18 Days until the Auction House

Eunhyuk hadn’t expected the invitation to go drinking. It wasn’t much in Kyuhyun’s nature to want him as a drinking partner more than once a week. Maybe the younger man just wanted to make it up to him for bailing last minute a few days ago?

That also seemed oddly uncharacteristic though.

When he arrived, it was even more staggering to find Kyuhyun was already sitting in one of the booths near the back. He looked for all the world as if he hadn’t been sleeping. The dark circles under his eyes were heavier than the shadows hanging over the table and cushions, which certainly said something about what Eunhyuk now had to deal with.

He had hoped they would be having a relaxing drinking night, but it looked like Kyuhyun was tenser than a coiled spring.

Approaching with slow, careful, and very deliberate steps, Eunhyuk came up to the booth, eyes focused on Kyuhyun until the man noticed him. It took longer than normal.

Kyuhyun’s eyes flitted over, dawning with recognition after a delayed beat. “Hey.”

“Do you need me to tell you how you look?”

The agent scowled harshly. “That’s certainly one way to treat the person paying for your drinks.”

Eunhyuk raised his hands in surrender. “You’re looking fabulous, Kyu.”

“Better.” Kyuhyun rubbed his face, gaze falling back down to the beer in front of him. He watched Eunhyuk take a seat and call a waitress over. The man ordered a complicated cocktail and Kyuhyun didn’t even have the energy to bite out a snarky remark.

That’s how Eunhyuk knew this was serious.

Once the waitress was out of earshot, he leaned over the table, body language urgent but casual to any onlookers. He kept his expression neutral as he asked, “What happened and what do you need me to do?”

Kyuhyun’s expression cracked. He let out a shuddering breath. “I...I’m married.”

Eunhyuk’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“I mean, I never got divorced. I’m still married to Ryeowook.” Kyuhyun didn’t lift his gaze from the pale, gold drink. His slim fingers tightened around the glass. “I know what you’re thinking, but I just couldn’t do it. I tried. I did.”

“Did you?” he repeated.

Kyuhyun his lips, and then sighed. “Okay, fine, I didn’t.”

“Right, that’s more believable,” Eunhyuk muttered. “Alright, so you didn’t divorce him after the mission. Now, what?” He actually wanted to ask how that detail slipped past Director Choi, but he figured that would be asking for trouble. It couldn’t have been legal and given Kyuhyun’s impressive track record with hacking and forging, it wasn’t a leap of logic to guess what happened.

Kyuhyun finally lifted his head, dark eyes desperate. “He went missing several days ago. It was only by chance that I saw the missing persons’ report and found it. I don’t keep up with him at all. That’s not a lie,” he emphasized, seemingly trying to convey that he wasn’t breaking all the protocol. “I can’t do this investigation alone. There’s too many loose ends and looking through all the data is taking me longer than is acceptable.” His jaw clenched. “I need help accessing the surveillance footage at Ryeowook’s apartment complex, workplace, and if possible, the street surveillance cameras as well. I haven’t done that type of hacking in a long time, and I figured you’re on surveillance duty frequently and would know what to look for.”

“You’re...really serious about this,” Eunhyuk stated softly. The waitress returned with his drink, departing quickly after. He took a long sip before answering Kyuhyun, “You know that using the agency’s resources for personal matters is prohibited, right?”

“I trust that you won’t tell on me.”

Eunhyuk cracked a smile at that. “Really? I don’t know if I’m trustworthy. We’re all in a pretty cut-throat line of work. You sure it’s a good idea to ask for my help?”

“Who else could I ask?” He gave him a long look, lips pressed into a firm line. “I have no one else to turn to. I need to find Ryeowook. If this...kidnapping—”

“Kidnapping?” Eunhyuk interrupted. “We just escalated things, Kyu.”

“I’ve gone through the potential reasons for him disappearing and it’s a likely option. Ryeowook is a civilian with a stable job and the reports I’ve come across about him show that he adjusted rather quickly to life without me. He has few reasons for falling off the grid, particularly because he was in the midst of post-production for a new film. I’ve known him for along time and he wouldn’t just crumple under that pressure. That means something happened. He isn’t a likely candidate for running away from his life.”

Eunhyuk swirled his drink slowly, eyes moving back and forth as he processed the information. “Then you think someone is using him...to come after you?”

“It’s something I’ve considered.”

“Then are you feeling responsible?”

Kyuhyun glowered. “Of course I do. His safety is my responsibility.” His shoulders hunched, eyes straining at the corners, face tense with emotion. “I shouldn’t have left him to fend for himself.”

Eunhyuk knew he could jab more at the other man. He could easily make Kyuhyun feel like . However, it looked like none of that would be very productive. Sighing loudly, Eunhyuk locked eyes with Kyuhyun. “You sold me. I’ll help. If the director learns about our activities though, I’m throwing you under the bus.”

“That’s fine,” he answered immediately, hope breaking across his features in an instant. “I...” I don’t care if I lose it all. Not if it means saving Ryeowook. “Yeah. It’s fine.” Kyuhyun nodded.

Eunhyuk almost pursued Kyuhyun’s odd reaction, but decided against it. If he got any deeper into this, he wasn’t sure if he’d get out okay. “Alright, when do we start?”

“In two days, let’s meet in front of this address. I have another mission I’m leaving for tonight and I’ll be back by then.” Kyuhyun slid a small, folded sheet of paper across the table. Leaving his beer unfinished, he laid enough money down to cover them both, and then stood. “Sorry to run,” he checked his watch, “I really do have to catch a flight.”

Eunhyuk’s jaw slackened. “What? You seriously just called me out for a favor? And it’s only been like...10 minutes! How did you know I would even agree?”

Kyuhyun shrugged, that signature smirk touching his lips. “I just knew. You can’t say no to a puppy dog face.” He winked, before tugging his coat on. “The waitress was eyeing you. Might be fun.” Then he sauntered off, fading into the growing crowd of bar goers.

He was once again reminded of why everyone loved and hated Kyuhyun.