Under the pale evening moonlight, Junsu watched as Taeyeon peacefully slept; her angelic face calm and relaxed. She kept an arm around his waist as she stayed snuggled close to his side; her head using his broad chest as a makeshift pillow. For his part, he had an arm wrapped around her shoulders; his free hand holding the covers up their bare bodies as high as it could, wanting to keep the coolness of the evening from touching her soft skin.

Kim Junsu lived one too many lives.

He was a businessman.

He was a gangster.

He was Kim Taeyeon’s lover.

Though his being a businessman and a gangster are intertwined, he had been successful so far in keeping his love life – and Taeyeon, most especially – away from it all. It wasn’t that he was ashamed that he, the big, bad gangster had somehow learned to fall in love. It was far from it. Never in a million years would he ever be ashamed that he was in love with Kim Taeyeon. But in the dangerous world that he lived in, one that he ultimately wasn’t able to hide from her no matter how he tried, love was a weakness and a liability. And though he would never ever think of her as a burden, he knew that he was the one who was a burden. One wrong move on his part and he’d expose her to his many enemies and rivals. One wrong move on his part and he could risk her life.

It was during times when he really thought about their situation that even often wondered how she could still love him despite it at all.

Lifting his free hand from where it laid atop the covers, the moonlight flitting through the blinds of the windows helped him read the time despite the fact that the lights in the room were turned off. 9:30 pm. Junsu inwardly groaned. He would have to leave her soon. He rarely stayed the night and though he knew that it was unfair on her part, Taeyeon never complained. Sighing softly, he glanced back at her sleeping face. It was getting harder and harder to force himself to leave her side.

Gently and slowly freeing himself from her hold, Junsu quietly pulled the covers off his body, blindly searching for his pants in the dark. Finally finding the piece of clothing by the door of Taeyeon’s bedroom, he fished for his phone from one of the pockets, finding the said gadget in the right front pocket of his pants. He was about to press one of the speed dials when his thumb paused in mid-air.

Was he really ready and willing to leave her tonight?

He had been a good leader and businessman so far, right? So didn’t he deserve some time to himself?

“Well, you only live once so…” Junsu muttered to himself, pressing a certain speed dial before bringing his phone to his ear.

“Hello? Hyung?” Changmin’s voice came from the other end of the line as soon as the call was picked up. “Where are you?”

“Hey, Min.” He spoke the loudest that he can without waking Taeyeon up. “Can you tell the hyungs and Sooyoung that I’m really sorry but I won’t be able to make it tonight? I promise I’ll make it up to all of you – Sooyoung most especially.”

“But why? Did something come up? Is there a problem?”

“Something came up.” Junsu affirmed. “Can you handle Traffic for tonight also? Please?”

Changmin arched an eyebrow even if the older man couldn’t see it. “You do know that I’m also handling Smith, right?”

He rolled his eyes. “Then ask Yunho hyung to do it instead.”

“If I handle Traffic for tonight, will you treat me a burger?”

“You’re a gang leader but you still have to ask someone to buy you a burger?” A beat passed. “Okay, fine.”

“Thanks, hyung!” Changmin replied happily. “See you tomorrow!”

Junsu blinked at his phone once he heard the dial tone, shaking his head at the maknae’s antics. Changmin would do many things for food. No surprise there. The sound of Taeyeon stirring in her sleep got Junsu to keep his phone; the brown haired man turning