Jung Ewon

The lack of Taecyeon's body heat woke me up. It amazed me how quickly I became addicted to his touch and the way I sought him out in my sleep. Overnight stays were not something I had with many guys in my past. I was used to waking up alone, yet my subconscious knew when he was supposed to be near. 

"Taec." I said into the darkness of the hotel room. I understood his need for the hotel, but I would much rather have gone to his home after the fight. I sometimes resented sharing him with his team, but never with his dog Caesar.

I decided to look for Taecyeon when it was obvious he was neither in the bedroom or the adjoining bathroom. I had a feeling that something was wrong, but wasn't sure what it could be. Sure, we had that minor disagreement about the and that article about me and Jokwon, but we got over it. We had grown a lot in such a short time that even though our situation wasn't ideal, I had faith that we were going to make it work.

I heard raised male voices when I approached the bedroom door. I couldn't imagine what the hell Junho was doing in our hotel room so early in the morning. What was so important that it couldn't wait?

"Do they want money?" I heard Taecyeon ask when I opened the door and looked out into the living room.

Junho shrugged and said "If they do, they haven't demanded it yet. Listen, buddy, this is what I was worried about. Things like this always find a way of coming out. We have to bury it, but I won't be able to bury it if Ewon is still in your life."

"Bury what?" I asked. I saw Junho holding an envelope while Taecyeon looked at photos in his hands. The ominous feeling from seconds before grew until I thought I would be physically sick. The devastated look on Taecyeon's face when he looked at me did nothing to make me feel better. 

"What's going on?" I looked back at Junho when Taecyeon stood silent. I blanched at the triumphant look that briefly crossed Junho's face.

Then Junho's expression morphed into one of deep concern "Seems the two of you weren't as careful as you thought. Someone is blackmailing Taec with photos of you."

"What?" I asked. Taecyeon said nothing in response, but he handed the photos to me with a trembling hand when I reached for them. The frightened look in his eyes nearly killed me. I reached for him, hoping to comfort him, but he stepped back from my touch and shook his head. It would have hurt me less had he stabbed me in the heart.

I looked down at two photos of Taecyeon and me kissing while in the hot tub at his house. I forced the fear that I was losing Taecyeon out of my mind so I could focus. Investigative journalism had been my first love, so I let my natural instincts kick in. I looked at the pictures with an observant eye and picked up a few things. One, the pictures were taken in Taecyeon's backyard - his very private backyard that very few people had access to. Two, they were very poor quality, which told me an amateur took them and not some seasoned paparazzo like Troy Danvers.

Taecyeon walked over to the large windows that overlooked the city. I saw his reflection in the window and the guarded man that I met at our first interview had returned. Gone were the laughing eyes and blinding smiles, instead, I could see him building a wall between us brick by brick. I knew I had to think fast or lose him forever. So, I told them the two things that struck me as odd. I was encouraged when Taecyeon turned and faced me.

"What do you think it means?" he asked.

"Can I see the blackmail note?" I asked Junho. I could tell a lot about a person by their grammar and word choices. Junho turned a slight shade of pink and then admitted that none existed "And this envelope just showed up at your hotel room at..." I looked at the ornate clock on the wall "...three o'clock in the morning?"

"I..."

"Don't you find that odd, Taec?" I cut Junho off before he could answer. Something was really wrong about the entire situation.

"What do you mean?" he came back to the middle of the room where Junho and I stood.

"If I were going to blackmail you and had access to your publicist's hotel room, then I'd take a little bit better advantage of the situation." Taecyeon tipped his head to the side and I hoped I was getting somewhere with him "First of all, I wouldn't have sent the photos without a demand for money..."

"Maybe that's next." Junho said, cutting me off "Could be they're just waiting for the right moment." 

"Come on, Junho. You're smarter than that." I looked at Taecyeon and ignored the other man who sputtered in shock "These pictures were taken when, babe?"

"A month ago." Taecyeon answered.

"Exactly. This person, who has ty photography skills by the way, took a money shot like this and held onto it until after your championship fight? Wouldn't they ask for the money before? Not only does he or she show up after the fight, but slips this through Junho's door in the middle of the night? This floor isn't accessible without an elevator key." I reached for Taecyeon and was encouraged when he didn't pull away from me that time "This isn't some outside guy threatening to expose you, babe. This is someone getting back at you because they didn't get their way."

"I don't think I like where this is going." Junho's response was nearly a snarl and so different from how he usually spoke that Taecyeon and I both turned to look at him "Who are you accusing and what are you accusing them of?"

"Relax, Junho." Taecyeon said "Let him talk."

I ignored Junho's outburst even though it only made the entire deal look shadier to me "Taec, think about it. Yeeun's behavior in the limo, the in the room, and then her showing you that stupid story Troy Danvers wrote about me. Doesn't it seem like too much of a coincidence?" 

"Yeeun's behavior in the limo?" Junho asked in concern "What's he talking about?" Taecyeon told him about Yeeun hitting on him and learning that she hadn't gotten over him like they thought. He told Junho that they were ending the charade "It won't matter now that these pictures are going to get leaked." Junho said bluntly "Everyone will know that she was your beard. She's going to be hounded in the press something fierce." he shook his head sadly "Jinyoung will be heartbroken when his daughter's name and reputation gets dragged through the mud."

"Who says they're going to be leaked? Where's the threat to go the press?" I challenged.

"It's obviously a silent threat." Junho fired back. His chest puffed out as he labored to breathe during his righteous indignation over the situation "Taec, you've known Yeeun for a long time. She's not the kind of person to do something like this." he looked at me and raised his voice even more "That leaves Jinyoung and me. Which one of us are you accusing of trying to ruin his career - the very career that both Jinyoung and I depend on? You're the only one with nothing to lose."

"Do you even hear yourself right now, Junho?" I asked.

Junho advanced on me with pure hatred in his eyes and I braced myself for his attack "Listen, you little arrogant..."

"Stop it." Taecyeon yelled, cutting Junho off. He stepped between Junho and me, blocking Junho from my sight and physical reach. My heart sank when I met Taecyeon's dark eyes. I saw so many emotions in their depths - sadness, fear, and the one that hurt me the most, regret.

"Taec." I was ready to plead for him to not give up on us. It just couldn't be the end.

"Ewon...we need to take this seriously." Taecyeon said "What I see is someone, one of those parasite ing journalists to be exact, found a way to capture photos of us on my private property. Who knows how many photos they have of us?" he sighed, then he turned from me, running his hand down his face. I could tell he was going into full panic mode.

"I'm sure this is just their warning photo, letting us know that they - whoever they are - know about you." Junho added, fueling Taecyeon's paranoia.

"Jesus ing Christ." Taecyeon swore as he turned around to face me "Baby, maybe we need to calm it down a bit."

"There's no way in hell this ty photo is the work of a professional. Look." I pointed at the poor quality of the pictures "I'm not even sure people will recognize us." I turned and addressed Junho "Taec lives in a gated community that requires a passcode to get in. How did a paparazzo get in to take these photos?" I could feel my frustration rising as I realized how close I was to losing Taecyeon. 

"You're asking me? How would I know how some scumbag got access to his home? Maybe he bribed the security. Maybe he climbed the gate. Maybe it's someone inside of the community who saw you two. I mean, how careful were you?" Junho shot back "Look, this is what I was worried about, buddy. You know what this will do to your career. It's as good as over if these images get out. Maybe whoever sent them is just warning you. Maybe that's why there wasn't a note."

"We can't take the chance, Ewon. I can't lose the belt. This is my livelihood, it's all I know. It's what I train for. If those pictures get out, regardless of who sent them, I'm ruined. My career is ruined."

"Babe, I am taking this seriously, but it's important that cooler heads prevail here and we don't panic. You have to acknowledge that there's something off about the whole situation."

"I don't care! I...I just need time to think, damn it!" he looked up at me and his expression softened "Ewon, I..." his voice cracked and his words broke off "I need time, Ewon. This is my career, it's everything to me. I worked my off to win that title and even harder to keep it. I can't lose it."

My heart plummeted to my feet as I took a step back from him and then another. I suspected that his request for time really meant that we were over. I knew all along that it could happen, that my love wouldn't be enough to risk his career over. I had hoped that he'd someday learn that he could have it all. Loving me and being a fighter didn't have to be mutually exclusive. I knew nothing else I had to say would make a difference and could only hope that time and space would make him see that what we had was worth fighting for.

"Okay, Taec." tears burned the back of my eyes, but I refused to show my grief in front of Junho.

I went into the bedroom and quietly packed my bag, hoping that Taecyeon would come into the bedroom and say goodbye to me privately, but it didn't happen. I walked out of his hotel room with my head held high. If it was going to be the last time he saw me, then I wanted him to see a strong man worthy of his love and devotion.

That strength lasted until I made it to the car where I felt safe enough to let my grief flow. I vowed it was the last time I drove home in the middle of the night with tears streaking down my face from Taecyeon breaking my heart.