A/N: What is a scheduled update? Lol...anywho, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter:)
Saeyoung's fingers drummed against the steering wheel, the only sound in the deathly silent car. He pulled into a parking spot of the dimly lit garage and parked, lurching forward from the sudden stop. Still silence. He shut off the ignition, his keys clanging together as they fell onto his lap. "Okay, what's wrong?"
MC started in the passenger seat. She turned towards him, eyes bleary and cheeks streaked with evidence of poorly hidden tears. "What?" she croaked.
"You haven't said a word this whole trip," he said, chin jerking to the open window. Her eyes widened as she realized they had already arrived.
"Oh," was all she said. One of her hands clasped the edge of her shirt, and Saeyoung didn't miss the other lingering on the door handle. It was as if she dreaded stepping outside.
He chewed on his bottom lip before reaching out for her hand. He winced when she tensed under his touch. "Did Saeran…say something to you? You know he's just dealing with some things, and he probably didn't-"
Her jaw clenched, and he saw a glimpse of her gritted teeth before she snapped her hand away. "That's not it," she said. The car door came open with a click, and she swung her legs outside. "Nevermind, I'll see you later. Thanks for the ride."
He let his head fall against the seat for half a moment. He shut his eyes and prayed for the strength he knew he would need to even begin confronting the stubborn girl. He climbed out of the car, locking it behind his shoulder before jogging after her.
"MC," he said, his voice echoing in the spacious garage. "You don't think I'm just leaving you like that, right?"
"I'm fine, Saeyoung," she waved him off, not sparing him a glance while she entered the building.
With a frustrated groan, he chased her through the numerous halls. Their eyes met just as she entered the elevator, and she slapped one of the buttons, closing the doors before he could get close. "You little sneak," he grumbled.
However, worry was enough to keep his growing frustration at bay. MC didn't run often. She was an open person, her feelings brazenly shown across her heart to those she cared about-even if the truth behind them was painful to swallow. Most likely, that was where she went wrong with Saeran. The younger twin wasn't accustomed to truth. As much as he claimed to want it, he denied ever ounce of truth thrown at him…but that was another issue.
Fueled by adrenaline, Saeyoung detoured to the stairs. He summoned strength from his old training and clambered up flight after flight, jumping stairs at intervals. His lungs were spent by the time he reached the familiar little hallway. He leaned against the banister to catch his breath. MC was already at the door, but she hadn't gone inside yet.
Her fingers fretted over the buttons, unable to properly key in the password on the doorknob. She swore under her breath several times, her fist slamming against the door with increasingly desperate attempts.
He padded behind her. MC froze when his hand grazed against the small of her back. "Saeyoung, you have to go home," she said. Her voice was composed, but her resumed punching at the buttons betrayed her scattered emotions.
Saeyoung slid his hand over hers and removed them from the knob with ease. Her skin was cold. He kneaded her palms with his thumbs in attempt to warm them.
"You're shaking," he commented. Her eyes darted sideways before she tried withdrawing her arm again. He didn't let her go, instead locking her wrist to his chest and continuing his ministrations.
Saeyoung didn't have her knack for saying the right thing at the right time. He didn't have her ability to break internal walls with a simple touch. He wasn't sure he could actually be helpful at all. But he wasn't about to leave her like this…guilt pooling in her eyes from a burden she shouldn't even have been carrying.
So he waited, watching as her fury trickled away drop by drop, slowly revealing the sadness she hid underneath. The problem with someone as caring as her was that eventually, those emotions took a heavy toll. But he could always see them…she buried them well, but not from him.
"Saeran didn't do anything," she said after a while. "He frightened me, but I was just…on edge. It was my fault. I said something stupid."
Saeyoung kissed her fingertips. He wasn't sure MC could manage to say anything in malice. "I'm sure it wasn't."
"It was," she snapped, her eyes finally meeting his in a steely gaze. "Don't try to excuse me either. I was being rash and stupid and—I just really don't want to talk about it now."
He inhaled deeply, his breath getting caught with his words. For a moment, he thought he might press her, but the tears she was so obviously trying to hold back silenced him.
He drew his teeth along his lip. He wished people were easy to fix like robots. Every part had a place, and there was always a tool to mend it together. People were messier. Emotions weren't so neatly cut, and when feelings clashed, the outcome was unpredictable.
But there was one thing people and robots had in common. When something was broken, it needed to be fixed one way or another, or everything would eventually collapse under the strain.
"MC," he said so quietly, he barely felt the name pass his throat. He swallowed, his nerves crackling under the weight of his next words. "It's not just what happened with Saeran, is it? I've been noticing things, and…are you okay?"
Her shoulders scrunched to her ears, and she leaned back against the door. "I told you I'm fine. Just tired."
Her brittle voice contradicted her statement. Saeyoung's temper threatened to snap with the rough puff of air from his mouth, but he hurriedly composed himself.
MC never hid things, but she, as a person, was an ocean. It was as if she had a secret always buried deep within her, waiting to be discovered in the open depths. It was enrapturing, really, and Saeyoung was always drawn to the pursuit of it, knowing it would be warm, welcoming, and probably breathtaking.
But this was different. She was throwing up a mask of being okay…being normal, when there was clearly turmoil raging behind those glassy eyes. And the worst part was that she was concealing it from him.
Well, he wasn't having it.
For the second time that hour, he was thankful for his skills as an agent. He trained his eyes on her, scanning her entire body. He placed a hand on her waist. "You're thinner these past few weeks," he pointed out. He trailed down and picked up her hand. "You have a lot of papercuts from working late—"
"That's not indicative of working long," she interrupted.
"Your bruises are swollen," he added with a raised brow. She had nothing to say this time. "Your eyes are puffy and red from lack of sleep, and your lips are raw from chewing on them, you can't even keep your hand still for longer than five seconds—"
"Stop that!" she burst, her voice cracking on the last syllable. Her eyes flayed him with disapproval. Those dangling tears now freely rolled down her face, each one a sharp whip to his chest, but he didn't waver.
Saeyoung gripped her arms before she could step back further. "Then tell me what's wrong," he said. He rested his forehead against hers, his hot skin trembling against her coolness. He softened his voice, unable to be harsh towards her any longer. "Please."
Her mouth pressed together in a fine line of resolution, and another excuse was formulating beyond her wandering eyes. But in the end, she broke. Her breaths came out in fragments, and teardrops continually formed on her dark lashes, dropping onto his exposed wrists.
Watching her like this was torture, but Saeyoung forced himself to hold his ground. He wasn't letting her self-destruct.
"I'm not lying," she confessed brokenly. She detached herself from him only to shove her face inside his jacket. "I'm tired and exhausted, and…scared."
He swallowed thickly, afraid of his own voice. "Of what?" he croaked.
"Of the future," she said, her words tumbling out raw and painfully honest. "Of everything getting to me before there even is one."
There was another implication behind the statement. Yet, Saeyoung couldn't bear to uncover it at the risk of her further heartache. He knew in due time, it would rise again, but not now…she didn't need that now.
He was fatigued and weak, but he wrapped his arms around her and held her with a strength he didn't know he possessed. She shook against him, only beckoning him to cling tighter. He would give anything to make her pain stop…to return the misplaced brilliance in the once naïve girl who followed a stranger's instructions simply to return a phone.
His fingers secured themselves in her hair, caressing the back of her head. "I know you, MC. You are the strongest person I know," he said. His words were tremulous and uneven, but he felt each one deep in the pit of his chest. "Whatever happens…I know you'll get through it, because I intend to be right there with you. Even at your worst."
Her only response was a series of sobs, each one sending shocks of pain through Saeyoung's ribs. He tried to focus on the ground instead. The grey carpet awakened vivid memories of those early days-back when he was trying to create a barrier between himself and MC. He was terrified of her then. That determination she possessed was always contagious, and looking at her was enough to conquer the world.
Maybe it was enough to conquer this too.
"Hey," he said quietly. He pushed her back, wiping away the damp strands of hair from her face. "Do you remember our conversation in this very hallway?"
She narrowed her eyes, half affronted and half confused at the sudden switch in demeanor. "What?"
Saeyoung stepped back and sat on the floor a little away from the door. He patted his lap, and MC reluctantly lowered herself onto it. "Just like this," he explained. His arms fell loosely around her. "You had finally convinced me to make one of the best decisions of my life."
Remembrance unfurled in her features, and a watery chuckle accompanied her next words. "Oh, you mean to let others in?"
"That too," he said, adding a chuckle of his own. He laced his fingers with hers, just like he had that night. "I meant…the decision to accept your feelings—and my own."
A small blush dusted her cheeks. She ducked her head and turned away. His finger slipped under her chin, guiding her face back to his. "From that moment, my mind hasn't stopped planning our future. I've thought about it every night since then."
"You told me something similar at the cabin before we left to find your brother," she said.
Saeyoung smiled at the memory. It wasn't pleasant then, with the prospects of death draping over them. "I didn't want to tell you details because I was scared something would happen. But nothing did."
All the initial inhibition from his antics melted away. She readjusted herself on his lap, snuggling into the crook of his neck. She nuzzled her nose against the underside of his jaw, and Saeyoung was glad no one lived on this floor. "What's your point in all this?"
He inhaled sharply before resting a hand on her waist. "I want to open a toy shop," he said finally. MC's lashes swept up, and she blinked quizzically.
"I want to quit hacking and open up a toy shop," he went on. "We can have it in town, away from the bunker—or house eventually. I'll work decent hours, be home in the evenings. I'll help you cook dinner, and afterwards we can just do nothing together."
Excitement swirled through his veins at the small curve of her mouth. "Is Saeran there?" she asked.
He nodded vigorously. "Of course," he said. Heat pricked his ears, but it didn't stop him from leaning forward. "He'll be the perfect uncle to the ten smaller humans running around."
Her eyes went wide. "Ten?" she squeaked.
"Eight," he settled with a shrug. He was solemn for a moment longer, delighting in the panicked expression overtaking his girlfriend's face as well as the unconscious grip on her lower abdomen. He gave in to the laughter tickling his throat. Relief washed over MC when she realized he was teasing, and he couldn't help but crush her in his arms. "You look so cute when you're flustered."
"Saeyoung," she said, her tone turning serious. Her lips parted without releasing a breath. Her fingers traced the outline of his face, and her eyes poured unspoken adoration upon him, making him wonder how he got so lucky. "I want that to be true."
And there was that fear along with the implicit doubt. His hold on her hips tightened. "It will be," he emphasized. "No matter what it takes to get there, or how broken we get on the way, it will happen. I did promise, right?"
Her response was unreadable, and her touch turned from gentle to hesitant. Saeyoung's heart slowly sunk in each second of silence. Was she that unhappy?
MC hummed slightly. "I don't know," she said. "I didn't hear any mention of a cat, and that's not acceptable."
With a singular joke, she was herself again. The fear had gone, the specks of light had returned to those beautiful eyes, and her laugh rung in his ears like music. Her amusement was contagious, and he found himself joining along. He yanked her against his chest, murmuring "I love you's" into her shoulder. He knew this battle was just beginning, but he'd learn to take things in moments.
Her hand gripped the fabric near the back of his neck. "Thank you," she said.
He wished he could hold her like this forever, but he knew better. Saeran was still waiting at home, no doubt sinking deeper into his dark thoughts with every second.
As if reading his thoughts, MC pulled back, though her arms still hung around him. "You really should get back," she said. He hated the returning sadness in her eyes. He couldn't have that…
Mischief creeped back into Saeyoung's limbs. Her body obeyed the pressure of his fingers on her hips, leaning her closer to him. Just before their noses touched, he swerved to the side and dug his teeth into her shoulder, letting out a small growl. She yelped and shoved him away.
"Saeyoung! What was that for?" she scolded, rubbing the sore spot and scrunching her nose at the moisture from the bite.
He tapped her nose. "You closed the elevator door on me earlier," he said. He clicked his tongue. "Can't tolerate meanness."
Without warning, he swooped back to her shoulder. He attacked with less vigor, littering her neck with kisses more than bites. She squirmed in his arms, but her squealed protests were riddled with joy. That's all he needed to hear.
After he was done with his torture, he rested against the wall, and she hopped off of him with a childish giggle. They climbed to their feet, and a heaviness fell between them at the impending separation.
Not wanting it to make it more painful with passing time, Saeyoung pecked her cheek. "I'll call you later, okay?" he said, already turning. "And let me know if you need to talk."
Her hand hooked into his arm, and dragged him backwards. MC's glance flickered to his lips, and she suddenly looked very meek compared to the woman who marched across the garage less than an hour before. "You can't leave without giving me a proper kiss," she said, her voice lilting slightly.
She was trying to be flirtatious, and normally she succeeded, but currently she was failing miserably. Perhaps it was the sadist in him, but he sauntered forward, towering over her.
"Oh?" he said, purposely crooning. "I guess you're right."
He had to give it to her. She met his gaze coolly, despite the redness patching her cheeks. He tilted her chin upwards and inched forward. Their lips grazed against each other's, and she inhaled sharply at the contact.
"Cute," he whispered. He cupped her face and planted a soft kiss against her mouth.
He moved away, but she grabbed his shirt and pulled him right back. As usual, she was the puppet master in control of his heart, and he melted into her with more zeal than before. Without breaking the kiss, he rested his hands on her hips, walking her backwards until her back hit the door and his body pressed against hers.
Saeyoung was always more inclined to savory tastes, but MC would always be an exception. He savored her sweetness…how it was familiar yet different in every kiss…how it filled him with euphoria…how it made his heart pang in its absence…and how stupidly lovesick it made him.
He gasped when it was snatched away. MC chuckled, casting an apologetic glance for pulling away so abruptly.
"Saeran is waiting," she reminded.
He nodded, pressing one last peck to her forehead. He punched in the numbers on the door, and she slid inside the apartment with a farewell smile. Leaving her was so hard…
Saeyoung shoved his hands into his pockets and headed down the elevator. His phone vibrated when he exited on the bottom floor, and he answered.
"Hey, you're planning to come back any time soon?" Vanderwood's gruff voice asked.
"I'm on my way," Saeyoung said. He bit his lip. "Why? Is Saeran okay?"
"Oh, he's fine actually," the man replied. "Quiet…but calm."
Saeyoung sighed in relief, though he doubted "quiet" was a good thing this time. He pressed the phone harder to his ear. "Then why are you rushing me?"
Vanderwood sucked air between his teeth, and Saeyoung dreaded the words that followed. "You left the apartment CCTV feed on and…well, with what I was seeing, I just wasn't sure if you'd make it back—"
Saeyoung ended the call, his face blazing. "Stupid pervert," he muttered while he climbed into his car.
He pursed his lips as fingers traced the leather wheel. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him, causing him to slouch in his seat. He lifted his eyes to the roof of his car.
"This pain is going to end soon, right?" he moaned. He could hear Jaehee screaming at his lackadaisical prayer, but right now he was alone in his car and desperately in need of some sort of comfort.
There was no answer. But he supposed prayers took time to answer, and his probably warranted a longer wait.
As much as hated the negativity creeping into his thoughts, he couldn't restrain the sickening anxiety twisting his stomach as he set course for home. He really needed those prayers to be answered soon…for all of them.
A/N: After writing this I realized that there's barely been any chapters with mostly Saeyoung and MC talking together. Oi...give these kiddos a break. Hope you enjoyed the sprinkle of fluff though:) They still got some things to tie up before they tie that knot;)
Anyway, thanks for all your feedback so far! I always love hearing from you guys and reading your thoughts on everything. And Good luck to everyone starting school this week~ See you soon.
