the chapter is not edited. i apologize, my life is a little busy, and i barely get time to write. wonder how i would even edit this.

hope it will be readable nonetheless. please inform me if there’s something that i need to change immediately instead of waiting for some time to give this once over. the whole thingy.

don’t forget the story contains the ‘drama’ tag. you all are going to have a lot of it.

It starts in the afternoon of the same day.

People begin with how Jongin had betrayed Sehun; end with how Jongin needs to understand what a humiliating act he had committed the moment he kissed one close friend of Sehun, and hence cheated behind the businessman's back.

(The words differ:

Sehun’s employees say Jongin has cheated with Sehun’s one of the closest friends behind Sehun’s back. One ridiculous thing.

Junmyeon's employees say Jongin hasn't done anything wrong to begin with. If Junmyeon and Jongin has been dating, then they have every right to kiss wherever they like. Another ridiculous thing.)

It's funny how they don't even ask anything, neither to Jongin nor to Sehun or Junmyeon.

Someone had apparently clicked their picture, the moment when Junmyeon had kissed him, and posted it online. The market, and the population is in stir and Jongin is getting animosity for nothing. From everyone, except, of course, some mature people who have enough brain to know that whatever the deal is about (or whatever is happening between the two close businessmen friends, and an ordinary PA) is none of their business.

Not everyone is understanding, though, and they don't think twice before throwing vicious remarks at someone innocent: Jongin. Of course, since he is lesser than the businessmen (in popularity, in status, among others), he is given all the hate. First of all, for grabbing the attention of two of the most wanted bachelors of the population. Second, for coming in between two close friends; third, for ruining the reputation the businessmen have made for themselves throughout the years. Among others.

Junmyeon denies all the accusations by the evening, refuses to hold interview for such a ridiculous rumour, and then apologizes to Jongin; personally at first, then on social media. It only adds fuel to the fire, somehow it does.

It's Sehun who lashes on the first journalist who corners Jongin to ask him about his relationship with the two successful businessmen. If he's some highly paid instead of a PA who everyone says he is. Or worse, is he some sort of worker? A gold digger perhaps.

It's the first punch Sehun throws on the journalist's face, and the cuss that gets Jongin moving; he breaks into a wave of tears first, then runs to stand between Sehun and the journalist before the businessman could kill the man. Sehun is furious; his eyes are red with unshed tears of anger and something else, cheeks are flushed, and one firm hand raised to slap the journalist for the nth time.

He looks scary to Jongin, and he almost cowers in fear when Sehun’s furious eyes land on him. The man's eyes soften almost immediately at the sight of the younger, but then the journalist whimpers behind Jongin, and Sehun’s eyes harden again.

“Step aside, Jongin,” Sehun seethes, “let me teach him a lesson.”

“No, it's okay. Leave him.”

“Jongin, I said step aside—”

“I said shut it, Sehun!” Jongin finally loses the patience and ends up screaming. Silence follows it; a part of Jongin hopes that the journalist would stop writing nonsense after seeing such kindness from his side...but Sehun knows these type of journalists are nothing but cut to the point, bastards. They are not going to stop unless Sehun or Junmyeon take some severe steps to end this; maybe they would end up suing one or two companies.

“Leave,” Sehun growls to the journalist. “I said leave before I ing kill you!” It’s only then that the journalist quickly moves and picks up his notepad before running away from there. Sehun knows he will write something else to add fuel to the fire. Sehun almost hates himself for letting this man go; he should’ve at least broken a few bones of the man.

“You should not do things like that,” Jongin says minutes later, breaking the tensed silence between them. “You will end up getting in trouble for nothing,” he adds then in a soft voice.

“First of all, people like them don’t deserve anything less than, at the least, a few punches and kicks. Second, he wasn’t, and still isn’t, doing anything right—they are making fake news! What does it mean, huh? Being in a relationship with a man; dating this man; cheating behind his back! What does that even mean? Who do they think they are—Gods? Are they Gods? Do they know everything? They know no !” Sehun runs a hand through his hair, angry and desperate to punch someone; the journalist mostly.

“For nothing? What does it mean it’s for nothing—it’s for you, alright. You’re caught between us, and you didn’t even do anything! You’re not nothing.” Sehun sighs, earnestly. “It’s all Junmyeon’s fault—” Sehun stops and looks down at the trembling form of the younger.

Jongin sniffles, and Sehun catches the anger and frustration and hurt crossing the younger’s features. He wants to embrace the smaller man, and tell him that he didn’t do anything wrong. That he will make everything alright. He doesn’t though, he doesn’t know if Jongin would welcome the touch or not. So he waits for Jongin’s cries to subside.

“I didn’t do anything,” Jongin says after minutes of silent crying. “I-I didn’t do anything—I didn’t kiss him. I didn’t—why is it always me?”

Jongin cries some more, and Sehun finally decides to hug his PA after a short pensive silence from his side. Jongin easily melts into his arms; melts into his arms as if he was waiting for a touch like this. As if he appreciates the embrace, and Sehun feels flower blooming in his chest unexpectedly. Jongin appreciates his embrace, and he loves the smaller’s warm body pressed against his own. He’s soft and small, and leaves him wanting to tell Jongin to make a home for himself there; in his arms for as long as possible.

“It’s okay,” he says when Jongin repeats how everything is always bad to him. How he doesn’t do anything, but still gets the burn of the consequence. “We—I will do something, I promise. You don’t need to answer anyone, I will do that.”

Jongin tells him that he wants to go home, and to his son; Sehun promises him that he will bring him home. He hesitantly takes Jongin’s hand in his own and together they walk to his parked car. Bringing Jongin home, dropping the younger home, has become a routine for him. Jongin never asked for it; Sehun never said that he would do that for the younger every day, but he does. It happens as if it were a part of his life; his daily routine life of a CEO.

It calms him down, somehow; to have something other than meetings to attend, to see some of the most blank and obedient faces to his parents disappointed ones. It, surprisingly, calms him down and brings him peace and joy even more than sex itself. That says all; for Sehun nothing really matters more than the intense pleasure ion brings.

Looking at Jongin through his peripheral vision, Sehun wonders why he feels so attached to the younger when they didn’t do anything. Then wonders why everything wrong happening with Jongin angers him; only to end up with a blank mind. It shouldn’t bother him, if anything; the mess is solely made by Junmyeon and Jongin (although not really by Jongin; it was just his presence with his businessman friend that landed him in such a trouble), and he is dragged in the trouble just because of some messed up minds in his company.

“Um,” Jongin says in the silence of the car. Sehun, stunned with the sudden sound, flinches. Jongin doesn’t notice it, much to Sehun’s relief. He doesn’t know how he would be able to explain himself—“um, I was just lost in thought while driving, and you spoke all of a sudden and I almost got a heart attack.”

“Thank you,” his PA adds, shyly although still stiff beside him. Sehun understands the stiffness in him. He smiles and tells Jongin that he need not worry about what’s happening right now. Jongin doesn’t reply.

It’s only when he’s standing in front of the apartment door, he realizes what it is.

It’s attraction; he is attracted to his PA. Jongin everything he is not; Jongin is truth, and he is a lie. Jongin is polite, considerate, and benign, but he is nowhere close to the younger. Sehun guesses opposite attracts after all.

Despite Sehun showing unusual gentleness toward him, Jongin, although worried about the mess around him, invites the man inside, saying how it’s too late to drive back to the elder’s place. It’s half past one in the night; Jongin wonders to himself how he didn’t notice the time before. Sehun refuses his offer at first, but then accepts at his insistent worries of how late it is, and how unsafe it would be for him to drive his car at such an hour.

“I don’t have many rooms,” Jongin says sheepishly, leading Sehun to a closed room. “This is the only guest bedroom I have; the other two bedrooms are Jin’s and mine.” He’d last cleaned the room a week ago, and hopes that Sehun wouldn’t hate him for giving him such a small, plain room. The man is rich, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and probably never slept in such ordinary bedroom.

“I did whatever I could for this bedroom.” Since Jongin wasn’t particularly rich when he came to Korea, he hadn’t paid much mind to this particular room, and spent money on the other bedrooms. When he got his pay check from Sehun of the last month, designing the room up to his own taste of a guest bedroom didn’t come to his mind. Until now. “I hope this is okay.”

“This is more than...okay, Jongin,” Sehun says, smiling, and now feeling out of place in his Armani suit. He clears his throat and steps inside, following the exact steps Jongin takes. “You don’t need to be so worried about it. Although I’ve never slept in a bedroom like this before; it doesn’t really matter since it’s only about a night. I’ll manage.”

Sehun realizes how he shouldn’t have said the last part a few minutes into the silence between them. Jongin doesn’t say anything, but Sehun sees the hurt flashing through his eyes. Of course, Sehun had to say something to disparage the younger.

“Oh,” Jongin says, going red in face for whatever reason; whether it’s anger or embarrassment, Sehun has no idea.

He knows only one thing: he has ed up. “Oh my God—” he begins, flailing his arms all around him. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would end up doing something like this; behaving like how he’s currently behaving. “I didn’t mean to. It just came out my mouth—I promise, I didn’t mean to say what I said earlier—you know how my mouth works, don’t you?”

Although Jongin definitely doesn’t find anything amusing (rather it’s quite disheartening to know what Sehun thinks of his home), he still cracks a tiny smile at the elder. “Do you w-want to eat something?—I can make something quick—or do you want something to drink?”

“Nothing, I am fine. Thank you.” Sehun leans a little down as if bowing to the younger; although he doesn’t because he hasn’t learned to bow in front of someone younger than him. It’s only because Jongin is too kind for his own good that he deserves respect of everyone around him; whether younger or older. “Just water would be fine.”

“Oh, so I will bring one glass—” Here Jongin points to a closed door. “That’s bathroom, if you want to fresh, you can.” Sehun thanks him before walking to the bathroom.

Jongin return just in time Sehun comes out of the bathroom. Although it's not the first time Jongin has noticed how exceptionally handsome his boss is, Jongin still remains frozen on his spot for a few long seconds.

Standing there with his half buttoned shirt, slightly tucked out of his suit pants, and water droplets dripping down his face to his almost chest, Sehun gives new meaning to hot. The image somehow envelops his body in an indiscernible fire.

Jongin shakes his head; forces Kyungsoo’s hot look into his mind before placing the glass of water on the table. “Um, please rest. I will bring Jin from my neighbour's house.”

“He is at your neighbour's?” The man asks, gulping down the water down his throat. God he needed this.

“Yes,” Jongin answers, fiddling nervously with his fingers.

“Jongin,” Sehun calls, smiling, “isn't it too late to disturb your neighbours?—I mean your son must've slept by now, let him sleep there for tonight.”

“No, Lucas told me he had somewhere to go today.” He thinks back to the moment the younger had called him to tell him about some of his plans. Lucas had said that he had some exam the next day, and after coming from the library he would go directly to studies. “Lucas must be awake.”

Something changes on Sehun’s face, although it's just a barely noticeable twitch of his eyebrows and clench of jaw.

“So I will go and bring him here—”

“Can I come too?” Sehun asks, brows furrowed, “I mean, I can accompany you—besides, it's very late. It's not safe.”

Jongin scrunches his nose. “But…” Jongin says, looking up at him now. “I am going to my neighbour—it’s just there. Like, you don't need to come. I mean, that's unnecessary.”

“I said I want to go, didn't I?” Of course, he had to sound like a douche. He doesn't need to apologize because Jongin is already nodding at him to follow him. “Thanks” he says, walking out of the apartment behind Jongin.

Jongin doesn't reply, instead passes him a wide eyed look when Sehun walks beside him to the younger’s neighbourhood. Sehun didn't need to, Jongin was right, but Sehun wants to meet this 'kind Lucas’. For some reasons even he isn't sure of.

They stand in front of the door for a few seconds before heavy footsteps sound from the other side. “He heard the doorbell,” Jongin says, comments; still wide eyed and stiff beside him. Sehun almost laughs because Oh God, how adorable is he even?

Lucas, a tall (much to Sehun’s annoyance) aesthetically pleasing young man opens the door; his smile, however, disappears at the sight of Sehun. “Hi, hyung,” the man greets when Jongin says a cheerful “hello” to him; his stiffness has disappeared all of a sudden, much to Sehun’s confusion.

“Hello to you too, Mr. Oh,” Lucas gives a stiff greeting to him.

Sehun internally rolls his eyes. “Hello.”

After a short silence between them, Jongin tells Lucas that he's here to bring Jin back. Lucas answers Jin is in his bedroom sleeping. Lucas steps aside then, letting Jongin in before turning to a frowning Sehun.

“I have heard a lot about you, Mr. Oh. Nice to meet you.”

“I have not heard a lot of you,” Sehun replies, sarcastic, “but I guess it's nice to meet you too.”

Lucas hums, and stares at Sehun for some moments. “I wonder what you're thinking.”

“How Jongin knows the way to your bedroom.” Straight to the point, Sehun has always liked it that way.

Lucas gives a small laugh, but doesn't explain anything.

“I wonder what you're thinking,” Sehun says.

“Why you are with hyung with your shirt half buttoned as if planning to do some kind of debauchery—is something in your mind, Mr. Oh?”

“Sorry to burst your sweet bubble,” Sehun smiles, although it's fake. “But I do not do that kind of .”

“Then all the rumours must be fake then—of your having one night stands and all.” The man shrugs. Sehun want to punch him. “I heard what happened today, Mr. Oh,” Lucas says into a few seconds of silence between them. “It would be much better if your friend and you don't do something hurtful to hyung.”

Sehun clenches his jaw, and then fists his hands. Who does this kid think he is? However, before he could reply, Jongin walks out of the bedroom, Jin’s sleeping frame tucked into the safety of his arms.

“Thank you so much, Lucas.” Jongin passes a bright smile to the younger. “Even though you don't need to, you always help me.”

“It's okay; it's my pleasure.” The boy pats the youngest on his head before bidding good night to them; although he does not forget to pass Sehun stink eyes. Sehun returns the look.

“I wonder why you have befriended someone like him,” Sehun says, following Jongin to the path to the younger’s apartment.

“Who?” Jongin asks, turning around to look at him. He, much to Sehun’s displeasure, stops in front of him. It’s easier to talk to Jongin, sometimes, when the younger isn’t looking at him with those wide brown eyes. It makes Sehun want to close his mouth and not speak any kind of that might come out of his mouth at any moment.

He speaks anyway because he thinks, and firmly believes, that Jongin should not associate himself with someone like him of all people. “Lucas,” he answers.

Jongin frowns, and then passes him a confused look. “Lucas,” he repeats. “Lucas is a good guy, hyung; he is the best neighbour I could ever have. He takes care of everything as if we were his family; he looks after my son, and...”

Blah, blah, blah, Jongin continues, much to Sehun’s annoyance. He decides to act a little rude, and with a petulant huff to himself walks past Jongin to the younger’s apartment. Jongin stays silent on the spot he is standing with his son in his arms for a few long minutes, before wordlessly following his boss inside his apartment. Sehun is weird, really; beyond comprehension to him.

It further confuses Jongin when he finds Sehun standing at the doorway of his bedroom when he is in the process of tucking his son under the blankets. The man stands there for a few more minutes before asking Jongin if he had some moments to spare. Jongin agrees, and follows him out of the bedroom.

They are currently sitting in the veranda of Jongin’s apartment. It’s late at night, very late at night, and the breeze around them cold. Sehun wants to tell Jongin to talk inside instead; the younger is still in his shirt and is probably cold. He doesn’t, however, because Jongin is looking at him the next second, and his eyes involuntary fall on the same lips that created all this mess. If only Junmyeon hadn’t felt any kind of attraction toward the younger, he wouldn’t have kissed him. If he wouldn’t have kissed him, then they wouldn’t be dealing with the mess the media and everyone around them have made.

“What is that you want to talk about?” Jongin asks, looking down all while playing with the hem of his shirt, and then, “aren’t you cold?”

“Aren’t you cold?” He asks instead. Sure he’s in a white shirt too, and it’s half buttoned only, but Jongin, he thinks, is different. Jongin wouldn’t be able to handle the cold.

Jongin frowns but doesn’t reply to his question, instead repeats his earlier question. Sehun clears his throat, and then drums his fingers on his clothed thigh as distraction. Now, for some reason, he feels nervous talking about Jongin and Junmyeon. Of course, he knows that the two men aren’t dating, but still the mere thought of them actually dating sends a shiver down his spine. Of anger, and jealousy.

What if the rumors are right, and they are actually dating? Behind the cameras, and everyone’s back.

“What happened that night?” He asks, humming a tune in his head. Jongin is silent beside him, but he, however, emits a sound of surprise. Of course, the younger would never expect Sehun to bring out that of all things.

“What about that?” Jongin asks instead, stiff and reserved.

“Nothing, just... what happened between you two?”

He expects Jongin to ignore the question, or tell him that he doesn’t need to know anything. Jongin, however, speaks about that night anyway; in his own words. He sounds surprisingly calm, although Sehun knows he isn’t; the shaking frame beside him and the tremble in the other man’s voice clear signs.

Jongin begins with how the air between Junmyeon and him had been calm, and friendly. Junmyeon had then asked if he wanted to go to the garden he called special and close to his heart; he had agreed. Then not even a minute later Junmyeon started acting weird, and started coming close to him. At first, he didn’t understand the change in the elder, but then Junmyeon kissed him and everything started from there.

He hadn’t kissed back, Jongin added when Sehun looked at him for a few long seconds. He doesn’t know why, but the need to explain himself in front of the elder was strong.

“You two aren’t dating, right?”

“No, of course, not.” Jongin huffs. “I never even thought of hyung like that.”

“I talked to Junmyeon, and he said he is attracted to you. Are you not attracted to him?”

Jongin goes red in his face. “Junmyeon hyung is a nice man,” he says, hesitant, “I do feel attracted to him many times, but nothing really means that.”

It gives Sehun immense relief. He clears his throat and stands up from the veranda. “We should go to sleep, it’s very late.”

“Hyung,” Jongin calls, catching his wrist with slight hesitation. “I didn’t do anything; there’s nothing between Junmyeon and me, or between you and me.” Jongin didn’t need to say that. “Please, stop this. I am worried it would affect Jin.”

He gives squeeze to Jongin’s hand in return. “I will clear everything by tomorrow evening. I promise.”

Sleep does not come easy to him this night; maybe it’s because he’s in a completely new place. Or maybe it doesn’t concern the new place and bed at all. Maybe it’s just the lingering feeling of a soft hand on his wrist, and the mere reminder that the object of his attraction is just a few steps away from him, sleeping soundly.

Morning comes with a loud screech, and call of name of a very familiar kid. Sehun wakes up with a start when he feels a sudden weight on his body. The weight, however, is lifted even before he could open his eyes. There’s a hushed scolding when Sehun rubs his eyes with the sleeves of the shirt Jongin had given him last night before finally going to sleep. It’s short on his body and nearly suffocates him. He had slept with the buttons undone, and the squeak that Jongin emit tells Sehun that the younger has noticed his self.

“I am sorry, hyung,” Jongin says, slapping a hand over his son’s mouth when he starts blabbering again. “Jin is a little, you know, drama queen.”

“Drama queen.” Sehun laughs. “It’s okay, really.” He shakes his head when Jongin apologizes again.

“Good morning, uncle.”

“Morning—come here?”

Jongin, a stiff Jongin, allows a wiggling Jin in his hold to sit on the man’s lap instead. “It’s his school in half an hour. I have to drop him off.”

“Oh, well, what time is it? We have to go the company too.”

“Six in the morning,” Jongin answers, already taking a few long steps back. “I am preparing his tiffin. You can go and—” Jongin points to the bathroom. Sehun thanks him before asking for a few minutes with his son. Jongin shrugs with a small smile playing over his lips.

After dropping Jongin’s son at the school, Sehun drives on the path to the company building. It’s silent ever since the kid was dropped at the school; Jongin prefering to look outside the window instead. They haven’t watched the news, yet; although he already knows the rumors about him and his PA, and Junmyeon must be on peak. The incident of the last evening a sore reminder, no one is going to live it down.

From the nervous twitching of Jongin’s fingers on his lap, Sehun thinks something else is bothering the younger. He decides to ask about it, although making sure that his voice comes out soft instead of his deep and rough voice on usual days.

“What is it?” He asks, resolutely looking straight when Jongin turns around to look at him. “What’s bothering you so much?”

“Nothing,” Jongin answers meekly, and then as if thinking something else, speaks at last. “Just, people will see you and me. Together. Y-you’re still in the same cloth as yesterday—I don’t know what else. I am worried.”

Oh. Sehun tightens his hold on the steering wheel. He didn't think about that before.

“Plus,” Jongin begins again, as if not done with what he had in his mind. It’s absolutely freaking the hell out of Sehun because the younger is actually bringing out the biggest worries at this moment. “Y-Your reputation of… sleeping around.”

Sehun doesn’t know what to say about that. Sure some blockhead would come with a new story with this now. Ugh, Sehun thinks to himself, if only he had known the rumors going in about Jongin and him around the company. He could have stopped it, at the least.

“What if someone said that you and I…” slept together last night at my house is left unsaid. Sehun notices Jongin’s apprehensive murmurs to himself; he sighs, running a hand through his hair in worry. He doesn’t know who’s the biggest victim in this whole ordeal; a part of him though, is insistent on Jongin’s name. “I hope this doesn't reach Jin,” Jongin says, mostly to himself.

They reach the building surprisingly quick; a swarm of reporters, paparazzi, and photographers already awaiting them. Sehun sighs to himself, coming to a full stop. He turns around to look at his PA before nudging him with a hand. Jongin’s eyes are already fearful; he’s scared and surprisingly that angers Sehun. He tells, in a hushed voice, Jongin to keep his head low when they would walk out of the car; no matter people ask him something, he doesn’t have to speak. Sehun’s awaiting bodyguards outside of the car will take care that no one harms him or Sehun himself.

“Can we not go?” Jongin asks, afraid, just when Sehun is about to open his side of door.

“I cannot do that,” he answers, “I have to face them, sooner or later. If you want, I can drop you at your home?”

“No,” Jongin answers with a shake of his head, eyes pensive for a few seconds. “I-I will go.”

Sehun sighs, and involuntary brings a hand to brush aside the fringes falling over the younger’s eyes; the action surprises both. They were bothering Sehun a lot since he couldn’t look into the brown eyes he has grown to admire. However, the loud sound of shutters resonate around them and Sehun realizes it was a dead wrong move. They are going to feed off that.

He sighs, and with a quick, gentle pat on one soft cheek, tells Jongin that he would come to his side. He walks out of his side—his bodyguards immediately getting in action as they quickly surround Sehun—and to Jongin’s side to help him out of the car and hence from the horribly excited crowd. He passes impassive looks to everyone around him; Jongin’s comparatively smaller frame safely tucked in his arms. Jongin stumbles a few times, mostly because of all the push of the crowd, but Sehun feeling extra protective and responsible today catches him before he could fall face first.

He is going to give Junmyeon an earful for creating this mess. Who the clicked their photo anyway? Some dimwit who had nothing else to do at Kim Junmyeon’s birthday party, most probably.

Oh Sehun and Kim Junmyeon, two of the young renowned businessmen of the country, are now dealing with a lad.

Sehun scoffs, clicking on different tabs opened on his tablet. He is going to kill everyone; everything written here is just so ing ridiculous. Sometimes he wonders how a human’s mind actually works.

He stares ahead at the fidgeting figure on the sofa; Jongin had been harmed by someone from the crowd. Baekhyun had dealt with the injury while he was dealing with the management of why they didn’t come with a statement yet.

Not all the people in the company believe him; seeing his history of sleeping around. They think of Jongin as nothing but a young boy who had caught attention of Oh Sehun and landed himself a job in the company just because Sehun wanted to sleep with him (probably still sleeps with him, for money). It has been a month; the longest time for anyone who could endure Sehun as his boss at the company.

His father had been livid at the first sight of him, and almost slapped him in front of different heads of the company. He, however, had stopped with a firm shake of his head. He was angry, sure, but more than that, he was tired and worried about the future of his son. Never in any life did anyone see a businessman as Sehun, until now.

“Is this is what was left to see? What are you doing? What’s wrong with Junmyeon and you, and that new kid?”

Sehun hadn’t answered; he didn’t have something to say, in the first place.

Right now, after calling Junmyeon and talking to him about the mess, he is back to reading through some of the reports made on them; some of the biggest assumptions, and colourful stories of love triangles. People are interesting, at least, living with such creative minds.

A few more minutes later, he decides that he couldn’t handle more bull, so he places the tablet back on the working table before closing his eyes to take a few deep breath. This is definitely the biggest scandal of his life, more so without any base or ground. There’s no truth in it, Jongin had made it clear the last night already.

“I didn’t do anything; there’s nothing between Junmyeon and me, or between you and me.”

After a few contemplative gazes send to Jongin’s direction (Jongin returning those gazes with meek look on his face), he stands up from the chair he was sitting on before walking to the younger. He kneels in front of Jongin. Like lovers. They sit there like lovers.

“I am sorry for what’s happening.”

Jongin shakes his head, and looks down at his injured hand. Jongin had cried out at the pain, in the public, and the cry was so high-pitched that it caught Sehun’s attention. It was only a miracle that everyone left the place safe and sound. Sehun had been positively livid; he was almost out for blood, his eyes red and face flushed with anger. “I just hope no one comes after my son.”

“No one will.” Sehun places his own hand over Jongin, albeit hesitantly, and relishes in the knowledge of how their hands fit perfectly together. Like puzzle pieces; a piece of Jongin, a piece of him. The puzzle is completed. “I promise,” he adds, firm in his tone.