~•~

He took a seat at the bar, resting his tired legs after a long day. Investigating crimes committed against time was a weary task, and he couldn't return until he resolved the matter. His action could have him stuck there forever, though the pros of this possibility outweighed the cons for reasons that deemed him to question his sanity.

With a jaded wave to grab the bartender's attention, he averted his view to the stage where the sultry melodies of the toffee skinned beauty stood. Her honeyed voice dripped in the atmosphere as the piano accompanied her, luring the patron's attention with her sweet song. Their eyes locked for a brief second before she fluttered them away toward the crowd.

"What can I get for you?" The bartender offered.

"Shot of Bourbon, please." The gentleman requested without taking his eyes away from the stage. The song was familiar to him. He's heard it many times, casing the joint as usual, especially after a day like today. The tune would stay with him, even after it ended. It followed him to his stay, into his bedroom, and when his eyes closed, it lingered in his dreams. It was a cycle, a carousel of reasoning reminding him of the limitation to his time. He ignored the latter.

The bartender nodded as he prepared the drink and handed it to the patron.

"Thank you." He drew his eyes away from the stage long enough to inspect the mahogany liquid swirling in his glass. In a swift gulp, he guzzled the robust delight, hissing at the aftertaste. As if under a spell, his focus fell back to the breathtaking singer, enchanted by the melody of her song.

"Beautiful, right?"

He silently agreed with the bartender, but beautiful did not compare what the gentleman held in his vision.

He's traveled through many timelines, whether to enjoy histories, work, or just for his personal gain, but there was always something that drew him back to 1920s New York. Maybe it was the aura of the people, the fashion that he admired, the succulent jazz styles that grew to be a favorite, but these reasons didn't suffice.

The truth of his return sung of the heartbreak endured time after time. The lyrics from the songbird shook him; every note that flitted from her lips was the heartbeat of his existence, their history, and the sick cycle doomed for repetition. She drew him back. "Another." He requested.

The bartender was mesmerized by the songbird as well. "I rarely eye the colored ones, but I will make an exception for her." The bartender continued as he poured the patron's drink, ignorant to the snarl on his customer's lips.

If there was something about the era he didn't care for, it was the bartender's way of thinking. Of course, there was nothing he could do to correct this. It was a different time, but that did not hinder his feelings. "Thank you." He replied before curling his lips onto the glass. Applause resonated in the air as the stage lights dimmed, and his reason for being there disappeared from the center. Sounds from the piano continued to play a jaunty tune as chatter wafted the air.

The gentleman dropped cash on the bar and lowered the brim of his hat, shielding his eyes from sight, and left the bar. He entered his black Chrysler Model B-70 parked along the curb. He observed the area and monitored the scenery, for his job is a never-ending shift. The sound of a door opening curbed his attention, causing a peek in the rearview mirror. A pair of rouge lips were the only thing visible, but it was enough to stir his heart.

"My place." A velvet rasp that harnessed sexy and sweet spoke while her head remained lowered.

"You have eyes on you there." He countered.

A sigh drifted from her lips as her head shifted left. "Not tonight, I don't." She answered.

His brows knitted slightly, pondering her response. He did not want to interrogate her; instead, he placed the car in drive and proceeded to the destination. Every so often, he would glance in his rearview mirror, peering at the dazzling woman in his backseat. The familiar tune trickled into his thoughts, beginning the cycle once again.

Though once he snuck a glimpse at her full, garnet lips, other notions joined in with the tune, creating a fantasy, one he wished would fancy him on this night. After riding through the city, he parked along the sidewalk of her apartment building. Lifting his gaze to the rearview mirror, he noticed her opening her clutch and retrieving her key.

"I'll leave the door unlocked. Don't tarry." She instructed before exiting his vehicle, closing the car door softly behind her.

He kept his sights on her till she disappeared into the mid-rise building, sighing before glancing at the time on his watch.

The gentleman's eyes wandered the street around people, watching people walking the sidewalks mindlessly. She lived in a quiet part of the city, one where those who had some spare change in their pockets lived in luxury. Being a nightclub songstress did not pay enough for her to live here, but the man she worked for valued her and did everything for her. It disgusted him, but he used this knowledge to his advantage.

Flipping the face of his watch upward, the gentleman pressed a few numbers on the dial as if making a call. He waited a few minutes before a visual appeared, with a raised eyebrow.

"Hoseok, briefing already?" His clear, resonant voice spoke over the device. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you till in the morning. Has there been a break in the case?"

The one named Hoseok sighed. "No, Taehyung. Not yet, but I have a lead. I think I know the reason behind the fire. I just need to get close enough to confirm my suspicions." He exhaled, waiting for a response. He never gave the superior an overlook of his case before the briefing; he needed him to know this much if his night took a different turn.

"I don't need to remind you how fragile this case is. One wrong move and it will corrupt the timeline. You are only there to learn the missing details. Nothing is to change without my orders, understand?" Taehyung's gruff voice boomed inside the acoustics of the car.

Hoseok nodded. "I understand. I will give my full briefing in the morning." Deception wasn't part of his plan, but after his discovery, he needed to make sure he covered his tracks before his next move. He shifted the watch face down to its original position, closing the call on the other end. He got out of the car and proceeded into the apartment building.

His hand hovered knob but thought he heard voices. Hoseok leaned his ear to the door, listening in, and realized she was singing. He turned the knob and entered, closing and locking the door behind him. He moseyed further into the apartment, sliding off his coat before placing it neatly on the back of her tufted chaise. The sounds of her hums lured him into the kitchen where she stood, pouring a cup of tea.

Hoseok took a moment to admire her curves hiding underneath the pink satin gown she wore. A low grunt tickled the back of his throat when his mind took him back to the fantasy he wished to bring to life sooner than later. His steps led him closer until his nose touched her nape. With his fingers, he caressed her slender arms before hugging her closer to him. "You smell divine." He whispered against her.

She grinned, though he couldn't see it. Sitting the kettle on the stove, she turned around slowly but still caught in the grasp of the one, making her heart skip a mile a minute.

Her eyes spoke in the same velvet tune of her voice, low and sensual. Her slender arm curved into a half-moon around his neck as she rested her palm on his nape. The satin touch of her fingertips caressed the even hairs on his neck while her other hand slipped around his waist. "I taste even better." She tilted her head, giving him a soft yet seductive smile. "Care to see for yourself?" She wondered.

This is a mistake. The hum resonated in Hoseok's thoughts, but it didn't quiet his hands from pulling her closer to him if that was at all possible. An ache to feel her tender lips drove him to the club in the first place, rest his tired body on the uncomfortable barstool and take a swig of alcohol while on the job. An ache that brought him back in the era, to resolve a mystery, not dismissing the one from his heart regarding the woman in his arms.

If his off-duty activities ever got back to his superior, the number of problems wouldn't even satisfy what would happen to him. He would cease to exist, and she would be nothing more than a dream, a wonder that never happened.

All this and yet, he took the risk, along with her lips, for a kiss that made his toes curl and knees weak. The moan she emitted excited him, along with other parts of his body.

"Miss Reese, your actions are not without consequence, you know. I am on the job, and this—"

The woman eased away after his dark, muffled means of an excuse and stared, matching his hooded gaze. The simper of her ruby lips made Hoseok gulped as his fantasy replayed in his mind once more. "Ada. I've told you to call me Ada, Detective."

The rasp in her voice made Hoseok's stomach flip. As if she knew, she bit down on her lip, teasing the man. "Need I remind; you sought me, not the other way around." Ada reopened the space between them and held out her hands, palms closed, extending them to the gentleman before her. "Are you going to arrest me, Detective?" She asked.

The seduction dripping from her gaze and entangled in her words did nothing but excite the man even more. Hoseok played a silent tug-of-war game with his conscience, wondering why he even bothered. He had already kissed her and interfered in the timeline. However, that was his last worry. Hoseok lowered her hands. "Not tonight." He answered before enclosing their space again. "Tonight, I will make an exception." He uttered before cradling her in his arms and sauntering down the dark corridor.

~•~

Hope you enjoyed this treat. Do you think it has the potential of becoming a book?

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