“Are you sure you want to do this?” Kris' eyes betrayed his concern as he gazed at his partner, who was in the process of packing his detective bag, carefully placing each item in its proper place, as his did with everything in his life. Tao was fragile in more ways than you could see simply passing by him on the street.

“Of course I'm sure,” Tao retorted, zipping up the final zipper. “ You act like it's the first time I've gone on a retrieval!”

“I know, but...” Kris trailed off, scanning the room, trying to think of something- anything- he could say that would change the younger's mind. This retrieval for the latest case they were working on would prove to be more dangerous than Kris ever expected. At least, not for him. New developments since he and Tao had started the case had recently been brought to his attention. The people they were dealing with were extremely hostile, trained assasins. They would not hesitate to kill in cold blood.

This wasn't the part Kris was worried about. These people had a past that intertwined with his best friend, his partner, his soulmate. They were the ones who made Tao's childhood a living hell. They were the ones who drove him to bring a blade to his porcelain wrists. They were the ones who made him so hopeless that he was considering ending his life.

This was when Kris found Tao. He found this huddling, shivering ghost of a boy sitting on the banks of the Han River one cold, November day, and something just pulled at Kris when he laid eye on the kid. Call it fate, call it destiny, call it what you will, but he couldn't just walk away from this lost soul. He brought Tao back to his precinct, fed him, let him stay with him, and most importantly, didn't ask any questions. Kris took him under his wing, teaching him the ropes of being the Watson to his Sherlock, and as Tao began to trust Kris, the truth came out. His parents abandoned him in shame after discovering his self-harm and emotional issues, leaving him on the lonely streets of Seoul to fend for himself while they returned to China to further their business ventures. He had no money, no home, and only the set of clothes on his back. Kris' kindness was the only thing that kept him from drowning himself in the river that day.

Thus began their partnership. Four years later, Tao was healthy, happy, and finally feeling as if he had a purpose in life. Now there was something jeopardizing all of the efforts Kris had made to nurse his Zitao back to health. What if he has a relapse if he sees the people who caused his life to fall apart? Kris didn't know if he could bear to see his partner in so much pain ever again.

“But?” The sound of Tao's voice, now ranging on irritated, broke through Kris' thoughts and dragged him back to reality. “It's almost time to go, so get ready!” How Tao ever took to nagging so often was beyond him. Kris sighed in resignation.

“Alright, let's go. Just...stay close.”

The duo crept along the side of the abandoned warehouse, eyes and ears hypersensitive to any activity around them. The book with the gang's secret plans for a terrorist attack was inside, and all they had to do was get in past the guard, grab the book, and make like their boss Suho when there was work to be done and vanish. They reached the corner and took a peek around to see where the guard was standing. Perfect, his back was turned. Kris nodded at Tao, and the younger slipped around the stone wall, silent as a cat in the dark. He watched as Tao snuck up behind the unsuspecting man and did some fancy wushu move that ended with the guy on the ground and Tao unhooking his keyring from his waist, motioning Kris to him.

After unlocking the door (which made an obnoxious creaking noise when they opened it), they carefully made their way to the only object in the place, an old desk. Just as the tip said, the notebook was in the third drawer on the left. After Kris secured it inside a secret pocket in his jacket, they turned to leave, only to find three of the gang members bursting through the unlocked door. .

The one thing Kris didn't want to happen. He glanced at Tao quickly to see if there was any sign of recognition. He could see the gears working in the younger's mind, trying to figure out where he knew these men from.

“Well, if it isn't One-Trick Tao,” the one in the middle spat, his cronies smirking behind him. “You gonna pull that one trick again? You gonna run away like a little scaredy-cat?” Tao's eyes snapped onto him now, burning with hatred and fury. “Who would've known you were still alive, I thought you drowned yourself like you should have. Or did your Prince Charming come and save you?” he questioned, sneering at the two, who had immediately taken a defensive stance. Tao's grip on his bag handle tightened, so tight that his knuckles turned white, and if his eyes could shoot daggers, those thugs would have been long dead from the way he was staring them down.

“You'll see I have a lot more tricks now, Ying,” he said between gritted teeth. “I'm not the frail little pushover you tried to break.”

“We'll see about that,” Ying snorted. “Now, I believe you have something we need, so if you would please hand it over, we might not kill you.”

“Over my dead body.”

In a split second, Tao whipped his bag off of his torso and broke into a full-on sprint towards the goons, leaving Kris to fend for himself. He immediately took on Ying, engaging him in the Chinese martial arts he had learned in his younger years and refined later as a useful skill for the job. Punches flew, legs spun, their bodies began to drip with sweat. Kris gripped his gun, but he couldn't shoot Ying. There was too great of a chance he could hit Tao. One of the other men came after him, but he quickly whipped out his weapon and the man collapsed to the ground.

He made his way over to where the other men were standing to take care of them when all of a sudden he heard a gunshot and saw Tao falter and topple to the ground, his knees giving out from underneath him. His shirt was stained with blood coming from a small hole just under his heart.

No. This can't be happening. He can't die. He needs me. I need him.

Screaming with rage, Kris aimed and pulled the trigger twice, watching two bodies fall to the cold, hard cement. He then ran to the most important casualty, quickly kneeling next to him and holding his small hand in his.

“Tao. Tao please, don't leave me. You can't die,” Kris sputtered through the tears streaming down his face. Tao squeezed his hand and that made him cry even harder. “I thought...I thought I told you to stay close.”

“I did, Wu Fan, I did,” Tao whispered, his breathing labored as his body began to fail. “They always say to stay close to what makes you glad you are alive. Who else could do that but you?” He looked up at his Kris with lidded eyes. “I love you always, Wu Fan. You're not allowed to blame yourself for this. I beat my demons, finally.”

“I love you too. Forever.” Kris whispered back, and his body was wracked afresh by his sobs as his Zitao closed his eyes for the last time. Never again would his Zitao stay close, but only in his heart.