#sunchases

none of the people in this party had caught his eye so far, either because he had already hooked up with them ( and he wasn't one to enjoy repetition ) or because they were simply awfully boring. that didn't mean there weren't some trying to throw themselves at him, though, which was why taesoo had make a swift exit to the kitchen, hoping to find it a little less crowded than the main area.

they didn't really pay much attention to who was in there at first, just approaching the place with the chips without a thought — while they were here, they might as well eat, right? it was only upon hearing a voice that taesoo looked up, gaze landing on a figure he was sure he had never seen before in his life. for a moment, both surprised and curious, taesoo could only look the stranger over before saying anything. " oh, is that so? are you closely acquainted with the chips here? " he asked in a playful and lighthearted tone, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he came closer.

maybe this evening wouldn't be so terrible after all.

for as long as they had been taking care of themselves, the twins didn't really know any other life but the one they had. while they had started with petty theft, things had somehow evolved into something a lot more lucrative, but also a lot more dangerous. when he first agreed to join the organization, taesoo didn't really hesitate too much thinking about it — after all, he didn't think he would have any reason to want to leave, and he was full of himself enough to think that he could handle everything just fine. no matter what, they would always handle things, and that's what mattered.

however, having gotten involved in such a world at a young age, taesoo didn't really know what it was like to do anything else — not only that, he didn't know if he could ever see himself living a different life. after all, this was all he knew to do, and leaving everything behind would come with too much of a high price. at this point, they didn't think there was anything that they could do — and they didn't have any reason to even consider it... until now.

there was a seriousness in taesoo's gaze as he looked at harper, letting the other's words sink in for a moment before he managed to reply in an almost monotone voice — as if he didn't dare to sound too hopeful about it. " do i? do i really, harper? " they asked, gaze not moving from the other's eyes. there was almost an air of defeat to his demeanor that was quite unusual when it came to taesoo, but that he couldn't really hide — however, he didn't sound mad when he continued. it was simply as if taesoo had a hard time believing in what he was being told. " you don't know everything that i've done, or how things work. i don't think that it is that easy, but i know that i've dug my own grave too. maybe it's just time to accept it. "

bin taesoo was a careful person. everything he ever did was calculated in every possible way to guarantee the outcome that he wanted — but taesoo could also be very explosive at times, letting the anger that usually laid dormant in the pit of his stomach get the better of him. more often than not, there was only one thing that could get them to lose their control so badly — and that was when anyone did something that taesoo would perceive as negative towards harper. still, perhaps sometimes things got out of hand — with the twins' line of business and some of their friendships, it wasn't hard for it to... even more so when you combined it with taeran's usual lack of self control.

taesoo hadn't meant to let things get this far, and he hadn't meant for harper to see him like this. he didn't like coming back home with bruises and cuts on his face, but he did what he had to do to to keep them both safe. there was maybe a small part of him that had progressively grown more and more exhausted with all of this ever since meeting harper, but it was also hard to let go of something that had been their reality ever since they left their family house — especially when taesoo knew that his sister had yet to start feeling the same way he did.

harper's anger towards the situation was not unexpected or unwarranted, so taesoo did nothing to try to defend himself. they could only let him speak, listening quietly before coming closer and taking harper's face in their battered hands. when taesoo spoke, his voice was gentle and low, as reassuring as he could muster. " i know. i know you worry, and i don't want to give you a reason to. it's just... " difficult. pausing for a moment, he let out a low sigh. " i'll be more careful, okay? i promise. but i'm here now, and i'm okay. i'm not going anywhere and i'm not ever leaving you. i'll keep myself safe, for you. "

ever since moving in with harper, there was nothing taesoo looked forward more than going home. in fact, this was the first time he had learned what a home actually felt like, and what it was like to feel nothing but peace and comfort upon walking through the doors. as always, they would first be stopped at the door by astrid, who always demanded her fair share of love and affection from them. after saying hello to her and any of the other cats that were around, taesoo's eyes would then immediately look for the one person that had changed his life. if harper hadn't yet popped up to greet him, he could only guess that he had fallen asleep somewhere.

walking quietly to not disturb him, they stopped right at the door frame of their shared bedroom, a fond smile appearing on their lips at the sight of harper curled up in bed hugging the coat that they had used the night before. for a few moments, taesoo could only watch the other as he felt his heart swell up with love and affection, expression holding a certain softness that was solely reserved to him, but it wasn't long before he couldn't resist coming closer.

sitting by the edge of the bed carefully, taesoo reached out to gently run his fingers through harper's hair in an affectionate gesture. they had always known how much he loved their scent, but it never failed to make them feel endeared whenever they witnessed something like this. to think that bin taesoo had been lucky enough to be able to call harper his... ah, he would never take it for granted, for as long as he lived. harper yi was his whole world, and he always would be.

leaning forward, taesoo placed a light kiss to the other's temple, lips lingering there for a moment as harper seemed to slowly wake up. " hey, sleepyhead. " they hummed in a fond tone, fingers still running through his hair. " i'm home. want to replace that coat for the real thing, hm? " taesoo offered, already gently pulling the piece of clothing away so that he could make his way into harper's arms instead, wrapping all his limbs around his boyfriend and burying his face into his hair. when he spoke, his voice was soft and sweet, not wanting to fully wake him up just yet. " ah, now i'm happy, this is much better. i missed you, my haejin~ "