#mrsnishimuraaa

Leaves and branches crunch softly under your weight, you eye the slightly rusted tin of the warehouse, the metallic creak of the door as you push it open, gun held before you. Its dark inside, almost pitch black, you pull a small torch from your pocket and the soft click of its switch echoes shallowly before illuminating the room. Immediately your met with a dozen armed men. You freeze, heart skipping a beat, you were told it was just two targets. This is usually a situation you could get out of, but before you can even make a move, you feel a sharp prick in your shoulder, your head snaps to face the man behind you. A devilish grin on his face before you shoot it right off, your vision falters as the man slumps. You can hear men barking orders over the loud ring of your ears , you steady yourself on the door frame as your vision clouds, your head spins before your vison finally hits black.

You wake up in an awfully nice home, cold marble making you shiver slightly as you blink before looking around. You hear a man yell up for someone before he heads toward you. Of course its Nishimura Riki. fuck.

You sigh softly, six other men come down the stairs together. Riki helps you up, grip on your shoulders firm but not bruising, a slight wince escapes you as his fingers press into the fresh needle site. Your sat on a plush couch, before they all appear Infront of you. You scan each of their faces before one speaks up. “If it isn’t the infamous little assasin?” Heeseung says with a cocky smirk “Welcome home sweetheart, you’ll be here a while. Hope you like house arrest” Riki’s low voice echoes slightly. House arrest? You cannot be real.

They chuckle at your look of confusion Riki speaks up again “I’ll be your main gaurd, every minute of every day i’ll be right there with you, hope you don’t mind sharing a bed Min” and fuck do you want to clock that dirty smirk right off his face.

“I hope this is all some prank, I’ve got places to be you know?” you say in a cold tone, heading to stand up before your shoved back down. “Does this look like a prank to you? You think you can get away with that cute little Kim stunt?” Jake snarls, a firm grip on your chin.

It’s not much before Riki moves him aside and stands you up with a firm grip “I’m giving you a tour, come on” He shows you around the mansion, marble floors and countertops, a modern design overall, floor to ceiling windows with stunning views of the city in the distance - You get to a door on the second floor, He pushes it open with a soft click. “This is us, You take the left i’ll have the right” The hand on your lower back encourages you forward gently, your eyes scan the room sharply. At least there’s an ensuite, and a generous size closet. ''Windows are deadlocked, and bulletproof glass. Dont even think about it" Riki speaks as he grabs a pair of socks, you bite your inner cheek in ignorance at the knowing of no escape.

You get settled in, but the one thing that you cant do? Heeseung. That man is fucking insufferable, you'd rather be rotting in a prison cell instead of this house arrest shit with him here. He's always on your case, youve been here only two hours, and youve already had 2 arguments. Some already ended physical, marks and bruises. Of course your already arguing again, but this ones escalated way too quickly.

He slams you into the wall before you can land a hit, your furious. Eyes gleam with that same dangerous edge many seen before youd be finishing them off. You put space between you and Heeseung, hes yelling. Your eyes scan the room, a large glass vase sits on a table next to you. Without thought you pick it up and hurl it his way. It smashes on the wall inches from his head, a few small cuts on him from debris of the vase. But the silence in the house after the loud shatter is deafening. You both stand there panting, his eyes burn with fury, he rushes forward and grabs you by the collar with force.

Rushed heavy footsteps come down the stairs, Sunoo turns the corner first before Riki does. They both pause. Glass shards all over the floor, the scratches on Heeseung, and your bleeding nose from earlier impact.Their eyes widen at the scene, both quickly moving to seperate the two of you. "Heeseung let go, now." Sunoos tone is firm, no room for argument in it. "No, she needs to learn her fucking place" Heeseung snarls, tightening his grip. Riki sighs as he pulls Heeseung off you roughly, he motions for Sunoo to deal with him as they head the opposite way.

You and Heeseung pull through eventually after that one, finally.

Riki turns to you, face softening slightly before asking "Why?" He assesses you for other injury before a hand snakes around your waist gently. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up" You nod, taking the stairs together and up into the bathroom. "Fuck i hate him so much" You groan as Riki sits you on the edge of the bathtub. He chuckles lightly as he grabs a face towel "Hes a dick, trying to act all tough to get a rise from you. He'll tone it down eventually, i promise" The light sound of the sink tap running as Riki dampens the towel. You sigh as he turns to you, his gaze soft as he tilts your chin up with a gentle hand. You feel the warm towel start dabbing your nose with soft movements, wiping the dried and fresh blood from your face. He finishes and rinses the towel out "Want to shower? Ill grab pajamas for you" Rikis voice is tender "Yeah, thanks" You nod as he heads down the hall to grab your stuff.

You flick the shower on, steam fills the room as a soft knock on the door breaches the silence. "Yeah?" you call out as your burshing your hair out "Minjee ive got your clothes" Rikis deep voice is recognizable "Oh thanks, you can come in im still dressed" You chuckle softly, he clicks the door open. "I still need to unpack all my stuff, who even brung it all here?" You sigh softly, dreading it already. "Your apartment got raided after they caught you, they brung almost everything apparently" Riki shrugs as he sets your clothes in a neat pile on the counter. "How did they even know... alright" You just accept the fate halfway through your sentance, drawing a light laugh from him before he slips out to leave you in privacy.

You undress, stepping under the water. The warmth envelops you as steam rises slowly, muscles loosening with the heat as you slick your hair back, enjoying the relaxing feel. You look around the shower shelf, some very girly supplies, easy to see that a man buying said 'its girly enough'. You shrug, squeezing some shampoo into your hands and rub them together, bubbles form before you massage it into your head, atleast it smells nice.

After testing every possible product in the bathroom, you shut the water off, grabbing the white soft bathrobe off the hook, you dont know whos it is, but its yours now. You tie it at the front then wipe the fog off the mirror. Next to your clothes is your cosmetics bag riki brung aswell. You dig your skincare needed out, props to the guy who raided your apartment, nice choices.

You finally settle into bed for the night at 10:22 PM, Riki joins not so long later. You forgot you have to share a bed aswell, you dont mind aslong as he keeps to himself. You drink down a bottle of water before cutting the bedside lamp, the room plunging into darkness as you snuggle in for the first night, atleast the beds comfy.

At 2:47AM you and Riki are jolted awake by multiple rounds of gunfire ringing out, peircing the silent night. Hes quick to be up and out of the room in seconds, you hear the 7 men run downstairs after each other. You peer out the garden window, two of the night gaurds fallen on the grass, dark red blood pooling around their bodies, bodies twisted in grusome ways. Years of assasin work its nothing to you. You head downstairs, maybe your experience would be some sort of help. When you step outside its silent, the boys must be out the front. You approach the lifeless gaurds bodies. A small blade on the ground next to them, you pick it up cautiously. A branding engraved on it that reads 'hwang' the Kims allie, your face pales. They know your here.

You go to call out to one of the boys, but as you open your mouth to speak, a hand is slapped over it. You feel the cool metal of a knife press against your stomach. Panic washes over you for a split second before training kicks in. Your lethally fast to turn around, grabbing the mans arm and twisting it behind his back painfully, in that movment the knife slips, grazing the skin on your stomach just enough to draw a thin cut, you hiss through your teeth as blood starts to seep through your shirt. Shoving the man to the ground and embedding the knife into him, he groans as blood spurts before his body quits all motion. Standing up straight now you rip your shirt to tie it tightly over the slice.

The boys are still nowhere to be seen, you know there will be more men come soon, you call out for Riki first. "RIKI!!" Your voice echoes in the still night, you hear voices and tense. Sunghoon comes around the corner, Riki had turned to go the house and you ease "Minjee? Why are you out here..." Sunghoons voice is calm but concerned, he spots you and the red stain on your shirt and the lifless man at your feet and pauses "Shit, Riki come here!" he calls back to him. Rikis head peeks around the corner before he rushes over "Fuck, Minjee what happened?" He grabs your shoulders gently, scanning over you for further injury. "Im okay, it only got me a tiny bit. Its not deep, im lucky" You wave a dismissive hand, they both nod, a let out a breath they didnt know they were holding in. "Hes dead?" He gestures toward the man on the floor, You nod.

Sunghoon goes off to tell the others to secure the perimiter, Riki wrabs a gentle hand around you as the two of you walk back into the mansion "Your one lucky girl" He nudges you playfully, making light of a common mafia occurance "Yeah, been in that situation one too many times" You say, cracking a smile as he leads you to the bathroom for the second time today. "This is twice ive had to clean you up today Minjee, whats your go?" He chuckles as he lossens the shirt you tied around yourself. A small slice revealed, blood is a mess on your skin but the cut not deep at all, just enough for it to bleed decently. Tending gently to the wound with a cloth first, as the blood wipes away the thin line appears clear.

He nods, acknowledging the small wound before getting equipment to clean it right. "Here this might sting, darling. Squeeze my hand if you need" You take his large warm hand in yours, intertwining them loosely as he starts swabbing the wound with rubbing alcohol, you sharply inhale at the sting, a small wince escaping your lips, hand tightening around his. "It wont need stitches, it will heal on its own pretty quick, your lucky, Minjee" Riki speaks softly as he finishes up with the cleaning process. He grabs a nearby robe and wraps it around you "Lets get you changed, Sweetheart. Come on" Helping you stand up and taking you back to your room

What a long fucking night.

You wake up that morning, stretching lazily, the slight discomfort from the cut makes you shudder, Rikis bare back infront of you, muscles flexing as he shifts in his sleep, what a way to wake up. You sit up and rub your eyes, running a hand through your hair before slipping out of bed and down the hall. Making your way downstairs to the kitchen, Jake, Jay and Jungwon sit at the kitchen counter. A combined greeting as you reach the bottom step. Grabbing a yogurt from the fridge, the crackle of the foil as you pull the lid off and throw it in the bin. Metallic clang as you pull the utensil drawer open and grab a spoon. The flavour of greek yogurt hits your tastebuds, you hum softly.

You hear a soft noise as Riki stretches at the bottom of the stairs, ab and bicep muscles flexing as he reaches up above his head before releasing. The pad of his bare feet against the marble floor as he approaches "Morning, you should've woken me" His voice still thick from sleep "You looked peaceful, i was going back up to bed after anyways" You take another spoonful of yogurt, he nods grazing his arms against yours as he brushes by, flicking on the tap and filling a glass of water. Gulping down the whole thing in one go, maintaining eye contact. He wipes his mouth with the back hand, a smirk appearing behind his hand. "See something you like, Hm?" He teases lightly, you giggle softly and shake your head, heading back upstairs.

"Wait for me, Sweetheart" Riki calls up lightly, you hum in response, pausing and tilting your head over your shoulder to see him coming up the stairs. "Where you going?" You ask, voice gentle "Back to bed, with you" His voice calm, a sneaky wink. Sighing softly before continuing to take the stairs, muttering something rather of 'Too early for this shit'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few weeks pass, you and Riki grow closer, sharing snacks, sneaking uber eats in the middle of the night when you get hungry, pillow fights, but the favourite is late night chats. You two lay in bed, pajamas on and a dim room. You share the bowl of candy sitting between the two of you. "You think youll quit? Whenever you get released from here?" The question makes you think, then you nod "Yeah, i dont think im in a rush to resign" you sigh softly "Its too big of a gamble, you know? Im still so young, clans are at higher stake" Voice sincere and vunerable "I dont think its worth the risk" His head turns fully to face you now, eyes soft. "I get what you mean" He nods "I feel the same, our re sign is next year, im thinking of dropping out" You hum softly "I cant re sign anyways, im here. Which helps i guess" Shrugging your shoulders softly.

"So what would you be doing if you werent here? Not an assassin or locked up?" He prompts gently, you think for a moment "Mmh, im not sure really" Theres uncertainty in your voice "Surely something? Would you have kids?" He turns his head to you slightly, you nod "Yeah, if i settled down i guess" "Get married?" You nod, he pops a gummie into his mouth "Would you?" You prompt back, he hums softly "Id think so" He nods, clearly thinking. "Have you ever actually had a boyfriend?" Genuine curiosity in his voice. "Nah, there was never time for it. Especially when i was working full time. Id never be home" You shake your head, fingers playing with a lollipop wrapper, He nods in understanding.

"Whats your dream wedding?" Hes curious, nudging your shoulder gently. "Hmm, Id love to get married in France, maybe at a golf course on the Mediterranean?" A soft tone in your voice that makes his heart swell for you. "You really want a Family in the future, Huh?" He smiles lazily, you nod. He promts on, talking about what youd both want in a future partner, how many kids youd have, what gender you want, and even what kind of house you'd love to live in.

He pauses, goes quiet for a moment, eyes fixated on the ceiling, candy bowl forgotten momentarily.

'why are we talking about this so casually? Who talks about shit like this as if its normal? Why is he measuring himself against the answer, a creeping realisation that he dosent want this conversation to end.

He finally speaks “You know this is a weird conversation to have with your guard, right?” He turns his head to you, You shrug "Your the one asking questions" You speak softly, he chuckles. "Bad habit" Theres that cocky smirk, earning a giggle from you.

Then you pause.

'Why am i acting like this? I never let anyone in, i never open up. Why am i not deflecting? When did i get soft?' Fuck.

Neither of them says it. Both of them feel it.

Riki itches to tease, like he always does. Still in need to deflect his own earlier thought, so he takes your silence instead and messes with it. "Relax, I'm not proposing" He smirks, his once still hand moving again, popping a candy into his mouth. "Id say no" You mirror his smirk, he laughs heartily. "Good, way too soon"... "France though?" He teases, raising an eyebrow. "Oh shut up" You hit his shoulder, he rubs it as he chuckles. "Don't push it, ki" He laughs again, though he's loving the nickname. He stretches lazily “You always threaten people like that, or am I special?” You roll your eyes. "Quit trying to flirt with me Riki" A deep chuckle escapes him "So hostile" ... "If i wanted to flirt, id be trying harder" You want to slap that smirk off his pretty face

"God, your ego" You laugh.

Conversations stretch on, the creak of the door makes the two of you look that way, Sunoo. "Riki your up. Come downstairs, Jake wants you" He nods toward the hall. Riki doesn't move right away, "Yeah" He finally sits up as Sunoo leaves. He's quieter now, you look at him. "Don't go anywhere" Pausing for half a second like he realizes how that sounded... "Ill be back" The sheets rustle as he leaves, before the door closes with a soft click.

Its much more quiet now, the bed feels cold, a soft sigh passes your lips. You don't move, settling in the uncommon silence. The room feels different without him, too big, too empty. You hate that. Reluctantly, you flick on the lamp, not because you need light. But because you dont like the dark without him in it.

You settle back in, pulling the covers up as you stare at the ceiling. why do i miss him? When you finally roll to your side, its only to face his empty space. Your leg stretches across as you get comfy, his side is still warm. Eyes fluttering as you slowly drift off.

About an hour later, Riki slips back into the room, later than he anticipated. A hand runs through his dark hair, closing the door then turning. Your asleep, that alone makes him pause. Facing his side of the bed, leg stretched across the once warm space, breathing soft and even. He hadn't expected that. Standing there a second too long, eyes tracing the steady rise and fall of your chest. Finally making his way toward the bed, he's careful to not wake you, flicking the lamp off as the room plunges back into darkness. Moonlight sprawls over the white sheets as you shift in your sleep, he tenses at the movement, but relaxes again when you settle.

Then, he gently pulls the slipped blanket higher over your shoulder, fingers hovering over your hair for a heartbeat too long before he pulls back. Exhaling through his nose, he finally sits, easing himself down softly beside you, scared to dip the bed too much, or make noise. As he pulls his blanket up around him, taking a swig from his water bottle. He feels your fingers curl around his shirt, he's lucky he swallowed the water, or he would've spat it out. His breath catches slightly, staring up at the ceiling, tension in his chest at the weight of something unfamiliar settling in. Your fingers adjust their grip slightly, he glances at you. "Yeah" He murmurs "I'm here" His voice barley above a whisper, speaking to the night more than anything else.

He doesn't fall asleep for a long time.

Riki slept for an hour, if that. Tilting his head toward you as he wakes first, your still asleep, his eyes find your fingers, once curled around his shirt, now they're curled into a pillow. Yet your slightly closer than when you fell asleep, your other hand rests close to his. His breathing steady and calm, he glances at your peaceful face. He doesn't even realize as his thumb traces the line of your knuckles once, he shouldn't be noticing how warm your skin is, yet he does before he pulls his hand back. Staring at the ceiling, as if punishing himself for noticing, he takes a deep breath. He contemplates leaving, going down for breakfast. Body shifting as if testing the mattress, the smallest movement makes you stir. That's all it takes, he stills instantly, heart kicking once, stupidly sharp. He doesn't move again, instead choosing to stay.

Choice made.

He finally decides to sit up, mattress shifting under his weight, you stir, he freezes. Stretching lazily, you blink a few times, eyes fluttering open. Having to brush the hair away from your face, still groggy and half asleep. Your eyes find him immediately. He came back, he waited. "Morning, didn't mean to wake you" His voice thick with sleep "Its okay. Your still here?" Usually he'd be downstairs before you woke. "Yeah." He doesnt move right away, but turns to sit on the edge of the bed instead. "How long have you been awake?" You rub your eyes "Not that long" He deflects slightly, you dont push.

Standing up slowly, he stretches, as if he needs to shake the room off him. Rolling his shoulders before he turns to look down at you, sitting there watching him without even realising. Moving eventually, dragging yourself out of bed and mirroring his stretch. You rub your hands over your face, taking a deep breath. "I need to wash my face" You sigh, voice still laced with sleep. "You look like you need it" He chuckles, always finding a way to tease .. "Ill be downstairs" He adds before the door closes after him. Making your way to the ensuite bathroom, turning the sink tap onto cold, cupping your hands before splashing it on your face. Drying yourself with a nearby towel before grabbing your moisteriser. The bathroom is silent, peaceful almost. Relaxing slick feeling of skincare on your face, you look in the mirror, attempting to avoid your own gaze.

Get it together Minjee.

Brushing out your hair, contemplate tying it up yet you cant be bothered, you take one last look at your reflection, nothing out of place. You leave the bathroom and head to the bedroom door, the house is quiet as you step out into the hall. Quiet sounds coming from downstairs mixed with the faint smell of toast and coffee, you reach the stairs and see Riki leaning against the kitchen counter, hair still messy like it was when he left. A mug in his hand, and a glass of what looks like iced coffee on the counter, but its only him down there.

"About time you came down" He slides the glass to you as you approach. You raise an eyebrow, its exactly how you like it. Small amount of caramel sauce on the glass, lightly iced and the skim milk still on the counter. "How'd you know this?" You laugh softly as you take a sip, it tastes identical. "Not poisoned is it?" You joke, he chuckles. "You think i dont pay attention?" He takes a sip out of his own mug, that cocky smirk. "Relax, its safe"

The pop of the toaster breaks the comfortable silence, there are 4 peices, he grabs them and sets 2 on seperate plates. "Cream cheese?" He looks at you as he heads to grab spreads from the fridge "Yeah, please" You nod "Do you stalk me when i make my breakfast or something?" You laugh, finding his knowledge endearing. "I notice everything" Smirking again, as he starts dressing your toast "You got plans today? Or am i stuck babysitting all day?" He asks, sliding your plate over as you sit on a stool. "Ill probably go run Jays errands if he lets me later" You take a bite, humming in appreciation. Riki nods "Id go with, but ive got training to do" The scrape of the knife against the crisp toast is satisfying, before he takes a bite, you nod. "No babysitting for you today" You smile, a chuckle rumbles out of his chest.

As if summoned, Jays gaze flicks briefly between you and Riki, brow lifting just a fraction "Oh, Minjee! i was about to ask you to go do the groceries for me" He speaks as he grabs a mug himself "Yeah, you told me last night but i wasn't fully sure" Nodding, he puts a coffee pod in the machine, turning to you as it dispenses "Yeah, meeting came up, the list will be somewhere in the kitchen" He chuckles, pouring milk into his mug now, you nod again. Eyes flicking around the kitchen for the list, he spots it first “Lists on the fridge” Jay says, nodding toward it. “Take my card if you want” You shake your head "Its okay. i can pay" he Tsk's then nods.

Breakfast is peaceful, you and Riki eat and drink, small conversation before he goes off to training, and you head upstairs to get ready to go out. Rummaging through your closet for something to wear. Deciding to go with black linen pants and a white shirt, throwing on some of your usual jewelry and grabbing your handbag. Your surprised they even let you out, your on house arrest after all. Figuring there would be a catch, of course there's tracking on your phone that goes straight to the boys. You don't have bad intentions so don't mind it, spraying your favorite perfume and then wandering downstairs, grabbing the list from the fridge and leaving.

In the gym, Riki trains. The leather sound of him throwing hits at the punching bag, he hits harder than he needs to, faster. He cant focus, his mind constantly drifting to the kitchen for no reason at all. The way you'd look at the glass like you didn't believe he did that for you. Jake, who's sitting for a water break, he notices, but doesn't speak on it.

Rikis adding extra sets, he's more aggressive and ignoring the burn in his shoulders. After going hard for a while, he sits down, drinking down water in one go. You keep flicking through his mind, the way you slept closer than usual, the appreciation when he made you breakfast, this is getting stupid.

The grocery store is nice and quiet, not too busy, the way you like it. Grabbing a cart and starting from the first aisle, grabbing the main things needed on the list. You grab a few snacks and make your way to the candy aisle. You glance over the large selection, one specifically catching your eye "Hm, Riki likes these" You mutter, throwing them into the cart without thought. You pause for a second, realizing what you did. ...why did i do that?

Shrugging it off and walking to the next section, candy still in cart. Repeating that process when you grab a few of his favorite protein bars, He won't leave your mind either, its driving you insane. You go to a register, making small talk with the cashier, before paying and leaving. Loading the bags into the car, the candy you got him sits right on top. You shake it off, and close the door.

Arriving home, finding Riki lounging on the couch, resting after a long session. He immediately gets up to help with the bags, grabbing a few off you as you set the rest on the kitchen island. He spots the candy in a bag and raises an eyebrow "You trying to spoil me" A small smirk twitches at his lips. "You eat all my snacks anyways" You laugh from the pantry as you begin putting things away, deflecting the fact you got them just for him. He hums in response "Lucky me" helping with putting items away. You both reach for the milk at the same time, fingers brushing against each others, he gently taps your hand away "Ive got it" Yet a smile creeps at his lips from the brief contact.

A comfortable silence comes into place, soft thud of the fridge opening and closing, plastic containers, and cabinets fill the room. You reach past him to close a cabinet, your arm brushing his sleeve. “That one goes in the freezer,” you murmur “Right” he says, a small laugh in his voice. The kitchen settles again, the silence warmer than before. He puts the last few groceries away "Are you doing anything tonight?" He asks softly, you shake your head, grabbing a bowl of berries. "Want to watch a movie or something?" A gentle suggestion, you hum "Mmh, are snacks involved?" He laughs, shaking his head "Yes, Minjee. Just please dont pick a shit movie." You smile "Oh? So im picking?" He nods and steals a berry with a wink.

The house grows quieter as evening settles in. Lights flip off one by one. The hum of the fridge fades into the background, replaced by the low buzz of the TV warming up. "Im gonna go change into my pajamas and wash up" You say, heading for the stairs, Riki nods "Don't take too long. His voice lingers in your ears as you change into silk pajamas, navy long sleeve and pant, your favorite ones. Spray a bit of perfume on and head back downstairs. Rikis already sprawled on the couch when you return, one arm draped along the back, candy bowl balanced between cushions. He doesn’t look up when you sit just nudges the bowl toward you with his knee, you happily take one and pop it into your mouth.

"Pick something” he says “I trust you. Mostly.” He teases gently, you reach over to grab the remote and open Netflix. "No horror” he says as the app opens “Scared?” You say as you scroll through options, he laughs as he shifts beside you, shaking his head, you scoff, but your shoulder leans closer without thinking, and he doesn't move away. You scroll a little further and decide on 'Anyone But You' He groans "A rom-com? Really?" But hes smiling, you giggle and nod.

The TV light illuminates the dark room faintly, the candy bowl slowly empties. At some point, his arm shifts, not around you, not quite. Just closer along the back of the couch. Your legs tuck beneath you as you get comfy again. Conversation dies down, replaced by the low murmur of the film and the quiet of the house settling for the night.

As the movie plays on, occasionally earning a laugh from both of you, but its kept quiet, like neither of you want to break the moment. At some point, you dont remember when, but your shoulder brushes his. Its accidental at first, a shift. But you dont pull away, and neither does he. The sound of fabric and couch as his arm stretches out his arm further along the back of the couch, close enough that you can feel the warmth without it actually touching you. Your knee unconsciously presses against his thigh as you adjust the way you cross your legs. Telling yourself its just the couch being small, even if the couch is bigger than youve seen.

The candy bowl is empty by now, forgotten on the floor infront of you two, the movie keeps playing, both actually interested in the storyline. Halfway through, you realize your head had tipped slightly toward him. Not enough for it to be obvious, but that if he moved, youd feel it, he dosent though. His fingers twitch, as if noticing the same thing, but he decides not to test it. Room feeling smaller, safer and quieter.

The film drags on, jokes land and you chuckle, your head moving just enough that your cheek brushes his shoulder briefly. You catch yourself, but dont both dont bother to move. Riki shifts again, slow and careful as if hes aware how close you are. "Your judging this movie way too hard" Your voice is soft but a lace of teasing "Im not" He replies quietly "Its tolerable" You can almost hear the smile in his voice without actually looking at him. You stretch a little again, knee nudging his leg again, but this time it stays. His arm still inches from touching your back as it stays stretched. You wonder if he'll move his arm, he wonders if youll pull away. Neither happens.

Quiet scenes in the movie make you both hyperaware in the small gaps of dialouge, not akwardly though. The silence allowing you to be more aware of the rise and fall of eachothers chests. "You comfy?" You nod, eyes never leaving the screen "Yeah" Your hand shifts on the pillow between you, his fingers twitch like they want to reach for yours, but stop. The movie continues, and so does whatever this is.

He chuckles at a scene, shoulders moving forward slightly as he does, as he settles back, his shoulder comes in contact with your temple. "Sorry" You apologise quietly, moving to rest your head back against the couch instead. "Relax, its okay" A chuckle rumbles in his throat, the hand that was once stretched out behind you curls, gently guiding your head back down to his shoulder. "I dont bite" He smirks ... "Much" A smile flicks across your face. Your observative, an assassin, so of course you are. You can feel his breath being shallow and short, how careful his movements are all as if he dosent want to move.

The movie ends, and the next suggestion pops up, you glacne up at him from his shoulder, he glances down at you. The countdown to the next film hits 5, both of you make no move to grab the remote. Netflix does the job for you.

His hand that was once around your shoulder drops to rest around your waist, fingers gently landing on your hip. "Couldve stopped it" You mumur "Didnt want to" He smiles down at you, honesty slipping before he can catch it. “If you fall asleep,” He adds lightly, the cockiness returning just enough to protect himself, “I’m blaming you” You huff a quiet laugh “Sure you are”

“Movie’s already better than the last one” He murmurs, eyes on the screen his voice low. “Liar” you reply softly, but there’s no bite to it. The room feels smaller now, wrapped in the quiet hum of the TV and the steady warmth at your side. His fingers shift once more, barley a movement, tracing the seam of your shirt before stilling again, like he’s testing himself more than anything else. Yet neither of you comment on it. Whatever this is, its fragile, Careful. And for the first time in a long while, you don’t feel the urge to ruin it.

The movie plays on, but neither of you is really watching anymore. A quiet exhale leaves you, something between a laugh and a sigh. His chest shifts beneath you as he breathes in at the same time. It’s stupid, the timing of it but it makes your fingers curl slightly where they rest against his shirt. Riki tilts his head just enough to glance down at you. You don’t look up right away, when you do, it’s only because you can feel his gaze lingering. Your faces are closer than before. Close enough that you notice the warmth of his breath.

“This part’s boring” he murmurs, voice low almost careful. “It’s literally the climax” you whisper back. “Still” You shift just barely, meaning to get comfortable again. Instead, your forehead brushes his jaw. You freeze, he does too. For a second, neither of you moves. The tv keeps playing, distant and irrelevant. While something quieter and heavier settles between you. “You okay?” he asks softly, you nod. “Yeah” But you don’t move away. His thumb presses gently into your side, a grounding touch, like hes reminding himself your really there. His eyes flick to your lips, just once before he catches himself.

“Minjee,” he murmurs, almost a warning against himself. You tilt your head up “Riki” you answer, just as soft. He hesitates, before closing a fraction of the distance, giving you every chance to pull back. Letting you realise how close his lips are. You dont pull back.

His lips brush yours gently at first, not a kiss just yet. Your breath catches, a gentle inhale against his mouth, and thats all it takes. Riki presses in again, a lot softer than you expected, as if afraid he'll startle you. The hand on your waist tightens slightly, thumb rubbing a gentle circle on your hip. The kiss slow and unhurried, you respond without thinking lips moving against his in a way that feels just right. Butterflies fill your stomach, and a warmth fills both your chests. Your heart is loud in your ears as his tongue gently grazes across your bottom lip, a silent ask for entrance. You part your lips slightly, just enough to let him gain access, tounges now sliding together.

Gently he pushes you back, a hand behind your head as he slowly lowers you to lay flat, steadying himself on top of you, never breaking the kiss as it intesifies. Tongues twirling, the warm mix of eachothers saliva, your hands snake up around his back, one tangling in his hair, whilst the other curls around to the other side of his waist. He pulls back, a string of saliva keeps the two of you connected. "Finally" He murmurs, more breathless than smug, your cheeks flush, you cant handle the embarrassment so you pull him back down into a kiss, he chuckles before your lips press together again.

A few minutes pass, and you both pull away. Both panting but your breathing synced, foreheads resting against eachother as noses brush. He stays hovering above you, both of your lips still tingling from the contact. “Minjee…” he says again, quieter this time. Not teasing. Not smug. Just your name, heavy with something he hasn’t decided to say yet. Your fingers curl lightly into the fabric of his shirt. “You don’t have to-” you start, then stop. Because you don’t actually know what you’re trying to spare him from. He shakes his head once, barely “I know” His thumb brushes your hip again, its careful, then stills, like he’s caught himself. Slowly and reluctantly, he pulls back just enough to look at you properly. His eyes search your face, softer than you’ve ever seen them, like he’s checking for regret. There isn't any.

“That wasn’t…” He trails off, jaw tightening slightly “That wasn’t part of the job.” You swallow at his words, then speak “Neither was breakfast” He knows what he did wasnt casual. That earns the smallest huff of a laugh, but it fades quickly. He straightens a little more, putting space between you that feels deliberate, not rejection, just restraint. His hand slides from your waist, lingering for half a second too long before dropping to his side. “I’m supposed to be the one keeping things clean” he says quietly “I need to be clear, no… complications”

You sit up slowly aswell. The couch feels colder already as you do “And?” You ask, not pushing, just giving him options. His gaze flicks away, then back to you. Theres conflict written all over his face. Not panic, not fear. Something worse. Want. “I dont think I’m very good at pretending anymore” He admits. The confession hangs there, unfinished. You nod once, heart steady but loud. “Me neither” Your words seem to undo him more than anything else. He looks at you again, really looks. Like hes filing the moment to memory.

“Just-” he says, softer now, almost careful “Tell me if this is a mistake” You dont answer right away. Instead, you reach out, resting your hand over his where it grips the couch pillow. “If it is” you say gently “it doesn’t feel like one.” His eyes soften even more, if possible. He doesn’t kiss you again, but he doesn’t pull away either. And somehow, that feels even more intimate. The tv keeps playing, voices off the film bleeding softly into the background, but neither of you is listening anymore. Riki exhales, slow and controlled. For a moment, he closes his eyes, just for a second.

When he opens them again, his gaze drops, not away from you, just lower. To where your hands rest together. Your fingers still covering his, neither of you moving. “This doesn’t change anything” he says quietly. You blink. “That sounded like a lie” The corner of his mouth lifts, threatening a smile despite himself “Yeah” he admits “It did”

Another moment passes. His thumb shifts under your hand, brushing once against your palm. He doesn’t try to lace his fingers with yours. Doesnt pull you closer. Restraint. Again. “I should probably move” He adds, though he makes no effort to do so. You tilt your head “Do you want to?” He hesitate, and that’s answer enough. “No” he says finally, honest and simple. You lean back against the couch, still facing him. close but not pressed together. He does the same except settling beside you this time instead of over you. Shoulder brushing yours again just like earlier, familiar now. Allowed.

“This stays between us” he says, breaking the quiet. Not as a demand but as a promise. “For now” You nod. “I wasn’t planning on telling anyone” He glances at you then, something unreadable flickering across his face. Relief maybe, yet likely something deeper “Good” He murmurs. Then softer, his eyes find yours “I don’t want it ruined” You smile softly and tilt your head back to the tv. The momentarily forgotten movie keeps playing. Another joke cracks and you both laugh quietly, the sound easing the tension just a fraction.

Eventually, his voice breaks the silence again, lower now, almost vulnerable “We’ll go slow” You look tilt back to look at him again. “We already are” Your voice is gentle, soft. He hums, amused, then glances down at you. “Yeah. Guess that’s kind of the problem” Your fingers tighten briefly around his again, a silent I’m here. He looks down at your joined hands, then back up at the screen, tension relaxing again.

Riki shifts slightly, like hes about to say something else, maybe pull back a little more, maybe put the moment back in its box. His fingers flex against the couch pillow. You notice so you make the decision before he can overthink it. Not a rush though. You turn your head just enough to look at him fully. “Riki” He looks over at you immediately. “If we’re going slow” you say quietly “I don’t want it to be because you’re scared” His breath stutters once. Just once. “I’m not scared” he says.

You hold his gaze “Then don’t treat me like I am” That does it. Something in his expression shifts, surprise first. Then something warm and unguarded. He doesn’t move, doesn’t reach for you. He lets you decide. So you do. You slide your hand from where it rests on the pillow and place it over his wrist gentle. Your thumb brushes once over the pulse there, feeling it jump under your touch “I know what this is” you say softly. “And I still want it” For a moment, he just stares at you.

Then he exhales, inching closer to you again, slow and careful, like hes letting go of something. “Minjee…” he murmurs. Something closer to awe. You close the last inch yourself, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Gentle. Almost innocent. You pull back just enough to look at him again. His eyes are darker now, but steady. He doesn’t chase the kiss. Doesn’t take more than you give. “Okay” he says quietly “Okay.”

His hand finally moves, not grabbing, not urgent. Settling at your waist again, warm and sure. He rests his forehead against yours for a moment, eyes closed. “We’ll do this right” he promises. Not cocky. Not teasing. Hes sincere. He presses one more kiss to your temple this time, softer than the first. Then settles back beside you again, hand still at your waist like it belongs there now. The movie plays on, this time, when you lean into him, it’s not accidental, and he doesn’t hesitate to hold you there.

The movie ends sometime after that. Neither of you notice right away. The credits roll quietly, music filling the room where words would usually go. Youre tucked against his side now, head resting fully on his shoulder, his arm settled around you without thought, without tension. It feels… normal. Dangerous in how natural it feels. Riki glances down at you. “You still awake?” You hum softly “Barely.” He smiles at that. His thumb traces a slow, absent line along your side. Not teasing. Not testing. Just there.

“We don’t have to decide anything tonight” he says after a moment. “I don’t want this to feel like pressure.” You tilt your head to look at him. His expression is careful, like he’s offering you something fragile. “I don’t feel pressured” you say honestly. “I feel like you chose me” That makes his breath catch, just slightly. “Good” he murmurs “Because Id like to keep choosing you. If you’re okay with that.” You don’t answer with words. Instead, you shift closer, your fingers lacing with his properly this time, no hesitation. “Yeah” you say quietly. “I am”

He exhales like he’s been holding that breath for weeks. “I guess that means we’re… trying?” he asks, almost amused. You smile into his shoulder. “I guess it does” He presses a kiss to the top of your head, lingering. “We’ll take it slow,” he repeats. You smile “Still.” The tv screen dims on its own, the house fully quiet now. You don’t move. Neither does he. And when you eventually drift off, curled against him on the couch, it doesn’t feel like crossing a line.

It feels like the start of something you’ll wake up to tomorrow.

~~~~~~~

Two years pass

The kitchen smells like coffee and toast again, it almost gives a tinge of deja vu. Riki stands at the counter, barefoot, hair still damp from a shower. He pours skim milk into a glass without measuring, drizzles caramel along the inside out of habit, exactly like he did the frist time two years ago. “You’re gonna be late,” you say from the doorway, arms crossed, watching him. He glances over his shoulder “Worth it”

He slides the glass across the counter toward you. Your favorite. Still. You take a sip, hum softly. “You still stalking my breakfast choices?”He smirks. “I memorized them a long time ago baby" You lean in, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw before reaching for your keys. He catches your wrist gently, pulling you back just long enough to steal a proper kiss. Easy and familiar.

The two of you end up engaged, your tear stained face as you nod "Yes" Blessing Rikis ears, he picks you up and spins you around, kissing you repeadetly, the happiest man on earth in this very moment.

And the first thing you two say after you say yes?

You both giggle, saying it in sync. Minds flushing back to late night talks about your dream weddings. A mirrored smile on both your faces.

"France?"

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omg, hope you all enjoyed if u even made it this far lolol

longest fic ive ever wrote and the first non y/n???!!!

this took me like 10 hours all up to write lowk maybe more... idk why think im a bit slow! excuse errors because majority of this was writted in the middle of the night like i was just a girl with an iced coffee and flow state hhahhahahah