Dongwoo let out a satisfied sigh with a long stretch of his arms as he and Myungsoo made their way back to the police department. “That was nice, wasn’t it?” he asked, a large grin on his face. “It’s always great to take a walk. Especially after such a delicious snack.”

Myungsoo nodded in agreement, smiling softly. “It’s true, the fresh air is a nice wake up call to my brain after hours of HR training. And I’m pretty sure your snack stopped being a snack somewhere between the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cheesecake slices.”

“Hey, I would have to be a crazy man to have stopped at the Oreo Dream Extreme and my sweet tooth is the stuff of legends. Plus, it’s unnatural to not eat cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory. I wouldn’t want to give you the wrong impression of me,” Dongwoo grinned.

Myungsoo laughed. “Fair enough. But you really should have let me pay for my meal. You’re being too nice-”

“Absolutely not. Let me guess Myungsoo. You were working as a cookie cutter police officer in the mean streets of San Francisco, working the worst shifts with no complaints, trying to beef up your resume and secure those letters of recommendation. Right so far?” He looked at Myungsoo with a twinkle in his eye.

“Maybe.” Myungsoo tried to be vague but his voice betrayed him.

“And you had applied for a higher position as a detective, but since you hadn’t been around the department as long as your competition you weren’t exactly high on the list for promotions. And then this job appears, in smaller city, hundreds of miles away. And you think it’s a long shot, but you apply anyway.”

“And by some twist of fate I managed to get it,” Myungsoo finished for him.

“So you immediately accepted the offer, packed up your stuff, and moved out here first thing so you could start the job as soon as possible to impress your new superiors.”

Myungsoo sighed. “Am I really that pathetic and predictable?”

Dongwoo scoffed, shaking his head. “Of course not. Being enthusiastic about your job, loving what you do is never pathetic. I’m happy that you have a passion and desire to be a detective. I feel the same way and it will make it easier for us to work together. But you don’t have to thank me for doing something nice for you. The point of my long winded speech is that I’m sure in your haste to get here and start your new job that you haven’t actually taken a moment to stop and celebrate your promotion.”

“You’re right. I was just in such a rush to get here and start working that everything else just seemed… I don’t know, unimportant?” Myungsoo let out a sigh, pushing his hands into his pockets as they strolled along.

“Myungsoo, I get it. We’ve all been there. The first case I worked on after becoming a detective, I was pulling surveillance for multiple nights in a row. It took my best friend threatening to report me to the Chief to make me realize that I was going a little overboard. Trust me when I say that I understand where you’re coming from. So when I tell you that I’m happy you’re working on the case I mean it. But when I say that you can not let work become your only source of happiness or let it take over your life, I really mean it.”

Myungsoo nodded in understanding. “Thanks Dongwoo. For the advice.”

“No problem. I figure since you’re new to the area that you don’t have anyone here to knock some sense into you. So listen to my sage wisdom, enjoy the free meal in celebration of your success Detective Kim, and smile.” Dongwoo , and Myungsoo grinned at the pavement.

He let his eyes travel around the scenery, taking in the sites of the city as they walked back to the station. The sun was lower in the sky, signaling the end of the afternoon but it was still beautiful outside. He liked the vibe of the city, he liked that it was full of life but not too crowded. Myungsoo knew that if he wanted to, he could really make a life here for himself. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence, just enjoying the weather and the company.

Dongwoo hummed, running a hand through his bright hair as he looked up at the sky. “I didn’t realize we were inside The Cheesecake Factory that long. The station is probably already closed.”

Myungsoo looked at him nervously. “Is that okay? I mean, was the Chief expecting us to report back into him today?”

“Well, the station isn’t closed per se. You know that it never really does. I just meant that Chief has probably already headed home. And no, trust me if he wanted to get in touch with us, he would have found a way. He has a knack for always finding you when you least want him to.”

The younger laughed, nodding his head in agreement. “He seems like the type. I know I’ve only spent like, ten minutes in the Chief’s presence, but he just strikes me as straightforward. But he also seems fair and hardworking, so I’m happy that he’s my boss.”

“You should be. Even if I complain about him from time to time, it’s coming from a good place. He’s been good to me over the years, so I’m sure he will be to you too,” Dongwoo assured him.

Dongwoo stretched his arms out again before reaching for his phone. He tapped it awake, looking at the time on the screen. A certain glint lit up in his eyes as he smiled a little. “I think I’ll just check in with the ball and chain real quick though. I wasn’t even supposed to work today, so showing up late might not go over so well. Do you mind?” Myungsoo shook his head politely.

He opened his contacts list and selected his favorite person. Dongwoo brought the phone to his ear, and to Myungsoo he whispered, “I’ll just be a moment.”

Myungsoo nodded, focusing on any and every little thing that caught his eye in the area. From little flies in the air to the stray cat across the road, he glanced around nonstop as Dongwoo was making his phone call.

Dongwoo listened to the phone ring on the other line intently, waiting for his husband to pick up. He waited patiently, scuffling his shoes on the pavement as the call continued. Unfortunately, Hoya didn’t answer and he couldn’t stop the spark of sadness from igniting within him. He shrugged his shoulders, looking at his phone with a sad look. He made a small surprised sound, Hoya usually always answered his calls after work. He was about to put his phone back in his pocket when his phone started to vibrate. Of course it was his husband calling him back, Hobaby flashing across the screen. His ears perked up as he heard the voice pick up on the other end, a smile appearing on his face naturally at the familiar sound.

“Hello?”

“Hi, baby!” Dongwoo said happily. “How was work?”

Hoya chuckled on the other line, but Dongwoo could hear the tiredness laced into his voice. “Work was… eventful, to say the least.”

“You sound tired,” Dongwoo said, pouting slightly.

“Well, it was quite a tiring night, and sleep wasn’t exactly on the agenda.” he replied and Dongwoo could almost see him running a stressed hand through hair.

“But your shift is over now, right?” Dongwoo questioned. “I’ll be home soon also. Are you already there or are you on your way?” There was a short silence on the other line. “...Honey?” he called out. “Hello?”

“Um, Dongwoo,” Hoya began, “I’m not exactly at home, nor on my way.”

“What?” Dongwoo asked, furrowing his brow. “You’re still at the hospital? You’ve been out since nearly three in the morning and you didn’t come home last night. Aren’t you tired?”

“Baby, of course I’m tired and of course I want to be with you right now, it’s just…”

“Just…?” Dongwoo prompted.

“There’s… someone I want to keep my eye on for a little bit.”

Dongwoo sighed, casting his eyes down to the ground. “So you won’t be home?”

“No, I’m not. Baby, I’m really sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”

Dongwoo smiled softly, shaking his head. “No, no it’s okay babe. I know you have a lot of important things to do at the hospital. Don’t worry about me.”

“Are you sure? It’s not like I’m required to stay; I could swing by and keep you company if you’re feeling lonely or anything-”

“No need for that, honey, I’ll be perfectly fine,” he grinned. “Now go continue saving lives for the greater good of humanity and all that jazz.”

Hoya laughed on the other line. “Thanks, baby. I promise I’ll be home later and I’ll tell you all about it then. It’s not the happiest story, but I could really use someone to listen to me. I hate to rant to you, but I need to get some things off my chest-”

“Of course I will, you know I’ll always be here for you. You can lean on me.” Dongwoo said seriously, and Hoya whispered back a thanks. “Anyways, I should probably go now. I still need to brief my new partner on the drug case I’ve been working on.” He sent a playful wink in Myungsoo’s direction.

“Partner?” Hoya repeated, a certain amusement exuding from his voice. “Since when did Jang Dongwoo have partners?”

“Since Kim Sunggyu gave him one,” he said, rolling his eyes. “But I’ll be fine. The rookie is pretty cool.”

Hoya chuckled on the other line. “Be nice to the rookie, okay?”

“I will, I will! Jeez, you’re starting to sound like Sunggyu.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later, babe.”

“See you later,” Dongwoo responded. He blew a kiss into the phone and hung up afterwards. He looked towards Myungsoo, a bright smile lighting his face. “Sorry, that took a bit longer than I thought it would.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem,” he said quickly. “Walking around the area took a bit of time in itself, so you don’t have to worry about taking too long on calls or anything. I mean, you are the one leading this case, so it shouldn’t matter to me if-”

“Whoa, at ease, rookie,” Dongwoo cut in, laughing slightly. “You don’t need to be so tense around me - remember what I said earlier? We’ve shared stories, we’ve practically bonded. I’m pretty sure we’re past that stage.”

Myungsoo loosened visibly and smiled at him. “Sorry,” he said. “I guess I’m just a little... jumpy. I mean, it’s not everyday that I get to work on a case with a senior detective.” The way he said senior detective made Dongwoo think that it was his favorite celebrity.

“You really are excited for this, aren’t you?” Dongwoo asked, leading the two of them back into the building as he chuckled. It was noticeably less busy then earlier, a lot calmer with less people milling around due to the hour.

Myungsoo nodded. “I’ve always wanted to be a detective and this is like my chance to actually get my hands dirty and be a detective. I’m still kind of in shock,” he admitted as they traveled towards Dongwoo’s office. “I never thought that I’d be the one heading down here as the back-up request.”

“It’s good that you’re enthusiastic about it,” Dongwoo said, smiling. “But if I’m ever on the phone too long with ‘baby’,” he joked, “feel free to stop me and tell me to focus. I can get a little distracted during our catch up phone calls,” he laughed.

“No problem,” Myungsoo responded. He glanced down to the pocket where Dongwoo kept his phone. “I assume that you’re in a relationship, then? With said baby?”

Dongwoo grinned wider. “Even better,” he said. “We’re married.” He held up his hand for Myungsoo to see his wedding band. “We’ve been married for about a year, but we just moved into our new house yesterday. So it’s a period of transition… but it’s nice. Kind of makes things feel new all over again.”

“Oh, then congratulations!” Myungsoo said with a bright smile. “You obviously are in love as ever, so I’m sure that your wife is a very lucky and pretty woman.”

Dongwoo held in his laughter, guffawing under his hand as he activated the lift with his badge. Myungsoo sent him a questioning gaze and he snickered. “Don’t worry - I won’t tell my husband you just called him pretty. Or my wife for that matter.”

Myungsoo flushed red. “Oh! H-Husband!? I didn’t realize-”

Dongwoo laughed loudly, slapping a friendly hand on Myungsoo’s back as they rode the elevator up to their floor. “Hey, don’t worry about it! It’s not like I told you, or you asked. You just didn’t know.”

“I’m still really sorry,” Myungsoo apologized. “I just assumed- that was a bit inconsiderate of me.”

“It wasn’t inconsiderate - don’t worry,” Dongwoo said, grabbing his key to unlock the door to his office. “I was thinking of going out with him right after I got you acquainted to this place, but I guess he’s still stuck at the hospital saving lives. The nerve right?” He said, clearly joking. The key he stuck in the door didn’t turn and he pouted. “Shoot, wrong key.”

“I’m sure it’s still difficult though, having to deal with the crazy hours.” Myungsoo said. “You two sounded very close on the phone and it’s a shame that you couldn’t meet up.”

Dongwoo laughed, his eyes forming small crescents. “It’s okay. He’s needed where he is, so I’m okay with it. Plus, there have been many nights where I’ve stayed late at the station working on my cases, and sometimes when I’m on stakeouts I don’t even make it back home.”

He paused, running a hand through his hair. “Besides, this just means you and I can spend some more time getting know each other. You know, since we’ll be partners and all and you’re practically stuck with me. That is if your interested-” He teased as he tested a different key on his ring, but it didn’t fit the door either. “Aw, darn it,” he said.

“I don’t mind staying late, it’s not like I have anywhere to be. It sounds like a plan,” Myungsoo replied.

“It will be,” Dongwoo said, fiddling with his keys, “once I can get my door open.” With a small shove, he got another key into the hole and turned it with ease. “Ah ha!” he exclaimed in triumph. “That’s the key. Remind me to get you one of these tomorrow by the way.”

Myungsoo tried not to show his elation at the prospect of having his own copy of the key to Dongwoo’s workspace. “So what will we be doing now?” Myungsoo asked, keeping his voice controlled as Dongwoo turned the knob.

He laughed sheepishly. “Well,” he began, “we can start by me telling you the details of the case,” He pushed the door open fully, exposing the messy office with stacks of papers that made the room look like a city of sorts, “while we organize my papers.”

Myungsoo’s mouth fell open at the sight, gaping at all the papers that were waiting to be sorted. “This is your office?”

“Guilty as charged,” he said, laughing lightly. He stared at how Myungsoo was frozen in place and knew that he must have been the type to be organized. That would probably come in handy in the future, since this case would only get bigger. With a laugh he placed a hand on Myungsoo’s back and lead him into the office. “Come on - I’ll tell you the details on the evidence I’ve gathered so far while we… do a little spring cleaning.”

Myungsoo wanted to alert him that it was still technically winter, but instead he kept quiet, picking up a box of files to officially start his first task with his partner. Despite knowing that his future would only hold what was bound to be a couple hours of an intense reorganization of files, Myungsoo couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

Hoya stared at the tiny life in front of him, hooked up to so many wires that it barely even looked human anymore. He pushed his gloved hand through the hole of the incubator, holding out his finger for the baby. The little boy wrapped his tiny hand around his pinky on instinct, reaching out for the comfort of another person.

He couldn’t believe that the both of them had made it out of the operating room. He usually never was involved in the surgical side of things, but this time he had to see it through. He sat in the gallery, watching from up above as the neonatal surgeon worked to save both of their lives. Areum pulled through the surgery easily, but the same couldn’t be said for the baby. Thankfully they were able to get the baby stabilized, and now the newborn was resting in the NICU.

Over the course of the day he had found himself wandering to the second floor, looking through the glass at the newborn inside. Areum had woken up a couple after the procedure, howling about her pain and demanding more medication - he could only guess that after so many years of taking pills that normal dosages didn’t affect her. He had delivered her the news personally about the birth of her baby boy.

She was sitting in her room, watching some trashy talk show - probably Maury considering the time of day - chewing loudly on some ice chips from the styrofoam cup on her bedside tray. He had pulled up a chair to her bedside, a smile of relief coming across his face that he got to give her some good news.

“Areum, I am very happy to tell you that your baby boy pulled through. Since he was born early his lungs aren’t quite developed the way they should be, but we have him on a ventilator and every single day he will get stronger. He’s resting inside an incubator that keeps him warm and comfortable, and he’s being fed through an IV to get all the nutrients he needs. Aside from that, I’m relieved to tell you that there were no other complications from the premature delivery of the baby. However, because of the method that you went into labor, there has been some scarring on your uterus. I don’t want you to panic, because I’m not saying that you can’t get pregnant again-”

“That’s too bad,” she spoke up for the first time, her eyes still glued to the television.

Hoya stopped abruptly. “I’m sorry?”

“I said that’s too bad. You should have just taken my womb or whatever out when you took it out of me.” There was no emotion behind her words, and Hoya was actually speechless for a second.

“Are you- do you mean your uterus? No surgeon would have performed a hysterectomy when the priority was safely  delivering your child.” It put Hoya off that she had called her baby boy an ‘it’, but he continued on. “Areum… you’re only nineteen years old. In the future, your opinion might change and you could want to get pregnant again someday,” he tried to reason with her, but she laughed dryly.

“I highly doubt that. I have my whole life ahead of me and it would have been great if I never had to worry about getting pregnant again. You’d think that surgeon would have been smart enough and taken some damn initiative to just get rid of the thing while he was in there.”

“The ‘thing’ is called your uterus Areum, the place your baby was living throughout your pregnancy. And Dr. Choi was a little busy saving you and your baby’s lives, so you should be thankful” Hoya said sharply but Areum only rolled her eyes. He couldn’t even believe that someone who was pregnant wasn’t even aware of what her reproductive organs were.

“Well Dr. Choi didn’t do me any favors, and neither are you. The sooner I can get out of this hospital the better. I’ve just had surgery and you’d think that you doctors would be able to prescribe something strong enough to decrease my pain-”

“You did not just have surgery, Areum!” Hoya cut her off, unable to hide his frustration any longer. “You gave birth. You gave birth to a baby boy who is in the NICU right now fighting for his life because of the choices that you made! Let’s get something straight right now Areum - your body was not ready for labor. Your baby was not fully grown, your cervix was not dilated, your hormones were nowhere near the levels they should have been. You forced yourself into labor when you made your water break, therefore you put yourself in this position. We are giving you the best care possible and this hospital will not be responsible for fueling your drug habit by giving you stronger medication that you do not need. You are not a victim; you made a conscious decision to do what you did and now there are consequences.” By the time Hoya was finished he was breathing harder, no longer able to conceal his distaste at the way she was handling this situation.

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting her to say back, but he sure as hell wasn’t prepared for what she did next. She stared at him, her brown eyes devoid of any feeling or warmth, before turning her head back to the television. “Is that all Dr. Jang? Because I’d like to go back to watching my show and you are distracting me.”

“Seriously?” He asked her, but she only blinked in response. “Areum, you have a child-”

“Actually, I don’t. There’s nothing in my body anymore,” she corrected him, and Hoya could only shake his head.

“Areum, whether you wanted this pregnancy or not, your baby boy has been growing inside of you for nine months. Don’t you at least want to see him? He’s beautiful and he doesn’t even have a name or-”

“I don’t care!” she interrupted him, her voice rising in her fury as she whirled around to face him. “I don’t care if I never meet him! I don’t care if he doesn’t have a name! I don’t care if he never leaves his hospital! I don’t care if he dies!” Hoya stepped back from her in shock, and a wicked sneer spread across her face. “You heard me. I don’t care if he dies. In fact, my life would have been a hell of a lot easier if he wouldn’t have survived the surgery. If it were up to me I’d unplug the machines and let the little bastard choke on the tubes so he struggles for breath until-”

“That is enough!” Hoya gasped out, horrified by her words. “That is enough.” He repeated. His heart was racing in his chest, every fiber of his being infuriated by her lack of respect for the child’s life.

“Good. Now we understand each other Dr. Jang.” She winked at him, turning back to the melodramatics on the screen as she turned up the volume with her remote. Hoya backed away slowly, feeling uncomfortable just being in the presence of someone so heartless. He pulled open the door, ready to walk out when he heard her voice call out to him.

“Oh, and Dr. Jang? If you ever try to talk to me about that baby again, I’ll have you thrown off my case.” She said sweetly, but to Hoya it just sounded unnatural. She was a mother, and yet there was absolutely nothing maternal about her.

“It’s really that easy for you? Out of sight, out of mind? You’re going to abandon your child, just like that?” he questioned her, and she scoffed.

“It’s not in my body, so it’s no longer my problem. But now that you mention it, send in social services as soon as possible so I can sign it over for adoption; the sooner I get rid of that bastard the better. It’s about time that I get my life back.”

Hoya left without another word; there was no talking to someone like that. It didn’t matter how much he wished it wasn’t the case; the fact of the matter was that Areum had zero intentions of taking responsibility of the life she created. She was more concerned about healing so she could return to her vices, to the drugs and partying. She didn’t even bat an eyelash when she stated she wanted an adoption. There was no hope for her.

He pushed all thoughts of Areum out of his mind, he didn’t want to waste another second on that miserable girl. But the same couldn’t be said for her child. Throughout the rest of his shift, even when he was busy and helping other patients, the thought of the little boy’s face lingered in the back of his mind. He wasn’t lying when he said the boy was beautiful; even tiny and bruised, it was clear just how special he was. He had beaten the odds, he had escaped the toxic environment that was his mother’s womb with only a few minor complications. This little boy could make it, and he deserved the chance to be loved.

It was that thought that kept him moving that day; the fact that the baby boy was still fighting to survive. Hoya was exhausted, but it was nothing compared to the pain and suffering that the baby had been through in his short life. After the conversation with Areum his morale had been at an all time low, and he had retreated to the locker room to compose himself.

His phone had went off and he was sure it would be one of the nurses contacting him about her latest stunt, but instead it was from Dongwoo. He unlocked his phone to see the picture from his husband, obviously still in bed judging by the surroundings and his messy hair. He looked gorgeous, his eyes bright and his lips puckered in the impromptu selca. Just the sight of Dongwoo, especially at a time like this, gave him more strength than he could fathom. Dongwoo was his rock, his inspiration to continue to work hard no matter what the circumstances. He loved him so much, and knowing that he was always on his husband’s mind made him feel good. The subsequent message of I miss you from Dongwoo was enough to make him smile. He tucked his phone back into his pocket, feeling that extra bit of energy to keep pushing through his day.

So hours later, when his shift was officially over, Hoya couldn’t explain why he was still here at the hospital, instead of at home trying to catch some sleep. He hadn’t done that in so many hours that he couldn’t even guess a number, but he felt the need to comfort the baby. He didn’t want him to be alone after everything that had happened, and he felt a strong sense of achievement that the little guy had managed to pull through. He was premature, he was having difficulty breathing, and he had a mother that didn’t even care about his existence, but he was still alive.

His eyes flicked over to the monitor next to the incubator, checking the baby’s vitals. They weren’t great, but they were getting stronger. Each time he came in to check on him, he was getting stronger and that was what was important. It was already dark inside the nursery, the only source of light coming from the heating lamp above the baby. He felt a longing to hold the child; considering the mother, they were lucky that the baby had stayed inside the womb as long as he did. He was small, which Hoya was expecting, and he could probably fit comfortably in the both of his hands. But he still wanted the boy to feel a human touch, surrounding him and comforting him in his struggle to get healthier.

It was still too soon; Dr. Choi had stressed the importance of keeping the baby inside of the incubator for now. The first couple days were critical, and they were taking every precaution to make sure that nothing went wrong. Even now Hoya was fully gowned up, mask and all, to prevent any sort of risk of infection.

Hoya’s pinky twitched and the baby shifted in response. He saw the tiny little eyes open, and he felt a rush of warm go through his system. Before he knew it he was speaking out loud, not even putting any thought into what he was saying. The words just came from his heart.

“Hey buddy. You’re awake. You’re safe I promise. You’re okay.” The baby wiggled, turning it’s small head slightly towards the source of the noise, although the breathing tube restricted the movement.

“Hi. Hi.” He waved with his other hand, a giggle escaping his mouth that the baby knew he was there. “I know you must be scared right now, and you’ve been through so much. But you’re here now and you’re going to be so strong. You’ll be out of the hospital in no time, I just know it.” He didn’t even realize he was talking in a softer, higher ‘baby’ voice. It just happened naturally.

The little eyes opened and shut blearily. “I know, you’re tired and that’s okay. You can rest as much as you want little guy. You’re doing so good. Your doctors are so proud of you.” He praised and he felt a tightening on his pinky from the tiny hand.

“I just don’t want you to feel alone. There are tons of people here in the hospital who will take care of you. I’m Doctor Jang, but you can call me Hoya. I’m going to spend time with you so you won’t be lonely.” He smiled, his other arm reaching through the hole to softly pet the baby’s head. Soon enough the brown eyes disappeared for good, and the little boy feel back to sleep.

Hoya continued to sit and watch him, his fingers occasionally brushing his cheek or his hair. He wasn’t even aware of any of his surroundings, let alone the time. He only had eyes for this beautiful baby.

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed that way, but eventually a persistent buzzing in his pocket pulled him out of his daze. It took him a couple moments to realize that it was his phone. His eyes darted over to the clock, and he felt a sense of apprehension wash over him. He whispered a goodbye to the baby, softly pulling his arms out of the incubator and standing out.

Once at the door he should his protective clothing, tossing his gown, gloves, and mask into the nearby trash bin. By the time he was out in the hallway the buzzing had stopped. He didn’t even have to look at his phone to know who has calling him; surely his husband would be wondering where he was by time. He immediately hit the redial, resting his back against the wall as he waited for Dongwoo to pick up.

He heard the click, so he spoke first. “Hello?”

“Hi, baby!” Dongwoo’s voice was energetic in his ear. “How was work?”

Hoya laughed, the weight on his shoulders from this last shift seeming unbearable. He wasn’t quite sure how to answer Dongwoo’s question, without all of his frustration pouring out. “Work was… eventful, to say the least.”

“You sound tired,” Hoya could hear Dongwoo’s worry through the call; his husband knew him too well.

“Well, it was quite a tiring night, and sleep wasn’t exactly on the agenda.” He replied, shifting against the wall in his restlessness, a tired hand rubbing his scalp.

“But your shift is over now, right?” Dongwoo asked. “I’ll be home soon also. Are you already there or are you on your way?” There was a short silence between them, as Hoya was unsure of how to respond. “...Honey?” Dongwoo called out. “Hello?”

“Um, Dongwoo,” Hoya began, his head hitting the wall with a thud as he leaned back. “I’m not exactly at home, nor on my way.”

“What? You’re still at the hospital? You’ve been out since nearly three in the morning and you didn’t come home last night. Aren’t you tired?”

“Baby, of course I’m tired and of course I want to be with you right now, it’s just…” He turned around, looking through the glass to focus on the tiny newborn inside.

“Just…?” Dongwoo prompted.

“There’s… someone I want to keep my eye on for a little bit.”

“So you won’t be home?” Hoya could hear his disappointed sigh through the phone.

“No, I’m not. Baby, I’m really sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”

“No, no it’s okay babe. I know you have a lot of important things to do at the hospital. Don’t worry about me.” Sometimes Hoya didn’t know how to handle Dongwoo’s level of understanding. He was so good to him, and he didn’t want to take advantage.

“Are you sure? It’s not like I’m required to stay; I could swing by and keep you company if you’re feeling lonely or anything-”

“No need for that, honey, I’ll be perfectly fine,” Hoya grinned at his light tone. “Now go continue saving lives for the greater good of humanity and all that jazz.”

Hoya laughed. “Thanks, baby. I promise I’ll be home later and I’ll tell you all about it then. It’s not the happiest story, but I could really use someone to listen to me. I hate to rant to you, but I need to get some things off my chest-”

“Of course I will, you know I’ll always be here for you. You can lean on me.” Dongwoo said seriously, and Hoya whispered back a thanks. “Anyways, I should probably go now. I still need to brief my new partner on the drug case I’ve been working on.”

“Partner?” Hoya repeated, a certain amusement exuding from his voice. “Since when did Jang Dongwoo have partners?”

“Since Kim Sunggyu gave him one,” Dongwoo said, and Hoya could imagine him rolling his eyes on the other side of the line. “But I’ll be fine. The rookie is pretty cool.”

Hoya laughed again, knowing that Dongwoo probably end up loving his partner no matter what. His husband was such a people person and so geniunely nice, getting along with people just came naturally to him. But he still couldn’t help but . “Be nice to the rookie, okay?”

“I will, I will! Jeez, you’re starting to sound like Sunggyu.” Dongwoo huffed.

“Okay, I’ll see you later, babe.”

“See you later,” Dongwoo responded. They exchanged I love you’s and Hoya ended the call.

He was about to walk back inside the NICU when he heard someone call his name. He turned around, seeing none other than Dr. Choi approach him.

“Dr. Jang! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” He said, but there was no trace of negativity in his voice, just curiosity.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting to be here either. But here I am… I’m starting to get nervous that the labor and delivery nurses here on this floor are going think I’m lurking.”

Dr. Choi laughed lightly. “No way, trust me when I saw you aren’t the first person to worry over a newborn.”

Hoya nodded, the two of them settling into a silence. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but he didn’t want to step on the surgeon’s toes. But his concern for the little boy won out in the end.

“Dr. Choi… I hate to bother you with a question, but would you mind telling me about the baby’s chances?”

A smile graced his face. “It’s no problem at all Dr. Jang. And quite frankly, you don’t have too much to worry about. Even if we are unsure of the baby’s age, judging by his O2 levels, his lungs have developed a decent amount of surfactant. With the help of the ventilator for a few days and an aggressive nourishment therapy to increase his weight, I see no reason why he wouldn’t be okay to leave within a week.”

“Wow. It’s just… amazing, you know? All things considering, just the idea that in a week he could be strong enough to breathe and function on his own. That’s very encouraging Dr. Choi.”

“You were in the gallery, weren’t you? Today during the surgery.”

Hoya nodded. “Yes I was. The mother was my patient in the ER, so I felt responsible. Although she won’t be for much longer, she’s looking to check out as soon as she’s able.”

The surgeon grimaced. “Yeah, I didn’t have too much luck with her either. During her post op she didn’t want to hear about the baby, and she didn’t seem concerned with seeing him.”

He shook his head, his eyes still trained on the baby inside. “It’s just such a shame; he’s in there beating the odds, getting stronger with every breath, and there’s no one waiting for him at the finish line.”

The other doctor made a noise of disagreement. “That’s not necessarily true. What time do you get in tomorrow?”

“I usually start rounds at seven.”

“Be here at six. I like to round early.” He turned away without another word, and Hoya followed him down the hallway.

“Wait- what?”

The surgeon spun on his heel to face him, giving him a smile. “I’m putting you on this case Dr. Jang. You said yourself that the mother won’t be your priority for much longer, and if you are going to spend so much time ‘lurking’ outside the NICU, you might as well be useful to me.”

“Dr. Choi, I don’t know what to say-”

“Listen. I’m not going to lie to you. Working in neonatal, counseling mothers to be, dealing with newborns, especially when something goes wrong, it’s hard work. Alot of times it doesn’t turn out for the best, but other times it can end in a miracle.” His head motioned towards the NICU and Hoya understood.

“It takes a special kind of person to work in this field; a doctor needs to be strong for his patients, but also compassionate and hopeful. The fact that you are here, off the clock, monitoring a baby that’s not even technically your patient shows me that you have potential. So be here at six, and we will go from there. And if your resident says anything about your absence, just tell them that you are following Choi Seunghyun’s orders. And since we both know you’ll be going back in there, keep an eye on his respiratory rate for me. See you tomorrow.”

He walked away, and Hoya was left speechless in the hallway. He couldn’t help but laugh as he made his way back into the NICU; gowning up once again to keep vigil at the little boy’s side. Soon, this little boy could be considered healthy, and that was something to be optimistic about.

A/N: Dongwoo and Myungsoo are getting a bit closer! We wanted to show the dynamic between the detectives (we laughed a little making Myungsoo get flustered over accidentally calling Hoya a wife) while giving a little more insight into why Myungsoo is so excited about the job. Okay, so Areum is officially the cruelest person on the planet. She didn’t even want to see her son! Despite Hoya trying to put her in her place, at the end of the day she doesn’t care about her baby. And Hoya is officially on the baby’s case, so know he has a reason to be spending so much time in the NICU! lol And Ray shamelessly included TOP (sorry not sorry) but we had to have someone cool save the baby's life!

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♥rayquin×