[[CONTENTID1] Vegenance[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2] Chapter 8[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3] [/CONTENTID3]

[CONTENTID4]

Mingyu took a deep breath and pulled his cap deeper into his face. The market was crowded. People were shouting and trying to sell their goods. Children laughed, and families ran around.
"Safe?"
-Not yet.- Minghao answered him.
He stepped forward and slowly pulled himself through the tangle of bodies toward Wonwoo, standing within the crowd a few steps to his right. 
Mingyu knew Minghao was on the roof behind him.
He heard Minghao curse something, and a second later, a "plop" as Minghao pulled the trigger.
-Safe.- Minghao stated.
Mingyu gritted his teeth. Minghao had killed someone. Someone who was after him. He didn't know whether to be grateful or disgusted. They could probably talk about the weather while they shot at people like little birds.
-What about Joshua?- Mingyu heard Wonwoo ´s voice. He winced. After their conversation, his sympathy for him had vanished, and a familiar feeling had come back... he was scared of him.

-I can't see him. But that doesn't mean anything.- muttered Minghao, focusing on his task.
-That's right.- Wonwoo replied.
Mingyu had almost approached Wonwoo and saw his eyes glued to him. Suddenly, the elder took a step to the right.
- Left fruit stand. Mid-thirties, blue jacket. See him?- Wonwoo stepped closer to Mingyu, and his expression showed concern.
-He is in my Zoom.- Minghao whispered, and Mingyu heard another sound he knew too well but despised. Not loud enough to be heard in the market but enough to pierce his microphone.
-Area secured.- mumbled Minghao.
Wonwoo nodded almost imperceptibly. -Let's go.-
Mingyu nodded and took a step back in surprise, ignoring Wonwoo's hand that he had extended.

Wonwoo was shocked. His hand only moved unconsciously towards Mingyu when he wanted to cross the market with him. And Mingyu's reaction to this was obvious rejection which he could understand and even hoped for after the outcome of their conversation yesterday. There was something about the guy that made him unprofessional. It hadn't happened for years that he became emotional, and to make it worse, Minghao saw it too. He had even scolded him for it. Wonwoo would have attacked and probably seriously injured a first family member if he hadn't intervened yesterday. 
This guy was messing with his brain. 
Mingyu stared at him, showing his disgust. Wonwoo immediately lowered his hand and turned around.
-You´re blushing.- Minghao whispered.
"Shut up!" he hissed back.
-Don't worry, another channel. Mingyu can't hear it.-
" off, kid."
Minghao chortled. -I'll be there in five minutes. I'll meet you at the ticket booth.-
"Okay."
Wonwoo's eyes flew over the market, scanning each person. They avoided crowded areas. If they got stuck or separated, they could quickly attack. "Stay with me." he whispered into the microphone.
Silence.
Wonwoo bit his lip but didn't turn around. He HAD to stay focused. 
They moved through the crowd, and suddenly he saw two men coming from his left. He was about to turn and stop them when he felt a warm hand in his palm. It was small and soft. Wonwoo froze and turned around. Mingyu stared at him and pointed at the two boys. He had a worried expression on his face.
Wonwoo nodded and pulled him closer.
He put his hands on Mingyu's waist and slowly pushed him forward. He could hear him breathing. It was rapid, and he could see his racing pulse in the vein at his neck when they got stuck in the bodies of the market for a moment.
"There is the ferry. Don't panic now." he whispered, pointing to a large road on the other side where he could see the water.
Suddenly, he felt someone push him and heard Mingyu gasp as he turned away. One glance, and Wonwoo saw a man holding him.

Mingyu tensed up when he felt that someone had grabbed him. He tried to break free, but the grip was tight. The guy pulled him closer, and his hand slipped under his shirt to pull out a gun.
The guy´s eyes widened a moment later, and Mingyu felt something had changed within his stare.
"Let's go," Minghao whispered, catching the man as he fell. Mingyu could see the knife in his neck, and while Minghao caught and balanced him, Wonwoo surreptitiously grabbed it as he passed Minghao and pulled it out in one swift motion while pretending to help Minghao with the person. There was a bench right behind him. The two of them "helped" him to sit down. Some people were watching but apparently thought the man was drunk. Minghao took off his jacket and pretended to put it around his shoulders but was covering the blood on his back. Mingyu noticed that the man was hardly bleeding, so there seemed to be places where such an attack was not noticeable. 
- The attack had lasted maybe three seconds, and Wonwoo and Minghao had worked together so precisely that it made Mingyu shudder - knife in, knife out. Alive - dead. 
And again, he was caught between gratitude and horror that Minghao and Wonwoo had saved his .
"Stop spacing out..." Wonwoo hissed and dragged him towards the ferry.
Mingyu was stunned. Minghao's timing had been perfect. He knew Wonwoo could have done it too. 
"He was from a small agency, and I had a job with him a few months ago. it, all the agencies are after us!" muttered Wonwoo.
Mingyu nodded.
"Stay close." Minghao whispered. Wonwoo walked to the ticket counter. He seemed relaxed but was quick on his feet. He stopped before the trash can and threw a handkerchief into it. 
The knife.
Mingyu stared at Wonwoo, who moved like a... snake.
Cautious but aggressive, in the shadows of the crowd. Then he was gone.
"He's going to get the tickets. We'll wait over there, okay?" Minghao pointed to the small ramp clogged with cars trying to catch the ferry quickly.
Mingyu gulped nervously and looked back at Wonwoo. Minghao was with him, so he felt safe. But something worried him when Wonwoo was not near him. Wonwoo´s presence was like a net to him, draping itself over him and protecting him.
Mingyu gasped in surprise when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around, his hand slipping under his jacket, wrapped around the gun, unlocked it, and pressed the muzzle to the attacker's chest. Realizing what had happened, he stared at Wonwoo.
"Not bad." The older said, handing him a piece of paper. He gave Minghao another.
"The ferry leaves in fifteen minutes. Get your asses on deck." He growled.
Minghao turned and walked up the ramp. Mingyu saw that he was tense. Mingyu took a step forward when he felt Wonwoo's hand again.
"Wait."
"Why?" Mingyu was surprised.
"Minghao will check to see if anyone is on the ferry or the ramp." Wonwoo mumbled. 
"How will he know?
"If he gets shot."
Mingyu raised his eyebrows. "He'll just check if people want me to kill them by playing decoy?!"
"Exactly." Wonwoo stared at him.
"Why?"
"He's a second family member. You're a first family member."
Mingyu wanted to yell at him, slap him for being stupid and follow these ridiculous rules. But he could see Wonwoo was being serious again.
-Safe.-
Mingyu sighed in relief when he heard Minghao's voice after a few minutes. He didn't know what it was, but he liked them. It felt like he was getting a little closer to them.
"Let's go."
Wonwoo walked before him, and Mingyu concentrated on avoiding the others in his line.
They strolled up the ramp. Wonwoo stopped when they reached the deck. Wonwoo switched to the left, and after a minute, they were at the ferry's bow.
He saw that Wonwoo was still tense.
"Are you afraid of Joshua?" Mingyu whispered but immediately regretted it.
Wonwoo stared at him for a long time.
Mingyu heard Minghao's voice. -Seems like it's safe. I'll check upstairs.-
His heart stopped when he saw a movement to his right.
Mingyu had a second to think of a plan, and his stupid brain decided to go with the first idea that popped up in his head.

Wonwoo stumbled back when Mingyu suddenly lunged at him and pressed him against a wall. A second later, he froze.
He felt Mingyu's lips on his own.
Wonwoo's brain needed a moment to understand what was happening and concluded that he would rip Mingyu's head off when he noticed that the idiot pulled him even closer and slug his arm around his neck. Wonwoo's head was turned slightly to the side. He grabbed Mingyu's shoulder to push him away when he saw him in the corner of his eye. 
"..."
"Do it. Don't pull away now, and you´ll kill both of us." He heard his Mingyu whisper.
He wanted to rip his damn head off, but Joshua had his eyes on the ferry's bow. And now he was standing three steps to their left, moving his head toward them. 
"We need to get away from here." Wonwoo whispered and tried to find a way out of that situation that Joshua would overlook.
"Just play along..." muttered Mingyu, and Wonwoo clenched his fists in anger when he felt his fingers on his cheek. Mingyu turned Wonwoo´s face a little more towards himself, and he stumbled backward from the step he had taken forward before he noticed Joshua. Mingyu leaned in and made sure to cover their faces with his arm. 
Wonwoo fought a lonely battle. Touching was abhorrent to him, and it took all his willpower not to recoil in disgust.
"Hyung... please. Don´t it up now." Mingyu whispered to him almost pleadingly, and in the middle of the vast ferry, there was no way he could move unnoticed now without his cousin's eyes spotting him immediately. Even he knew that.
Minghao was about to get in position upstairs but was on his way at the worst possible time.
Wonwoo gave up and responded to the kiss.
Mingyu covered their faces again, and suddenly his other arm crept up Wonwoo's back, his fingers trailing down his spine and stopping at the nape of his neck. He felt the firm grip around him, and Wonwoo noticed that Mingyu did not touch the numb part of his shoulder. Even in this situation, he felt gratitude for it. Mingyu knew how hard it was for him, and it surprised him that the younger considered it.
 

Mingyu knew he would regret it but also knew it was a now-or-never situation. 
Wonwoo was a fundamentally evil person. He was a killer, and had he not had a few drops of ink on his skin, he would have rammed a bullet in his head without hesitation a week ago. But he was so damn attractive that it almost drove Mingyu out of his mind. A few days ago, he noticed that he was starting to see him differently. How he moved and observed his surroundings had a bad-boy attitude that had always captivated Mingyu. And as much as he detested him, he felt attracted to him.
And to have him in front of him now, to feel his lips, to hold him in his arms, and Wonwoo could do nothing against it because otherwise they would be killed... he wouldn't get that chance again.
Mingyu gathered all his courage.
"Sorry..." he muttered, putting light pressure with his thumb on Wonwoo's lower lip.