I can't believe it's been over a year since I updated this. I was trying to finish this chapter before the one year mark, but the words weren't coming to me at the time. It's not quite how I had imagined it turning out; some things happened that I didn't plan on happening and some things didn't happen that I wanted to happen. Either way, I'm mostly satisfied with the final draft. I can't make any promises about when I'll update this again, but hopefully it doesn't take another year.

It had been a good three years since Sungyeol had any reason to wear a suit. The last time was for a cousin's wedding that his mother had guilted him into attending. He'd been uncomfortable the entire time; just waiting for the right opportunity to leave. This time was different in a few ways. For one, his suit was probably ten times better. He had Sungjong to thank for that. The youngest had taken it upon himself to style the "guest team" for the night. They were all dressed in tailored black and white tuxedos and if Sungyeol didn't know any better he'd think they were actually invited to Lee Soo Man's party.

Sungyeol stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at the ends of the bowtie in his hands. One thing that wasn't different after three years was that he still didn't know how to tie any kind of tie. He hadn't needed to before, but he really should've expected it. "It's just like tying your shoes, isn't it," he mumbled to himself as he slowly started twisting the bowtie around. He was caught off guard by a snicker from outside the open door. When he looked to the side, he found Myungsoo in the doorway.

"I would've never thought your weakness would be bowties," the younger man teased. He was leaning against the doorjamb, hands in his pants pockets and a dimpled grin on his face.

Giving up on the uncooperative piece of fabric, Sungyeol turned to face the other man fully. "It's not a weakness. It's just not a skill."

The dimple in Myungsoo's cheek deepened as his smile grew. He stepped further into the room and stopped in front of Sungyeol. "All you have to do is ask, you know. I won't even make fun of you. This time," he amended. At the small nod Sungyeol gave him in answer to the unasked question, Myungsoo moved closer until they were less than an arm's length apart.

Sungyeol watched in silence as the younger man expertly maneuvered the black cloth into the classic bowtie shape. Despite the simplicity of it all, he was still impressed. Myungsoo seemed to have many skills, most of them unexpected, and Sungyeol continually found himself uncovering a new one whenever they were together. He was starting to believe there was almost nothing Myungsoo couldn't do.

He was studying the focused look on Myungsoo's face when their eyes met. Sungyeol liked to think he was pretty observant, that not a lot got past him. But with his friend's face just inches away from him, he could only wonder how he'd never noticed just how deep Myungsoo's eyes were. They pulled him in until he found himself just a few breaths away from the other man. Or maybe Myungsoo was the one who moved closer. Either way, the distance had shortened and now they were waiting for the other person to make a move. Sungyeol was sure Myungsoo wanted him to lean in first. That seemed to be the nature of their friendship (relationship?); Sungyeol would lead and Myungsoo followed. Neither of them questioned it or tried to change it.

Taking a moment to observe the other's face, Sungyeol admired the softness of Myungsoo's features. His long eyelashes; fanned out and contrasting with the paleness of his eyelids. His skin that felt even smoother than Sungyeol had imagined when he held his cheeks in both hands. And his lips, pink and slightly parted, that looked too inviting to pass up. Myungsoo inhaled sharply as Sungyeol leaned closer. There was a blush coloring his cheeks that Sungyeol could feel against his palms. The moment felt right. All Sungyeol needed to do was lean down a few more inches to connect their lips. And from Myungsoo's expression he appeared to have the same thought. But somewhere between the deep breath Sungyeol took and the single inch he moved, there seemed to be a switch. Myungsoo's eyes widened like he was just realizing how close they were and the position they were in. His hands tightened on Sungyeol's tie, pulling it tighter. Sungyeol was stopped short as he ended up gasping for air. His hands flew up to loosen the knot at his throat.

Myungsoo quickly stepped back. The blush on his face had deepened and even spread to the tips of his ears. "I-I have to—Sungjong..." He mumbled to himself before hurrying out of the bathroom. Sungyeol thought he heard a few curse words.

The erratic beating of his heart could have been because of his brief lack of oxygen. Or it could've been from how close he'd been to Myungsoo. To kissing him. Sungyeol dropped down on the toilet seat as the realization finally hit him. He'd almost kissed Myungsoo. He'd wanted to kiss Myungsoo. And Myungsoo... Sungyeol had no idea what the other man was thinking. His startled reaction couldn't have been a good sign. (Almost strangling the person you were about to kiss was never a good sign.) But knowing what little—well, maybe it was a lot—he did about Myungsoo, it wasn't that out of character. The younger man was much more awkward than his face suggested. Plus, he was surprisingly good at embarrassing himself.

Sungyeol's thoughts weren't bringing him any closer to figuring out what exactly had just happened or why. Myungsoo awkwardness didn't necessarily mean that he had feelings for Sungyeol. And it didn't mean that he didn't either. Letting out a deep sigh, Sungyeol passed a hand down his face. He would run his hands through his hair, but Sungjong would most definitely kill him if he did and Sungyeol wasn't ready to die just yet. Though that would save him the trouble of having to face Myungsoo after possibly being rejected. Death felt like a much better option.

Sungyeol knew exactly why Woohyun had pulled him aside as they were leaving for the party. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Woohyun hadn't been as subtle with his hints as he probably thought he'd been. He wanted Sungyeol to stay and had been trying to give him reasons to stick around.

"I guess there's no need to drag it out," Woohyun started off. He faced away from Sungyeol as he looked toward the driveway. The other guys were milling about next to the getaway car. "You should know by now that the guys all like you. They trust you. I trust you. We already think of you as part of the team. All that's left is to make it official."

There question was there even if the words hadn't come out of Woohyun's mouth. Did Sungyeol want to join the team? The short answer, if he were to be completely honest, would be yes. That was what he wanted. Friends and a job that didn't make him feel like the life was being out of him. To work with people who seemed more like friends than accomplices. To be somewhere where he felt like his own person; where he couldn't feel his father's shadow looming over him. He liked feeling like he belonged. He liked the guys, too (maybe he liked Myungsoo a little bit more than the others) and he trusted them as well. But what he needed was to stay under his father's radar. Joining a criminal enterprise wasn't going to accomplish that. "I don't know," Sungyeol sighed. He wished the decision was simpler. That he didn't have to consider or worry or second-guess. "My father—"

"Isn't here right now," Woohyun pointed out. He finally turned to face Sungyeol. His face was serious but also concerned. "And he's not the one I'm asking. You're old enough to make your own decisions. You don't have to live your life according to him. I mean, I can’t tell you what to do either. Just… Do what makes you happy."

"Well, unlike you, robbing people isn't what makes me happy."

Woohyun cracked a small smile, to Sungyeol's relief. "You know what I mean."

Sungyeol smiled back as he finally relaxed. "Can I think about it," he asked. They both knew he'd had weeks to think. And they probably both knew what Sungyeol's final answer was going to be.

With a sigh, Woohyun nodded anyway. He slung an arm over Sungyeol's shoulders as he steered the two of them towards the rest of the team. "Just don't take too long."

Sungyeol fussed with the bow tie around his neck for the umpteenth time since Myungsoo had tied it for him. He was nervous being in such a high-class setting, but not for any of the reasons he should be. His father's many lectures and lessons about proper etiquette came back to him the moment he stepped foot in Lee Soo Man's house. He hadn't been the best student when it came to learning what he should and shouldn't do. He was always too much of a rebel. But now, oddly enough, he felt insecure after being somewhat back into the life he'd walked away from years ago. It seemed obvious to him that he didn't fit in with the crowd and it felt like it was only a matter of time before everyone else realized it as well.

"Try to look like you want to be here," Howon whispered in Sungyeol's ear as he slipped a glass of champagne into his hand. He clinked his own drink against Sungyeol's before taking a big gulp.

Sungyeol followed suit a moment later, though he still wasn't too fond of the alcohol's slightly bitter aftertaste. They were supposed to be blending in, getting a feel of the house for the next phase of the plan. Sungyeol's mind had, admittedly, been elsewhere. Aside from the party conjuring up old memories, he also couldn't help replaying his almost-kiss with Myungsoo in his head. They were friends; and surprisingly close ones for the short amount of time they'd known each other. Before that night, Sungyeol hadn't once thought of Myungsoo in any other capacity. It was almost overwhelming how suddenly things had changed. And the jury was still out on how Myungsoo felt. Were they really on the same page? Would he have kissed Sungyeol back? Did he even want to kiss Sungyeol in the first place? Sungyeol was running himself in circles with questions he would never have the guts to ask the other man.

Hoya snapped his fingers in front of Sungyeol’s face, pulling him from his thoughts. "I get that you’re rusty, but can you try to focus on the job. Whatever it is you’re dealing with can wait." Despite his harsh words, he didn't look as irritated as Sungyeol would've expected.

"I am focused," Sungyeol lied.

With a scoff, Hoya tossed back the rest of his champagne. "Focused, my ," he muttered as he set his empty glass on a platter held by a passing waiter and picked up a new one.

Sungyeol rolled his eyes. It was taking a long time for Hoya to grow on him like Sungjong had promised. Mostly because the other tended to run hot and cold; it was hard to tell what kind of mood he was in at any given time. (Sungyeol blamed his eyebrows.) Dongwoo was especially good at discerning his moods, though. Sungyeol hoped to learn that skill one day—if he decided to stay, of course.

"You're acting pretty cool for someone surrounded by rich and famous people," he said as a change of subject.

"It's not my first time." Hoya shrugged, looking around at the expensively dressed people surrounding them. "And I'd say there's more rich than famous here."

That was true. Rather than a slew of celebrities, the guest list seemed to be filled with local elites; small-time politicians and investors and CEOs. As big a name as Lee Soo Man was, Sungyeol would've expected more recognizable faces in the crowd. He was sure he had seen at least one actress, though. He probably couldn't list anything she'd been in, but he knew he'd seen her face before. As he swept his gaze across the room, his eyes landed on a very familiar face. It had been easy enough to pretend nothing happened between him and Myungsoo. Everyone was focused on the party; on the job. To Sungyeol’s relief, no one noticed the distance or silence between the two of them. He tried to be conspicuous while turning away, but Hoya seemed to be paying close attention to him.

"What was that," he asked with a raised eyebrow.

A blush crept up Sungyeol's cheeks despite his best efforts to play it cool. "What was what?" He hoped he didn't sound as guilty as he felt. As far as he could tell no one else knew about the incident in the bathroom. Which was good; Sungyeol could work with that. Maybe deflect any questions or flat-out lie. There was absolutely no need for him to tell the truth. Especially not now.

Hoya's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why don't I go case that side," he suggested, tipping his chin in the direction Sungyeol had just turned away from.

Sungyeol shrugged. His knee-jerk reaction was to stop Hoya from going anywhere near Myungsoo, but his logical side reminded him that if Myungsoo hadn't said anything yet, he probably wasn't going to in the future. Although it was more embarrassing for Sungyeol, Myungsoo must've had reasons for keeping it quiet. Sungyeol pointed in the opposite direction. "And I'll just, um, be on this side."

The slight arch of one of Hoya's eyebrows clearly meant to say he wasn't buying it. He could tell Sungyeol was lying—or, at least, not being necessarily truthful. Thankfully, though, he kept his suspicions to himself. He only raised his champagne flute in lieu of a goodbye and walked away.

Sungyeol waited all of five seconds before turning to watch Hoya's inevitable run-in with Myungsoo. He sipped his champagne as he tried to convince himself that there was nothing to be nervous about.

Myungsoo looked much more relaxed than the last time Sungyeol had looked at him. He smiled at Hoya as the other laid an arm across his shoulders. They exchanged words Sungyeol couldn’t make out that had Myungsoo hiding his laughter with his hand. Despite his burning curiosity, Sungyeol wasn't quite ready to face Myungsoo, to actually talk to him; even if it wasn't what they needed to talk about. He should just act like nothing happened for the rest of the job. Myungsoo seemed to be doing that. The conversation appeared to turn serious. Myungsoo shook his head at a question from Hoya. Sungyeol's gut told him it was probably about him. Considering Hoya had only approached Myungsoo because of him, it was expected. And it wasn't like anything happened, so, really, Sungyeol had no reason to worry. Hoya wasn't going to get anything more from Myungsoo than he'd gotten from Sungyeol. Taking a sip from his glass, Sungyeol watched the two men talk for another minute. As he'd predicted (and hoped), Myungsoo wasn't giving anything up.

"Who're you smiling at?"

Startled, Sungyeol's hand flew up to touch his cheek. If a smile had been there, it was definitely gone now. Why would he even be smiling in the first place? Because of Myungsoo? There was a deep frown on his face when he turned to glare at Woohyun. The other man was dressed like the rest of the wait staff and holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres. If wasn't for where they were and why, Sungyeol would've knocked the tray out of the other man's hands.

"Pig-in-blanket," Woohyun offered, unaffected by Sungyeol's stare. He held the tray closer to the other's face.

Sungyeol rolled his eyes, but still took an appetizer. He wasn't one to turn down free food. He pretended not to notice the big smile on Woohyun's face.

"You didn't answer the question."

"Because I wasn't smiling," Sungyeol replied coolly. He looked away from Woohyun, making sure to avoid looking towards Myungsoo and Hoya. It was bad enough that his mind kept replaying that awkward moment in the bathroom; he didn't need Woohyun making it worse by just knowing about it.

Woohyun snorted and gave Sungyeol a small nudge. "Is this what we're doing now? We all have eyes, you know." His voice was soft, like he was trying not to upset Sungyeol.

It would seem Sungyeol had underestimated the rest of the team. He'd thought the distance between Myungsoo and him wasn't noticeable. It wasn't like they were attached at the hip normally; them not interacting hadn't seemed like a big deal. Obviously Sungyeol was wrong. The others were quicker than he'd given them credit for. With a sigh, Sungyeol turned back to Woohyun. "Can we not get into this right now," he pleaded. Just because he didn't have to lie didn't mean he wanted to tell the truth. It wasn't the time or place for it and, honestly, Sungyeol wasn't entirely sure of his feelings. Plus, it would’ve made more sense if he had that conversation with Myungsoo first.

For the second time that night Woohyun nodded in understanding. Beneath his loud, sometimes overbearing personality, he was actually a thoughtful friend who showed genuine concern and would do anything for the people he cared about. Those were characteristics Sungyeol hadn't gotten to see when they were younger. Or maybe Woohyun hadn't acquired them just yet. Either way, Sungyeol was grateful for them now as Woohyun finally dropped the subject. "You should try to sneak a couple of these out with you," the faux-waiter suggested airily. He held the tray closer to Sungyeol again. "I mean, they're pretty much just fancy hot dogs, but they're expensive fancy hot dogs."

Sungyeol smiled slightly, finally relaxing for what felt like the first time that night. There was still a lot to worry about, but he would focus on them when the time came. Those problems would still be there after the job was done. He helped himself to another pig-in-a-blanket and went back to surveying the room like he was attempting to do before Woohyun showed up. "I would, but Sungjong will kill me if I get even a molecule of oil on this suit. And then he'd kill you with my dead body for letting it happen." It was as much a joke as it was a fact; Sungjong could be very scary. But Sungyeol would never tell him to his face. He was about to suggest ways they could sneak food when an all-too-familiar face caught his attention. Having already finished his hors d'oeuvre, there was nothing for him to choke on—except, maybe, the air or his own tongue. For all his talk of not fearing his father, the sight of him, impeccably dressed and a rare smile on his face, was enough to make every hair on Sungyeol's body stand up. He turned away from the older man immediately. All thoughts of joking were replaced with silent prayers that his father hadn't noticed him. There was no way they would be able to finish the job if he got caught.

Confused, Woohyun turned with him. "What? What is it? You look like you saw a ghost."

"Please tell me you knew my father was going to be here." Sungyeol didn't dare turn around. There was a small part of him that hoped he was hallucinating. (He'd only had a glass and a half of champagne, but alcohol had to be the only explanation for him seeing the last person he wanted to see.) Sungyeol didn't want that hoped dashed by turning around and seeing that his father really was there.

Unsurprisingly, Woohyun looked back over his shoulder. "," he breathed out once his eyes fell on the prosecutor. He took Sungyeol's half-empty glass and downed the rest in one fluid motion. "I swear I had no idea. I didn't see his name on the guest list, so he must be someone's plus one. Or he changed his mind at the last minute." From the expression on his face, it seemed like Woohyun was more distressed about the situation than Sungyeol. He was looking straight ahead, though probably not really seeing anything; most likely coming up with a plan. It took almost a full minute before Woohyun spoke. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do." Holding the appetizer tray high up like the rest of the wait staff, he handed Sungyeol back the empty champagne flute and steered the taller man ahead of him. "You're gonna go outside with Sungjong. He'll give you a rundown of Phase Two."

They made their way slowly across the crowded ballroom. Sungyeol was tempted to check behind them to see if they'd been noticed. But he already felt like enough of a sore thumb because of his height, looking back would be a bad idea. "What about you?" As far as Sungyeol could remember, his father had never formally met Woohyun, but that didn't mean he didn't know his face. The man had the means and the connections to know everything about Sungyeol. "Do you think he'll recognize you, too?"

Woohyun made a humming sound like he was thinking. "I don't think he knows my face," he replied, "or any of our faces, actually. We wouldn't be doing things right if he does. Either way I'll take my chances. You're the critical one here; if he sees you it's all over."

There was no malice or resentment in his voice and yet Sungyeol still felt guilty. His father showing up so suddenly somehow felt like his fault. That was kind of the way it's always been. Being related to a prosecutor—to someone like his father—has always affected every aspect of his life. And rarely in a positive way. Perhaps if he'd been more obedient or conforming maybe it wouldn't have made as much of a difference. He'd be happy with the path his father had laid out for him. As it was, he and his father wanted different things out of him and out of life. And their relationship suffered from it. Maybe one day they would reconcile, and they could just have a simple conversation with each other. But that day was a long way off. For now, Sungyeol would just try to shake his lingering guilt and doubt.