The following morning went about as usual as the previous week, Xiumin making the coffee and Yejin preparing breakfast. They didn't speak as they ate, but as she began clearing the table and Xiumin loaded the dishwasher he broke the casual silence.

“I'm going to HQ today,” he said.

“Stopping into the office? Why?” she inquired with a smirk. Underlining tones of his real job hidden by the mundane terms of just another businessman going off to work was amusing to her, maybe a little too much, but Xiumin looked good in a suit and the possibility of him working a corporate job wasn't too farfetched.

She leaned against the counter next to the sink crossing her ankles and arms as she watched Xiumin fill the dishwasher.

“Bambi's stopping by for an update,” he replied.

“Oh,” she hummed. Pulling her phone out of her back pocket she checked the date. “It's the twentieth. Hey, can I go with you?” she asked.

He peered sideways at her as he grabbed their glasses out of the sink. As he placed them in the dishwasher he said, “Why do you want to go? I thought you would go back to the daycare today.”

“To bug Bambi of course. The daycare will be there tomorrow, but Bambi only turns however old once,” she said with a half smile.

“Twenty-seven,” Xiumin commented.

“Huh, older than I thought,” she muttered.

“I'm twenty-seven,” he added.

“That I knew,” she stated.

Xiumin finished loading the washer, popped a detergent tablet inside then closed it to run it. Turning away from the appliance he faced Yejin who was sending a message to Taeyeon that she wasn't going to stop by today.

“You're not going to take no for an answer are you?” he huffed.

“You catch on quick,” she said.

Sighing he reached into the front pocket of his pants pulling out his phone as he made his way out of the kitchen. Over his shoulder he said, “Be ready to leave in ten minutes.”

“Yes sir,” she saluted playfully.

Xiumin had not been kidding, exactly ten minutes later he was walking out the front door with Yejin hopping after him trying to pull on her other boot. He shook his head at her as he locked up the condo while she smoothed down the front of her v-neck blouse like nothing happened. When they reached the elevator Yejin took hold of his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world, and as the doors slid open to reveal a middle aged woman with a half asleep toddler on her hip Yejin offered her a kind smile and waved sweetly at the little boy who waved back with a yawn and a limp wrist.

“Well aren't you two a cute pair,” the woman commented as she stepped into the hall.

“Thank you,” Yejin said.

Xiumin guided Yejin into the elevator a kind smile of his own for the woman who paused to turn around to keep speaking. Yejin's gaze was mostly on the boy as he blew bubbles with his drool as he leaned against –supposedly– his mother's shoulder. He was so cute.

“Married?” she asked.

Yejin wanted to blurt out no, but the warm metal band on her left hand stopped her. Holding up said hand to flash the ring Yejin said, “No, no. We're just engaged.”

“Oh I remember those days,” she said fondly.

“Have a good day ma'am,” Xiumin grinned at the woman.

She flushed at the expression as the elevator door slid shut. Xiumin pressing the lobby button as Yejin glanced up at the calm mask he was wearing. Her hold loosened on his arm as her left hand returned to his forearm, their facade strangely perfect.

“If it wasn't for a simple ring would you ever get married?” she randomly asked.

Xiumin gave her a look that she took as are-you-really-asking-this?, but after several passing floors she realized it was more of a I-don't-want-to-have-this-conversation look. She blew out all the air in her lungs in one long huff, disappointed that he was going to be as stubborn as her about the question. It was merely hypothetical.

Then the elevator stopped, opened and they stepped out.

“Just making conversation,” she mumbled.

Xiumin led the way across the lobby and to the elevator to the underground garage, Yejin still holding onto his arm.

“You have a weird definition of conversation,” he replied.

“Says the man who asked about my love life last night,” she countered.

“Which you never answered,” he stated.

“No, I just put off answering,” she corrected.

“Same thing.”

Yejin rolled her eyes as they entered the elevator, and neither of them spoke as they reached the garage or as Xiumin pulled the car out onto the road. She leaned her head against the window tilting it back so she could stare up at the sky that was a bright clear azure blue that normally lifted her spirits when she was in a slump. Not today. Today wasn't a slump, but there was that ringing stress in the back of her mind that never went away, not since Poseidon told her that Suho had been the one making him sick with poison. She wanted to go out to see Tao, have fun with her friends, return to the days she was comfortable in – minus Sehun stalking her about – but that wasn't going to happen. Not anytime soon at least. Zhang Yixing had to be broken out of jail first then had to deal with Suho, then and only then could she return to happier times. Or at least better times with her father's passing.

Yejin didn't snap out of her head until Xiumin pried his arm free of her grip so he could insert the key to the elevator. Shaking off the dazing thoughts she brushed her curled fringe out of her face as the doors closed and the elevator began descending. Biting her upper lip she rocked back on her heel as she clamped her hands together behind her back.

“So does Bambi know about our little deal the other day?” she inquired.

“Yes,” Xiumin nodded.

“Has anything good come of it yet?” She arched a brow curiously at him.

“Bambi's territory has been left alone as far as my sources have told me,” he replied.

“Good,” she half smiled.

Glancing over at her with knitted brows Xiumin repeated, “Good?”

“What better gift to give a guy like Bambi than protected territory? Especially when you sort of owe him,” she explained.

“He was paid to bring you to me,” Xiumin pointed out.

“Sort of. He was paid to meet with me and then decide if I was worth meeting you, but beside that he also lost employees because of me. I can't bring them back, at least not the ones Dragon took anyway, but I can at least help protect his work. Making connections is all part of this world, isn't it?” She locked gazes with Xiumin as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.

He removed his key while Yejin stepped out into the long corridor, hands still behind her back. Peering over her shoulder as she walked she watched Xiumin follow after her at a steady pace.

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