They were on borrowed time, and Jungeun was determined to get in at least one kiss before the ward show started. She just needed Jiwoo to stop squirming. On any other day it would have been cute, but right now she was nervous and needed a distraction.

“M-Miss Kim, you can't-” The weak protest dies in the throat of the flustered Brunette before her. It was entertaining to watch Jiwoo go from calm and collected to a stuttering mess with one brief kiss, if you can even call it that, it was more of a peck if anything.

Jungeun was being pretty tame if she was being completely honest. She wanted to do more with her bodyguard, but the timing wasn't right. Besides it wouldn't be fair to her make up artist to have to redo their hard work. It was a shame, Jiwoo just looked so kissable while trying to do her job.

Instead of arguing, she released an unhappy sigh and let Jiwoo's tie go. But she didn't step away, if anything she got closer, making sure to press herself closer. “You don't know how badly I want to skip this event.” She husked into the other woman's ear. She couldn't help but smirk at the way Jiwoo's face flushed under her words. “This suit of yours will be on the ground by the end of the night, I promise you that.”

Jiwoo couldn't tell if she was truly bluffing or not. What started as gentle teasing has escalated as weeks have passed by. She thought for the longest time that Jungeun was straight, even before being assigned to her.

Oh how she was wrong.

She still remembered her first night. She was doing her rounds, when she heard movement coming from Jungeun’s room. She was certain that Jungeun was asleep, so she stepped inside her room to see if she was hearing things, knowing it was better to be safe than sorry. Only to come face to face with an unnamed one night stand getting dressed. She was pretty, probably an up and coming model.

The stranger had no qualms on being walked in on, if anything she gave Jiwoo a quick once over too, as if she wanted to say something. But Jungeun's voice broke the awkward silence in the room. “Oh, since you're here, can you Ms.Ha out for me.”

Nodding, even though she doubted Jungeun could see it, she held the door open for her guest to follow her out. Before closing the door, she could of sworn she saw her charge smiling. Maybe it was her eyes playing a trick on her.

Oh how she should have known better. Since that night, Miss Kim has only gotten more and more flirty with her. Using any chance to touch her, and all Jiwoo could do was hold her tongue. This gig was paying triple of her previous jobs. Sure she wasn’t her only bodyguard, her team was pretty close knit, but she was the only woman on the team, she got be around Miss Kim more than anyone else.

She even had a room right across from Jungeun for nights she had to be with her for longer than 24hs, but she rarely used it. She rather be awake and doing something than risk letting her guard down at work. This was a job, even if her boss was pretty.

“You’re spacing out.” She heard Jungeun whisper, as she finished fixing her tie, her hands then coming to a rest on Jiwoo’s broad shoulders, she could feel the underlying muscle of her bodyguard. Jungeun had to take a deep breath, before she really said ‘ it’ and skipped.

Both of them were attending an award show, the platinum blonde was nominated for Best Songwriter of Year, and she believed she was rightly deserving of it. Jiwoo has seen the blood, sweat, and tears her boss pours into every song, and she often wonders if she had continued singing, would she ever had the chance to sing one of Jungeun's songs.

There was no point thinking on her lost dream, as she had to focus. Anything could happen tonight, crazy fans, unprofessional clients thinking that liquid courage would get them lucky tonight. Jiwoo wouldn’t allow anything to happen. It was why she always had a taser and pepper spray on her, she wasn’t fond of firearms. There were a million other ways to deal with a situation besides pull out a gun. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t trained to disarm.

“Sorry.” She mumbled, looking away from the curious brown eyes, it was if she could see past her very being, and it scared her. She couldn’t act on what Jungeun offered to her. No matter how much she wanted to. Glancing at her wrist watch (an expensive gift from her boss), she noticed the event would be starting shortly, and they were taking too long in the VIP Room. “We should get going.”

Displeased by the reminder of why they were here, Jungeun huffed. But held her tongue, instead she opted to follow her bodyguard. She allowed her eyes to take in the sight before her, Jiwoo was dressed wonderful, she was glad she pitched a fit about having her bodyguard dress up to match her dress. Her dress was a classy red gown, while Jiwoo was wearing a black suit, it almost made her look like a penguin, and the first time she saw her in it, she had to fight off giggles. The addition of a red tie, really made her look beautiful, it was why she couldn’t help herself but tug on it.

While in the halls, the song writer couldn’t help but latch onto Jiwoo’s arm. She really wasn’t in the mood for small talk with others in her industry, they were all snakes anyway. At least Jiwoo was genuinely pleasant to talk to, even if she was blushing eighty percent of the time. An added bonus.

Glancing over at Jungeun, she tried her best to not blush. It was hard, and Jiwoo felt like eye candy. Everything she was wearing was bought by her charge, and while she knows she could have easily turned down every gift, she didn’t have the heart or power too. Jungeun really just had to bat her eyes and stick her lower lip out, and she was left powerless.

She really was whipped.

They arrived at their table fairly quickly, and Jiwoo helped Jungeun into her seat. She was going to take her place near the rest of her squad, but a hand stopped her. Wordlessly she was being requested to stay. She bit her lip and nodded. Taking the seat closest to the song writer. “Just relax.” She heard the blonde say, as she leaned closer. She didn’t want anyone overhearing them. “We don’t have to stay the whole night.” She reminded her, and Jiwoo felt her face warm as she remembered what Jungeun promised in the VIP room.

Jiwoo wanted to curse the lighting in the room, as it was quite obvious she was embarrassed. All she could hope was that no one was taking any photos of them like this.

Pulling away Jungeun glanced around, she noted a few of her clients around her table, and her long time friend waved at her. She trusted only one other person in this industry and her wife. Haseul and Jinsoul. They took everyone by surprise by not only coming out, but getting married a few months later.

Their wedding was beautiful, and for the first time Jungeun was jealous, she wanted what they had. Their careers didn’t even take a dent either, if anything their company was booming, and she was proud of them. She wanted that kind of happiness. Her phone buzzing took her mind off her thoughts for the moment, glancing at it, it was from Haseul herself.

Is that the gorgeous bodyguard you keep ranting about? I approve.

Shaking her head, she smiled before replying to the text.

She’s prettier out of her suit.

She heard Jinsoul scoff in the distance, this time she had Haseul’s phone as she typed a reply.

TMI.

Making a mental note to catch up with those two later, she turned her attention to the meal provided for them. It was freshly caught and seasoned salmon on top of a bed of rice. She wasn’t necessarily starving, but it did smell delicious. She noted that Jiwoo wasn’t touching her own, and raised an eyebrow at her.

“I don’t like fish.” She grinned sheepishly.

Nodding, she caught the attention of one of the carterors and told asked if they had anything else on the menu. Giving the excuse that Jiwoo had an allergy, they quickly exchanged the fish with chicken. “There, now eat. It’s going to be a long night.”

--

The night was very eventful if Jiwoo was putting it lightly, as she predicted Jungeun won Best Songwriter of the Year, and personally asked her to come on stage with her. During her award speech, she noticed that the blonde was fighting back tears. She was very passionate about her work, every song was an extension of herself. So the fact that she was recognized for it was more than enough for her.

Escorting her off stage, they opted to say a little longer. Jiwoo didn’t really know what to make of the award show, she never really watched them growing up, but would see the results everywhere, even trending on social media. But actually being at one was a surreal experience. At least Jungeun seemed to be enjoying herself.

The slight crackle of her ear piece was her constant reminder that her team was watching over them, and occasionally they would tell a joke, and she had to try her best not to laugh. Jungeun caught her smiling every once and a while, and she felt like she was going to melt in embarrassment.

“I’m going to touch up my make up.” Jungeun leaned over and whispered to her, as Jiwoo was going to stand and follow her, an hand on her arm halted her. “You don't have to follow me everywhere, security here is very tight.”

Weighing her options, Jiwoo shook her head. It was too risky. “I’m still coming with you, but I’ll wait outside the restroom if that’s what you wish.” Accepting the sigh are her victory, she helped her charge up, while also relaying information to her team. Once she got a chorus of confirmation, they moved on.

They were taking a different hallway, more private than the one they took before hand, and it was a bit tense. The lighting further down the hall was flickering a bit, and it made Jiwoo a bit tense. It was almost a cliche of how ominous it was. The bathroom was coming up soon, and as promised, Jiwoo was going to stand outside the door.

“I won’t take to long.” Jungeun said slipping into the bathroom.

Tussling her hair, Jiwoo looked around once again. She didn’t see anyone in this hallway, yet this was the hallway that guests were supposed to use, versus the very public bathroom. The flickering light was bothering Jiwoo, as it was very much over where she was standing. Squinting, she couldn’t help but wonder why it would even be flickering in the first place.

The venue was a very well kept place, and used frequently. Had no one bothered to check to see if this hallway was set up properly. The silence in the hallway was nerve wracking, and Jiwoo couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread wash over her. Disregarding her promise, Jiwoo slipped into the bathroom, only to come face to face with her worst fear. Someone else was in the bathroom with Jungeun, and the fearful look on her face was more than enough to spring into action.

Grabbing the unknown woman, she used her momenton to slam her into the wall. She was momentarily dazed by the action, but recovered quick enough to slam her knee into Jiwoo’s stomach. Wincing in pain, Jiwoo tried her best not to lose her grip, even managed to dodge another blow. “Get into a stall, and call for backup. Now!” She growled at Jungeun, not willing to take the risk to look away from the dangerous woman.

She didn’t know her motives, but she didn’t care. A threat is a threat. Upon realizing the situation wasn’t going in her favor, the woman tried once again to attack, this time something gleaming caught Jiwoo’s attention. She had a small switch blade, and with a burst of strength managed to slice Jiwoo’s face.

The pain was quick, and made her face throb. With her now free arm, Jiwoo balled up her fist before pulling it back, and made connection with her face. Jungeun could hear the sound of crushed cartilage, and could only hope it wasn’t from her bodyguard. The grunts and shuffling of their fight wasn’t easing her neves at all.

There was a sudden clang of metal hitting the ground, and from it she was blood on it. All Jungeun could do was stare at it from the safety of the stall, she heard a bit more cursing, followed by various footsteps rushing down the hall. She was still on the phone with one of her other guards, and they were trying their best to reassure her while out of desperately rushing to their position.

There was a sudden scream, followed by a body hitting the ground. Along with the sound of the bathroom door slamming wide open. She could hear Jiwoo explaining the situation, but she sounded just as winded as everyone else. Jungeun wanted to leave the stall, it was starting to get claustrophobic in there, and her breathing was starting to pick up.

“Miss Kim, you can come out now. The situation has been neutralized.” It wasn’t Jiwoo’s voice, but one of her extra guards. When she finally managed to slip out of the stall, the sight before her was chaotic.

The woman who tried to assault her was laying on the ground, with two men keeping her down. A pair of cuffs on both her arms and legs kept her from being able to do much besides wiggle. But it wasn’t her that she was worried about, Jiwoo, her personal guard wasn’t looking to well.

There was a still open cut on her face, along with a bruised lip, and it seems as if she wasn’t able to stand up straight either. She looked a mess, and it made the blonde’s heart hurt. She wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but the look in her eyes were so different, so feral. If it wasn’t for the fact that she knew Jiwoo on a personal level, she would have been terrified.

As if sensing her gaze, Jiwoo finally exhaled. Some of the adrenaline in her body was starting to fade, and the aggressive stance relaxed a bit. She could feel the blood on her cheek, but it didn’t bother her. All that mattered was that Jungeun was safe, and the threat was neutralized.

“We’ve already contacted your driver, both you and Jiwoo will be escorted from the venue. When you arrive home, there should be a medic on standby for both of you.”

“I don’t need a medic, it’s just a scratch.” Jiwoo was going to argue, she was fine, she felt fine. But Jungeun’s hand on her arm felt heavy, as if it reminded her that the situation was over. They were both safe, and she suddenly felt tired.

“Thank you.” Jungeun nodded at her team, before glancing down at the woman again. There wasn’t anything special about her, but the look on her face was terrifying. It was if she knew something, and even with her face being pressed to the ground, she was still cocky. “Make sure the authorities know I want to press charges.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

--

The ride home was tense, and Jungeun didn’t know what to make of it. She tried multiple times to sway Jiwoo into talking to her, but her guard remained silent. Instead opting to stare out the window. The only thing she’s really said to her since leaving was that she was going to sit beside her on the ride home. Just in case something happened again.

Due to the situation, and the worry of being followed, the driver had to take a different route, and even circled around a couple of neighborhoods, just to be safe. So it took an extra twenty minutes before they finally arrived at Jungeun’s estate.

Just as promised, there was a private medic waiting for them as soon as they stepped into the home. Jiwoo insisted that Jungeun was checked on first, she didn’t know if that woman had done anything to her while she was standing guard foolishly outside. She was still upset that the one time she let her guard down, Jungeun was attacked.

Some guard she was.

It didn’t take long for the check up to finish up, besides very mild bruising, she was fine, and Jiwoo released a sigh she didn’t know she was holding in. At least she reacted fast enough for their to be no permanent damage done.

Jiwoo on the other hand took quite a bit of punishment, her face needed a couple of stitches, an ice pack to deal with the swelling of her lip, and ointment applied to her stomach. That knee she took did more to her than she though, as she somehow managed to crack a rib.

She looked and felt like . Her suit jacket was laying on the ground in the living room, the medic having just left a few moments ago. Jiwoo couldn’t even bother to button her shirt back up all the way, it hurt to breathe. But she couldn’t just sit here in pain, she still had things to do, and people to update.

Upon relaying the information to her team, she was told what she didn’t want to hear. She was on mandatory recovery time. Last thing she wanted was to be left alone with her thoughts. Clenching her jaw, she was going to make for the door, but Jungeun was already at the entrance waiting for her, her arms crossed and a defiant look on her face.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Home.”

“Just because you need to heal up doesn’t mean you need to leave.” The look on her face softened up, as she took in Jiwoo’s current state. “I don’t want you to leave, not like this. What if something happens to you while you’re away?” That was the excuse she was going with,and honestly she expected Jiwoo to roll her eyes and tell her to move, but she didn’t.

Instead she just sighed, and for the first time tonight, Jungeun could really see how exhausted she was. Boldly she approached the other woman, and reached out to steady her, she looked like she was going to fall over in a moment. “Please stay, I want to make sure you heal properly.”

"Okay.” Was all she could breath out, before swaying forward. If it wasn’t for Jungeun standing before her, she probably would have fallen to the ground. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and all she could do was melt into the embrace, all the remaining energy she had bled away an hour ago. Jiwoo felt a bit silly, how was she going to go home in this state anyway? She probably would have passed out in the grass, and caused more worry.

Guess she was finally going to put that room for her to use.

--

Except she didn’t expect her charge to be stubbornly adamant about staying at her side. When Jungeun told her she took off time from work to make sure Jiwoo didn’t do anything stupid, it made the bodyguard scowl. She wasn’t a child, she was a grown woman, and if she wanted to walk around because she couldn’t do any strenuous activities like work out, then she was going to.

Jungeun was pretty much shadowing her everywhere, and made sure she was eating and taking the meds given to her a few days ago. Whatever Jiwoo wanted to do, Junguen was there, and as annoying as it should of been, it was oddly comforting.

She even went as far as to help Jiwoo change her bandages and check on her cheek, she often caught the blonde staring at it, guilt often swarming around those pretty brown eyes of hers. She wanted to reassure her, and tell her it wasn’t her fault, but for some reason no words came to Jiwoo, besides a simple “Thank you.”

There was a weird tension between the two, and it was suffocating. Jungeun wasn’t even flirting with her as much as she used to, and as much as she hates to say it, Jiwoo missed it. It was part of their normal routine, Jungeun hits on her, and she blushes like a schoolgirl.

But outside of basic questions, the two barely exchanged words. They spent a majority of their time watching movies or just sleeping (in separate rooms). Jiwoo was getting tired of it, she needed to address the elephant in the room.

Willing her body to stand, she paced herself, as she left her room. She eyed the distance between their rooms, normally it would take three easy strides to get to Junguen’s room, but with her constant lack of energy, it would definitely take a while. By the time she reached her door, she was already working up a minor sweat.

God she felt pathetic.

Knocking on the door, she waited patiently. But there wasn’t any movement on the other side of the door. Jiwoo knocked again, this time a bit harder, and this time she heard a bit of rustling, followed by light footsteps. When the door opened, Jiwoo felt her heart sink, before her wasn’t the confident song writer she was tasked with protecting.

Before her was a guilty woman who’s been crying her eyes out every night. Swallowing nervously, Jiwoo motioned towards Jungeun’s bed, and watched as the blonde went to sit down. Closing the door, she didn’t really know where to stand, she she opted to lean against the wall, it took some strain off her aching muscles.

“I didn’t want you to see me like this.” She heard Jungeun sniffle, and couldn’t take her eyes off of her. With her usual make up off, she could see the bags under her eyes, and the fresh tear tracks on her face too. It wasn’t fair that she was feeling like this when it was her fault for letting her guard down. “God, I’m a mess.” She laughed at herself, as she tried to wipe her face on the oversized sweater she was wearing, her sleeves extended long enough to give her sweater paws, any other time it would look cute.

But it just made Jungeun look small and fragile.

“I-” Jiwoo chewed gently on her bottom lip, it was still healing, but it was a habit of hers, a hard one she should consider breaking. “I needed to talk to you, about what happened. None of this was your fault, I was doing my job poorly-”

“What do you mean poorly? You got hurt because of me.”

“Protecting you is my job, and I managed to that up. The one time I let my guard down, I should have known better.” Jiwoo shook her head, the frustration was evident in her voice. She couldn’t even look at the blonde. “I don’t know what could have happened if I didn’t follow my gut, you- you could've been-”

Jiwoo was cut off by Junguen’s hand touching her face, she didn’t even notice that she had gotten up and closed the distance between them. “You saved me, but the amount of damage you took is why I’m like this. Not because of what could have happened. Seeing you hurt also hurt me.”

“I’m just your bodyguard.”

“You may think that, but you’re so much more than that to me.” With that, Jungeun pressed a light kiss to Jiwoo’s forehead, then her nose, followed by both cheeks. She was extra careful not to add too much pressure knowing the healing skin was sensitive.

“I care about you so much, I think I’ve fallen for you.” Seeing as Jiwoo hadn’t pulled away from the affectionate gesture, she pressed forward and took her lips into a gentle kiss. When she felt Jiwoo kiss back, she couldn’t help but smile.

Hissing in pain, Jiwoo finally pulled back. Her lip still hurt like hell, but that kiss was nice. “You couldn’t have picked a better time to kiss me?” She couldn’t help but tease, her heart was still racing from the sudden confession. Her knees felt weak, and it wasn’t just from straining herself. She really had the prettiest woman alive telling her she’d fallen for her. Jiwoo couldn’t help the giggles that escaped her lips. “You know we’re a total cliche right?”

Junguen raised a brow at that. “How so?”

“Pretty girl falls for her dashing bodyguard.”

“So you think I’m pretty?”

Rolling her eyes, Jiwoo leaned in for another kiss, she still had to be careful. The pain was just barely bareable, but if meant she could kiss Jungeun then she didn’t mind it. “I think you’re gorgeous.”