“Spill it.”

“What?”

“I said spill it. You’ve been peeping at my handsome face for quite long. What do you want to know, Princess?”

“Handsome face, my .” Daesung murmured, rolling his eyes. He looked at the man who was half sitting, half lying on the couch beside him. “Do you usually get beaten like this? I thought you’re good with your fist.”

“I am good.” Seunghyun was about to swing his fist in the air to show his strength, but then I realized his body still hurt from the fight and his wrist was cuffed to Daesung’s, so he just cleared his throat and said. “But if my opponents are strong or fully equipped, or if they outnumber us, that can’t be helped.”

“Then what do you usually do if you are badly injured? You can barely stand, let alone take care of yourself.”

“I’ll stay with my fellows. They’ll look after my wounds.”

“Then why didn’t you stay with them the other day? Why did you go home all by yourself?” Daesung let his eyes trail on the bruises on Seunghyun’s face and arms, feeling bad for his kidnapper. He recalled the sight of Seunghyun coming home two days ago, covered in blood. Daesung thought it was the most frightening moment in his entire life, and he had never been that worried for someone before. As much as he hated to admit it, Daesung had continuously begged in his head “Please don’t die” while cleaning and treating Seunghyun’s injuries.

“You were waiting for me, that’s why.” Seunghyun abandoned the TV show he was watching, eye gluing deeply to Daesung

“You could have died on your way, you know.” With two cheeks getting hot, Daesung shyly turned his face away from Seunghyun. The mercenary noticed that and he silently smiled, his heart a little bigger. Seunghyun shook his cuffed hand lightly, and hooked his pinky with Daesung’s.

The hostage was startled at the very small skinship, but he didn’t retreat. He didn’t want to let go of the warm that was spreading from this tiny touch to his whole body. He had never realized how lonely his hands were until he saw the sight of Seunghyun’s long, slender finger curling up around his shorter one. And it felt so right that Daesung was this close to think his pinky was meant to be there, in the embrace of Seunghyun’s one.

“Why are you lonely?” Seunghyun’s thick baritone voice snapped Daesung back to reality, a harsh reality.

“Why did you ask me that all of a sudden? I don’t take personal questions.”

“Because I’m curious. You have been with your boyfriend for too long to be lonely, haven’t you?”

“Love is always on fire at first.” After a long moment of silence, Daesung shrugged nonchalantly, not looking at Seunghyun. “Then time goes by, things happen, the passion for each other slowly fades away.”

“What are the things that happen between you and your lover?” Seu