Halloween is a year-long thing at home.

Or at least, that’s what I used to believe when I was six-years old.

Why else would daddy wear a solemn, scary mask when he was working with all his soldatos but then take it off to show his manly, charismatic self to omma, Chullie, and Kyuni?

What else would the screams from the west wing mean if not the ghosts that haunted the house?

There was absolutely no reason other than a year-long Halloween celebration to explain the blood-curdling screams, the gloomy aura surrounding dad, the extreme sweetness the three of us received from omma (whose eyes were so teary from so much happiness, he’d said) when the screams went for hours and hours without stopping.

In Halloween you dress up and get scared, but also candy, right?

When I was nine, I discovered that there was another explanation.

At nine, I understood that dad didn’t put on a mask when he was with his men, but when he was with his family.

At nine, I gathered enough guts to sneak into the west wing (forbidden territory for even my omma) to confront the ghosts, but found monsters instead.

A nine, my innocence died.

When I was nine, I saw my dad kill someone for the first time.

 Promises

Siwon’s eyes narrowed.

He stood up and walked towards Kyuhyun with long, firm strides –cell phone still ringing in his hand. He stopped in front of the shorter man and looked at him in the eye, noticing the red and puffy eyes, the bags under his beautiful eyes, the messy –messier than usual, anyway– hair. He was trying to look strong, Siwon knew. But this mask would crumble when he was by himself.

Or, his mind told him mockingly, until Jung gets here and comforts him.

Siwon hands twitched to wrap themselves around his gun and give himself a shoot in the head, just to shut up the stupid, annoyingly truthful voice inside his head. To stop himself from doing something dumb, Siwon finally looked at Sooyoung.

The young girl quickly released her grip on Kyuhyun and bowed to Siwon.

“Mr. Choi I’m sorry I couldn’t –” Sooyoung started.

“It’s fine,” he assured his secretary. “Tell Mr. Kim that I know of the situation and arrange a meeting as soon as possible with him. Cancel any meeting I have today and please find an excuse to delay the meeting with the Japanese investors coming today.”

Sooyoung nodded, noticing the coldness in his voice.

She exited the room to make the call, leaving Siwon and Kyuhyun facing each other.

And the cell phone was still ringing.

Siwon frowned and finally answered the call, his dark eyes never leaving Kyuhyun.

“I know.” Siwon said to his phone before Minho even had the chance to talk. “Explain.”

Yet, even as Minho explained the details of how his son had been kidnapped on his way home from school, his mind was somewhere else –specifically, on the beautiful man before him.

On his trembling lips, his long fingers clenched in fists, the deep breaths he was taking to not fall on his knees, curl up in a ball and bawl his eyes out.

Sometimes Siwon wished he didn’t understand how Kyuhyun’s mind worked, just so he could spare himself the pain of being in his shoes.

When he ended the call, Kyuhyun (having waited enough, impatient to speak his mind freely and to threaten the good for nothing of his ex-husband to bring his baby home) gave two steps towards him.

“Save Suho,” he said. “Save my son.”

My son, noticed Siwon. As if he weren’t mine, too.

A knock on the door was heard before he could answer. Moments later, Sooyoung entered with a cup in her hand. “This is for you, Mr. Cho.” Looks like you need it, Siwon knew she was thinking.

When Kyuhyun didn’t even make an attempt to take the cup, Siwon took his right hand ignoring the protest from the shorter man, uncurled the fingers (how long had it been since he touched those beautiful, long fingers?), and made Kyuhyun take the cup in his hands.

“I’m not thirsty!” the brown-haired exclaimed, offering the cup back to Sooyoung.

“Take it.” Siwon said curtly. “It will keep your hands from trembling.”

Kyuhyun, offended but aware that his hands were in fact trembling, finally accepted the cup and took a sip to stop himself from retorting back. He regretted moments later when the hot liquid (tea, he noticed) made contact with his tongue.

When the cup was gone from her hands, Sooyoung turned to Siwon. “I have arranged the meeting with Mr. Kim. He expects you in To Sok Chon restaurant in forty-five minutes.”

A public (kind of) place, which meant that Kangin didn’t trust him –understandable, because Siwon felt the same way.  

“Thank you, Sooyoung-ah.” Kyuhyun gripped the cup tighter and took a big gulp, scalding his tongue in the process (which was good, because the pain stopped him from doing something irrational to the cute and blushing secretary called Sooyoung-ah). “As soon as you’re done with the report I asked for you can go home. I know your mom would like to see you more.”

He knew her mother? Why not make it less obvious that they were sleeping together?  Kyuhyun thought to himself while taking another gulp of tea.  

When his secretary closed the door, Siwon turned his head to lock eyes with the chocolate orbs drowning in sorrow, fear, and…jealousy? No, it couldn’t be.

 “When you meet my dad, he’s going to threaten you.”

Siwon scoffed, but Kyuhyun only took a step forward until there were only a few centimeters between their faces. Siwon thanked the heavens for his excellent ability to control himself.

“But I’m warning you right now, Choi Siwon. Save him, bring my son back or I promise you –no matter how much pain my dad will promise to cause you, remember that you will experience it a million times worse in my hand.”

Choi Siwon, don of the Choi clan –one of the strongest Mafia families in South Korea, was not one to be threatened. Indeed, only few were brave (or stupid) enough to do so and keep on living with all limbs intact.

But Siwon said nothing in response to Kyuhyun’s threat.

“I’ll see you in the restaurant.” Said the shorter man before turning around to leave.

Or at least he attempted to, because Siwon grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards him.

The world spun for a moment for Kyuhyun, who could only close his eyes to stop the dizziness (thank goodness he had placed the empty cup in Siwon’s desk, or it would have fallen on the floor and shattered in a million piece). He opened them when he landed in a strong chest –one he knew like the back of his hand, maybe even more. A chest he had worshipped long, long ago.

Startled by the direction of his own memories, he looked up to find Siwon’s black eyes looking down at him.

“Let go of –”

The words died in his throat when a warm hand cradled his face gently. The swift thump-thump-thump in his chest, he was sure, was not caused by Siwon and his stupid eyes or his stupid hands on his blushing face. Siwon didn’t have that effect on him anymore.

Siwon looked at Kyuhyun with soft eyes and, with an even softer voice, he made a promise.

“I’ll bring him back.”       

Sorry it took so long to update the first chapter! I hope you like it!

And I'm really thankful for the subscribers and upvotes. But this chapter is dedicated to those that commented! Thanks!!! 

And if the italicized part at the top doesn't make sense...well, don't worry because it will...soon. I hope so, anyway.