The sound of a train roaring by was amplified by the metal siding of the warehouses that dotted the barren cityscape.  Yellowing grass broke between the large slabs of concrete covering the ground which had been bleached by the sun.  A fast food wrapper rolled by Leeteuk’s feet and he moved out of its way, actively stopping himself from wrinkling his nose.  He squinted up at the ribbed siding of the massive building in front of him.  The sun reflected off of the silver surface, nearly blinding him.

“Heechul, where the hell are we?” he asked with a touch of unease that mixed strangely with a hint of a sigh.  He turned to look at his friend who was posed with his arms crossed delicately, his head titled back at an angle Leeteuk was positive he’d chosen just because he knew it looked good.  Turning his head nonchalantly and looking over the top of his sunglasses, Heechul teased,

“I bet you’re just dying to get a sponge and some bleach so you can wash this place down.” 

Glancing at the graffiti that covered a nearby concrete wall, which seemed to serve no purpose but to encourage vandalism, Leeteuk mused, “I think I’d need a power washer, honestly.”

Heechul flashed him an extremely white smile and then sauntered off toward the building in front of them.  “Come on,” he called. 

Glancing uneasily around, Leeteuk wished once again that Kangin had come with them.  Between the two of them, they were about as threatening looking as an ear of corn.  He thought back on why Kangin hadn’t come and recalled the conversation from a few hours before: 

“How are we going to meet this guy?”

“Sorry, Kangin, not you.  He said only me and the person making the request for the job could come along.” 

“Wait, you already talked to him!?”

“Course I did, Teuk!  I called last night.  I had to try to pull some strings.  His work does not come cheap, but he owes me a favor or two.  Said he’d do it for free.”

“Well, that’s not really necess—”

“This is bull, Heechul.  Are you seriously going to trust him on this, Leeteuk?

“Nothing’s going to happen.  It’s perfectly safe.   We go way back.”

“Couldn’t he just come here?”

“Do you want him coming to the apartment?”

“No, not really…Okay fine, when are we going?”

“Now, if you’re ready.” 

“What?  No.  Leeteuk, you don’t even know where you’re going.  Heechul, will you please just stop and think about how crazy this is.” 

“Kangin, it’s okay, we agreed to do this.  Just look after Donghae for me if he gets up.  He’s sleeping in my room.”

“Teukie.”

Realizing this last word was actually being spoken to him in that moment, he blinked and looked up.  Heechul was staring at him, holding open a door that looked disproportionately small compared to the massive warehouse it opened into.  “You coming?” 

Throwing one more cautionary look over his shoulder, feeling guilty even for being there, he walked past Heechul into the warehouse.

It took Leeteuk’s eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness inside.  He could sense the vastness of the open space he’d stepped into by the coolness of the air and the echo of his shoes hitting against the concrete floor.  He jumped involuntarily at the sound of the heavy metal door shutting behind him then spun quickly as a hand touched his shoulder.  He knew even before his eyes adjusted completely that it was Heechul.

“Relax,” Heechul grinned as he took his sunglasses off and hung them from the front of his shirt.  “Follow me.”

The lithe man continued forward in that confident way he seemed to reserve for those moments when it would be more inappropriate.  Swinging his head at the shadows as he followed after, Leeteuk noted unhappily the way his shoes seemed to be ten times louder than Heechul’s.               

As they emerged past a row of shelves covered over with burlap tarps, a set of long foldaway tables placed end to end came into view.  A single light bulb hanging down from the distant ceiling was suspended on a cord over the tables, illuminating them with a harsh yellow glow. 

Directly under the beam of the light was a figure clothed almost entirely in black, save for the white tee-shirt he was wearing underneath a button down and a jacket.  The figure was gripping the table with hands covered with fingerless gloves and was hovering over a jumbled set of papers spread across the table.  Unruly black hair almost as dark as his clothes cast a shadow over his face. 

“Anything good?” 

Leeteuk came to a halt as Heechul, also coming to a stop, spoke.  He posed with his feet spread apart and his arms folded.  The figure leaning over the table looked up from his work and stared directly at Heechul, completely ignoring Leeteuk.  It might have been the way the shadows were playing across his dark eyes, but the stranger looked like he might have been wearing eyeliner.

Leeteuk watched the dark eyed stranger stare blank-faced at his friend and suppressed a bit of a shiver at the darkness in those eyes.  The void in his eyes was nearly demonic.  Finally, blinking once with almost deliberate slowness, the stranger said,

“Probably not.” 

Leeteuk realized he was holding his breath the same moment he sensed Heechul start grinning beside him.  A hint of light entered the stranger’s eyes.  Leeteuk felt very much on the outside of their shared joke. 

The stranger straightened, taking his hands off of the table and Heechul headed over around the work space.  Without a moment’s hesitation, the two hugged and then stepped back, looking each other over happily.

“When I hadn’t heard from you in a year, I was beginning to wonder if you’d followed through on your decision to move to outer space.”

“Unfortunately no, although I did work at this place called the Space Bar, no joke.”

Not really wanting to be noticed, but feeling like if he didn’t he’d be completely forgotten, Leeteuk cleared his throat. 

Both looked over at the blonde man.  Leeteuk waited patiently for an introduction but instead of introducing himself, the stranger spun around and walked toward a column behind him, flicking a large switch there.  A row of florescent lights suddenly flickered into life on the back wall, illuminating the area around the tables. 

Various strange machines and knick knacks came into focus under the improved lighting and Leeteuk, after scanning them curiously was finally able to get a good look at the stranger who had come back to stand next to Heechul.

“Leeteuk, this is Yesung, prince of darkness and master forger.  Yesung, this is Leeteuk I told you about him on the phone.”

Yesung bowed slightly, with a hint of extravagance fitting of Heechul’s elaborate introduction.  Too distracted to respond to the greeting now that he could clearly see this Yesung’s face, Leeteuk beckoned Heechul over to him.  Heechul slid over the table top and bounced to his roommate’s side.  Shooting a quick, “excuse me,” over at this Yesung character, Leeteuk lowered his voice and spoke to Heechul,  

“What is this?”

“I told you I knew a guy who could get us papers for Donghae.”

“Yes,” Leeteuk said flustered.  “But when you said you knew a guy, I thought you meant like…a man, not a… a not-an-adult.” Realizing he was talking loud enough for Yesung to hear, Leeteuk shot, “No offense,” over Heechul’s shoulder then feeling slightly embarrassed under Yesung’s even stare continued, “I mean, you aren’t …how old are you?”

“I’m 19.”

“19” Leeteuk repeated, looking at Heechul accusingly. 

“That’s technically an adult,” he pointed out.

“Yes, but I really don’t see how a 19 year old is going to make anything convincing enough to trick various government officials.”

“I’ve been doing this for 2 years,” Yesung announced, not sounding insulted.  Both Leeteuk and Heechul shot him a look and he fidgeted under their joint glare, sitting down in a nearby chair in a show of submission.

Returning to the admonishment of his roommate, Leeteuk continued, “I know that you’re trying to help by setting this up but I don’t think this is right for us.”  Again strangely aware of Yesung’s presence, Leeteuk said, “No offense.”

“Don’t mind Leeteuk,” Heechul said, “He’s just flustered cause this is high class crime and he’s never even jaywalked.”

“I have too!”

 “Woah, we got a badass over here!” Heechul exclaimed, throwing a laugh over at Yesung which was half-returned by the young man who seemed, under the revelation of better lighting, to be half-confused about everything going on around him.  His dark stare now seemed more blank than threatening. 

With a hint of eagerness, Yesung stood again and assured, “I’m really good at this.  Honest.” 

“How did you even get—,” Leeteuk began, then interrupted himself, “No, wait, how do you two know each other?  First things first.”

“Oh,” Heechul answered for him, “we lived in the same house for about four months.”

Taking a moment to figure out that Heechul meant Yesung was in foster care with him, Leeteuk’s mouth opened in an “oh” of surprise and then he asked curiously, “Why only four months?  I don’t really know how the system works but I thought the stays were longer than that?”

Yesung and Heechul exchanged a look and Leeteuk felt his heart drop slightly as Yesung answered carefully, “They took the house off of the foster list after we stayed there.”  He didn’t take his eyes off of Heechul as he answered and Leeteuk sensed a silent conversation passing between their eyes.  “But,” Yesung broke the eye contact and now addressed Leeteuk cheerfully, “Heechul really looked out for me back then and we kept in touch over the years.” 

“And uh, how did you get into,” Leeteuk poignantly cast his eyes over the machines he gathered were some kind of printing presses. 

A mischievous light sparked in Yesung’s eyes and he once more took on a demonic edge as he explained, “Let’s just say for your sake that it’s better if the details remain fuzzy.”

Not sure if Yesung was kidding around or being dead serious, Leeteuk redirected quickly, “Does it ever bother you, though, that you’re helping bad people do illegal things.”

Yesung shrugged, “Not really.  I mean you’ve got your business fraud and your insurance scandals and what not but that’s where the big money is.  And I can use that money to take on cases that actually mean something.  Like yours.  So, it’s not all bad.”

Simultaneously confused and endeared to Yesung, Leeteuk questioned, “Why do you do it?”

“Well, first of all it’s not really a competitive field.  I’m the only document forger this side of town but it’s also surprisingly in demand.  The real reason though?  I think the government at getting things done.  Like you, for example.  In the real world, the price of giving your kid a home where clearly he’d be well looked after and loved is 46 million won and up to two years of bull.”

The forceful note in the forger’s voice took Leeteuk off guard but he was also moved by his fervor.  This was clearly something he was passionate about. 

“Okay,” Leeteuk nodded, determined to go through with this.  “What do you need to know?”

Yesung waved a hand, “Heechul told me everything I needed to know when we were catching up last night on the phone.”

Taken aback, and looking from Heechul to Yesung, Leeteuk stuttered, “Well, then what did you need me to come here for?”

“I only do work for clients who are willing to meet me in person.  It shows me they’re sincere.”

Assured now that they’d come to the right person, Leeteuk looked over at Heechul who smiled.  He could tell his roommate had been persuaded.

“Okay, well, what do I need to do?” 

“Wait until I show up with the papers making you—” he picked up one of the papers in front of him and read, “Donghae’s—guardian.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Walking forward, Leeteuk extended his arm to shake Yesung’s hand.  “Thank you.” 

“It’s my pleasure. From what I can tell you’re a good man, Leeteuk.”

Smiling warmly, Leeteuk offered back, “From what I can tell, so are you.”

A/N  AT LAST  XD  I have returned from a long battle with that monster known as college and am now free to update!  This chapter took me forever, as I'm sure you've noticed, haha.  

First, I recognize this is a little disjointed so if the way I've set this chapter up is confusing I can explain anything that's unclear, just shoot me a comment or a wallpost or whatever and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Second....why do I always make lists? I don't actually have anything to list... XD 

This chapter is dedicated to SebastianApples who is sitting next to me as we speak about to do her taxes with me.  XD  <3 

Comment if you like to comment, sub if you like sandwiches....Love you dearly and fondly as always and thanks for your patience!  

P.S. Yay new character!  Is this the reality that you guys wanted?  XD