Seungcheol slipped quietly into the house and found Jisoo standing in the kitchen sipping a tall glass of lemonade with ice. "Hey..." he said quietly. "What happened out there?" Jisoo asked as he turned towards Seungcheol in confusion. "Jeonghan came running in, he said he was looking for Chan Chan, he was soaking wet." "We, um, we kind of fell in the pool...." Seungcheol said as he stared awkwardly at the floor and the tiny puddle he was making as water ran out of his jeans. "Why did he look so upset then?" The look on Jisoo's face was scary. Scarier than anything Seungcheol had ever seen, scarier even than Jihoon's rage, but there was something else making him feel even worse.

Jeonghan was upset.

"I'll go find out..." Seungcheol turned to walk down the long hallway. He had an idea where Jeonghan would be. He walked up to the door leading to the luxury bedroom they'd used for the shoot today and when he tried to turn the handle he found the door locked. Seungcheol took a deep breath and pressed his ear against the door and heard the sound he'd dreaded most. The sound of Jeonghan softly crying.

"Jeonghan," Seungcheol called out through the door, "are you okay? Let me in..." he tried the handle again and go no response from inside. "Jeonghan please..." Seungcheol didn't know what to say. He didn't know whether to say sorry, beg for forgiveness, promise he'd never do it again. But something inside him told him this was wrong. He wasn't sorry he did it and he couldn't promise he'd never do it again. Because as he leaned against the heavy wood door and closed his eyes all he wanted to do was go into the bedroom and pull Jeonghan against his body again. He wanted to hold him and soothe him, protect him and cherish him, more than anything he wanted to beg him to stop crying. To make him smile instead, that smile that made Seungcheol feel like he was drowning, dark irises too deep to escape from sparking in the neon lights of the pool.

And he hated himself. Jihoon was right. What was he thinking? Luda was somewhere by herself totally unaware that their relationship was more than likely already over and all he could think about was getting to Jeonghan. He listened to the soft sobbing of Jeonghan on the other side of the door and felt his heart break into a million pieces. Luda had never made him feel any of the ways he'd felt in the last hour.

"Jeonghan let me in. I want to say sorry..." it sounded so pathetic. It wasn't what he wanted to say at all. But Seungcheol was gutless. He made his living off being brave, being stoic and heroic and dependable, being a protector and a guardian. But in reality, when it came to his own feelings, he was a coward. He was used to taking the easy way out.

"Please open the door," the plaintive tone of his voice wavered and gave away the truth of his emotions. But Jeonghan was unmoved. "NO." he called out with a trembling voice. "I want Jisoo. Now."

Defeated, Seungcheol went back to the kitchen to find the Manager still standing by the sink, finishing his drink. "He won't let me in," Seungcheol conceded to the delight of the manager. "He only wants you." Jisoo put the cup down and walked out of the kitchen area towards the bedroom. Seungcheol sat on a stool in his cold wet clothes and tried to pretend he wasn't jealous as the manager slipped in through the now-unlocked door.

"Hannie?" Jisoo called out softly as he found the blond man curled up inside a thick quilt. The huge bed, just hours ago the location of so much triumph, was now a safe cocoon for the miserable singer. "What happened?" Jisoo cooed as he sat on the edge of the bed and Jeonghan just shook his damp hair and burrowed further into the quilt. "Please tell me Jeonghan. Did someone hurt you? Did you get scared?" Jisoo sighed as two huge dark eyes blinked up at him from under the quilt. Then it moved and Chan Chan squirmed his way out to curl up on the pillow next to Jeonghan's face dominated by his sad red-rimmed eyes. "It was Seungcheol," Jeonghan sighed, "I think he wanted to kiss me."

"He what?" Jisoo's temper flared immediately. He was usually so calm, so cool and level headed, but he couldn't believe the nerve of the man. "Jeonghan we employed him to protect you, not scare you, and definitely not to kiss you. He needs to be fired." Jisoo got up from the bed but Jeonghan reached up and quickly grabbed his arm pulling him back down. "NO!" he called out as Jisoo sank heavily back onto the bed. "No, you can't fire him, I won't allow it." Jisoo turned back to Jeonghan and was surprised to see his expression had changed from sad to fierce in an instant. "You fire him and I'll fire you and don't think I won't Jisoo because I'm serious." Jisoo frowned in surprise. "But he made you cry. And he can't be kissing you. Or trying to kiss you. It's not professional." Jeonghan got out of the bed in just his underwear and searched the big suitcase Minghao had left for some clean dry clothing to replace the wet one's he'd left all over the floor.

"That's the problem though Jisoo." Jeonghan pulled a warm sweater over his head and a pair of sweatpants on. He searched for some socks and sat next to Jisoo as he pulled them onto his feet. "I wanted him too. I wanted him too so badly but I just can't. It's not like us, you know, drink too much wine and snuggle.........." Jisoo blushed heavily at Jeonghan's casual mention of some of their past 'indiscretions' but he had always been convinced it was better for Jeonghan to take what he needed from Jisoo rather than risk a scandal or worse. Get his gentle heart broken.

"I wanted more than a cuddle and a gentle kiss. I wanted him Jisoo... God, I still do, I can still feel his hands on me...." Fingers ran nervously through Jeonghan's quickly drying hair and he sighed heavily. "Jisoo I've never felt like this before about anyone. What do I do? He's got a girlfriend and I almost made him cheat on her, and that's the only reason I found the strength to push him away. And it wasn't even about her. I just don't want him if I have to share him with anyone else. I didn't let him kiss me because I'm spoilt and selfish."

"Jeonghan, I think you should distance yourself from him a bit, I'm worried for you." Jisoo got up and watched Jeonghan search for some more clothes. "Re-establish a professional boundary. I don't want you falling in love with this straight guy, who by the way has a girlfriend, and getting your heart broken."

"I'm not going to do that Jisoo," Jeonghan gathered the clothes in his arms and moved to the door. "I'm tired of this life, this soft bubble you all put me in, where I can't' live like a normal human being. I want to laugh and love and feel things. I want to know what it's like to feel wanted. Maybe I even wouldn't mind having my heart broken. It's got to be better than this life where everything is managed and coordinated and orchestrated so perfectly." Jisoo watched Jeonghan move past him with an open mouthed stare. Things were changing too fast around here and all because of the arrival of a dark haired man with beautiful features and a ripped body that Jisoo knew he could never compete with. He was losing and losing spectacularly.

He could do nothing but step aside as Jeonghan pushed past him with an armful of clothes and the kitten on his way to find Seungcheol.

Jeonghan found Seungcheol crumpled on the couch. He looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. When he saw Jeonghan standing in front of him his eyes brightened and he sat up and took the offered clothing held out. "Change." Jeonghan said firmly as he watched him while he held the lazy little kitten. "I can't have you getting sick." Seungcheol stripped his wet t-shirt off and winced when the skin over his scar stretched taut and painful and he hissed a little at the feeling. Jeonghan's eyes moved from the scar that dominated his muscular chest across his broad shoulders and finally down to his narrow waist. He squeezed Chan Chan a little too tight when his eyes drank in the sight of Seungcheol's milky white skin tight and hard across his muscular stomach. He swallowed thickly as his eyes wouldn't behave, they roamed wherever they wanted, they were hungry to take in every inch of Seungcheol's body and burn it into Jeonghan's memory. He'd seen him bare chested before but with the modesty of a sheet. This was a full view and it just made him feel even thirstier.

Every part of Seungcheol's appearance was just perfect to Jeonghan. His flawless skin which made the huge scar where he was shot even more prominent in its conspicuousness. The dark hair under his arms when he raised them to pull the sweater over his head. The cute deep bellybutton which vanished too quickly under the warm dry garment.

Jeonghan groaned aloud and turned away. He couldn't watch him change his pants. It was too much.

When he was dressed Seungcheol grabbed Jeonghan by the shoulder and turned him around so their eyes could meet. "I am sorry," he said sadly and slowly, the defeat and self-loathing in his voice more than evident. "So am I." Jeonghan said as he stared into Seungcheol's black pools of warmth and salvation. He could feel how badly Seungcheol felt and he hated being a source of such conflict and turmoil. But he was also determined to get what he wanted and he had decided very definitely that he wanted him.

"You have to make it up to me." Thick lashes fluttered around Jeonghan's chocolate brown eyes before they came to rest on his soft cheeks dusted lightly with pink. "I want to sleep, I'm cold and tired, and the champagne has given me a headache." Jeonghan pouted his perfect pink lips that Seungcheol couldn't stop staring at. "I want to go to bed and I want you to come with me. To protect me."

Seungcheol looked around to see if anyone was listening and for a brief second he wondered if he should even say yes. But before he knew what was happening Jeonghan was dragging him by the arm to the bedroom with a scowling Jisoo watching on. "Jisoo wanted to fire you." Jeonghan said as he pulled the door closed behind them. Seungcheol wasn't surprised. He had a sense that the manager was going to do whatever he could to put some distance between them. Neither Seungcheol nor Jisoo could deny the rivalry for Jeonghan's affection that was developing between them.

"What did you say?" Seungcheol asked out of curiosity. "I said if he fired you then I would fire him. Although you work for me so he can't fire you. And he works for the company so technically I can't fire him. So yeah. Empty threats." Jeonghan was busily pulling the thick quilt back from the messy bed he'd been hiding in just half an hour ago. Seungcheol watched him pull it right back and make a wall down the middle of the bed with pillows before climbing into one side. "Put the quilt over me," Jeonghan said bossily, "then turn the light out. You can take your clothes off when it's dark. I know you can't sleep with them on."

Seungcheol quickly obeyed, tucking the quilt around Jeonghan's body, waiting for Chan Chan to settle himself on the end of the bed. He walked over and turned the light off and carefully made his way back to the bed in the pitch black room. He slipped out of the clothes he wore and climbed under the quilt and tried to close his eyes. He waited to hear the soft sounds of Jeonghan sleeping, steady breath and even a gentle snore, but it never came. After staring at the black roof for what felt like forever he was startled to feel Jeonghan's hand slip into his under the wall of pillows.

He let Jeonghan tangle their fingers together and heard him roll over towards the pillow wall. "Goodnight Jeonghan," Seungcheol whispered and was soon soothed by the gentle sound of Jeonghan falling asleep.