The Connection
License To Kill"If you stare any harder, you're gonna stare a hole into the ship." Hyejoo nudged you playfully, a bright smile on her face.
"Nudge me any harder and I'll be falling out of this ship." you joked in return and although you smiled, you knew the smile that graced your face was strained.
The two of you catch up to the group that consisted of just the second-in-commands. Though the VIXX members were to take the same boat as all of you, it somehow ended up that you were all separated as usual. Not that you minded. You do not think that you needed to be closer to Leo than you already were.
The sound and smell of the ocean waves allowed you to temporarily forget your problems as you focused on the lively conversation that filled the boat from both ends.
"So what are you kids going to do with your time off?" Chaeryong questioned, sounding curious. For some quirky reason, your lives outside of the Forces did not make it into conversation that often.
"Shopping!" Sunny exclaimed, only to receive strange looks from her companions. "I mean...uh...shopping with my sister after I've visited my family...ha ha..." she laughed nervously.
"My family live too far from here so I can't visit." Hyejoo frowned a bit. "But! I do need to renew my glasses, they have a crack in them." taking off her glasses, she pointed out the miniscule crack on her eyewear.
"Good idea." Chaeryong agreed with a mature nod of her head. "I'll be running a few errands I've been meaning to for weeks plus some N has asked of me." no-one questioned why the older woman failed to mention her family. You remember the time she shared that her parents passed away when she was but a teenager.
"Ugh what a good leader." Jinyoung praised. "I need to get my back sorted out. It's starting to bother me terribly. I'm booked for a session of acupuncture. I'm gonna need it - teaching girls that seem as though they're half your age in energy is such fun." she sighed, though none of you could miss her sarcastic bite.
"Tell me about it." you agreed with a teasing roll of your eyes. "I'm meeting with a friend I haven't seen in ages." you replied and once again you feel yourself falter. As fun and spontaneous as it sounded, you knew if you did not see her, the 'fail' you would receive for this mission would be the least of your concerns.
"Same here." Seohyun agreed with the energy of a puppy. "And I need some new stuff. It's been so long since I've seen the inside of a mall~" she whined, making the whole group crack up.
"I can only imagine." Jinyoung savagely replied, finding herself flicked on the forehead by your youngest group member.
Not a moment too soon, the distinct sounds of the ship docking against the rocks could be heard. From above deck, where your male superiors had moved sometime during the journey, you could hear their footsteps against the metal steps.
"There you are." N said cheerfully by way of greeting.
"We've been here the whole time." you lightly chided, although the tugging at the edge of your lips gave you away.
"We knew that." Ken answered with far more charm than was required, leaving all six females with red cheeks and smiles, Sunny's giggle naturally being the loudest among you.
"I'm sure you already know we're here in the city for work however; the six of you have earned the day off to do as you wish. I would like to ask if we could meet up for dinner before we depart?" N asked, his tone casual. After receiving nods, the General replied with a grin. "Good. Keep your phones on. If there's nothing else. Enjoy your day."
Once everyone had reached the safety of land, you all said your goodbyes and as soon as you were allowed to turn your back on your compatriots, your smile faded and with it - the pleasant, excited facade you were forced to keep up during the whole trip.
Sitting in the taxi as it traveled, you could only hope that on a today like today, she would not change her plans. No, you would not think like that. She was a creature of habit - surprisingly ironic considering the agency she worked for- but you digress. She would be there. That was all there was to it.
Eventually, you reached the cafe. It was lunch time and was bustling with people of all kinds, from business men to college students. The only upside of such a crowded place was the added privacy you would have when you spoke to your friend.
Upon entering, you were assaulted by the smell of delicious food and various blends of coffee brewing. In the background there was the latest single of some male idol group playing in the background - recognizing it only because of the teenaged girls who would blast it where ever they were on the base.
When you spotted that peculiar shade of dyed blonde hair, your heart dropped in relief.
"Do you mind?" you asked the young woman staring into her phone, a lilt of teasing in your voice.
"Wha - Oh! (F/n)!" the blonde jumped from her chair as she squealed and tackled you in a hug.
"At least someone missed me." You deadpanned at your friend. It was always a wonder at how different the two of you were.
After being seated, you barely got a word in before a waiter appeared before you to take your order. Ordering the first thing that came to mind, you wait for the young man to leave before allowing the conversation to begin once more.
"How have you been? How's the mission going?!" Sooyoung asked, her questions coming a mile a minute.
You were on the brink of answering "fine" until you remembered the reason you were risking your cover in the first place. Thinking back to the past week where the lump in your throat prevented you from talking, your various thoughts clouding your judgment and your heart feeling as though it were about to give out, you knew you had to talk.
"Sooyoung..." you addressed her, your eyes zoning out on the polished wood of the table, "I've been compromised." there was no other way to say it and though your pride had taken a knock, the acute relief you felt did not even compare.
The blonde seated adjacent to you waited for your drink orders to be distributed before allowing her gray circle lensed eyes to widen in shock; leaning in to urgently whisper.
"Compromised? How?" the secretary questioned, attempting to remain calm but you could tell it was barely veiled panic.
You gulped and looked at her, trying to convey what your words failed to articulate. "I...don't know how it happened, I-"
At this point you were certain her eyes were about to pop out. You would have laughed at her reaction but you knew she was horrified at what had occurred. Having supervised all of your missions so far without a careless casualty like this happening, you both knew what this meant.
"(F/n)..." Sooyoung mumbled, unsure of what to say. "Do you...need extraction?" the girl asked, stumbling over the foreign words never having to be uttered to you.
You shook your head immediately. "I can't. He'd become suspicious. I'm in too deep. I just...I needed to talk to someone who knows the whole situation. I didn't want to put myself in any more danger. I don't know what to do." you replied, feeling exasperated.
Taking a sip of her iced coffee, you wait patiently for advice.
"There's only one thing you can do." the usually bubbly girl, much like Sunny you just noticed, now the epitome of serious, advised. "You have to finish this mission ASAP. You can't afford any more time to gain his trust. I think you know your cover is the least of your worries now." she responded and you were thankful that she was not judging you for what you had shared.
Draining your cup of its contents, you stood up. "Thank you. I can't stay any longer, just in case." you excused yourself and gave the girl a quick hug.
Before walking away, a thought came to you. "And Sooyoung, please don't tell the Director about this."
The girl gave you a comforting smile. "I don't agree but I won't. I know how much he trusts you with this mission." it was arrow to your heart as you were reminded of the talk you had with the older man before undertaking the mission, but now as you remembered, you knew you could and would not fail him now.
Mulling over the conversation that had transpired, your eyes focused on the clean, white pavement, thinking about where you were to go from here. What she said was true but for some reason, when you were at the base, it was all too easy to get caught up in the warm atmosphere that radiated from your friends, your superiors and even the girls you looked after.
"Our eyes are supposed to help us avoid obstacles." an amused familiar voice spoke and at that moment you noticed large, warm hands steadying each of your arms.
Of course it had to be Leo.
"Sorry about that." you replied, aware of how formal your speech sounded but you did not care.
"Why so formal?" he questioned. Why was it that he was so observant especially when it when it came to you? "What have you done so far?" he asked conversationally.
"Nothing much. I just come from having coffee with a friend." you replied, feeling as though you were on standby.
"So you haven't eaten?" your superior questioned, leading you through the crowds of people.
You shook your head.
"That makes sense. Look, why don't we do this?" Leo's footsteps slow to a stop and he turned to look at you. "It's our day off. There's no need for the formalities. Let's just pretend, for today, that I'm just Taekwoon and you're just (F/n), exploring the city?" he proposed, in his limited facial expression to be excited.
Not wanting to look at him for too long, you turned your attention to a random nearby shop window, unseeing. His idea appealed to the parts of yourself that you had not yet acknowledged but you would be an idiot not to appreciate the appeal of it. You could pretend this was a different timeline or even, that you were two different people.
You nodded your head.
You take the arm proffered to you and found yourself lead with ease as you were regaled with tales of the city - some you were certain were fictional but you still find yourself laughing in a way you had not experienced in your adult years.
Stopping at the various food carts, Leo bought whatever caught your eye - or rather your stomach. Though you objected at every turn, you found yourself being placated by him telling you you could pick up the tab "next time" although you had already been at the third food cart.
What started out as a little game of make believe started to become far too easy for you to get lost in. Sooyoung's cautionary words echoed in the back of your mind but all you could focus on was Leo's musical voice, the way his cheeks puffed out when he ate and the rarely worn earrings dangling from his left ear.
"I don't know about you, but I'm still hungry." Leo admitted somewhat sheepish at his insatiable appetite as you continued your amiable walk around the city.
You pouted. "I am too. You're rubbing off on me." you teased your companion, laughing behind your hand; your arm never leaving the intricate weave of Leo's arm.
"So she says." his soft voice replied, a playful roll of his eyes. "There's a great eating place in the market coming up. We could go there?"
"Sounds good." you agreed with a grin.
Passing all of the interesting stalls selling all sorts of things from fresh produce, sea food and even homemade teas - arrowroot and ginseng among them.
It was not much of a walk until Leo pointed out a medium sized stall with pre-made food filling the counters right in front of the seating area. As usual, it was run by an old woman, busily checking the many pots that contained food being cooked to perfection.
Seating yourselves on the bar stools, you order large quantities of one noodle based dish and one rice based one, not forgetting the many wonderful side dishes that looked quite appetizing. To celebrate, one or two green bottles of iconic soju completed your order.
"You were right. This is delicious!" you exclaimed as you dug into your meal. You had no idea food could taste that good. Then again, everything you had eaten with him tasted especially delicious.
Having a mouth full of rice caused Leo's laughter to come out as a muffled sound that in turn caused you to giggle uncontrollably.
"For the newlyweds." the old woman smiled kindly as she heaped a few extra spoons on top of some of the bowls you had ordered.
"Ah, we're not-" you both objected and you felt your face heat up as though you had eaten spicy rice cakes.
"Eat well!" the old woman insisted as though she were your mother telling you to eat your vegetables. Looking at Leo, she smiled. "And you especially young man. You have a beautiful wife, make sure you provide well for her in the future."
With nothing else he could say, Leo bowed in thanks. "I promise. Thank you for the food."
With her maternal advice given, the old woman smiles and returns to her work as though she had said nothing.
The air becomes awkward as the two of you begin to eat in silence.
"Do you know the reason why I haven't chosen anyone for the second-in-command position in years?" Leo asked out of the blue, his voice serious as he stared at the soju bottle.
All at once, your once beautiful dreamlike outing had shattered. As if you had remembered who you both were, you felt your walls building themselves up once more.
"No...I didn't think it was any of my business." you answered honestly. Though you had heard talks in your first days, there was nothing concrete for you to hold on to.
"She was a young girl." Leo began, drinking straight from the bottle of alcohol. "Our joining age is eighteen, but she would come into our offices everyday, determined to join the Secret Forces although she was a year younger. It was when she told us she had run away, that we gave in. She had a bright personality, even Ken had trouble keeping up. She was eager to learn and even if she wasn't any good, she would keep going. I don't know why, but she became like a little sister to me and seeing her potential, I made her my second-in-command. A year later, we were on a mission," you note how strained his voice became, "she volunteered to be bait. She promised...promised she wouldn't do anything stupid. We all waited for her go-ahead but by the time we realized that it was a trap and that we would be surrounded, she created a distraction to give us time to back up. She was shot."
You tried to ignore the tears in his eyes or the way your own stung. You tried to tell yourself that this man was responsible for murdering your father, but no matter how you tried to convince yourself of that fact, you could not stop the urge to comfort him.
Laying a hand on his shoulder, you leaned in, hoping he would look at you. "I know you feel like it was your fault. But she did what every second-in-command would do. Ensure her superior is safe. Not only that but until her last breath she honored her oath to you. You should be proud." you find the words tumbling out of your mouth, the urge to comfort foreign but...not as uncomfortable as you thought it would be. You do not think about how your words contrasted with your own actions.
He nodded and you feel heartened that he seemed to have heard what you said, perhaps he was simply thinking. For some reason, you feel pressured to tell him something as well.
"She sounded like a wonderful girl...but why did you choose me? I thought you didn't like me." you asked, realizing it was something that still bothered you to this day.
"I didn't need to like you to see the potential you had." he answered after a stretch of silence. "There was a power and intelligence the other girls didn't have. And besides," his moth up in a smirk, "it's not as if you liked me either."
You make a noise, indicating you were willing to concede that point. It was how you felt now that worried you more.
"You know, when I was away," you turned to face Leo when he began speaking once more, "I realized we did not have much of a relationship before I was sick. I know now that we have earned each other's trust and for that reason, I want you to know the codes to the file room." you counted yourself lucky that you had nothing in your hands for fear of dropping it. What were the chances of this happening? Though you were closer to completing your mission, you did not feel happy. "If anything happens to me, the code is 6354. In there is everything you might need."
Feeling the weight of his words as well as what it meant for your career, left you quiet. You had gotten what you needed but at what price? Images of him no longer living flooding your mind made you beg to differ. You did not want to think about how you were about to betray him in the coming weeks.
"Oh come on." you joked, nudging him with your elbow, trying to lift the mood, more for yourself than him. "How can you say that to your eating partner?"
"Sorry," Leo bashfully answered, "I guess I'll just have to pick up the tab again." he replied in like as you groaned at how you had been conned once again.
Returning to the comfortable mood and polishing off the remaining meal with relish, it hits you like a truck. You had become so used to it but you could barely remember the last time Leo had addressed you formally. Was it when you were in professional? You cannot be sure but hearing the familiar honorific used in tangent with your name, made your heart flutter as though you had abused your coffee machine.
After paying, the two of you lazily meandered up the many streets that now seemed strangely devoid of people. You feel a blush raise when Leo drops his arm to casually intertwine his fingers with yours as if it were the most natural thing in the world. You wondered briefly if he could hear your heart hammering in your chest.
"I love this weather." you cheerfully stated, the grey clouds blocking out the warm sun that had been present that day.
Looking down at your shorter form, Leo smiled brightly. "If I knew that a bit of rain was all it took for you to smile like that, we would have had a day off a while ago." he replied casually.
Your eyes widened at his words. Was he serious? How could he say such things so nonchalantly. Hitting him playfully on the arm, you look away, wondering if your blush was about to become permanent.
Your stroll is interrupted by the feeling of raindrops falling on your head which started to become more frequent with each passing minute. You did not mind walking in the rain but you felt your boss pulling you in the direction of a shop.
You watch on in confusion as he spoke to the merchant and in a few moments, the older man returned with a pair of ballet flats. They surprisingly matched your casual wear.
"Why are you buying shoes?" you asked, truly perplexed.
"It's dangerous to walk in heels when it's raining." Leo remarked as though it were obvious.
Feeling slightly dense, you nodded your head. You were more than comfortable but you had a feeling he was not about to back down.
Before you could even reply, Leo lets go of your hand to go onto his haunches, placing a hand on your calf, indicating for you to lift your leg. Closing your eyes, you allow your heels to be carefully slipped off and be replaced by the comfortable material of the flats. It appeared he knew your size as well.
"Thanks." you mumbled, somewhat embarrassed. This was nothing like you ever experienced in your life - personal and professional. No man has ever made you so infuriated and then so...cared for in the space of a few seconds.
Reattaching your hands as though it were a rule, Leo pulls you once more into the comfortable stroll that had been interrupted, the height difference between the two of you now emphasized.
It had barely been an afternoon that you spent together, but you felt as though you had been on a long term vacation. You breathed the clean, floral air, taking in the buildings, people and anything else that struck your fancy. The sun had set and although you were more than capable of taking care of yourself, you could not help feeling so secure walking next to Leo; his calming presence just the thing you needed.
"Wait." Leo's voice broke the comfortable silence as he came to a stop.
You cocked your head to the side, closing the distance between the both of you despite being confused.
Your heart began to hammer as Leo comes closer after he let go of your hand. (E/c) eyes meet his brown ones, the Captain leaned down a hand brushing through your hair. Not even breaking eye contact, he shows you the flower petal that had gotten stuck in your hair. Though he allowed it to be blown away, he does not move away. Instead, he brings his hands to cradle your face, as if to ensure you would only have eyes for him.
Not that it was a problem. You could have magically been transported to the desert and you would not have noticed. All you could see was him. Under the lamppost of that rainy night, you could not seem to think of him as your father's killer or even your superior, he was just Taekwoon. You eyes roamed his face. The smooth, pale skin; his cheeks lightly tinted. His intense brown eyes, his regally shaped nose and those lips...they seemed as enticingly red as the first day you met.
As he leaned in, you feel your hands move to his waist and simultaneously his rich, luxurious cologne filled your senses and as much as you wanted to miss none of his features or expressions, your eyes fluttered closed.
He was so close. So close that you could almost feel his lips on yours...
The sound of a car hooter breaks you apart as your senses returned to you one by one. You gulped, a hand pressed to your cheek while the other ran through your hair. You do not dare look at the man across from you as his phone rings.
By the sound of his husky replies, you could tell he was speaking to Ken. You were thankful for the interruption as you attempted to gather yourself.
"That was Ken." Leo reported, clearing his throat. "Apparently everyone's drunk at the team dinner and they're a bit rowdy. Do you want to go there or somewhere else?" he asked, and you could tell he did not want to pressure you into an answer.
You shook your head. You could not bare the idea of seeing your friends right now. Who knows what they might say? Or do?
You smile despite feeling awkward. "There's an entire city we haven't seen. They can wait awhile."
"I couldn't agree more." Leo replied and you assumed it was some sort of olive branch.
As you resumed walking, Sooyoung's warning began flickering just that much brighter.
A/N: I feel like I should've told you to just take an hour to read this. It's the longest chapter so far: 4 217 words! So much happens in this chapter but I feel this is the part where things start becoming interesting. And the girl I refer to...is yes, the one I made mention of in Leo's P.O.V chapter. To be honest...as excited as I am, I'm nervous about this chapter. I hope you guys don't feel as though this has jumped and that the characters are OOC but I do want to start moving the romance and plot along. And if you have any ideas you'd like to see, do comment them. I wanted to get this out ASAP because I wanted to announce that if you're a fan of my writing, when this story is complete, I will be writing an historical AU with Leo based on their newest song and teasers. (You guys those teasers!!!!!!!) I hope that would be something you'd be interested in reading. <3
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