Seunghyun grins when he spots his girlfriend walking swiftly down the corridor of the YG Entertainment building. He halts his gait midway to speak with her but she breezes past him without a second glance. His smile falters and he guesses that he should've known that would happen. It's occurred numerous times since her member's scandal was brought to light two weeks prior. 

Before putting much thought into it, he runs after her, easily matching her stride then taking hold of her hand to stop her. CL stumbles back at the pull, but quickly readjusts herself. When she looks up at the offender, her face displays only a little shock but not much else apart from her previous worried look. 

"Sorry, but I really have to see about a situation that came up," she apologizes, frantically running her hand through her shoulder-length, blonde hair in an attempt at smoothing it out. He wonders when last she's combed it. "Can we talk later?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Seunghyun questions in disbelief; it's all he's been hearing for the past two weeks. "You say that all the time."

She sighs, her impatience showing in the way she taps her foot against the floor. "I'm really sorry, but I think I'll be home tonight. I should be. We can talk then."

His eyes harden at her words, "You think? Chaerin, I want you to know. What am I supposed to think when you don't come home for so many days at a time? Do you know how worried I've been for you? What's gotten into you?"

She glares at him in response, not in the mood for an irrational fight, but knows that it'll come anyway, "You're fully aware of Bom's scandal and you also know that I'm leader of my group. When something isn't right with one of my members, especially something on such a large scale, I'm expected to deal with it quickly. That's what I'm doing so I don't understand why we're even having this conversation."

"So am I just supposed to take the backseat to your work? Just let Jjangmae handle the situation, for crying out loud!" He throws his head back in exasperation. CL mentally notes that she's never seen him so animated before; he feels really strongly about this. "I miss you. Imagine that. We live in the same house, but I don't see you. It's like I don't even know you anymore."

Her gaze guiltily drops to the floor, but she remains firm on her decision, "I'm sorry, really. But I can't just look on from the sidelines while crazy k-pop fans tear my member apart."

"Bom is an adult and she isn't as fragile as you believe. She's even older than you," he rationalizes, his hand still in hers from when he'd turned her around. His grip tightens, unwilling to release her. "Just let it be and everyone will forget with time."

She shakes her head, "I doubt that, you know well how these people can be and so do I. Some rookie came up with a diss track for Bom-unnie. I didn't think it'd gain attention, but it seems that was the only purpose of the track. Matters need to be settled right now and you're wasting time. I just have to go right now, please."

Seunghyun sighs and releases her hand. He'd never imagine his relationship would turn out this way when they started it two years ago, but figures that if this scandal is a long time thing, they'd only continue to drift apart. It hurts to even think it, but he comes to terms with the fact that this might have to end. He desperately doesn't want that to happen. 

"You're choosing her over me," he murmurs softly; realization hit. 

"No!" Chaerin answers quickly. As if forgetting her previous resolve about having to go somewhere, she grips the front of his shirt with both her hands, pulling herself closer to him. "No, no, no. That's not it, oppa. Please understand."

"But it's the truth."

"I love you," she whispers, tears pooling in her molten chocolate eyes at the possibilities of a break up to come. "More than anything or anyone else in this world combined. You know that if the same were to happen to you, I'd be doing all this for you, too. So please don't make me choose...because it'll be Bom right now. She needs me and I can't ignore that."

And slowly, he removes her hands from his shirt and musters a feeble smile that looks anything but what he intended, "Go on, then. I understand."

CL's promise is kept and she returns home, albeit, in the early morn of the next day. Quietly, she shuts their front door behind her, removing her shoes and setting her handbag down on a nearby table. 

She's incredibly tired and wonders how much longer she can stand before she passes out; she hasn't gotten a good night's sleep for a while, staying up for days at a time with thoughts of the scandal plaguing her. 

She makes her way to the staircase that leads to her and Seunghyun's bedroom, but almost loses it when she spots a man's figure on the couch. A small scream escapes her parted lips before she stops herself, recognizing it. 

", Seunghyun," she swears, attempting to control her unsteady breathing as she switches the light on. "You scared me."

He bows his head slightly in apology but doesn't add to the matter. Instead, he gestures her over to the couch where she practically falls into it in exhaustion beside him. 

"You stayed up."

"Hn."

And as much as Chaerin is touched by the gesture, she wishes that he'd have just gone to sleep. If she said she was coming home, then she'd come home. Besides, he must be tired too from filming his new movie that he never discloses anything about, no matter how much she prods. He hadn't even told her snippets of the script because he wants her to be surprised when she first sees it. 

With a contented sigh at being home, she changes her position so that her head is now on his lap and her feet at the opposite end of the couch. She's the only person he ever allows to do this. His hand automatically goes to her hair, smoothing out the strands. 

"Are you still mad at me?" she questions, knowing that he most likely is.

"Yes."

"Of course you are," she mumbles, eyes fluttering shut as her earlier guilt comes back. She captures his hand from her hair and brings it to her lips, pressing a tender kiss there. "I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be stressing yourself out like this over things that you can't control," he advises wisely, hoping she'd heed his words. "Let the cards fall where they may, Chaerin. You can't control everything."

"I've realized that half an hour ago when I decided to come home," she reveals, sitting up again beside him; they must look funny, sitting up straight with both their eyes ahead as they stare intently at nothing in particular. "I really thought long and hard about what you said because it bothered me."

"What's that?"

"When you thought I was choosing Bom over you and when I said that it'll be her." She really needs to get this point across so he doesn't misunderstand the situation from earlier. "You're both two people I love in completely different ways, but when either of you are hurting, I hurt, too. If you're feeling fine, but Bom isn't, then I feel the need to console her. It'll work the other way, too. If she's fine, but you're not, then I'll be with you. 

"I've been with Bom-unnie for the past two weeks because she's been told so many horrible things and it's gotten to her mentally, all for something that happened years ago. I thought you'd accepted that she needed me, but I regret not speaking to you first because it seems that it didn't translate to you in the way I wanted. I realized this earlier when you came to me. It suddenly dawned on me that you were needing me, too, and it seemed like I was abandoning you. 

"But please know that that wasn't my intention. I never want you to feel like that again with me. I adore you and I don't want you being sad. I'm sorry for that, really."

Then there's silence and she feels as though this is the calm before the storm, but never does his voice climb in volume when he's angry. It's not his thing; he's not violent, but more pensive and calculating. She wonders what's going through his mind then and hopes he comprehends well. Examining his perfectly structured face, he gives nothing away. 

"Come here," he says simply and, just like that, she knows that she's forgiven. 

She straddles his lap before embracing him tightly. She feels his lips pressed to her temple gently and relishes it. She's missed him so much that it's a wonder how she's gone so long without seeing him, hearing him, feeling him. CL kisses his neck lightly then moves her lips to his. 

"I love you," she manages to get in between kisses. It's returned immediately as wanton hands travel down her back to rest on the swell of her before pulling her closer. She releases a moan, grinding her hips into him.

"I hope you're not tired, baby."

And she's now wide awake. 

Thank you for reading :) I'll be gone for a bit because of exams, but I will try to squeeze in another Skytempo.