When Eun Ah opened her eyes late that night, she was welcomed by the most beautiful, unrealistic, unbelievable sight in her life.

Yongguk.

His eyes were closed and his lips were parted in bated breaths. Tears slipped down her face as her eyes traced the features as his arm tightened around her. Her hand reached up to brush the swelling bruise on his forehead and the eyebags under his closed lids.

She always told to him to take care of himself and to be careful.

He never listened to her.

This whole time, while she was worried sick, he was getting beat up and living near death just for her. But she didn't need that, she never asked for it. She just wanted him near her. 

Her heart started to speed up when he mumbled something incoherently and yanked her close to his chest. Even after everything he put her through and all the pain she still loved him and the way he held her made her blush.

She still missed him.

She still needed him.

She could smell him and feel the heat of his skin against hers and it made her whole world spin because it only reinforced the fact that he was real.

She carefully placed her palm over his heart and let out a stuttered breath when she felt it beat steadily under her hand. Tears started filling her eyes as she slowly rubbed that part over his chest, as if she was warming his heart.

He was alive.

It was no doubt.

He was really there with her. Safe.

A part of her thought that yesterday was a dream where she'd wakeup and feel robbed. But it wasn't. He was laying right beside her, touching her.

Almost as if he sensed her gaze, he started shifting until he peeled open his eyes. His eyes widened a second before they flinched and then softened on her. He reached out and gently traced the cut on her eye with the tip of his finger. She let out a breath but didn't move.

The two of them stared at each other silently. Him with so much love it was almost tangible and her's was so scared that her body was shaking in his hold. His fingers slipped under her shirt and gently the piece of skin, making every bit of her shiver.

"Does it hurt?" He whispered.

Her eyes widened and she felt the tears building up again.

Yes. Yes it hurts, so much.

Yongguk gulped when he saw her reaction and felt his heart crack, "Your feet."

Eun Ah looked at her feet and noticed that they were wrapped up in gauze, as was his.

"Oh." Was all she said when she realized that he must've wrapped them up when she was unconscious.

She sighed and pried out of his hold and kicked her feet over the edge. She hunched with her back facing him and rubbed her face, trying to keep it together.

"Y-You passed out, I got scared. Do-do you need to go to the hospital?" He asked softly.

Eun Ah's back tensed and she laughed dryly, "Why? Did you think I died or something? Must've been horrible, but at least now you know how it feels."

"I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted to keep you safe." He mumbled.

Eun Ah bit her lip and tried to in her tears, "By messing around with meth?"

Yongguk frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"I saw the bag in your study. Woon wouldn't tell me what it was for, but I guess he was just waiting for you to pop up and tell me the truth. So let's hear it." She ordered.

Yongguk shifted closer to her, but not enough to touch her, "I'm not seeling drugs, Hwang.We had to get in touch with some suppliers to see if Ryu was getting back into the drug game. The bag in my office was going to go to Woon so that he could take down the ring. "

"Superman." Eun Ah said blankly.

"What?" Yongguk asked in confusion.

Eun Ah rubbed her face angrily, "You're like superman, saving the world, except you don't know how to save the people closest to you."  

Yongguk shook his head and reached for her shoulder before dropping his hand down and staring at her back, "I'll always want to save you."

Eun Ah looked at her feet which were tenderly wrapped by him and sighed, "Then why couldn't you save the world with me by your side?"

She felt the bed shift and she knew he was sitting up, looking at her, "You are one of the most important, precious things in my life. I didn’t want you to see what I went through or risk getting mixed up with the wrong people. I will spend the rest of my life protecting you and making every day I lied to you, up to you. Just know that I love you."

"Kris kissed me and I let him." She said abruptly as she turned to face him.

"W-What?" He stuttered, feeling his gut twist.

"He told me that he could protect me after I was kidnapped and he kissed me and I didn't resist. Do you hate me? Do you hate me now?" Her voice was tight to the point where it started to shake.

It felt like a slap to the face.

Yongguk felt the air escape his lung and anger fill him up when he thought about Kris taking advantage of his wife, but then he saw the look on her face and felt his heart break. She looked lost and vulnerable behind her harsh words.

She was using the same defence mechanisms that she put up when he brought her to the house three years ago.  She was scared and confused but instead of telling him, she was trying to push him away with harsh words.

He hated that another man laid a hand on her, but could he blame her? She was weak and someone else promised her something that he failed to give her himself.

Protection.

His voice was hoarse when he spoke. "No, no I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I love you."

Eun Ah looked at him in confusion, "But I cheated on you, how could you still love me?"

"Because you didn't cheat on me. You thought I was dead. That I was never coming back. You had to move on sooner or later. You would never do that to me if I was still around, but I wasn't. I did that to myself by leaving and making you think I was gone for good."

There was a long silence before Eun Ah spoke up again. "I didn't like it. The whole time he  kissed me I was thinking about you."

Yongguk smiled a little and looked down at his fingers, "I spent every day thinking about you, missing you and wanting you."

Eun Ah looked away, her blood filled with sparks of pleasure that she was trying to ignore. "If you missed me so much then you should've come back sooner or maybe just have not left at all."

"I know, I'm sorry." He whispered painfully.

Eun Ah stood up and walked towards the bathroom. "I know."

-----

He had been searching every place that he could think that Yongguk would to but he was not at any of them.

He was damn near losing his mind at this rate.

There was no way that the Ryu would've actually given Yongguk any real information, but the possibility still hung in the air.

And if he did the answers, he had to find him fast.

He had to explain himself before things got away from him. He knew it was a risk to reveal himself to Ryu, but it was one of the only ways to really throw him off.

But knowing that Yongguk was out there somewhere, possibly with the truth, was terrifying.

He pulled out his phone and stared at the missed call and ignored it when he didn't recognize the number and looked at the text that Woon had sent him.

TO: (435) 219 4533

You've checked every place but one. Didn't you say that he already spoke to her once? What if he went back?

FROM: Woon

He re-read the text again and felt his stomach drop. If Yongguk went back to Eun Ah's house, he was going to be ed.

He told Yongguk that it was time to go back because he figured that he'd know when Yongguk chose to go back, but if he disappeared after that note from Ryu and decided to go back to Eun Ah on the same day then there was a chance that he knew the truth.

Which meant that it was time for damage control, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to face them yet.

But with Ryu looking for an opening to attack, he knew that he couldn't just forget about it. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe the universe knew that he'd never really face his truth unless he was put in a position where he didn't have a choice.

He'd have to go.

-----

Yongguk walked down the stairs after Eun Ah entered the bathroom with his heart still heavy and his body still in pain.

He wanted, more than anything, to have stay in bed until she came out and follow her around, just for her to give him one look, but he didn't want to smother her.

"You're up." Himchan said softly.

Yongguk grunted and got into the chair across from him, "Where's the dog?"

"He's with the others. I'm guessing things went well? I saw the two of you cuddled together."

Yongguk looked away, "That meant nothing. I have a lot to do to earn her trust again."

Himchan softened, "Well at least she knows the truth. She's going to be stubborn about it, but she still loves you. You wouldn't be in this house if she didn't."

"I know." Yongguk breathed out.

"One step at a time. She'll come around. If anyone can do it, you can." Himchan said with a shrug.

Yongguk smiled weakly, "Thanks man."

Himchan made a face, "I think I've given you enough ."

"Do you think she'll ever forgive me?" Yongguk asked quietly.

"Where are the others?" Eun Ah asked as she limped into the kitchen.

Yongguk snapped his head at her and jumped to his feet, "Are you okay? You shouldn't be walking."

"I'm okay." She whispered

Yongguk flinched at her tone and helplessly sat down again, his gaze pinned on her every move as if he was worried that she'd collapse.

"Everyone headed back to their places. Yongmi's taking care of the dustbunny for now." Himchan replied, shooting his gaze at Yongguk who just stared at Eun Ah like she was the center of his goddamn universe.

Eun Ah's eyes fell on the counter and she felt herself frown, "Are you leaving too?"

Hi