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"He doesn't understand me at all... and he doesn't even want to." Jeonghan vented out his frustrations as he laid on Seungcheol's laps.

Seungcheol ran his hands through Jeonghan's long, black hair, the action soothing the both of them. "I'm not keeping you here to hurt you... you know that right?"

Jeonghan's tone faltered, switching between hopeful and anxious. He wasn't trying to her Seungcheol. He truly wasn't.

"This... this all just... wasn't meant to happen... fuck." He said under his breath, covering his eyes with his arms as Seungcheol breathed out.

He continued to play with Jeonghan's hair, not a word getting out of his mouth before Jeonghan got up abruptly.

Seungcheol's eyebrows rose as his hand stayed still in the air and his focus stayed on Jeonghan. "What's wrong?"

Jeonghan stood up from the bed, running his hands through the hair and gripping it tightly. "Are you okay?" Seungcheol proceeded to get up as well.

Jeonghan shook his head, feeling a lump in his throat and prickling tears in his eyes. "I can't do this anymore. Everything is ruined."

He squatted down, his hair in his hands and his head hung over as he stared at the floor. "Nothing's ruined. I told you I won't report you and Joshua won't either, okay?"

Seungcheol groaned as he sat next to Jeonghan, his injury still hurting a bit. He slid his arm around Jeonghan, pulling him closer.

"And I know you're not trying to hurt me Jeonghan, I know. None of this is your fault okay? It's the way the world is... it's fucked and it's stupid."

Jeonghan's head relaxed on Seungcheol's shoulder, his gaze on the white wall ahead of him while he fought the tears from falling out.

The world was fucked. Really fucked.

"I'm sorry... this would've been perfect, we would've been perfect if I wasn't such a..."

Jeonghan struggled to get the word out but eventually he was able to say it. "Monster." His voice lowered and shuddered.

Seungcheol, hearing that, pulled Jeonghan even closer, if that was humanely possible and gripped his hand tightly.

"Listen to me. You're not a monster, okay?" He moved his hand to Jeonghan's chin, turning his face towards him.

Jeonghan nodded as he swallowed the lump, a tear falling down his cheek. Seungcheol wiped it away without hesitation and Jeonghan passed him a small smile before looking away.

Seungcheol scowled, turning Jeonghan's face towards him again before smirking and leaning in for a kiss. Their lips interlocked softly, the kiss providing a sense of safety, love and understanding to them.

Jeonghan's hands went around Seungcheol's neck and Seungcheol pulled Jeonghan unto his lap, not breaking the kiss.

With each pull away from their lips was a harder, more tense collision and the pressing of their bodies against each other only built up the passion of the moment.

At once, they became Choi Seungcheol and Yoon Jeonghan and nothing else. Not Detective Choi, not the Justice Killer, just themselves and in that moment, it was enough.

They were enough.

Despite the obvious passion they displayed as they made out, there was also a sweet, soft aspect to it. As though they were caressing each other's pains away.

Jeonghan's tears fell adding a saltiness to their kiss and Seungcheol winced when Jeonghan accidentally pressed against his wound but their totally human expressions made it even better.

Seungcheol really loved him. Or at least, he didn't hate him and Jeonghan was happy with that. He was elated, even.

The last time they had kissed, it wasn't exactly like this. In fact, it was the total opposite and yet, this felt so good. This felt right.

Seungcheol's hands moved over to Jeonghan's waist and Jeonghan felt free, he felt safe. He had expected his trauma to find some way to insert itself into this special moment but no, it hadn't.

In Seungcheol's hands, he felt complete. He didn't feel like a victim, not at all.

Seungcheol couldn't believe that this was actually happening. He was utterly head over heels for Jeonghan and he had never thought he could be with him in a way that was so pure which was in total contrast to the nature of their relationship.

It felt surreal and yet, he was grateful, so grateful that Jeonghan felt happy with him.

So happy that this was real. They were real.

With one last gentle kiss on the lips, the two parted, their eye contact adding on to the moment as they stared at each other with love in their eyes and bright smiles on their faces.

"You just kissed me." Jeonghan pointed out like it wasn't obvious, his hands on Seungcheol's shoulder, closing in on his neck.

Seungcheol smile brightened, his gaze fixed on the angel in front of him. "Yeah, I did, angel."

Jeonghan's expression immediately softened as he took in the nickname and processed it. Angel? Seungcheol had called him an angel?

And suddenly, he couldn't fight back the smile anymore. Not that he ever did.

"You... you can leave, whenever you want." Jeonghan reached for the keys in his pocket, getting them out and handing them to Seungcheol who received them with his teeth before throwing them to the side.

"But please promise me one thing." Jeonghan raised up his pinky and Seungcheol took a hand off Jeonghan's waist before raising up his pinky. "What's that?"

Jeonghan sighed, rubbing Seungcheol's neck, the action almost like a conditioned reflex. "You won't betray me, not now, not ever."

Seungcheol gave a reassuring smile to Jeonghan before interlocking their pinky fingers. "I promise."

Jeonghan's eyes narrowed from Seungcheol's face to their pinkys, a smile gradually forming on his face.

"I won't either." He whispered and Seungcheol nodded, leaning in.

"I know, angel."

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"Is he okay now?!" Wonwoo stood up as soon as the doctor came out of the operating room. It had been a few hours since Wonwoo had rushed in with Mingyu's unconscious body and he'd heard nothing.

Nothing at all.

His heart ached, badly. He didn't know what these emotions were but what he did know was that Mingyu couldn't leave him like that.

He just couldn't.

"He's fine, Sir, he does have a wound to the abdomen but it will heal pretty quickly... you're very lucky you got him here at the time you did. Any minute later and he would have been gone." The doctor explained and Wonwoo felt a huge sense of relief overpower him.

If he wasn't so emotionally detached from himself, he would've cried at the moment but instead, all he could do was bury his face in his palms and thank whoever it was that decided to bring Mingyu back to him.

"Can I see him?" Wonwoo questioned and the doctor nodded. "In a few minutes, once we move him from the OR." She replied and Wonwoo smiled, actually smiled.

Not a smirk or a chuckle, a real smile.

"Thank you." He said but in his mind he started to question himself, looking back on his thoughts and behaviour recently.

Did he... perhaps... like Mingyu?

Well, even if he did, nothing would ever happen. He'd promised himself that.

After a few minutes, Wonwoo was allowed to see Mingyu and when he did, he ran up to him giving him a tight hug.

"I thought you were gone... thank you for coming back to me." Wonwoo whispered into Mingyu's ears, a smile appearing on Mingyu's face as he heard the words.

Mingyu hugged Wonwoo back and for the first time, Wonwoo felt the comfort of being in another person's arms and of course, they just had to be Mingyu's.

Mingyu sighed as they eventually let go of each other. "I'm sorry for getting shot, I jeopardised the whole mission." Mingyu covered his face with his hands.

Wonwoo's face scrunched as he looked at Mingyu with total endearment and obvious confusion. "Jeopardised? What are you talking about? Without you, without what you did, Hyein would be dead."

Mingyu gave a small, passive smile as if he didn't believe it but Wonwoo scoffed, he was determined to convince Mingyu that he was an integral part of this case because he was.

"Without you, I wouldn't have been able to solve this case, Mingyu."

Mingyu removed his hands from his face, their eyes locking as he did. "You're the best partner I could have ever had. I wouldn't trade you for anything."

Wonwoo was dead serious and his seriousness was exactly what made Mingyu's face break into a huge, bright smile.

Wonwoo was opening up to him. Wonwoo was appreciating him. Wonwoo wasn't hiding his feelings anymore.

"This might be the only time I've ever been so happy to be shot." Mingyu whispered to himself but Wonwoo picked it up and a smile coated his face begrudgingly.

Mingyu giggled, pulling him in for another hug which Wonwoo shyly returned as if he hadn't hugged Mingyu first.

"Since you're so bummed about me getting shot, you could do me a favour." Mingyu proposed as they broke apart.

Wonwoo's eyebrow raised, a suspicious look in his face. "What's that?" He asked, folding his arms.

Mingyu smirked, mischievously before putting his hands together as if he wanted to say a prayer. "One date."

Hearing the words made Wonwoo's smile disappear which Mingyu certainly noticed. He didn't want to date Mingyu for many reasons.

They were colleagues, they had work trauma, Wonwoo didn't feel worthy enough, he didn't want to risk their friendship. Conclusively, the risks were a lot higher than the returns.

Mingyu, understanding why Wonwoo's mood changed, grabbed his hands and pulled his closer. "If it doesn't work out, it doesn't... but there's no harm in trying Wonwoo."

Wonwoo looked into Mingyu's eyes which were suddenly all so convincing and also comforting, like he knew just the way to get into Wonwoo's heart.

He took a deep breath. Yeah, there was no harm in trying. There was no harm in trying at all.

"Fine... one date, when you're fully healed." Wonwoo gave a condition which Mingyu couldn't care about as he celebrated in his hospital bed.

Wonwoo stifled a smile, taking out his phone and seeing a message from the fellow officers who had followed him to the hospital.

Hyein was awake, finally.

Wonwoo turned around while Mingyu continued to celebrate. "I'm going to see Hyein, she just woke up." He informed Mingyu whose celebratory expression turned into concern in a split second.

"Is she okay?"

Wonwoo couldn't see Mingyu's face but he could hear everything in Mingyu's words and tones. Hyein truly was so important to him.

And knowing that, only made Wonwoo adore the man even more.

Wonwoo turned slightly, giving Mingyu the nod he'd been waiting for as he visibly relaxed once his question was answered.

"That's good. That's very good." He bundled up in his bed, a bright smile on his face. "I helped save her."

His eyes narrowed to Wonwoo. "We did it Wonwoo, we saved her."

Wonwoo sighed, he was giving up. He couldn't fight his feelings anymore. Not when they were like a bulldozer actively trying to run him over.

He walked closer to Mingyu, confusion and surprise evident on the latter's face as he got near him again.

"Aren't you going to see Hyein?" Mingyu asked and Wonwoo nodded but his body, his eyes, his hands, they were all saying something different.

"I like you Kim Mingyu. " Wonwoo confessed and Mingyu's confusion instantly diffused, his bright, sparkly, pearly smile taking over instead.

He pulled Wonwoo closer, their third hug of the day but this one was different. It was more real, truer, sensual. It brought them closer literally, and figuratively.

After a minute or two of being silent and content in each other's arms, their hug ended and Mingyu smiled, not taking his eyes off Wonwoo.

"I like you too Jeon Wonwoo, I like you a lot."

Wonwoo's eyes smiled first and then the rest of his face as he viewed Mingyu covered in tiny red hearts all over. Mingyu liked him.

Mingyu actually liked him.

"So the date is 100% happening, right? You can't cancel!"

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Joshua drank down another shot and another and another. Soon, his vision was blurry and he could barely make out the layout of the bar.

He stayed on one of the barstools, contemplating what to do about Jeonghan, what to do about Seungcheol, what to do about Seokmin, what to do about his case.

There were too many problems, too many wrongs he had to right and they were all starting to weigh down on him.

"Detective Hong." He heard someone call and as he turned around, he saw Seokmin walking up to him from the entrance.

Except he didn't look exactly thrilled to see Joshua.

Joshua smiled with his eyes, waving to the boy, totally oblivious to his clear anger. "You don't care anymore!" He yelled over the loud music in the bar.

Joshua's forehead creased and his eyes squinted as he tried to make sense of his words. "You told me you would find her killer! You told me you would get justice for her!"

Joshua stayed silent while Seokmin just berated him completely.

"What have you even been doing for the past few days! You haven't informed me of anything, I haven't heard of any progress! Do you even know that Park Otaek is dead?!"

Joshua was drunk but that news came as a pure shock to him, his mouth hung open as he heard it. Seokmin saw his reaction and scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"You said I could trust you! You said you would help my sister rest happily in her grave! You lied to me!"

He took a deep breath, giving Joshua a moment to respond but his head was too messed up, too dizzy for him to say anything back.

Seokmin shook his head, muttering, "Fuck this."

"And fuck you, Hong Joshua."

With his last words, he turned around and left the bar, all the attention unto Joshua who just faced the bar again and placed his head on the table, shaking it in disappointment at himself.

He was pathetic.

He couldn't handle anything.

He couldn't even fulfill his promises.

Ⓒ︎OHWAYOHWAYOH
𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖉 - 11/11/2024
𝕰𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖉 - N/A