“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I can’t stay here anymore.”

He shook his head, grabbing Ryeowook’s arm. “No, you can stay here. No one’s forcing you to leave, so stay here. Don’t do it again.”

“I’ve never done this before…,” he answered, confused. Pulling away, he slipped out of Kyuhyun’s grip. “And I just need to go.”

“No you don’t!” Kyuhyun scrambled for him again, breathing a sigh of relief when he caught Ryeowook, dragging him back down to the bed. Holding him tightly, he breathed miserably. “Please, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not being good enough. Don’t leave, though. I need you here. I…” His voice faded in his own ears.

“You don’t need me, Kyuhyun,” he whispered, tears following the curves of his cheeks. “Stop lying, because I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes snapped open, fingers curling around a slender wrist. Standing over him was Taemin, looking scared out of his mind. Forcefully, Kyuhyun released the boy, scrubbing his face roughly with one palm. “What are you doing in my room?” he demanded.

“You’re on the couch, hyung,” Taemin said softly, holding his wrist, “And we’re on a mission.”

“Mission?” he squinted, wracking his brain for some strand of comprehension. Suddenly, it came back to him and he nodded tiredly.

After that escapade with the press conference, he had gone into a blind fit of something that was indescribable. As it happened, Changmin got him immediately to HQ for a new assignment. He was one of the few people that knew there were two reasons why Kyuhyun had joined the agency.

1. He wanted to find Ryeowook.
2. He needed an outlet for all of his temperamental emotions. Missions tended to keep him distracted long enough to avoid a violence spree.

So there he was, in one of the agency rental homes in Taiwan. It was a simple two bedroom flat just outside of the city. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the couch, and he definitely hadn’t meant to grab Taemin like that, but then again, Kyuhyun was finding that delirium was becoming rather common for him.

When he wasn’t stressed, he was thinking about Ryeowook through dreams, fantasies, idly thoughts…there was no way to escape. It probably hadn’t helped that he saw him for the first time in years barely two days prior.

It would’ve been a bit better for his mind if Ryeowook came out fifty pounds heavier and looking like a snotty businessman. But, of course, he had come out with that same slender body, and those lovely, dark eyes. Plus, who would’ve thought Ryeowook would be so beautiful with dyed hair? Kyuhyun hadn’t been able to decide if he was angry or love struck for the thousandth time with the same man.

“We should head out, right hyung?”

“Yeah, gimme a second,” Kyuhyun nodded. He started walking to his bedroom, calling back “Tell me what we’re doing.”

Taemin followed him, waiting at the entrance to his room as the older male changed clothes. “We’re exploring the city to find out where a ion ring is.”

“ion? Is it only that?” Kyuhyun pulled a shirt over his head.

“Well,” the younger struggled to stay focused. He knew it was stupid, but he couldn’t help noticing how attractive his partner was. How could anyone not take a little interest in Kyuhyun? Of all the agents, he was a threat in all categories, well, except maybe not when it came to infections. Surprisingly, he got many of those.

“Well what?” Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow, walking towards the younger male. “Let’s go.” He nudged past Taemin.

Snapping out of it, he followed Kyuhyun, saying, “They’ve been known for illegally selling people as well. There’s no one with hard evidence and so I guess that’s why they called us in.”

“Do you know how vast their network is?”

“Only in Taiwan,” Taemin responded immediately, “but it’s becoming a problem as they plan to expand. Or at least that’s what we’ve heard.”

They stepped out onto the street, and Kyuhyun braced a hand on the motorcycle parked outside of the building. Swinging one leg over, he pulled on his helmet, nodding to Taemin. The latter climbed on as well, strapping a helmet on.

“We’ll check the markets first,” Kyuhyun stated, revving the engine before pulling out onto the road. Taemin wrapped his arms tightly around the other male’s waist, heart pounding a bit too fast.

As expected, there were hundreds of thousands of people roaming around the tightly packed area. Kyuhyun found a rather snug parking spot, rolling in and snapping the stand down. Taking off the protective gear, he tousled his hair, frowning. Behind him, he heard Taemin shifting around, trying to maneuver.

“Alright, we’re going to split up,” Kyuhyun murmured to the younger boy, “meet back here in an hour. If I’m not back by then, head back alone. Got it?”

“What would happen to you?” Taemin blurted, catching his partner’s shirt hem.

“Focus on the mission first and foremost,” he pulled away, disappearing into the crowds.

Taemin sighed, face warming from embarrassment. How could he have said something like that to a higher ranking agent? It had probably come off whiny, or worse, hesitant. Kyuhyun knew what he was doing, so why had Taemin even thought of opening his mouth to say something that stupid?

The market was bustling and around every turn, Kyuhyun gave a sidelong glance to passing alleyways. There were games, conversations, and other ordinary street activities. Nothing appeared particularly criminal – Kyuhyun would know. After spending all that time as a teenager with trash, he couldn’t help but recognize the signs of something going down. Thus far, the atmosphere in each gathering was nothing special.

Passing a news stall, Kyuhyun did a double take, lurching to a stop when he saw the cover of a certain magazine. Ryeowook posed professionally, hands tucked behind his back and a thin smile on his lips. Beside him was Donghae. By the looks of their outfits, it was straight from the press conference.

Flipping it open, he turned to the article and interview. There were more photos of the beautiful young man and Kyuhyun couldn’t help the sting in his chest. One finger found its way onto the glossy page, tracing the lines of Ryeowook’s smooth features.

“It’s cheap, sir. Would you like it?” A rather grimy looking man stated hoarsely. His bloodshot eyes spoke of greed and his slight twitch to unstable activities.

Kyuhyun tossed a few coins at the man, nodding for him to step behind the booth. Quickly, he shuffled to the designated space and Kyuhyun leaned over him, watching the rickety figure hastily counting the money. “There’s more if you tell me about some sales,” Kyuhyun whispered.

“Just that?” he asked anxiously, foot tapping.

“Yup, just that,” he nodded slowly.

Looking around, the man his lips, saying in a low voice: “One block, right, right, left.”

“Thanks,” Kyuhyun smiled briefly, dropping several more coins to the ground. Twisting around, he slipped hands into pockets and joined the surging crowd again.

Since that was the only lead, Kyuhyun took it at face value, following the instructions with fluid precision. He took the first designated right and found a long stretch of stalls. There were fruit sales, trinkets, household goods, etc. Kyuhyun took the next available right, seeing the scenery change to a much emptier and dark area. That made more sense.

Kyuhyun looked over his shoulder, trying to decide if he really wanted to head into the darkness. It had been a long time since he went there out of free will and suddenly it didn’t seem like home anymore.

As he pondered this, a shadow flickered in his peripheral vision. Shifting all the way back around, Kyuhyun’s eyes darted around the people, locking onto what he could’ve sworn had to be an apparition or some other crazy induced image.

“I’m going insane,” he breathed, bristling and taking another step forward. In doing so, Kyuhyun peeked back, eyes widening.

A strong hand closed around his throat, slamming him back into an alley wall. Gasping sharply, he winced and gritted his teeth. “Donghae,” he choked, grasping the man’s tense wrist.

Donghae grinned, “What are you doing here, Kyuhyun?”