I'm glad to get back to Millennium and you guys ! It was a bit difficult at first to write this chapter, because there is a lot of temporal cuts so I'll explain briefly for you to relocated everything. The part about Dongwoo comes after the scene in the previous chapter, later that day, in the evening. The scene with Sungyeol follows straight after we left him, so it's the same day but ealier in time than Dongwoo's scene. And finally, the scene with Sunggyu and the scene with Hoya are set the morning after the day we left them in. I hope you won't get confused :)

I also wrote a one-shot for Sunggyu's birthday as pat of the Bloom in Gyu Event, if you want to check it out Love ≠ Happiness

Sungjong was woken by knocks at his door. He winced, kicking his comforter and rubbing his eyes to chase his sleepiness as he sat up on the edge of his bed. He glanced at his alarm clock, 01:02 AM flashing in bright red. He sighed, wondering who could knock at his door at such an hour.  He walked groggily to the door, grabbing the base-ball bat he kept next to his door for safety measures.

“Who’s here ?” he asked.

“Sungjong-ah… Let me in…”

Recognizing the voice, Sungjong dropped the base-ball bat and opened the door. The sight he met arose his worry. Dongwoo was obviously drunk, and looking at his face, he had been crying.

“Oh my God hyung, what happened to you ?” he asked.

Dongwoo look at him with glassy eyes before breaking into tears, sobs shaking his entire frame. Sungjong gasped and immediately embrace him, helping him inside.

“What happened ?” Sungjong asked as he helped Dongwoo to settle on his couch. “Why did you get so ed up ?”

Dongwoo at a dry sob at that.

“I’m really ed up, aren’t I ?” he said, like speaking to himself.

He looked so dejected and low that Sungjong felt immediately guilty.

“Dongwoo hyung, I didn’t meant it that way.” He said, sitting next to him, taking his hand to squeeze it gently. “You are a wonderful person hyung. I’m just worried to see you like this. This is so out of character for you.”

Dongwoo leaned back on the couch, looking at the ceiling. He seemed lost, and Sungjong respected his need to gather his thoughts.

“I met Sunggyu’s mother today.” He said in a low, broken voice.

“What ?” Sungjong’s exclamation resonated through the silent apartment. “You met Sunggyu hyung’s mother ?” he repeated, not over his shock yet. “What the hell ? You never met her in the six years you were dating. Why is she showing up when you guys aren’t together anymore ?”

Dongwoo sighed, letting his head fall on the side. Despite his state, he knew Sungjong’s sincere concern for him and it felt wrong to not tell him the full story. But despite loving Sungjong like he would a brother, his love and loyalty for Sunggyu put the promise they made to each other first.

“I don’t know. She spoke about how Sunggyu needed to make a proper marriage and have children to perpetuate their family’s legacy… Maybe she wanted to be sure we weren’t together anymore.”

“But hyung, it doesn’t make sense…” Sungjong frowned. “Unless…”

The younger froze as his eyes widened, clasping his hands over his mouth as it fell agape in a silent scream.

“Dongwoo hyung… Maybe they want Sunggyu hyung to marry someone. That would explain why he broke up with you.”

“I don’t think so. I mean, Sunggyu is not someone who would do anything under someone’s compulsion. He was pretty upset with me, that’s why things escalated to that.”

“You still believe you guys will get back together ?” Sungjong asked.

Dongwoo sighed, nuzzling his cheek on Sungjong’s arm.

“Is it silly ?” he asked. “To think that, no matter what happen between us, I have this conviction that we belong together ?”

Sungjong had a small smile, Dongwoo’s hair slowly.

“I think it’s admirable of you.” he answered softly.

They stayed a moment like this, in a calm silence. Dongwoo showed signs of tiredness, making Sungjong his hair even more fondly, thinking he would have to get him into some pyjamas and put his current clothes into the washing machine later. As Sungjong expected, Dongwoo eventually fell asleep on the couch. Thankfully he slept like the dead, so getting him into a clean t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants was easy. He also grabbed a pillow and a spare comforter and settle Dongwoo so it’d be comfortable. The older man seemed to be thankful because he hummed softly in his sleep, making Sungjong chuckle and ruffle his hair.

“You’re so cute for a hyung.”

He grabbed the filthy, alcohol smelling clothes and tossed them into his washing machine, starting the express washing program. As he walked back to the main room, he saw Dongwoo sleeping soundly, hugging the comforter with his arms and legs. Sungjong smiled at the scene before remembering something that made him lose it.

Should I tell him that Sunggyu hyung is seeing someone else ? he wondered.

He immediately shook his head, a cold shiver running down his spine. Dongwoo would break if he knew, and he was fragile enough as it was.

“Where are you taking me ?”

For the umpteenth time, Sungyeol met a cold silence. He kept following the other man anyway, because if N wanted to show him something, he better find out what it was.

The sky was turning dark as the night fell on Seoul. After a cab ride, they ended up in a remote neighbourhood, almost in the outskirts of the city. They had been walking for quite some time, the narrow slope inaccessible in any other way than foot.

“It’s getting dark.” Sungyeol chirped again. “And I’m not reassured by our surroundings.” He said, a cold chill running down his spine as he noticed a small group of odd looking men lurking at them.

N seemed to noticed them as well because this time he glanced behind his shoulder to look at Sungyeol.

“Don’t worry about them. Only barking dogs.” he reassured him in his own way. “And you should know I’m always safe.”

Sungyeol shuddered, this time for a whole different reason. It was the code, in the gang. Being safe meant being armed. If he remembered well, N always had a certain fondness for Berettas.

“You’re as creepy as I remember.” Sungyeol muttered.

That made N laugh.

“What about Ravi ?” he threw back at him. “He kept saying he made quite an impression on you.”

“He got creepier.” Sungyeol said.

N laughed louder this time, slowing his pace to walk by his side. Yet he had the decency to let some space between them. N had always been somewhat considerate, Sungyeol noticed. He knew Sungyeol’s hate for the organisation. He never purposely made things that scared or repulsed Sungyeol around him. That’s why he was the only one among them he respected enough to call hyung. That and the fact that N took care of Hyuk well.

“I knew you’ll go to see him.” N said, breaking the silence for the first time, as if reading his thoughts. “You were always fond of him.”

“I consider Hyuk my brother, you should know that.” He said, kicking a small rock away with his foot.

“I know. I must say it’s hard not to. Hyuk has this kind of gift. He makes people feel more… humane.”

“Strange of you to say.” Sungyeol rose an eyebrow.

N smiled a bit, nodding.

“I know.”

Finally, their walk ended on a dead-end street, a crappy looking building before them. N nodded his head, asking nonverbally to follow. Sungyeol climbed behind him, eyes fixed on the unstable-looking stairs. A group of young people sat on the stairs on their way up, dealing some drugs between landings. Sungyeol would’ve been scared to cross their path alone, but he knew the man in front of him was the scariest of all in this place. What were a few inoffensive drug dealers compared to a skilled killer ? The others seemed to know as well, removing themselves from their path quietly as they came across them.

They reached the top of the building to a rooftop apartment. N walked straight to the door, pressed the code before processing inside. Sungyeol followed him. Contrary to its shabby outside look, the apartment was clean and well renovated. The main room was spacious, probably luminous during the day due to the two large windows, and fully equipped on top of that. It has a fitted kitchen, cupboards and a washing machine in one side, the other being the living-room area furnished with a sofa bed and a TV hung on the wall. N walked to a door and opened it, revealing the small bathroom including toilets, a small sink and a cabinet above it hanging on the wall and a shower.

“Do you like it ?” N asked.

Sungyeol frowned, confused by the whole thing. Sure, the apartment looked great,