Illicit

(Adj.) not legally permitted

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Irene've always thought that being a daughter of a rich businessman was tiring, troublesome perhaps. Act like this, act like that. Don't do this, don't do that. She's been growing up in that kind environment since she was little. Her father, who's a single father, was proud of her because she never rebel to any of his advices; commands.

She loved her father alright. But sometimes she just wish that he'd stop cornering her and locked her in a cage like she's some kind of circus animal.

Despite her thinking that being herself surely was hard, it didn't mean she did't try to fulfill what her father required her to do in the first place. After all, her father has raised her alone since the day her mother got into an accident years ago when she was barely ten at age. She still respected her father even when the latter has subconsciously always given her expectations beyond her limit. It stressed her out sometimes, but she wouldn't complain. If she thought she can do it, she'll try.

On such a rare occasion, Irene would have a dinner together with her father at home, at the same time, at the same table. The conversation always start with her asking, "How's your day father?" Politeness, her father taught her well. 

Then he'd start to tell a short story about his day at work, which she always think is no fun at all but still, she pretend to be interest for the sake of him. Her father then would ask the same question, but at this time for her and in college. She'd dab with a napkin first before answering. Her father would give each sentence a comment and she'd only nod at whatever he's saying. Smile when he says that her mark is good, nod when he told her to keep it up.

Today was apparently one of those days where they'd have idle exchanges of conversations on dinnertime. Another days where she would feel a sickening feeling at the pit of her stomach, and a bitter taste on the tip of her tongue. 

She can't eat well somehow, neither did she can kept the necessity of eye contact like what she’s taught because truth to be told, she didn't tell the whole story of her day to him. She omitted that one small detail purposely in attempt to hide it further from her fortunately oblivious father. She couldn't tell him.

Not when Wendy's dropping by her room this early morning. 

Because while Irene was the daughter of the CEO of the number one Bank in Korea.

Wendy was one of the most wanted criminals, thief, that's been on a long run for almost two years.

They both knew each other, literally. Better than you'd ever expected. They were close too. Close enough that it'd make your jaw dropped to the floor in shock and minds wandering around, feeling lost.

Yes, Irene has been in an awfully challenging relationship with Wendy for roughly half and a year, one year after the latter had robbed her father's bank and was put into the most wanted person's list throughout the city. 

She remembered vividly that at that time how her father was under a lot of stress because of it. She'd never seen him like that before since the day the doctor announced that it was no use to support his wife because she'd already given up on living. Those two were the most devastating time she'd ever encountered in her life.

Wendy and Irene met in such a normal way, ironically. While Irene herself was like the hot shots of the business and accounting department, Wendy's like the social butterfly from the music department. Wendy, even at the first glance, looks really kind, normal and not to mention gorgeous as well.

They both met in a cafe near their university. No knife, no guns, no violence and not even a black mask. Just two glasses of coffee and some paper she'd gotten back from her lecturer. It consist some yelps and shrieks when their body collide with one another until they knew each other name.

When she found out who Wendy actually was though, shouting, screaming, crying, hitting, that's what Irene did in that unfortunate day. After six months of going out together, their relationships had to come to an end for one long month before finally Wendy decided to do all the things for Irene to accept her back. Irene couldn't avoid Wendy long enough because truth is, she need Wendy as much as the thief need her.

Wendy always started her action in the middle of the night, and finished it before dawn arrived and since Wendy lives on her own, it's not really a problem for her to do that. Making up some alibies and bribe people to cover her up, Wendy always has her way to make sure she still has her freedom.

She learnt that all the money Wendy steals would always go to the orphanage, to the charity, to the church at the very end of the town and basically people who's in need. It’s interestingly reminded her of one of her favorite movies, Robin Hood.

Irene would never deny that she has felt insecure before. Wendy had robbed her father's bank before, and many other banks and companies list after list. Wendy's nonetheless still a criminal, a professional one, a fugitive from the police.

Did she make the right decision? Will it be worth it? How come she felt like she has violated the law? She's the daughter of one of her girlfriend's goddamn victim for god sake. She feels like she's betraying her father inside and that thought alone can push her to the deep pit of sadness. 

Despite all of that, every time Wendy caress her cheeks, every time she kiss her gently on her lips, every time she sneak into her room only to hug her sleeping figure till the morning, Irene always thought that it's enough, that as long as Wendy’s on her side and as long as she’s on her side, the world couldn’t stop them.

She could worry about the future later on, she could worry about the consequences much muc later, and she could worry about her father wrath when the time came. She's always been a good daughter, but this time, only this time she'd pursue her happiness without anyone can interfere.

Irene was half asleep, her clock showing that it's quarter to one. The dinner's ended. Tomorrow was Saturday and she couldn’t really sleep, yet stoned on her position, arms underneath her pillow, back facing the door, eyes forcefully closed. The seconds were still ticking by, unbothered by her constant killer thoughts and she already knew it by heart that in the next three minutes, someone's going to come. 

Just like any other nights.

She might've dozed off because those three minutes feel like ten seconds. The window that she purposely left unlocked opened slowly, a soft thud is following after that, and before she know her bed shifted when more weight is added. A pair of hands looped around her body and she feels the curve she's grown to memorize pressed lightly against her front.

She wouldn’t need to say anything, no she didn’t. It's always been like this. 

The silence of the night is deafening, weirdly in a good way. She can both feel and hear Wendy's breathe on the back her neck, and judging from how shallow it was, she guessed that Wendy's job for the night's done. 

She quietly squirms her body to make her way closer to the thief, and the way the latter's hands tightened around her has just proven that Wendy too wasn't asleep yet. She never really was, not when Irene's awake at least, because in reality Wendy really value the time they spend together for it to go wasted by the desire to rest her eyes.

Irene enjoyed the way Wendy's rough fingers traveling on the surface of her face, trailing tingling prints on each part of her skin. She snuggles closer when Wendy exhales a breath in both exhaustion and relieve, her nose make a contact with the base of Wendy's throat, nuzzling over.

"How's your day?" Wendy quietly whispered, similar to what her father asked over the dinner earlier in the evening, only with less authority and a soundless demand in her voice.

"Good." She whispers back. She didn’t find it necessary to have her usual long detailed answer with her usual composed voice. Wendy's the only one who can see this side of her, as sad as it sounds.

"What about you?" Irene doodles two invisible mountains and sun on Wendy's skin that's glowing under the moonlight with her index finger before crafting their names together. Not Wendy and Irene. Joohyun and Seungwan.

"All the same." Irene can imagine that thin lips form into a slight smile when Wendy answered that. 

All the same can either mean, one she almost got caught or she did exceptionally well. Irene's too scared to find out the precise answer for that. 

Irene just nods her head, inhaling the absurdly sweet scent of her lover's fragrance, basking in the warm of her secure and comfortable embrace, sleeping under the soft lull of her heavy breath.

There's no such law that state their relationship is a crime, right? At least not yet. The police might catch Wendy one day; her father might found out about it the day after that. What Irene does wasn't legally permit from one point of view but she didn't care about it. What matter is that she loved Wendy, and Wendy loved her. 

That's the end of the story.

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a/n: HAPPY WENRENE DAY TO Y'ALL WENRENE SHIPPERS!! HAVE A HAPPY ONE <3