I recently watched Spiderman Homecoming for the first time and it was really funny. I liked it. I don't usually like action movies, but that one was funny enough that I really enjoyed it.
Life has gotten better, but I'm still taking things one day at a time. I have to finish all of my classes by May 1st so... that's pretty stressful, but I'm pulling through for you guys. I know some of you are super into the story, so I really hope I can make it to the end with all you fine people.

-PB

Wang So

Two weeks after breaking up with Soo, So sat on a private jet, comfortably situated in a leather seat. The plane was done in cream and gold, the largest surfaces on the plane engraved with the Hanja character 'Hae'.

Sitting with his legs stretched out, So glanced to his right and saw Wook's bodyguard sleeping. The window was closed, leaving So's only form of entertainment to be the family that enjoyed the start of their week-long vacation to Guam.

He watched as Mi and Yoon sat on either side of the plane. There had been a fight on the car ride to the airport and Yoon had sobbed after Mi had stolen cookies from the weaker sibling's snack box. So remembered driving while listening to Wook reprimand Mi for stealing from her sister. The father had mediated by making Mi give a few of her cookies to Yoon, resulting in Mi's tearful declarations that nothing was fair and that Yoon always got everything she wanted.

At the moment, the two girls happily played by themselves. Yoon stared out the window at the blue sky, wondrously gasping and laughing at the blank, blue horizon. Mi, on the other hand, sat beside Chae Ryung with a pair of headphones on her ears and a large tablet in front of her. The older of the two kicked her feet and bounced along to the cartoons she watched. The girls wore matching outfits, their hair done in identical pigtails, and their giddy smiles a welcome change from the snotty, sobbing faces they had made while boarding the plane.

So studied the children for as long as he could until a soft laugh brought his attention elsewhere. He glanced at the sofa within the plane and felt his heart clench at the sight of the other people on it.

"You know, we never actually did that," Wook said, chuckling.

"Didn't we?" Soo asked, her voice confused.

"Hae Soo, are you mistaking me for a past boyfriend? Should I be worried?" Wook laughed and Soo cracked a hint of a smile, but So exhaled until there was nothing left to let out.

Wook laid across the sofa, his head in Soo's lap and his shoes discarded. So noticed the politician dressed casually, wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. Soo's hands carded through his hair and Wook crossed his legs.

So tried to resist, but his eyes acted on their own, gazing at Soo as she looked down at her husband. She wore a loose dress with a cardigan on top of it, stockings covering her skin and keeping her warm. She no longer dressed provocatively. Daring necklines and sleeveless outfits were replaced with her usual prim attire.

She looks beautiful in anything, So thought before shaking any rogue ideas out of his head.

He felt a pang in his heart when Soo touched Wook's cheek and gently sighed, her expression blank as she gazed down at her husband.

She looked almost imperceptibly tired, but So had spent enough time studying her to know that she was still hurting from his words. Her eyes were shadowed beneath low lids and slow blinks. Her hands sometimes shook and So could tell she was fighting the urge to press her hand to her chest to calm herself.

So narrowed his eyes, swearing internally as he realized she had lost sleep because of him.

He had also spent many sleepless nights, thinking of a million different ways to reenact the day on which they had broken up. He wondered if he had just let her touch him- if he had not told her to stop- they would still be together. If he had told her the truth about himself, would he even be allowed to walk free? Would she have called the police?

He would have gone quietly if she had called the police. If it was Soo who dictated his fate, So would follow her orders. He would go to prison if it was for her.

"Why do you look so tired, Soo? Are you alright?" So looked over at the couple and watched Wook sit up, the hair on the back of his head messy from laying on Soo's lap.

Soo raised her eyebrows but nodded. "I'm okay. I just… I haven't been sleeping well these days. That's all." She ran a hand through her short hair. She was not wearing her wedding ring.

So ground his teeth when Wook kissed Soo's forehead. Exhaling through his nose, So glared as Wook took Soo's hand and gently knocked her down onto his lap. "Wook, what are you-"

"Take a nap, Wife," Wook said, his smile resting on Soo. So felt his hand clench into a fist as he watched Soo slowly lay with her head against Wook's thigh. The politician smiled down at his wife and So looked away when he leaned down to kiss her.

"Wook, the staff," Soo whispered between kisses. She turned her head away from her husband and Wook sat straight once more.

"The staff know that I love you very much. I think they'll excuse me kissing my beautiful wife."

So mentally kicked himself for being stupid enough to stay even after he had broken up with Soo. He wondered if his relationship and breakup with Soo would be the catalyst for her and Wook's relationship to become stronger.

Fucking idiot, you should just leave. You've fucked up enough. Why are you staying and watching the effects of your mistakes?

So looked at Mi and wished he was as oblivious as the girl in her soundproof headphones. When he looked at Yoon, the little girl moved away from her window, bored by the lack of clouds in the sky.

"Mommy, Daddy," Yoon said. When her parents ignored her call, the little girl marched over to the sofa and climbed onto it. "Yoonie's Mommy. Daddy leave," Yoon whined.

So smirked as Yoon's little hands patted Wook's knee. The child clambered on top of her mother's stomach and laid against Soo's torso, yawning. "Is it time for a nap, Dinosaur?" Wook asked. He patted Yoon's head and So masked his chuckle into a cough when Yoon shoved Wook's hand away from her.

"My Mommy," the little girl snapped.

So snorted before crossing his arms as Wook chuckled. "Well she's my wife. I'll fight you for the right to Mommy."

"No!"

"Mommy cannot be sold or bought," Soo said, adding her voice to the mix. "But for now, Yoonie gets Mommy's attention." So turned to fixate on her arms as they wrapped around her child.

Yoon wiggled against her mother. "No clouds and no dinosaurs. Up high boring!" The child looked at her parents with an undisguised pout as they laughed at her antics.

"Well how about Yoonie and Mommy take a nice, long nap?" Soo suggested. "When we wake up, we'll be in Guam and then we'll have lots of energy to go swimming or play in the sand."

So watched as Yoon laid her head against Soo's chest. Wook moved away from the mother-daughter duo and placed a pillow beneath Soo's head before crouching beside the sofa and kissing the two people who prepared to sleep. So glanced away as Wook took a seat in front of Mi.

Leaning back in his own seat, So sighed and closed his eyes, tugging at his necktie. He envied Wook. That had been prevalent since So had first realized he was interested in Soo. The fact that she was married had almost deterred him, but he could not have imagined how much of an impact she would have on him… and it was because of that impact that he wished he could take her away from her husband.

So had managed to find the one person in the world he truly loved and the one person he truly envied... and by some sick twist of fate, they were married to each other. Wook could kiss Soo whenever he wanted. Wook had a family that adored him and a beautiful wife who was too good for him.

When they arrived in Guam, So was the first through customs. The officer had glanced down at his battered passport without so much as blinking an eye at the number of stamps he had accumulated over his years as a hitman.

So always had a little laugh whenever he entered another country. Even with his fake passports and names, he had never been given a second look by officers. He remembered how he had tried to re-enter Korea after his first kill. Drenching his shirt in sweat and terrified that he would be caught, he had shivered and avoided eye contact throughout the whole ordeal. But, he had passed through all security checks and had been sent on his merry way.

Looking out at the family, So nodded to Mi who was the first one through. Then came Wook, Yoon, and Soo. Chae Ryung came after them, and to cap their party off, Wook's bodyguard came last.

Two cars were already prepared for them and the drive to the hotel was quiet. So drove the SUV with Chae Ryung beside him and the family behind him. The car in front of them was driven by Wook's bodyguard and held their luggage.

The hotel was bustling with tourists and So watched as Chae Ryung checked the family in and translated for Wook and Soo. Dealing with the gruelling process of checking into hotel rooms bored So to no end, so when the girls each grabbed his hands and pulled him to a balcony overlooking the ocean, So happily followed, picking Yoon up so she could look out at the sea.

The weather was beautiful. The sun was warm and the blue water welcomed them to tropical paradise, a vast difference from the snowy, gray winter they had just exited. So inhaled the salty spray of the ocean and looked out at the bustling beaches, gazing at the people that visited the island.

"Mr. So, are you gonna swim with us?" Mi asked as they walked to the elevators. So raised his eyebrows at the girl as she asked her father if he could come with them.

Wook chuckled and agreed. "I think we should all just head for the beach. Our luggage is in our rooms, so we can just change and be off, right, Soo?"

So snuck a glance at Soo as she removed her cardigan. "Hm?" She looked up. "Oh, yeah. I think a swim before dinner will be nice."

The family was situated in a suite. Chae Ryung held Mi's hand and guided her into the large area. The door closed and So nodded to Wook's bodyguard. They each had a room right across the hall from the family's quarters. Chae Ryung would have a room beside the suite.

So twirled the master key he had been given for his room and the suite in his hand, spinning it as if it were a Hwatu card. Years of playing the game had left him with a bundle of card-related abilities that were useless unless he was cheating in Hwatu or showing the girls a magic trick.

Sighing, he sat on his bed and stared out the open window at a view that was not the ocean. His thoughts drifted to Soo and So sucked on his teeth as he realized Soo would be with Wook during the entire vacation.

"Fuck…" he groaned, elongating the word and falling back against his bed.

Before he could even think about taking a depression nap, So heard his phone buzz.

His hand shot towards his pants and So brought the screen up to his face.

"Hel-"

"The family is going swimming. You should be in a swimsuit and ready to go in twenty minutes."

The call ended and So tossed his phone onto the bed. He wondered if Chae Ryung knew how much he wanted to hop on the next flight and leave. Stuck on an island with the ex he still loved and her husband, watching them play with their children… "What fucked up nonsense is this?" So asked, staring at the ceiling.

Sitting up, he released another groan and made for his luggage, throwing the bag open and removing his red swim trunks. Swearing, So removed his jacket and undid his tie, haphazardly tossing his garments onto the chair beside his bed.

He stripped and pulled his swimsuit on. A waterproof case was locked onto his phone and he located a pair of sunglasses.

As he moved to leave, So caught his reflection in the mirror.

Removing his sunglasses, he stared at his body, scrutinizing the marks that tore across his skin. Each and every scar had been kissed and touched by Soo, her gentle caresses making sure each one was soothed in her own way. So reached a shaking hand to touch the cigarette burn on his collarbone. He could no longer remember the singeing agony, nor could he remember himself reacting to his mother's abuse. All he could feel when he touched the burn were gentle kisses and whispered words of hope.

Soo affected him in every way. She had made him hers. So could not even look at his own body without seeing that he belonged to her. He belonged to the woman he loved… and he did not regret relinquishing himself to her. He could trust her.

Turning back, he removed a rash guard from his bag. The tight, black shirt covered the wounds on his torso and arms, removing them from sight.

By the time he stepped out of his room, Soo and her family were also walking out of theirs. So glanced at the two girls that scampered past him and chuckled at their ruffly, green swimsuits. Chae Ryung ran after the girls and So followed the family, watching as Wook left the suite.

When Soo stepped out of her room, she closed the door behind her and looked over at him. So swallowed before glancing away. "Shall we go?" she asked.

Soo brushed past him and he took that moment to look at her. A loose dress covered her shoulders and a large hat sat on her head, blocking him from seeing her from above. When So snuck a peek at her face, he was blocked by a pair of massive sunglasses that swallowed half of Soo's profile.

By the time they arrived at the beach, Wook was already lying beneath an umbrella while the girls were sitting by the water, their hands digging in the wet ground for shells.

The sun beat down on the island, baking the sand and tanning the people that played in the sea. There were hundreds of tourists across the bay, enjoying the warm weather that contrasted with the snow and ice at home. The crystal blue water beckoned the visitors into it, promise cool respite and hours of fun.

So moved to stand beneath another umbrella, ignoring the water and keeping his eyes on the family. Soo left his side and walked over to her husband, removing the dress and revealing a black bikini.

The woman he loved to kiss and touch bared herself, but So could not reach for her. He ground his teeth when Wook sat her onto his lap, telling Chae Ryung to watch the girls.

So noticed the two watching their children. They spoke quietly, but over the rush of the waves and the sound of people speaking, So could not discern what was being said. Instead, he was forced to watch Wook and Soo walk towards the water and splash around with their girls.

So wished desperately for any type of alcohol, but he was on duty. He could not drink or smoke or induce any sort of high using the substances he had given up while being with Soo. He had stopped smoking because of her, and he had not touched alcohol in weeks.

"Ah! Wook, no!"

So's head snapped up and he stood as Wook carried Soo out to deeper waters before throwing her into the ocean. So was running towards the shore before he even knew what was going on.

His feet touched the cold water when Soo's head burst from the waves and she laughed, hitting her husband's bare shoulder. Soo blew her nose and shook water from her ears as Wook kissed her forehead. "I just like seeing you wet," he said with a laugh.

So turned and retreated to the umbrella. He did not move when Wook's bodyguard patted his shoulder. "No need to be paranoid. Wook does that all the time on vacations," the older man said, chuckling. "He picks her up and throws her into whatever pool or lake or ocean they're near. Soo's a toughie. She's used to it."

His jaw ached from clenching his teeth so much, and So pressed his head into his hands, running stiff fingers through his hair and pulling at the roots. He grumbled obscenities under his breath, and when he released the strands on his head, he turned his head and saw Soo glancing away from him.

That's right, look away, he thought bitterly. We're not seeing each other anymore. You shouldn't be looking at other men when you're married, Hae Soo.

She was drenched from head to toe and drops of water fell from her hair, falling over the smooth planes of her body and catching in her swimsuit. So also looked away.

After sitting through a gruelling family dinner, So skipped his own meal and sat on the balcony of his hotel room, staring at nothing. He wanted to go home… but where was home?

He determined the hotel room was half the size of his apartment in Gangnam. The small, one-bedroom flat was located in the heart of the most bustling city in the country, placed in the second-story of a chrome-plated building. So could easily jump from the window if someone came knocking. No one knew his address and So actively avoided his neighbors by wearing hats and masks when he left the house.

How could he not? Inside his fridge were vials of toxins next to cans of beer and old bottles of soju. Inside his closet were guns that, if seized, would fine him into bankruptcy and throw him in prison until even his bones disintegrated into dust.

Civilians shouldn't have sniper rifles.

The apartment was just a hiding spot for the Wolf Dog to stay while he awaited his next commands. There was one bed, one table, and one chair. The longest So had ever stayed in the apartment was a month. He was a top-rated hitman and there was always someone in need of killing.

However, no matter how many of his belongings sat in the apartment, the "home" So thought of was not that little apartment. He had never felt happy in that apartment.

Home was a little place half the size of the hotel room he currently inhabited. There were cranes on the wallpaper and the bed was small. It was furnished almost exactly like his apartment, but that little room inside a mansion many times its size was different. It was a place where he could work with people and not care about his problems. It was a place that set him that much closer to the love of his life.

Leaning forward, So pressed his elbows to his knees and sighed, bumping his forehead against the metal guard that kept him from falling off the balcony. He could hear families having fun at night. No doubt Soo was doing something with her children and husband, enjoying their vacation together.

"Fucking idiot," So whispered to himself.

His hands met his face as he let darkness envelop him.

That's it, he decided. I'm leaving. We've broken up. No one is going to kill Wook because his tax failed to pass. I'm leaving. I can't take it anymore.

He decided to kiss Soo a final time before leaving. He would do that if it was the last thing he did. After that, he would leave on the first flight out.

It's over. I'm done.

Thank you so much to the amazing Krysyuy. I don't thank you enough.