is your fault Saeyoung. You always give us your best."

He avoids her gaze, "What if my best isn't good enough?"

"It is." She reassures him with a genuine smile.

Her earnest expression of trust in him makes his heart leap a little, she could tell him anything with that smile on her face and he’d believe her. "How many more times are willing to tell me that?"

"As many as you need, forever and ever, remember?" She responds, holding up her left hand, the one with her wedding band.

He gives a half-hearted smile, her words having improved his outlook slightly, but his overall mood still needing time to adjust.

She kisses his forehead, before returning the towel to its rack. “Now as much I love your mostly naked form, we really should get going.”

“I suppose justice isn't going to defend itself huh?” He says, voice becoming a tad lighter as he tosses his t-shirt over his head.

“Now you’re getting it!” She replies brightly, heading to finish up the packing.

--

Across the hall, Saeran also packs his suitcase. Trying desperately not to think of his childhood home while he methodically refolds and packs, preoccupying himself with the organization. He didn’t know what he had expected to see on that screen but that wasn’t it.

He takes a deep breath, removes his phone from his pocket and puts on some music, another attempt to distract himself. He hums along to the song, albeit poorly. It isn't one he knows well but it's on the playlist of songs Mi-Cha suggested when he said he needed something new to try. He focuses his attention on learning the new lyrics which, combined with the intent organizing seems to remove his mind somewhat from its darker places. He finishes up packing quickly, ready to get moving.

He shuts the door to his room with finality, suitcase in hand, ready to go. Raising his knuckles to Saeyoung’s door he moves to knock, but before he can make contact with the door he hears someone say “We’re not going back there.”

He glances around the hall before realizing no one was around to have spoken. He releases a breath and asks aloud, “What if we don’t have a choice?” To which he gets no reply.

He realizes he probably looks insane, standing in front of a door with his hand raised talking to himself, but before he can dwell on that too much the door opens. He quickly lowers his hand and hopes they didn't overhear his one-way conversation.

Mi-Cha has her back turned to him, struggling to pull her too-heavy suitcase backward out the door. Not exactly watching where she’s going, she bumps directly into Saeran. Which results in her letting out a short yelp. Startled, she drops her suitcase and turns around on him defensively whilst producing a switchblade from her pocket and threatening him with it.

His eyes go wide in surprise and he takes a step back, raising his hands into a defensive position.

When her mind finally registers who she’s brandishing a knife at her shoulders quickly slump in relief as she lowers said knife, putting it away. “Oh my God, it's just you. Saeran you scared the shit out of me!”

“I guess you learned something at that self-defense class.” He says, then his voice seems to drop a bit “Good reaction time there, Princess.”

“W-what did you just call me?” Mi-Chi eyes him suspiciously.

“Huh?” Saeran says, seemingly confused.

But before she can question him further, Saeyoung appears behind her with his own suitcase, “Oh Saeran, good timing! You ready to go?”

"Y-yea, let's get home," Saeran answers apprehensively, eyes still watching Mi-Cha’s face as her eyes narrow.

--

The drive home seems endless when in reality it’s only a couple hours. Saeyoung taps his fingers on the steering wheel, while Mi-Cha switches between radio stations. In the back seat, Saeran stares at their surroundings as they whizz past in a blur.

The ride is a stark contrast to the trip down, Saeyoung and Mi-Cha had belted pop songs almost the whole way. Saeran had even mouthed along to a few until Saeyoung caught him in the rearview and called him out.

Now, no one talks, no one sings. The awkward silence hangs in the air like a thick cloud of smoke, threatening to choke the occupants of the car in its offensive haze.

Saeyoung’s tapping becomes faster, a nervous habit of his. Although nearly undetectable at first, once Mi-Cha gives up on the radio it becomes the only sound in the car, and when he adds his left ring finger into the mix, it’s completely unignorable.

“Can you fucking stop?” Saeran snaps. Both front seaters jump in surprise at the sudden outburst.

“Ah haha- oops,” Saeyoung says, “Sorry, I didn’t even realize what I was doing.”

“S’ok.” Saeran accepts without further argument, relieved of the incessant tapping.

Saeyoung sighs, moving his elbow to rest on the door as his head falls into his left hand.

Mi-Cha reaches over and sets her left hand over his right where it’s wrapped around the gear shift and rubs it in reassurance. He smiles at her despite the odd mood.

“You know, I could hold your hand - if you didn't insist on driving a manual right?” Mi-Cha teases, almost feeling a little better now that the silence has been broken in some way.

“Hey, I have some automatics!” He defends whilst down-shifting with her hand still on his as their speed increases.

Mi-Cha scoffs. “That you never drive.”

“Manuals are way more fun to drive!” He stands firm.

“Yea, yea I know and they’re way better on gas, and easier to maintain,” Mi-Cha adds, already knowing the list.

“And less likely to be stolen,” Saeran adds from the back seat without looking away from the window.

Saeyoung groans, realizing exactly how many times he must have rambled on about the advantages of manual transmissions.