"I'm still learning," HyunJoong said, glancing over at him. "I'm sorry for what I did. I can't promise I won't make an of myself like that again, but I will promise I'll apologize to you if I do, and mean it." He held out the markers still clutched in his other hand. "And I'll learn from it."

Looking down at the markers held out to him, DongHae finally smiled as he reached out to take them back. "Thank you," he said quietly, looking down at the markers before pulling the worn pencil case out of his backpack, returning the markers to their proper place.

"I'm sorry I didn't grab the sketchpad too, but I'll buy you another... or ten if you need them," HyunJoong said.

"I'll get it tomorrow," DongHae shook his head, looking at HyunJoong. "You don't have to buy me anything."

"I want to, and technically I'm still giving you a paycheck so I will be buying it," HyunJoong said, his own lips curling into a little smile. "Ah, we're here," he nodded towards the building they'd stopped in front of. It wasn't DongHae's school housing, or HyunJoong's old apartment, but a new building. "I wanted to show you my new home if that's okay."

Blinking as the car stopped, DongHae peered at the building's entrance. "Oh, okay," he nodded as they got out. "Did you have your stuff moved from your old home?" He slung his backpack over his shoulder, looking up at the building.

"No, there wasn't anything there that was mine," HyunJoong said, opening up the door and stepping out. "I thought it was best not to have any connection between that apartment and here in case anyone was watching the place."

"Okay," DongHae nodded, a little confused. "So...the new apartment's not furnished yet?"

"The apartment is fully furnished," HyunJoong said, walking to the door and opening it. When they were through, he guided DongHae not toward the elevator, but to a doorway towards the back of the lobby. "But this isn't my building."

"What?" DongHae followed after him, trying to look around and not accidentally walk into HyunJoong at the same time. "I thought you said it was?"

"And if anyone was watching us outside, or listening, then they'll think this is where I live," HyunJoong said quietly, opening the door to a back alley. "This is my building," he said, pointing at a run down looking building in the back of the alley. "No one would ever think I'd live in a place like this."

DongHae looked at the building in surprise. Well he had to agree with that, no one would think HyunJoong lived there, including DongHae himself. "Are you going to be comfortable in a building like that? It's not...uh..." HyunJoong had been awkward enough in DongHae's apartment, he couldn't see the man wanting to live in a run-down building willingly.

"It's not what it appears," HyunJoong chuckled, taking DongHae by the hand and pulling him to the building. He pulled a key out and opened the door, pushing it open. Although the outside looked like it was about to fall apart any second, the inside was well constructed. Painted walls and polished floors, the rooms furnished in detail. "I will only make so many concessions about how I live," he chuckled, stepping into the entryway.

"Oh..." DongHae looked around in surprise, not expecting to be standing in a room that looked like it could have sold in the millions. "Did you...how did you do all this, was this all over the last few days?" He asked, trying to see everything.

"The finishing, yes," HyunJoong nodded, closing the door and locking it. "Someone had been renovating it already, I just helped it get finished, just not the outside. One of the small benefit of having money is people will work on your timetable if you pay them enough. What do you think?"

"It's nice," DongHae chuckled, looking back at HyunJoong. "I guess this means you won't be staying in my small apartment anymore, huh."

"...As... quaint as the sardine can was, I felt like I was intruding," HyunJoong said with a smile. "But you are more than welcome to stay here with me if you'd like. I have an extra bedroom even."

"Well..." DongHae rubbed the back of his head. "As convincing a hideout as it is...I don't know if I'd be comfortable leaving you alone," he admitted, looking down.

HyunJoong tilted his head slightly. "So... what you're saying is, is that you'll stay with me?"

"If I'm not intruding." DongHae looked up at the older man again.

"It's not intruding if I've invited you," HyunJoong said, taking a step closer. "I'd like you to stay here. You want to see your room?"

"Sure," DongHae grinned widely at that, squeezing HyunJoong's hand.

"It's not decorated or anything, I don't know your taste that well," HyunJoong said, pulling him down the hallway. "But I think you'll have plenty of space to do your art." Stopping at a door, he pushed it open and let DongHae go in first.

DongHae looked around the room, eyes wide. "Oh...it's huge," he said, and though anything would look bigger than his and KiBum's current room, it really was big. And even though the furnishings were very simple, even they were larger; bigger beg, bigger closet, and a much bigger desk than the one he had to pile his stuff on currently. "I don't have any canvas even a twentieth of this size." He walked into the room, looking around curiously.

"I figured if you'd be spending so much time keeping me alive, at least you should get to do what you want," HyunJoong said, leaning up against the door frame. "Which makes me sound like even more of an considering what I did earlier... but I mean it. Art is your dream, you should get to have that."

Taking his backpack off and placing it beside the desk, DongHae looked around the room with a wide smile before turning back to HyunJoong. "Thank you. What's your dream, HyunJoong?"

"My dream was to make money and live expensively," HyunJoong said. "I've already lived my dream, so I think it's only right I help someone else with theirs."

DongHae looked down, smiling as he scuffed one shoe against the floor lightly. After a moment he walked back to the door, leaning up to kiss HyunJoong. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome," HyunJoong replied, putting an arm around DongHae's waist. "Shall I give you the tour?"

"Sure," DongHae chuckled, pulling back enough so they could walk. "I guess I'll need to get some clothes from my apartment later."

"I would suggest taking you shopping for all new clothes, but somehow I think you wouldn't want that," HyunJoong said, turning them out of the room and going down the hall. Through another doorway was the living area with kitchen.

"I like my clothes, and it's not like they need replacing." DongHae stuck next to HyunJoong so he wouldn't dislodge the arm from around his waist, looking around curiously. "Woulda never thought the place was like this from the outside."

"Exactly, so hopefully those assassins will look right over it," HyunJoong said. "So, bathroom is just off the hallway here, kitchen is fully stocked. What do you think? Comfortable enough?"

DongHae nodded as HyunJoong talked, but his brow was furrowed slightly as he continued to look around. "It looks...very nice, yeah."

"...What, you don't like it?" HyunJoong blinked, looking around. "These couches won design awards in Europe and are really hard to come by. They cost a lot of money."

"They're nice couches," DongHae said, though they didn't really look that comfortable to lie down on to him. "I mean, it..." He frowned a little, not sure how to say what was bothering him about the place. It had been the same with HyunJoong's old apartment too, though he hadn't said anything there. "It's a little...impersonal. It feels more like a model house than a home."

"I don't understand what you mean," HyunJoong said, blinking a little. "I picked all of this out myself, I think it looks okay. Am I supposed to have pictures of family up to make it seem like someone lives here?"

"Maybe not family pictures, but it doesn't look like someone lives here," DongHae looked up at HyunJoong. "When did you pick all this out? I was with you the whole time, and we never went to any furniture places."

"On the internet," HyunJoong said, shrugging a little. "I always do furniture shopping online, it's so much easier than going through a store with pushy sales people."

"So you never actually tried sitting down on the couch before?" DongHae blinked, taking HyunJoong's hand and pulling him towards the couch. It baffled him how someone could buy a couch and not check to see how comfortable it was first. You could never tell from a picture, or a price tag for that matter.

"No? It's not that important to me," HyunJoong said, though he followed along and sat down when directed. "See? It's a couch. The only thing I ever make sure is right is the bed. That has to be comfortable."

As suspected, the couch wasn't all that comfortable to DongHae, but he let it go with an inward sigh seeing HyunJoong didn't really care. "Well, it is a nice design I guess," he said, rubbing the back of his head. He didn't really want to see the price tag that came with the couches though.

"...You don't like it," HyunJoong pouted at him, lower lip pushed out. "I thought you'd like them because they're... I don't know, artistic I guess. And they have a really nice color."

DongHae blinked at the look he was getting, biting on his lip as he tried to avoid looking at the stuck-out lower lip. "They are kinda artistic, I just...they don't feel like you, that's all. They're very nice though."

HyunJoong scratched at the back of his head, looking around at the furniture. "Okay... so what do you suggest I do then?"

"No, I'm not... I'm sorry, you don't have to do anything," DongHae shook his head. "It's a very nice place, I guess I'm just not used to seeing so many expensive things all in one place."

"How about this," HyunJoong said, motioning around to the blank walls. "I'm not much for pictures or anything on the wall, but do you think that would help if there weren't any blank white walls?"

Looking up, DongHae took in the wide expanse of empty wall. "Yeah...that would help a lot," he nodded.

"Okay, then you can help me decorate the walls," HyunJoong said, smiling at him. "Want to see my room?" he grinned.

DongHae brightened at that; did that mean HyunJoong wanted him to paint something? "Okay," he smiled widely in return, happily hopping up off of the couch.

"I think you might like this more," HyunJoong said, standing up as well and heading back out to the hall. The last door at the end was his, and he pushed open the door to let DongHae go in first. Unlike the rest of the apartment, HyunJoong had made an effort to decorate his room. His bedspread was black, the walls a muted gray with black ts. The tables and furniture were white with red accents. Like the rest of the place though, there were no pictures on the walls. "Well?"

Well, this was much better in DongHae's opinion. "It's nice," he said, smiling widely as he looked around. "This looks very cool," he looked back at HyunJoong after wandering into the center of the room.

"I'm not a big fan of too much color, I really like black," HyunJoong said, following him to sit down on the bed. "My decorator said an all black room wouldn't look nice, and she really didn't like my wanting to have skull and cross bones as decorations."

DongHae's lips quivered at that, and he laughed. "Why not? I think it would look great."

"See? You understand me at least," HyunJoong said. "What do you think, should i have a big metal one made and put over the bed? Or would that be too much?"

"Mmm over the bed is bad luck, and there's not as much wall room for it there," DongHae blinked. "Why not over here?" He pointed at the largest expanse of blank wall in the room, the others taken up at least partly by furniture. "It would have lots of room and really stand out."

"I thought it would look better over the bed," HyunJoong said, wrinkling his nose. "It'd be like a uh... what's the word... focus part? Point? Focus point!"

"Focal point," DongHae grinned widely. "Well it's your room so you can do whatever you want, I just think giving it a bigger wall would make it more of a focal point. Plus you could, you know, make it bigger than you could over the bed."

"We'll see," HyunJoong said, eyeing the wall DongHae was talking about. "You have to admit though, skull and crossbones over the bed would look kind of cool."

"It would be," DongHae chuckled, going to sit down on the bed next to HyunJoong. "Should we go looking for one?"

"Not right now, I'll take care of it later," HyunJoong said. "I think I'd rather just relax for the rest of the day. Have some dinner, talk... that kind of stuff. If you're okay with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I didn't say we had to go on a skull and crossbones hunt today," DongHae smiled, leaning a little against the other man.

"Good," HyunJoong nodded, putting his arm around DongHae's shoulders. "Maybe you're right about the rest of the place being a little too... cold. I feel happier sitting in here than I did out there, though that may be because you're right here next to me."

"I was right next to you out there too," DongHae chuckled, though that made him smile wider all the same. "I can paint you stuff for the walls if you want."

"I won't say no to it," HyunJoong said, leaning down to press a soft kiss to DongHae's lips. "Just because it came from you."

Eyes half-closing at the kiss, DongHae returned it just as softly, one hand lifting to cup HyunJoong's jaw.

Then his phone went off, making him jump as music started to play. He pulled back, fumbling for it and looking at the caller id. "...It's KiBum, I hope there's not something wrong." KiBum usually sent texts back and forth, didn't call unless there was a reason.

"Yes, otherwise he has poor timing," HyunJoong muttered, leaning back on his hands. "You should probably answer."

Nodding, DongHae flipped the phone open. "KiBum?" He asked, holding the phone to his ear. "Hi, what's up?"

He listened to his friend relay what had happened that day, brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait...slow down, I don't— Who?" His eyes widened. "ChangMin? Are you serious!?"

He looked at HyunJoong beside him. "KiBum says ChangMin is with them! He's alive!"

That got HyunJoong's attention, looking at DongHae with narrowed eyes as he slowly sat up. "...How is that possible?"

DongHae asked the same thing of KiBum, listening as the younger man continued to explain. "He says...he says the day of the accident, KyuJong tried to shield him with his time bubble, but ChangMin was— what? ChangMin was stuck between the time bubble and the explosion and pushed out of time? Pushed out of sync with our time, sorry," he corrected himself. "Yixing, that Chinese telepath figured it out and they went back to the site of the accident and KyuJong pulled him back."

HyunJoong had gone pale, slowly getting up. "That's... amazing," he said, rubbing at his eyes. "I... I can't... Excuse me, I need a minute," he mumbled, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind him. He immediately went to the kitchen, pulling out a glass and rummaging through the cupboards for the liquor he had had stocked. His hands were trembling even as he poured himself the drink.

DongHae watched HyunJoong leave with wide eyes, missing when KiBum started talking again.

"DongHae, are you still there?"

"H-huh? Yeah, yeah, I am," DongHae nodded, biting his lower lip as he focused on the phone call again. "That's great, thanks for letting me know. Maybe we'll stop by and say hi or— I need to go now, was that it?"

"Yes, that was all." There was an audible frown in KiBum's voice.

"Sorry Bummie, I'll call you back later," DongHae apologized before hanging up, stuffing the phone back into his pocket as he stood and walked to the door. He pulled the door open and looked around for HyunJoong, finding the man in the kitchen. "HyunJoong?"

"Yeah?" HyunJoong looked up, his expression grim. Leaning up against the counter, he had already finished off his drink and was contemplating pouring himself another. "Was there anything else?"

"No that was it, he's staying at JungMin's place now," DongHae stepped into the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know yet," HyunJoong shook his head. "That... really took me by surprise. I just... I can't believe he's okay."

"I think everyone's really surprised." DongHae stopped in front of him, frowning. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"I know and I appreciate that, but I just needed a minute to sort out my head," HyunJoong said, holding out a hand to him. "Finding out the person you thought you helped get killed isn't dead, that's a lot to take in. I can only imagine how JungMin's feeling right now."

"KiBum didn't say, but I don't think he needed to." DongHae blinked at the hand before deciding to forgo it in favor of wrapping his arms around HyunJoong's middle in a warm hug. HyunJoong looked like he needed a hug just then.

HyunJoong was surprised at the hug, but it wasn't unwelcome. Settling his arms around DongHae's neck, he rested his head against the side of DongHae's and sighed. "I'm happy he's alive though. He was a friend once."

"I can tell," DongHae smiled, closing his eyes and trying to be as comforting a presence as possible. He could feel the slight trembling. "If you want to go see him, we can."

"Not yet," HyunJoong shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow... If it's like you said, I'm still an evil villain to him. He'll hate me about as much as JungMin does."

"Guess there's only one way to find out," DongHae murmured. "We'll go whenever you want...no rush."

"It's not selfish of me to think that way is it?" HyunJoong asked after a moment of silence. "I know I'm a very selfish and narcissistic person most of the time so these things aren't as obvious."

"To think what way?" DongHae opened his eyes. "To not want to see him right away? That's not selfish...no one likes feeling hated."

HyunJoong made a small non-committal sound at that response, pulling back enough to be able to look into DongHae's eyes. He didn't say anything, not trusting himself to say anything at that point as he leaned down to kiss him.

DongHae's eyes closed again as he returned the kiss, one hand pressing lightly against the middle of HyunJoong's back. Tilting his head to one side, he deepened the kiss.

Threading his fingers into DongHae's hair with one hand, HyunJoong let his grip tighten slightly on DongHae's shoulders at the kiss that was becoming heated. Turning them around, he pressed DongHae against the cabinets as he ducked his head to mouth along DongHae's neck.

There was a handle digging into his back, but DongHae didn't really care right then, mouth falling open at the lips against his neck. Hands trying to find purchase against the other man's back, he finally gripped HyunJoong's shoulders instead, a low noise escaping.

HyunJoong had quickly discovered he liked when DongHae made those noises, and would keep doing the things that made those noises. Lifting his lips back up to nip at DongHae's earlobe, he whispered softly. "That offer still open?"

Now that just wasn't fair, DongHae thought, asking him a question while doing that. His ear was sensitive, and he would have slid down the cabinets if HyunJoong wasn't pinning him to them. "What offer, again?" He got out, shuddering.

"The one about getting you out of those pants after twenty-four hours," HyunJoong replied, keeping up the attacks on DongHae's ears since he seemed to enjoy it so much.

A low whine slipped out of DongHae's throat, having a hard time focusing on the question. "Yes, offer's still— still..." What was he saying again? "Bedroom." He regained enough self-control to push HyunJoong off of him, trying to steer the older man towards the bedroom.

"Glad we're on the same page," HyunJoong grinned, letting himself be pushed backwards from the room. His arms went around DongHae's waist again, leaning in to kiss him without stopping. Without being able to look behind him, he crashed into the wall first, but didn't even let it bother him, just sidestepping enough to get through the doorway. He pulled back just enough so he could pull his shirt off, dumping it in the hallway and turning his attention to getting DongHae's shirt off as well.

DongHae was reluctant to break away in order to get his shirt off, but after a couple tugs from HyunJoong he pulled back and yanked the material over his head and off. Once that obstacle was gone, he hooked his fingers in HyunJoong's belt loops and pulled him back into a heated kiss.

HyunJoong grinned into the very demanding kiss, liking this side of DongHae as he kicked the bedroom door open and pulled DongHae through. Turning them around again, HyunJoong pushed DongHae onto the bed, starting to unbuckle his belt as he looked down at the other man. "You're okay with this?" he asked, throwing his belt on the floor.

Sitting up from where he was knocked flat on his back onto the bed, DongHae panted as he looked up at HyunJoong, face a little flushed. "I am," he nodded quickly, fingers already undoing his jeans and trying to pull them down, boxers catching and nearly coming off with them.

Not needing to reply, HyunJoong was already kicking off his pants and boxers at that point, making sure to pull off his socks before helping DongHae shed the last of his clothes. Finally free of any constraints between them, he pushed DongHae back down as he climbed onto the bed, resume the searing kiss even as he nudged them both into a more stable position on the bed.

There wasn't that much talk after that, HyunJoong enjoying the smooth planes of DongHae's skin, the bumps and ridges of his abs and the corded muscles on his legs. There was a fire to DongHae that wasn't always present, a slow burn that soothed HyunJoong, unlike SungMin who had burned him more often than not. It was the right amount of passion and intensity that HyunJoong liked without the struggle for control that he had always been seeking. With DongHae, it was about each other and not themselves.

"That was probably the best I've had in a long time," HyunJoong commented later, back resting against the headboard, running his hands through DongHae's hair.

Leaning back against the other man, DongHae's eyes were closed and he hummed softly at the fingers in his hair. "Worth the wait?" He asked, the absent-minded tone in his voice giving away that he wasn't entirely there yet as he tilted his head back to look up at HyunJoong.

"More than worth it," HyunJoong chuckled, kissing the top of his head. "I think I'd be okay doing that more often. Really helps with the stress."

Smiling, DongHae closed his eyes again, just resting against HyunJoong. "It was the best I've have in a long time too," he mused thoughtfully. "Though it's probably another reason not to put the skull and crossbones above the bed. With all the banging on the wall, it would have fallen and clobbered someone by now."

HyunJoong chuckled at that, closing his eyes. "Okay, you may have a point there. Don't want to risk you getting hurt."

"Hey, I'm the one who can take a dented head," DongHae smiled, catching HyunJoong's hand and playing with his fingers.

"Doesn't mean I want to see you hurt," HyunJoong said, pinching at Donghae's side with his free hand.

DongHae squawked at the pinch, swatting at HyunJoong's hand. "Well it does still hurt. But I don't want to see you hurt either, so let's both keep away from falling objects," he grinned back at the older man. "Deal?"

"Deal," HyunJoong chuckled, kissing him again. "At the very least I know that if I get too carried away I won't hurt you too bad, but you'll still have to keep me in check."

Returning the kiss, DongHae shifted to face HyunJoong a little easier rather than sitting facing away from the other man. "You won't hurt me," he smiled widely, expression trusting.

"Not intentionally, no," HyunJoong shook his head, bringing up a hand to run a finger down DongHae's jaw. "But some habits will be hard to break, and after being with SungMin for so long, I have some habits."

DongHae absently tried to bite the finger, not really trying that hard. "I don't think there'll be any problems, but I'll let you know if there is."

"Good, I want you to be comfortable at all times," HyunJoong said, taking DongHae by the chin to pull him into another kiss. "So don't hesitate to say so."

Humming in acknowledgement (or approval at the kiss, it was hard to tell), DongHae shifted to wrap his arms around HyunJoong's neck loosely, kissing him back slowly. "We can stay here for a while, right?" he murmured against HyunJoong's lips.

"I didn't have any plans of going anywhere," HyunJoong replied, nipping at DongHae's bottom lip. "I think we both need a relax day."

"Mhm. Are you still stressed?" DongHae chuckled.

"Depends, if I tell you no are you going to stop kissing me?" HyunJoong asked, looking into DongHae's eyes as he pressed a light kiss to his lips again.

"No," DongHae pouted at that. "But if you were still stressed, I would have suggested doing that again. To help."

HyunJoong grinned, his arm tightening around DongHae's waist as he shifted to sit up more. "Then I am very, very very stressed out still," he said, peppering the man with light kisses as he spoke.

"That's not good," DongHae chuckled, trying to arrange himself in HyunJoong's lap a little better. "It's not good to be so stressed out all the time." He pulled HyunJoong into a deeper kiss, fingers curling into the other man's hair.

"I lead a stressful life," HyunJoong replied when he'd pulled away, running his hands up and down DongHae's back as he dropped his lips to DongHae's shoulder and neck. "Think you can help me with that?"

A stuttering groan escaped, DongHae's head falling to one side. "Of course I can," he murmured, eyes half-closing. "No one better for the job."

While this particular instance was more of an excuse to have again, DongHae meant what he said. He didn't like seeing HyunJoong stressed out, and had already determined he would do what he could to keep the man smiling and stress-free…or relatively as stress-free as possible. Even villains (or former villains) needed someone to help them through difficult times, and DongHae intended to be that person for HyunJoong.