Jongin's apartment, if it is indeed his apartment and not just some undercover hideout, is a small one bedroom. It is far less opulent than Kyungsoo had always imagined, but now that he's finally here, he finds that the simplicity suits Jongin well. In the sparse black and white furnishing, Kyungsoo feels a cool emptiness that perfectly mimics Jongin's own cryptic stoicism. 

Not that Jongin was particularly stoic today. No, as he leads Kyungsoo into his living room, Kyungsoo can feel a nervous excitement emanating from his body. It puts Kyungsoo on edge, though he finds it amusing that even after all these years, he can still read Jongin so well. 

At Jongin's behest, Kyungsoo gingerly takes a seat on the sofa. Against the black leather backdrop, Kyungsoo's pale skin glows an errie white, a timid angelic presence huddled in an expanse of darkness. Jongin's breath catches in his throat--he had forgotten how breathtaking Kyungsoo could look with his strange ability to capture a purity that eludes all others. Or maybe that was just his imagination running away from him. He looks away before he could drown in the vision. 

"Water?"

Kyungsoo nods and takes the glass from Jongin's hands with a smile of gratitude. Their fingers brush for the second time that day, Kyungsoo's small, smooth digits contrasting with Jongin's tough, calloused skin. Kyungsoo retracts his hand and takes a sip.

The exhaustion and fear from his confrontation with Chanyeol was beginning to wear off. That had its pros and cons. On the way to the apartment, he had let himself succumb to a wave of numbness, sitting calmly on Jongin's motorcycle's backseat and feeling nothing. But now the numbness fades away and it's as if he's shed a layer of protection, albeit an illusory one.

He begins to feel again. He feels Jongin acutely. It's all around him--Jongin's scent, his persona--it envelopes him with its suffocating omnipresence. Then there's the man himself, towering just beyond the coffee table, dark eyes blazing with an uncharacteristic passion as he watches Kyungsoo squirm in his seat. Kyungsoo's cheek redden. He takes another gulp of water, attempting to hide behind the transparent glass. Jongin allows himself a small smile of victory.

Kyungsoo clears his throat--it resonates in the silence. "Sorry to impose," he mumbles. 

Jongin shakes his head as he takes the empty glass from Kyungsoo's small hands. "No, not at all. I was the one who picked you up. Are things...okay?" What happened? Jongin wants to ask. What do you think of this Park Chanyeol now? But he holds his tongue. 

"Yeah, it's..." Kyungsoo bites at his bottom lip in hesitation. "Well, I don't know. Actually can I--can I spend the night here? I mean it's fine, you don't have to say yes. You can just drop me off at a hotel nearby, or even just call cab for me--oh wait, I don't think I brought my wallet--but I mean I'd pay you back and--"

"It's fine. You can say," Jongin cuts off Kyungsoo's nervous rambles. "That's why I brought you here, so I can keep you nice and safe." A soothing smile. Kyungsoo feels the nerves calm a bit. Nice and safe. Sounds like what he needs right now. "I have new toothbrushes and stuff you might need in the bathroom. Why don't you wash up and we'll figure things out afterwards okay? Or we'll just call it a day."

Kyungsoo nods and allows Jongin to guide him to the bathroom. He still feels dazed, but the underlying helplessness had abated. There is someone he could hold onto now. A lifeline.

When Kyungsoo comes back out, he's wearing one of Jongin's clean shirts and a pair of sweats. They hang loosely on his small frame, threatening to swallow him up whole. An odd feeling--clothed in garments that screamed Jongin with ever thread. 

Jongin too had changed. He stands by the bar counter that separates the living room from the kitchen, downing a glass of milk. Kyungsoo stifles a chuckle--the picture of a secret government agent sipping on milk feels all sorts of incongruous--but the chuckle catches in his throat as he takes in Jongin's figure. Of course, Kyungsoo realizes that Jongin must have changed over the years, but he was never quite so conscious of the changes as now. In his thin white wife beater, Jongin's shoulders look extra broad and his back muscles ripple as he lifts the milk glass to his lips. It is in some sense unfair--God had conferred upon him a masculinity that he had evidently neglected to bestow on Kyungsoo. It is with a mixture of envy and admiration that Kyungsoo averts his eyes.

"All done?" Jongin asks as he fixes his attention on Kyungsoo. The latter nods in response but isn't sure what to do next so he stands awkwardly and waits for Jongin. 

"You can have the bed. You probably need it more than I do--I mean, because you look exhausted. I'll take the couch."

Kyungsoo shakes his head quickly. "No, I can't take your bed. That would be terrible. I'll take the couch, no worries."

Jongin raises a brow. "Are we really playing this game Kyungsoo? Should I just suggest that we share the bed now?" Kyungsoo's cheeks redden again and he shakes his head even more rigorously. "No, really, I just..."

Jongin laughs. "You just take the bed." He says it so authoritatively that any further argument seems stupid. Kyungsoo acquiesces finally, but he hovers by the door to the bedroom.

"What's wrong? Scared to sleep by yourself?" Jongin smiles suggestively. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "No, it's not that. I just...I wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"How did you end up as a secret agent?"

"Oh." At Jongin's look of surprise, Kyungsoo adds, "I mean you don't have to tell me. I guess I'm just curious...how you spent the last ten years."    

It's an understatement. When Jongin first disappeared without a trace, Kyungsoo couldn't stop thinking about where he might be, whom he might be with. He thought about it every waking moment; he thought about it in his dreams. Then it subsided as time passed, but every so often, the questions returned. Where is Jongin now? 

Then Jongin appeared before his eyes like a haunting apparition, only much too real. But it was too late to ask, they had moved past that point, and to ask would be to suggest that he cared to know, which was more than he wanted to concede. 

But it's late now and he was tired and life seemed too tumultuous to put up with all these self-imposed inhibitions.

What was your life like, without me? 

So he asked.

Jongin beckons him to sit down again on the sofa. They sit together, but there's a comfortable gap between them. 

"We were almost expelled, Lu Han and I," Jongin begins. Kyungsoo's eyes widen, "What? Why?"

"We got in a fight."

"Like, against each other? But you guys never fight?"

Jongin shrugged. "We fought over...something that meant a lot to both of us." Our feelings for you. "Anyway, we were caught and it was bad, so our parents plucked us out and sent us abroad. NYU, have you heard of it?"

"Oh...that's a nice school." Kyungsoo's a little jealous, because he could never have gone to school like that, but also because they had moved to New York--New York! His dream city! While he had stayed at home, hiding in his dark, lonely room, they had gallivanted off to that city of dreams. "How'd you guys like it?"

"It was fine. I mean it wasn’t Harvard or anything, but best our parents could do for us with just money." Jongin looked unimpressed by his memories of that faraway time. "And anyway, can't compare to home." You weren't there with me.

“Oh. But there must have been fun times right? I mean come on, it was New York!”

“Yeah, I guess so. It had its moments...” Jongin allows himself a nostalgic smile as he starts to recount his adventures in New York.

Like that time Lu Han got hit on by a bunch of white guys who thought he was a girl, or that time they wanted to pick up groceries that ended up spending a fortune (never go to Whole Foods, Kyungsoo), or that time they wandered into Brooklyn and ended up amidst a herd of biking hipsters (“What are hipsters?” “You don’t actually want to know”)...

By the time Jongin winds his story back to Korea and how he was recruited by his father to join the intelligence service, it was already in the early hours of the morning. With a start, Jongin feels something heavy fall against his shoulder—It’s Kyungsoo, fast asleep. Heart thumping, Jongin can’t help but smile indulgently at the smaller man leaning against his side.

He lets himself enjoy a few moments of peace, just him and Kyungsoo, basking in each other’s warmth. It almost feels like old times.

2:15 am.

He picks Kyungsoo up gently, carries him to his bed, and tucks him in. He stares at the sleeping man a moment longer before whisking out the door.

***

“Don’t you think meeting at two thirty in the morning is a little sketchy, even by your standards?”

Jongin had recovered his erstwhile coldness. He sits with a lazy but confident poise, leaning backwards in his comfortable leather chair. 

Kris shrugs and smiles enigmatically. “Couldn’t let anyone see me making deals with a government agent.”

“We’re not making a deal.”

“But we are. You’ll report back that you found nothing, that in fact there were never any bribes.”

This forces a laugh from Jongin. “You’re crazy. Do you even know what you're saying?”

“Ah," Kris's stares shrewdly at Jongin. "Hasn’t your partner shown you the documents yet?”

Jongin’s eyes narrow, “What documents?”

“Receipts. Of the bribes. It’s not on our official books, but you’ll find that they correspond to the sum of some miscellaneous office expenditures that far exceed cost. With the full knowledge of our accounting department, of course.”

Jongin feels a piercing coldness spread throughout his body. “What are you saying?”

“You know what I’m saying.” Kris taps his fingers leisurely against his desk. “This company can go to court with the victims, and we’ll pay damages, but you let me off the hook for bribes. There were never any bribes. We’ll go bankrupt after the case settles, the subsidiary dissolves, and I’ll go back to Hong Kong. People forget things quickly.”

“No.” Jongin shakes his head, but there’s a new desperation to his movements now. “That's crazy. There's no way I'd do that. I would be in violation of the law."

“Okay." Kris shrugs again, as if he didn't quite care which wayJongin came out. That wasn't true, of course--he cared terribly--but he played off the nonchalance well. "Then turn me in. Turn me in and I’ll produce the documents and maybe they’ll lock me up," he suggests. "Or maybe they won’t. But regardless, I will make sure they lock Kyungsoo up.” Kris dons a malicious smile here that of mars his good looks; he’s no longer that pristine man on the cover Forbes. He’s just a sinister, self-interested CEO, greasing the heartless wheels of capitalism. “And you know I can. I’m smart enough for that; Kyungsoo’s no match.”

Cold sweat breaks out on Jongin’s forehead. He’s never felt less calm in his life—it’s almost surreal. But I just found him again! “You can’t do this. He’s not paying for your ups.”

“He doesn’t have to,” Kris responds lightly. “Only I have a copy of the documents. You, Lu Han, and Sehun are the only ones who have seen copies. Just think of them as a form of...insurance, let’s say. Let me go, and I’ll destroy them, and we all win.”

No. No. No.

“Think about it. But don’t think too long. Time’s running out for everyone.”

Jongin all but stumbles out of the building. He feels paralyzed by a numbing cold, despite the warm summer air. But beneath numbness is a burgeoning panic attack and he doesn’t know what to do.

“So what do you think?”

Jongin takes a sharp breath when Lu Han’s voice sounds out of nowhere. The man himself materializes suddenly from around the corner of the building. He’s dressed informally—a cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans—and looks less intimidating than usual. But Jongin’s known him for far too long to be deceived, and Jongin knows he isn’t ready to face him in any form.

“I don’t know.”

“You want to let him off,” Lu Han interprets with a knowing smile.

“I didn’t say that,” Jongin responds irritably. “I need to think about it. I won’t let Kyungsoo get hurt.”

“I’m not letting him off.”

Jongin looks at Lu Han sharply: “What’s your plan?”

Lu Han chuckles. “Jongin, there's no plan. He’s handed us the documents. We’ll turn them into the prosecutor and we have a solid case.”

“And Kyungsoo?”

“Collateral damage.”

“He’s innocent, you ,” Jongin seethes.

“He’s small fry. The prosecutor will plea him out—“

“You don’t know that!” Jongin shouts. “This is a huge case right now and the prosecutor’s going to want to put people in jail and hold them responsible. You don’t know they’ll let the chief accountant off the hook!”

“Calm down,” Lu Han says with a impatient frown. “Look, Kyungsoo was negligent. He shouldn’t have signed without reading—”

“—Because he’s a trusting human being—“

“—Criminally negligent.”

Jongin falls silent. They’re at an impasse and he begins to despair at Lu Han’s impassive demeanor. “He’s innocent.”

Lu Han sighs regretfully, “I care about him too, Jongin—”

“—The same way you cared about him ten years ago?”

“Stop. This isn’t about the past. This isn’t even about Kyungsoo, really. I’m not letting Kris go, period. People have died, Jongin, and those children that survive might grow up with all sorts of defects. If we don’t hold him accountable now, other companies will think we’re weak. They’ll try to exploit the system too. What’ll you do then? We can’t be governed by our emotions, Jongin,” Lu Han implores, eyes resolute. “It’s our job to bring him to justice, and if Kyungsoo has to spend a couple years in jail for that, well—”

“ justice,” Jongin growls as he stalks away.

The last thing he hears before he’s out of range is Lu Han yelling, “It’s just a game, Jongin, don’t you see?”

everyone.

***

The apartment smells like bacon and eggs by the time Jongin walks back in. It’s still early, but Kyungsoo’s already dressed in yesterday’s clothes, making breakfast. He smiles uncertainly when he catches sight of Jongin walking in.

“Hey.”

Jongin smiles tiredly. “Hey yourself.”

“Where’d you go last night?”

“Early morning walk.”

It wasn’t an entire lie. After the debacle with Lu Han and Kris, he’d gone for a long walk to clear his mind. He wanted a solution, but that proved elusive and the long hours had only tired him out. All he wants now is to collapse into bed and sleep it all away.

But he can’t move, because there’s Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo making breakfast in his kitchen, puttering about with the pots and pans, dancing among the early rays of sun that filter through the windows, as if the ten-year gulf had never occurred. Was it all a dream?

In a dream-like trance, Jongin wanders over to the smaller man and hugs him around the waist. He feels Kyungsoo stiffen, but he ignores it as he rests his head in the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck. He feels his heart calm down as Kyungsoo’s scent envelops him—it all feels so familiar. He wants to bottle it all up, and relive this moment forever. 

“Jongin?” Is something wrong?

Jongin takes as deep breath and lets go. “Sorry. I was just tired for a moment.”

“Oh! Is it because I took your bed? Really sorry about that—”

“—Do you trust me?” Jongin interrupts suddenly. He's just made up his mind. 

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen at the sudden question. “What?”

“Do you trust me now?” Jongin looks dead serious, and it makes Kyungsoo nervous. Does he trust him? About as far as he could throw him. Which is to say, of course not. How could he? Trust isn’t rebuilt in a day. Jongin begins to panic again at Kyungsoo’s obvious reticence. He starts to speak quickly: “Would you leave with me? We can go now. New York? Do you want to go to New York? You’ve always wanted to, right? Well, now’s our chance—”

“Jongin, what are you talking about?” Kyungsoo stares at him, bewildered.

“I think we should go. Sorry, I wish I had a better solution,” Jongin says apologetically, which only adds to Kyungsoo’s confusion. ”But Lu Han was always the one who came up with the better plans. Look, it’s still early and if we catch the next plane, I think we’ll still have time. And if we just hide it out for a bit, I’m sure Lu Han will come up with something...”

As Jongin rambles on, Kyungsoo begins to find the words blending together.

Would you go to Hong Kong with me? You have no idea what’s happening and you can only believe what other people tell you, like a puppet.

Don’t make the wrong choice.

“Let’s go now! Please? I love you. We can be together.”

Kyungsoo stares blankly into Jongin’s pleading soft brown eyes. He takes a step back—Jongin takes a step forward. Please, say his eyes. Please trust me. Please let me lead you away. Kyungsoo feels as if he were in a trance, bewitched by those eyes. He begins to shake his head slowly, but Jongin stops him with his strong but gentle hands. He leans down and kisses Kyungsoo.

At the soft brush of Jongin’s lips, Kyungsoo feels a jolt run through his body. He mind tells him to push away, but it’s too late. His heart yearned for this, had yearned for this for years, and he isn’t strong enough to fight it in his weak state of confusion. His arms reach up on their own accord and circle around Jongin’s neck; he lets Jongin support him around the waist. He feels the other man's gentle hesitancy, but also the underlying desire. He deepens the kiss.

Do you trust me?

No, not yet, but I can’t forget you.

The doorbell rings.

Jongin and Kyungsoo pull apart slowly. Kyungsoo looks dazed with his unfocused vision and swollen lips; he looks all the more enticing to Jongin.

But it’s too late now. Jongin smiles forlornly and pecks him on the lips. A kiss of apology.

When he opens the door, there’s Lu Han and Sehun. Behind them are several uniformed policemen. One of them marches up to Jongin and presents him with a piece of paper.

“Arrest warrant,” he announces coldly, “for Do Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo watches blankly as the policeman walks past Jongin, around the kitchen counter, and stops directly before him. It feels like an out of body experience. It can’t be happening to him right? The police can’t be handcuffing him, as if he were some criminal...right? He hadn’t done anything wrong......right?

He stares at Jongin unblinkingly with his beautiful large eyes as the police lead him out the room. The gaze burns into Jongin’s mind—he knows it will haunt him forever.

“So what now?” Jongin asks. He’s too tired to scream or cry or beg. He questions Lu Han with a desolate calmness.

Lu Han smiles serenely, but the look behind his eyes is sharply calculative.

“Now we wait. We’ll see who chickens out first.”

 ***TBC***

A/N: Thanks for reading~ I know I'm behind on comments again, but they've been really encouraging! And just one chapter left! :) Also, if you're bored and haven't read it yet, I did write a short Hansoo comedy, also posted in this account :) 

Additionally, very excited about EXO's comeback, but incredibly saddened by the ferry accident. I hope the best for the victims and their families. :(