First impressions don’t come better (or worse) than this.

“Don’t you dare die on me!” Kyungsoo shoves the nurse aside as gently as he could in his frantic state and climbs onto the gurney expertly, doing his best to stay balanced on it despite the limited space between the patient’s legs and the edge of the mattress. His assistants and the paramedics help wheel them towards the operating theatre at such an impressive speed, but they could care less for they were far too focused on the task at hand to really concern themselves with the blurred surroundings.

He clasps his hands together in a fist and pumps the dying man’s chest desperately. “Cardiac arrest” the paramedic had told him before transferring him over to Kyungsoo’s hands upon reaching the accident and emergency bay. The latter was surprised the guy had even held on for so long given that he had so many bullets lodged in his body.

Blood. There was so much blood. How is this guy even still alive?

But no matter, he was Kyungsoo’s patient now, and Kyungsoo has never lost a patient, as unbelievable as it may sound. Never. He is not going to start now. The title of best cardiovascular surgeon in the hospital, and probably the whole of Seoul (and the most handsome one, the man himself likes to add), does not come as a fluke. Kyungsoo is a medical prodigy, and he has always been top of the class in medical school, much to his best friend, Baekhyun’s, chagrin. After all, the latter has spent a total of 7 years through medical school and their residency and fellowship-training period, living in the other’s shadows. But Baekhyun was never one to hate Kyungsoo for it. In fact, it spurred a sense of competition between the pair. The two make quite a team too, when they’re not bickering that is.

That achievement – being the best at what he does – is something Kyungsoo likes to take pride in, especially since it highlights how he had climbed to his current position based only on his hard work and perseverance. His father, a high-ranking general in the South Korean Armed Forces, did not pull any strings (contrary to popular belief) to get Kyungsoo to where he is today. Unlike someone, he likes to add under his breath whenever Junmyeon is present in the room with them. Everyone knows the other’s father, being a famous politician, had a major role in roping Junmyeon into the medical faculty.

The said surgeon himself was standing by the glass doors of the operating theatres, only pausing mid-way while wiping at a bloodstain on his shrubs to look up as Kyungsoo’s entourage speeds past. How is the man still allowed to perform surgeries given the many mistakes he tends to make, Kyungsoo has always wondered.

“His heartbeat is back, Dr. Do!” One of his assistants yells. It was temporary relief at best – they still had a whole mountain to conquer given the highly difficult and intricate surgery they will have to accomplish to save this man’s life.

“Where’s Sehun? Page for him immediately.” He instructs one of the nurses, only to get an apologetic look from her. Kyungsoo stares at her questioningly before hopping off the gurney and helping to transfer the patient onto the operating table. He rushes out to change into his scrubs the next second.

“Doctor Oh is still finishing up the surgery for Doctor Kim.” The nurse who had followed after Kyungsoo notifies him. And the latter curses because he and Sehun have always made a great team in the operating theatre. Surely someone equally competent will need to stand in for the other in order to carry out this extremely risky surgery successfully.

“His blood pressure is still dropping rapidly, doctor” were the words that first greet him when he rushes back inside. Getting Baekhyun in wasn’t an option either since the latter was currently having some well-deserved time-off overseas with his family.

“Scalpel.” Kyungsoo barks before snapping his surgery mask in place, and upon receiving the said instrument, he sets out to do what he always does – Kyungsoo saves lives.

He just doesn’t know that in time to come, the man he is about to help save could very well become the danger that threatens his own instead.

=====

“Oh, I see you’re finally awake, Mr Anonymous.” Kyungsoo checks on the IV drip and jots down a couple of small notes on the patient’s charts before finally looking down at the man stirring from his induced sleep. The piercing gaze the other gives him strikes him momentarily, but Kyungsoo clears his throat and acts nonchalant about it.

“Are you giving me the silent treatment too?” He sets the clipboard down on the little table at the foot of the bed and rambles on. “I mean, I just plucked you out of death’s very hands... the least you can do is say thank you?” Kyungsoo blinks. “I know I perform minor miracles everyday, but a word of appreciation would be—” He could go on and on if not for being interrupted.

“I didn’t know doctors were so chatty—” Kyungsoo in a deep breath of air unknowingly; he sure wasn’t prepared for the low husky voice. “— nor snarky and arrogant.” The other’s lips were curling up at the edges slightly, almost as if Kyungsoo bemuses him; his personality probably does. The patient was whimpering softly only a second later though, when Kyungsoo presses down on his skin, all the while muttering excuses of the prodding being part of a necessary follow-up after surgery.

“You are doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” He accuses, gritting his teeth as the doctor presses down on another old wound. Kyungsoo merely shrugs in response and touches the next patch of skin just a wee bit harder.

“Look here mister.” The doctor eyes the other seriously. “As your mighty savior—” Kyungsoo makes a soft shushing sound when the other opens his mouth to seemingly try and take a swipe at his choice of words, “—I GAVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE, I’M PRACTICALLY GOD, SO SHUT THE HELL UP.” Kyungsoo pinches the bridge of his nose in irritation before dropping the volume of his voice. “I am demanding you to at least tell me your name, age, and the reason why I had to dig four bullets out of your body.”

“Are you in trouble? You’re an outlaw perhaps? We know absolutely nothing because we can’t seem to find any form of identification among your belongings; by the way, which is really strange in itself. We have your phone, but it’s useless without your password. I tried, but I got locked out after three tries.” Kyungsoo pauses to give the other a meh face. “I highly suspect that you were involved in some illegal territorial gang fight... am I right?” The doctor waits patiently, observing the moment that slight hesitation flashes past the patient’s eyes.

“I have half a mind to call the police right now.” Kyungsoo frowns and threatens, watching the other turn his head to face the other way.

“My name is Jongin... Kim Jongin.” The man – Jongin – finally gives in to the persistent glare boring into his face. “I’m not part of any gang so don’t you worry your pretty little head.” He smirks, hoping that flattery would work on the other so that he wouldn’t call up the cops.

Kyungsoo actually stills for a moment before clapping his hands together excitedly, scaring Jongin a little from the suddenness of it all. “Thank you!” The doctor beams at the man lying on the bed, and the latter feels his heart skip a beat because Kyungsoo looked breathtaking for a moment there. “Finally someone agrees with me that I’m the most handsome guy in this hospital! Gotta let Byun know...” He mutters to himself, the corner of his lips twitching right before his attention was called away to his ringing phone.

Jongin snorts. He thinks the other’s personality is intriguing to say the least.

Do Kyungsoo... I must say he has a completely different image to who and what I imagined the general’s son would be like. Jongin rakes his eyes up and down Kyungsoo’s body and gives the other an appreciative hum in his mind. He’s cute, I’ll give him that.

He chokes when the doctor happens to glance over in the midst of his phone conversation and catches him in the act. Jongin flushes when Kyungsoo narrows his eyes at him. The former hopes he doesn’t come off looking like a ert.

It was strange that the other could coax such a reaction out of the usually cool, calm and collected him.

He had been pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face upon waking up; Jongin could recognize the other from the family photo sitting on his direct supervisor’s office desk. Kyungsoo’s presence also reminds him that he was currently in the hospital because of a foiled mission.

It was clear that his solo mission hadn’t gone as planned when the pain first came when the first bullet lodged into his back; when he felt his consciousness slipping through his fingers; when he woke up to white ceilings, the smell of chemicals surrounding him, and this indescribable ache all over his body. Jongin had been on a confidential black ops mission, and having it end in failure could only have meant that someone had sold him out. After all, his superiors had already begun suspecting that someone is starting to investigate them. Jongin doesn’t know whom, but he’s been told that they would take care of him.

He wrecks his head just thinking of who it could possibly be – the one who sneaked an attack on him – before Kyungsoo’s waving hand in his peripheral vision snaps him out of his thoughts. “I saw you checking me out earlier and I must say I feel a little violated.” The doctor states bluntly and tries to shift his hand in front of his crotch discreetly, leaving Jongin to gawk at him because he’d dealt with people from all walks of life in his field of work – high-ranking diplomats to the scums of the lowest social classes – none have rendered him speechless quite like Do Kyungsoo has, and in less than an hour of getting acquainted to boot.

Impressive really...

“When can I leave?” Jongin blurts out instead of choosing to respond to the other’s accusation, clearing his throat awkwardly as he switches topics. He pinches his eyes shut just at the thought of reporting his failure to the two cabinet members – politicians at the very top of the country’s governance – who had sent him on the mission; he was dreading their expected temper already.

“You will have to stay ‘til this evil doctor deems you are free of any complications and risk.” An unfamiliar voice caught Jongin’s attention right as a tall lanky guy, probably owner of said unfamiliar voice, drapes an arm over Kyungsoo’s shoulder and smiles down at him. The latter promptly knocks his knuckles against the stranger’s forehead, though not without a hint of a smile playing on the edge of his lips.

Jongin frowns.

“Oh Sehun. Doctor Oh Sehun.” The man introduces himself and adds his designation, quite unnecessarily too because hello I can see your doctor’s coat. Jongin stiffens when the other leans in. “I could give you a hug, but I reckon my baby won’t appreciate me risking you rupturing the sutures at your sides.” Jongin does give the other’s offered hand a brief shake though.

Sehun actually crumples in half when Kyungsoo shoves his fist into his stomach the next second. Jongin winces at the sight. It looked a pretty hard strike.

“I’m no one’s baby!” The older doctor decides to announce to the room (or rather, the whole floor) in a shrilly voice before flushing red in embarrassment; he’d also dropped everything in his hands onto the small stand beside Jongin’s bed out of panic. “Stupid Oh Sehun.” Kyungsoo mutters under his breath before he exits the room in a real awkward shuffle.

Jongin tries not to snort at the rather cute way the other chooses to leave; he also can’t help but wish to want to know the doctor more, simply because he was intrigued.

“Don’t mind him...” Sehun chuckles and walks to the side of Jongin’s bed. “I’m Kyungsoo’s mentee... I just like to rile him up, he’s too uptight most of the time anyways.” He smiles. Jongin’s eyes follow the doctor as he picks up his clipboard to glimpse at his charts. Sehun lets out a slow whistle at something he reads before his eyes flick up to meet Jongin’s.

“Four bullets? Really?” He asks, with some disbelief embedded in his voice. “Holy . How are you even still alive? Your vitals were all over the place when you came in!”

I would have preferred to die just with the humiliation of failing, Jongin groans inwardly, rolling his eyes to the heavens.

“Oh but wait, you got Kyungsoo to operate on you. Lucky bastard.” Sehun continues to talk to himself, and Jongin is beginning to wonder if all doctors are chatterboxes born with the inane ability to sustain a conversation with themselves. One could probably leave them in a bare room, and they’d still not be bored out of their minds.

He is given a temporary respite when a tall guy dressed in a forest green parka comes up to his bed, shutting the rambling doctor up with a stiff clearing of his throat. Jongin curls into himself a little when Chanyeol narrows his eyes at him, giving him the we need to talk look; he figured he would probably have a much harder job carving out a convincing lie this time around.

“And who might this be?” Sehun straightens up and looks Chanyeol up and down. There was something in the way in which the other stood – his posture almost too stiff and upright for a regular man to bear – that triggered interest in the doctor. “Are you a fellow gang member?!” It took Sehun a couple of seconds before he was reeling back dramatically with his hands outstretched in front of himself in a karate position, probably ripped off from some crappy Kungfu show. As if it would be sufficient to withstand any form of physical attack. Chanyeol scoffs. Look at those flimsy arms.

“For the last time...” Jongin pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs as his friend watches the half-cowering doctor with amusement, “I’m not in a gang, you . What is with you doctors and your aversion towards gangs?”

“Oh.” Sehun’s face falls, almost as if he was slightly disappointed it wasn’t the case, before he perks up. “I’m not a though. I’m not dumb at all.” He says proudly after, puffing out his chest a little. “In fact, I placed top in my batch –” Jongin decides to drown out the rest of his words before the other could list out his life accomplishments and prove how dumb he was not. He thinks he can see why the other is Kyungsoo’s protégé; he thinks he sees a little bit of the older doctor in the man before him.

Both have bucketfuls of self-confidence and no shame at all.

Before Sehun could get another word in, his attention was pulled away by the beeps coming from his pager. “Duty calls.” The doctor smiles and gives the two men a little parting nod. “We will be back to check that your wounds aren’t infected, so stay where you are, alright?” Sehun points at Jongin before dashing out of the ward.

The second he was gone, Chanyeol drops his masked expression and comes closer to punch Jongin’s arm. “!” He almost screams out loud if not for his teeth coming down to bite on his bottom lip, silencing himself. “Why are you hitting me?” Jongin scowls. His arms (and most of his body) still hurt. “Besides, I’m your superior you know... how dare you lay a hand on me!”

Chanyeol merely sneers at him before giving him a mock salute, just to tease the other. “Yes sir. I wasn’t worried the hell out of my mind when I heard you almost died.” He says sarcastically. Jongin sighs, but he doesn’t pick on Chanyeol for not adopting the formalities when speaking to someone higher ranked than himself. How could he? They were the best of friends; no difference in the type of insignia hanging off their chest would change the closeness of their friendship.

Jongin and Chanyeol had fatedly met on the first day they entered the military, and they had latched onto each other almost immediately. They found many commonalities between themselves – for one, both had close to no family to rely on, Jongin being an orphan since young and Chanyeol having a complicated, estranged relationship with his single father (Chanyeol never elaborates and Jongin never pries) – it was only natural that they befriended each other and formed a brothership like no other.

“The higher-ups sent you on another one of those secret missions again, didn’t they?” Chanyeol’s face turns serious, sweeping the room with calculated eyes to make sure there wasn’t anyone listening in on their conversation. His voice had dropped to a whisper.

How did you know... Jongin’s mouth falls open slightly before he snaps it shut with a hardened look on his face. “You shouldn’t be meddling in this, Yeol.” He warns, pushing himself up to a sitting position, not without soft grunts he emits when he jars his arm along the way. “Don’t get yourself involved. It’s –”

“Dangerous?” Chanyeol supplies before letting out a scoff, “And you acting alone isn’t?” He stares sharply at his best friend before the other averts his eyes. “We’re a team, Kai, lest you forget... the best unit in our company. I bet even General Do isn’t aware of what you’re up to right, my Captain?”

“He doesn’t need to know, and you shouldn’t know about this too.” Jongin snaps. “I only follow orders for the sake of my country. If the cabinet wants me, and only me, to carry out their separate agenda... I can only obey.” He tries to will Chanyeol into understanding his position. After all, in the military, they live and breathe obeying commands.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” The other says resignedly after a minute, shoulders sagging as he looks up at Jongin with a defeated expression. “I don’t know what you do in these one man missions, but it must be highly dangerous.”

“I won’t die so easily.” Jongin smiles grimly and basically gestures to his body’s current state. “This time was just a minor blip.” He says determinedly. “Won’t happen again.”

Assassinations. Basically, what he does that no one else but he and the ones who give him his kill list know is that Jongin works as a hitman for some of the country’s most important political players, under the cover of his real job – being the captain of the best covert ops unit in the South Korean Armed Forces.

He doesn’t just kill anyone though. Most, if not all, of his targets were either corrupt officials or personnel that threatened the national security of their country, Jongin assumes. Why else would the government want to terminate their lives right? He has good reason to gun them down. That’s what Jongin always says to convince himself that taking a life was okay. He was doing his job for the sake of his country. Besides, he wasn’t even reaping in any monetary benefits.

A necessary evil, that’s what he is.

“By the way, how did you know I was admitted here?” Jongin eyes Chanyeol with a frown marring his face. If Chanyeol knows I’m here, who else knows? That was the hidden question masked by his words.

“I called your phone, of course.” The other snorts after an awkward pause, but Jongin doesn’t pick up on that. “Can you imagine how shocked I was when the poor nurse was explaining to me that you were undergoing emergency surgery?” Chanyeol pouts. The playful expression looked every bit pretentious.

“You say it like you are a stranger to death and injuries.” Jongin comments, eyes lit up with amusement, but the words were very much serious. In their line of work, gunshots and other kinds of wounds are mere occupational hazards.

“But it isn’t everyday we see our formidable captain get shot.” Chanyeol harrumphs and folds his arms, basically signaling that it was going to be no use arguing with him. “No one else knows you’re here, Jongin.” He rolls his eyes and tries to reassure the captain, “Only me.”

There was a brief period of silence before Chanyeol frowns, eyes darting down to stare at Jongin who was already dangling his legs over the edge of the bed as if he was –

“You’re not thinking of discharging yourself already right? That doctor said to stay still.” The soldier asks in alarm, wincing as he watches his captain rip the IV cord off from his wrist.

“You’ll reopen your wounds!” Chanyeol raises his voice right when Jongin stands up, but not without holding onto the bedrail for support though; the medication was still temporarily messing with his senses.

“No way I’m going to just stay here.” Jongin shakes his head and grits his teeth in determination as he tries to slip out of the ward subtly. Because staying meant that he would have to admit himself for the overnight stay; would mean that he would have to pay for the surgical bills and whatnot – most importantly, it would result in him leaving a record.

It wouldn’t be that big of an issue though— removing that record. After all, the hospital he is in right now— Han Kyung University Hospital, is technically an establishment built to serve the Armed Forces before treating members of the public came into the picture. But Jongin doesn’t want to take any chances.

His eyes scan the room one last time, and that was when he spots the phone lying on the bedside table. “That.” He points at the phone. Chanyeol’s head perks up and he glances at the device. “Get that phone, and then let’s get out of here.” Jongin pokes his head out into the doorway before beckoning the other to make a move once he deems the coast clear.

“But that isn’t your phone.” Chanyeol frowns, he still hands it over at once when Jongin reaches

out for it. “I snagged yours from the nurse at the administrative counter.” He digs into his pockets and raises the said phone in the captain’s face.

“I know.” Jongin shrugs, smile blooming on his face once he presses the home button to reveal a lock screen of a grumpy-looking Kyungsoo squashed in between Sehun and another guy of a similar height to the former; Kyungsoo’s phone. “Finders keepers though.” He smirks, turning a blind eye to Chanyeol’s face painted with confusion. It was easy to use the doctor’s phone as an excuse to see him again; the few minutes together earlier had left Jongin thirsting for more time to get to know the enigma that is Do Kyungsoo.

Chanyeol gives up trying to figure out why Jongin had said what he had said; the latter decides he doesn’t want to know the meaning behind that up to no good glint in his friend’s eyes.

=====

<1 month later>

“This is thievery I tell you! Return me my phone at once, you !”

Jongin hides his smile and laughs behind a closed fist, but Kyungsoo must have heard him snort for the other was shouting into the phone the next second. The range of expletives the doctor knew was impressive to say the least. So much anger in such a small man, Jongin can’t help but smile fondly.

He can’t say he wasn’t expecting tons of messages and angry voicemails after finally switching on the phone he’d nicked from the hospital almost a month ago. Jongin had been sent out of the country as part of an overseas taskforce, and he had simply forgotten about it; the phone naturally ran out of battery, and it is only now, on a rare off day from work where he was lazing at home, that he remembers why he’d stolen the phone in the first place when he finally charges up the device.

What nice timing for the owner of said phone to call though – right when Jongin was about to use this opportunity to worm his way into the other’s life.

“It’s been what- almost a month? I can’t believe you’re still spam calling your phone and ranting off pathetic threats in your SMSes.” He chuckles. A victorious smile spreads on his face when he hears the dramatic, all-knowing, intake of breath from Kyungsoo.

“You! I know this voice... you’re that ert street hooligan, aren’t you?!” He hears the doctor exclaim.

Jongin chokes on air and pinches his eyes shut in irritation because that was only one time I checked him out, and “I told you I’m not a gangster”, he half-growls into the phone.

“Well, I can call you whatever the hell I want because you took my phone, dumb thief!” Kyungsoo huffs. There was a slight pause before the other adds, “AND YOU DIDN’T PAY FOR YOUR SURGERY THAT TIME!” He sounds livid. Jongin can just about imagine the steam billowing out from the other’s ears.

“Where are you right now?” The doctor says in a much softer voice this time around, but Jongin wasn’t fooled. There was an eerie sort of harshness in his somewhat calm tone. If Jongin weren’t so well trained in not cowering under intimidation, he would be breaking out in cold sweat by now.

He glances at the clock hanging off his living room wall. “In my apartment. Why? Do you miss my handsome face already? It’s only ten in the morning, don’t you have work, busy doctor?” Jongin frowns, pushing himself up on the couch and into a sitting position.

“Well, I just got off from a thirty-six hour shift, which means I’m dead beat.” He hears Kyungsoo bid someone goodbye, “I just really need my phone back so can you meet me at the mall? The one nearest to the hospital.” There was a short pause before the doctor adds a pathetic “please”. Jongin smiles to himself, hearing the desperation in the other’s voice, which he could of course use to his benefit.

“Oh my.” He expresses mock shock, “Are you asking me out on a date, Soo?” Jongin grins foolishly. Because he definitely wants it to be a date – their first date.

“D-Date?” Kyungsoo splutters. Following that was the unmistakable sound of the doctor choking on his own spit. “Why and how is this considered a date? I JUST WANT MY PHONE BACK.” Kyungsoo wails. “And please don’t call me Soo.” He adds after a second, “I barely know you.”

Jongin hums and moves to grab his coat before struggling into his pair of shoes, phone perched precariously between his ear and shoulder. “Oh, we can definitely get to know each other better. I will give your phone back to you. But first, you’re going to have to play by my rules, princess.”

“Then what if I don’t want to go on this so called date?” Kyungsoo asks curtly. “We don’t even know a thing about each other? Why would you want to go on a date with me?” He clearly thought it nonsensical. “I know I saved your life then, and that you’re very grateful.” Kyungsoo says in a placating manner, “But Jongin-sshi... you can’t confuse gratitude with attraction, okay?”

“I’m fairly certain it’s your personality and face that drew me in. I’m not meeting you out of gratefulness. If you don’t come, you don’t get your phone back then, as simple as that.” Jongin smiles victoriously when he hears the other groan in frustration. “I’m curious, Kyungsoo… you’re a surgeon right? Shouldn’t you have plenty of money, plenty more than enough to get you a new phone? Why insist on getting this phone back?”

There was a slight hitch in the other’s breath (which Jongin picked up right away), before Kyungsoo rushes out “No particular reason— ” in a shrilly voice. Which, of course, led the captain to assume that that there is another reason after all. “—I just don’t want to waste my money on another phone.” Jongin scoffs, calling bull.

On the inside, he was brooding