“Hi, friend.”

Daemin lifted his head and looked up from the bench in his jail and felt the rage bubble when he saw Ayeon’s grinning face on the other side. “Go to hell.”

“I’m sure I'll see you there.” She sang, leaning against the bars. “Whatcha thinking about?”

He stood and she didn’t move away, “You really want to know? Fine. I’m thinking that I should’ve just killed you all those times I stood over you when you were asleep. I should’ve just pressed a pillow to your face.”

“Should’ve, could’ve and yet you didn’t. Aren’t you going to ask me how your dad’s doing?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, baring his teeth at her, “ you." 

“He flipped on you.” She said blankly.

Daemin stilled before sliding his eyes to hers, “What?”

“He told the prosecutor everything he paid the old commissioner to do and all the things he helped cover up for you. He sold you out so that he just has to do 3 years for the embezzlement. You, on the other hand, will be gone for a long, long, time.” She rocked on her heels like a giddy schoolgirl.

He was trembling in front of her, “You’re lying.”

“Here’s the affidavit.” She said while pulling a folded piece of paper up to him.

His eyes scanned the document, his rage only growing, “He would never.”

“You think he loves you? Daemin, he resents you for making him clean up your messes.” She spat. “You were weighing him down and he had to cut you off.”

He let out a roar and charged at her, hands outstretched as if to wrap them around her neck but all she did was take a half a step back and watched him slide his hands through the bars and fight to reach for her, failing.

“I did what I had to do to save myself.” He hissed.

She smiled and turned to the door, the bullet wound on her shoulder on full display in the process, “And how did that end up working out for you?”

-----

Some years later.

Ayeon stretched her arms over her head, twisting her body to loosen her muscles up after the 6-hour flight she had just come off of. She watched the luggage carousel go, waiting to collect her things.

She hated cramped spaces and it was doing a number on her back.

Spotting her bags, she pulled them off the conveyor belt just as her phone rang in her pocket. She glanced at Jinah’s name on her phone before answering, “What’s up, Cap?”

Jinah was named captain shortly after Daemin and his father were sentenced, in fact, a lot of their careers had begun to take off since then. Soya was promoted at the prosecutor’s office, Mina was fielding offers from major newspapers and was currently living with Johnny whose security firm was growing at a frightening rate, and Ayeon was appointed team lead under Jinah’s leadership.

She liked her job now, even if she spent more hours attending two-week conferences than she did on the field.

“Funny. I’m calling because Mina wanted to get drinks later and she won’t stop blowing up my phone.” She deadpanned.

Ayeon wedged her phone between her ear and shoulder as she struggled to put her things on a cart before pushing it out to her car, “Jinah, I’ve literally just landed home after two weeks. I don’t want drinks; I just want to crawl into bed for hours and never speak to another person.”

“You’re boring. Soya is going to yell at me for not dragging you out.” Jinah muttered.

Ayeon smiled when she spotted her car. Almost home.

“Take Johnny, he’s basically a happy version of me.” She mused.

"Disgusting. No. It's girls' night." Soya's voice could be heard yelling in the background.

Jinah grumbled incoherently while shushing her, “Did Jaehyun pick you up from the airport?”

Ayeon’s stomach clenched as she thought of Jaehyun, she hadn’t seen him in what felt like ages and with her packed itinerary, they weren’t able to talk save for a few quick texts. She couldn’t think too hard about seeing him again or else she’d just lose it. She wanted to talk to him until the world ended or they ran out of things to say. Whichever happened first.

“No, I’m driving myself.” Ayeon pouted.

Jinah made a sound of confusion, “What? That doesn’t make sense. Soya said she would pick you up but Ja—okay you know what? Never mind. Drive safe and the invitation to drinks still stands.”

She hung up abruptly but Ayeon was too tired to think anything of it. She just wanted to get home to her magnificent boyfriend and make up for the two weeks. She was never like this before, two weeks without seeing someone was a non-issue before she met him.

Ayeon opened the passenger door and tossed her bag in before freezing when a thought tiredly crossed her mind.

She didn’t drive herself to the airport. What was her car doing here? Unlocked.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps moving towards her caused her to tense up but before she could turn, she was pushed up against the car, heat pressing into her as hands gripped her hips. A vicious growl was threatening to rip through , but when she heard his voice rough against her ear, she melted into the car, her fingers digging into the hood in want, need, longing.

“ing hell, I missed you like crazy, sweetheart.”

She was tired and words seemed too hard, so she let out a moan instead when Jaehyun buried his face into her neck. His breath stuttered at the sound and he groaned, “Two whole weeks. What were we thinking?”

Ayeon managed to turn in his hold but it was worse when he sank against her now, she could feel every inch of him, and she had been starved of it this entire conference. She couldn’t get enough of him now; she wasn’t ever going to let go. He didn’t need to know how many times she had laid in bed at her hotel thinking of him; daring to shirk her responsibilities to hop on a plane to be with him.

Her head fell back as he pushed her up against the car, scrapping his teeth against her neck before kissing the reddened spots. It was rare that he got carried away like this in public and she praised every deity that they were tucked in the darkest corner that underground parking had to offer.

Jaehyun’s life had been a whirlwind of his own, he moved out of his store near the precinct and set up shop with an entire suite attached above in a trendy area in the heart of a city where people spent more money on flowers than they probably did on taxes. His business has also blown up and everyone who ever needed flowers would fight tooth and nail to book him. Everyone wanted him.

But she was the only one that got him.

“God.” She whispered when the door handle dug snugly into her back, “I missed you too.”

He finally pulled back and she blinked up at him, her previous tiredness was mixed in with a little something new. He wasn’t sure how he made it fourteen days without seeing that look in her eye everyday.

“How was the conference?” He breathed out, slightly dazed.

She rolled her eyes, “Boring.” Without you.

“I’m happy you’re home.” He whispered, his eyes were shimmering, and it took every ounce of decency for her to not keen at the sight. He was marvelous.

She cupped the back of his neck and leaned towards him, “What’d you do when I was gone?”

“Think about you, a lot.” He said with a smile, “Miss you, consider hopping on a plane to get to you, and then I did some grocery shopping.”

She laughed as he set her down and stared up at him as he beamed at her. She couldn’t believe where she ended up, in love with a man who picked her up at the airport, kissed her against her car and then took her home to an apartment they shared with each other and a three-legged cat. She wouldn’t have fathomed it before. It wasn’t supposed to be her reality.

 “Let’s go home.” He purred, kissing her hard on the cheek. “I want to show you how much I missed you, over and over and over again.”

She shook her head, dazed, before reaching out and the back of his shirt, “We’re amazing together.”

“Oh, without a doubt. We’re the best.” He snorted, replacing his shirt with his hand and got her into the car.

She didn’t complain when he got into the driver’s seat and pulled them onto the highway. She found herself relishing in the silence between them, staring out the window as they drove past towering buildings. It was when he started humming softly under his breath that she turned to him, her voice soft.

“I had a dream about you yesterday.”

He glanced at her from the side of his eye, the last time they had a conversation like this, she was trying to save his feelings that were threatening to crush him. Things were different now. Better. He reached out one hand and smoothed his palm over her thigh before giving it a squeeze, “What was it about?”

“I dreamt we never met.” She whispered.

His fingers dug into her thigh for half a second before his voice rolled out lowly, “Oh, what was that like?”

“Normal. I continued my life, doing the things that I would normally do. I work at the precinct, shove my feelings about Lucas into my stomach and spend time with my friends. It’s normal. Except I hated normal. I wanted the absolute riot that I feel in my heart when I think about you. I wanted to be a mess because of you.” She said, out of breath.

The one hand that was still on the wheel was gripping it so tightly that he was sure he’d leave dents. They have been together for years, yet she would still tumble out words that would wreck his sanity and remind him that a woman who had every reason to be averse to love and relationships, found happiness with him.

He stopped at the red light and turned to look at her properly. She held her breath, her heart full of something so beautiful and precious that it nearly tore out of her chest. His eyes held promises of a future, of a lifetime, of every moment of their future spent making up for the time lost before they met.

She saw something she hadn’t seen in a while.

She saw hope.

“Well, thank god we met.”

Ayeon leaned forward, brushing their lips together, “Why?”

“Because the universe would’ve been off center if we never got to be together. Soulmates, remember?”

-----

There is a strong belief that everything is a cycle.

You end up where you begin.

The life cycle, the water cycle, the carbon cycle, they all follow the same basic principles.

But in reality, people are different than when they start, they grow and change. You can end up in the same places you started, but you aren’t the same person.

Jaehyun’s steps slowed as he closed the door to their shared apartment behind him and took the majesty in front of him. It wasn’t e