They drove up to a dingy motel located next to the freeway. What it lacked in amenities it made up for in discretion. Sungmin chose a corner room on the first floor and paid in cash. The clerk handed him the keys with a small grunt when Sungmin slipped him a few extra bills to keep his mouth shut. The man eyed Jongwoon briefly only to have his view blocked by a scowling Sungmin. He shrugged, two men having an affair wasn't all that rare in his business. The clerk tucked the cash into his back pocket and went about his business. Sungmin grabbed Jongwoon's hand and led him out of the lobby. Jongwoon was visibly shaken, but he was proving himself to be quite resilient and followed Sungmin without any questions or complaints.    Sungmin immediately locked the windows and pulled the curtains shut once they entered the room. The accommodations were cramped and the air was musty, but that was the least of their concerns.  He then checked the bed lining and the backs of all the furniture and the mirrors. Nothing was wired or bugged. The outdated bathroom had a small window above the bathtub. It would be a tight fit, but it was a possible escape route so he checked the locks and removed the screen. When he emerged from the bathroom, Sungmin found Jongwoon sitting on the edge of the bed, his ashen face cradled in between his hands. Sungmin knelt down in front of Jongwoon and smoothed his fingers through Jongwoon's jet black hair. He wanted to whisper “It will be alright. You're safe now,” but he was sure that Jongwoon felt anything but safe. It must have come as a shock that there was a price on his head and there was no way Sungmin could guarantee that things would return to normal; but Sungmin was sure of one thing, he would lay his life on the line for Jongwoon.   “I promise you that I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, Jongwoon-ah.” Sungmin gazed into Jongwoon's eyes with a fierce intensity. “That's all I've ever wanted to do.”   Jongwoon nodded in affirmation and clutched onto Sungmin's arm with a shaky hand, “Just don't leave me, that's all I ask.”   Sungmin didn't reply, he merely leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Jongwoon's forehead. “First things first, let's get you changed out of this handsome tuxedo.”   Sungmin examined the lining, buttons, and cufflinks of Jongwoon's suit as soon as the photographer shrugged it off. He moved on to Jongwoon's belt buckle and shoes, searching for any signs of wires or tracking devices. He took apart Jongwoon's cellphone and snapped the sim card in half. Jongwoon just stood by and watched awkwardly as Sungmin sifted through his clothes. Sungmin giggled when he finally turned back to Jongwoon. The taller man was stripped down to his briefs and looked very much like a lost child - just staring at him with wide eyes, and hugging his torso with his own arms.    Sungmin wrapped Jongwoon up in a blanket. “I don't think they're tracking us, go ahead and take a shower and slip into some clean clothes.”   Jongwoon nodded mutely when Sungmin handed him some clean towels from his own duffel bag, but he began blushing profusely when Sungmin moved to undress himself.   “Are you joining me?” Jongwoon asked shyly.   Sungmin's lips curled up into a rakish smile, “Sadly, no. As tempting as that sounds I have a limited time window to return to my apartment before anyone notices something is amiss.”   Jongwoon dropped the towels and blanket to the floor and clung onto Sungmin's wrist, “You promised not to leave me!”   Sungmin caressed Jongwoon's cheek with the back of his hand. “I'm not leaving you Jongwoon. I'll be right back, it'll be easier for me to slip into my apartment alone.”   Jongwoon shook his head furiously. “I'm coming with you!”   “Don't worry, Jongwoon. You'll be safe here.” Sungmin gently unwound the tight grip Jongwoon had on his wrist and began pulling on black jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt. He hid his blond hair beneath a dark baseball cap and pulled the hood over his head. “I'll be back before you finish your shower.”   “What about you? You won't be safe out there!”   Sungmin looked at Jongwoon incredulously. He wasn't worried about his own well-being, he was worried about Sungmin.    “I'm a pro, remember?” Sungmin tried to laugh cheerfully, but the look Jongwoon gave him was breaking his heart. Sungmin checked the clip in his handgun and tucked it behind the small of his back. He then knelt down and strapped a small dagger to his left calf. “There's nothing that can keep me from returning to your side, Jongwoon. Please, trust me.”   Jongwoon chewed on his lip nervously as tears trailed down his face. Sungmin picked up the blanket and wrapped it around the photographer's shivering body. “If...if you don't come back...”   “But I will, I promise.” Sungmin pressed a gentle kiss on Jongwoon's lips and pulled away hastily before he'd be tempted to take it further. “Don't open the door for anyone.”    Sungmin grabbed his car keys and slipped out the door leaving Jongwoon speechless in his wake.   - - -   It wasn't how Jongwoon had expected the night to turn out. Jongwoon had no idea how complicated things truly were. He had made several rounds through the gallery with his agent, Ryeowook, guiding him to and fro. Jongwoon had conversed with countless critics, posed for the cameras of faceless reporters, and tried to ingratiate himself to several deep-pocketed buyers. He was excited by the successful turnout he had at his new exhibition, but the only thing he could think about was that Sungmin was waiting for him at the end of the evening and he kept searching the room for a halo of platinum blond hair.   Jongwoon was anxious, he feared that if he lost sight of Sungmin for even one second the latter would disappear as if he had never existed in the first place; but Sungmin was waiting as he had promised and he was following Jongwoon's every move with a fox-like gaze. The intensity of Sungmin's gaze shot straight through his heart and reduced Jongwoon to a flustered, blubbering mess in front of critics and reporters alike. Jongwoon's mishap prompted Ryeowook to jab him harshly in his side and he had to swallow what would have been a high-pitched squeal. One critic took note of how distracted Jongwoon was and asked if his latest works had been inspired by a new found love. Jongwoon had no answer for that, but his face had turned a bright tomato red and the critic drew his own conclusions. Despite a few embarrassing incidents, everyone declared that Jongwoon's latest collection was his best work to date.   When the evening wound down, Jongwoon made a beeline straight for Sungmin with Ryeowook following close