*Not beta read

"What do you mean Hongjoong is missing?"

Seonghwa felt a tightness seize in his throat as his voice went higher. His heart thumped wildly and he could feel the blood pumping through his own veins. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. He was supposed to come here and see that smiling face he had been missing. Come and apologize for being so dumb-so stupid- and that he understood now. He had acted out of hurt but now he saw the other, not just as a Ghoul but now he was missing and-

"You really didn't know?" San questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I didn't know!" The agent exploded as he ran a hand through his hair. He felt lightheaded, as if the air had left his lungs. "I-I just thought he was avoiding me after the incident. How-how could this happen?"

"Maybe we should sit down and talk about this," A voice cut through Senoghwa's rapid fire thoughts and the agent looked up to see Mingi, his voice haggard and his hair a mess as if he had run his hair through it multiple times. Yunho frowned as he looked at his boyfriend in concern. The current events were definitely taking its toll. It was the second time he had to go through something like this.

"Talk?" Wooyoung scoffed with an eye roll, the anger coming back. "I don't think I have anything to say. The only talking going on here is going to be on figuring out how we are going to cover up this dove's disappearance."

"And what help would that be?" San shut down. "Hongjoong would still be missing and then we would have to cover up why we have a dead dove on our hands."

"He is the root cause of all this mess!" Wooyoung countered back. "Without him, none of this would have happened!"

"You don't know that-"

"I want to help," Seonghwa suddenly cut in, interrupting the exchange. "I want to help find Hongjoong."

"Oh really," The blonde huffed. "You want to help a bunch of Ghouls out, huh? You, a dove? Puh-lease. You've done enough damage."

"I'll do whatever it takes," The agent pleaded, his words rushed. He couldn't let them turn him away."Please, I-I need him back. I need to fix this."

"You would really do that?" Yunho asked suddenly, speaking for the first time in awhile. His voice was strong but didn't betray any of the emotions that he was feeling in the moment. "Would you do anything for Hongjoong? Even if it meant betraying your job? Everything that you trained for?"

"Yes," Seonghwa didn't even hesitate. For a moment, he recalled all that he would be leaving. Jongho, Yeosang, Ravn, Hwanwoong....Could he really give up a career he had worked his whole life for? His oath to protect the city all for a man that he actually didn't know that well?

Yes. Without a doubt.

The head barista seemed to accept that answer and his icy face faded into a tired smile. He nodded. "Follow me."

The agent watched as Yunho walked towards the side door where he knew led to a hallway with a cozy room with seating. It was where he had asked Hongjoong out on their first real date. San was the first to move and follow the barista while Wooyoung reluctantly followed, but not before giving Seonghwa a cautious eye coupled with a scowl. The agent was just about to move when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, he spotted Mingi.

"Thank you." The broken man's voice cracked but for the first time since looking at him, there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "If Hongjoong were here, he would be proud of you."

Seonghwa's throat seized. "I know."

XxX

"Ow," Hwanwoong pouted as he poked at his bandaged arm. He loved his Quinche but hated when he had to use it too much. Healing afterwards was always such a pain in the ass.

"You know, I don't think poking it helps it get better." The shorter agent turned his head to spot Ravn at the other end of the hallway walking towards where Hwanwoong was sitting. Once the older was close enough, he took a seat on the bench.

Hwanwoong rolled his eyes at his superior but a mischievous grin slipped onto his features. "Why not? The pain reminds me I'm alive."

Ravn snorted and held out a hand. "Here, give it to me."

Curious, the shorter man extended his arm, not sure what his superior was going to do. Hwanwoong watched as Ravn gently cradled the arm and, with gentle fingers, began to unwrap the slightly soiled bandages the younger had wrapped around his arms earlier that morning. As the wound became uncovered, Hwanwoong hissed slightly as the cool air of the hallway hit the burn. Unperturbed by the sound, the older agent reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small jar the other had never seen before. Unscrewing the lid and setting it to the side, Ravn dipped two fingers inside and liberally coated them in some kind of jelly before lightly touching the substance to the other's arm.

Hwanwoong tensed in preparation for the first sting he knew he was going to feel as soon as whatever Ravn had touched his raw skin but was pleasantly surprised when all he was met with was a mild cooling sensation that took the lingering heat out of the burn. With a deft hand that no one was aware the older agent had, Ravn massaged the gel into the skin as his other hand gripped Hwanwoong's, unconsciously rubbing his thumb over the younger's palm in a soothing manner as the tension faded. After two more dips into the jar, Ravn finished his task covering the other's arm before he gradually began to rewrap it. The bandages would need to be changed in an hour but they didn't have access to that at the moment. The whole exchange was spent in silence.

As soon as Hwanwoong's arm was completely wrapped once more, he slowly took his appendage back and hesitantly flexed his fingers, feeling the muscles in his forearm extend and contract with no pain. It was as if all his nerves that had felt raw and frayed were suddenly numb but not in an unsettling way. His eyes widened.

"Wow," Hwanwoong said in awe. "What is that stuff?"

"Something I learned to make in the academy." Ravn shrugged as if it were no big deal. "When we were first working in the simulator room, I was completely hopeless. Would never leave the room without at least ten scratches or bruises. So I needed something to keep me from keeling over."

"You made this?" Hwanwoong's eyes continued to grow wider. Anymore and they would take over his entire face. Suddenly, a thought popped in his head. "Wait, is this legal?"

Ravn just shoved his shoulder lightly with a roll of his eyes. Of course the boy would try and make a joke out of it. It was one of his specialties. "I can assure you, it may not be FDA approved but it is definitely legal."

"Bummer," Hwanwoong pouted. "I was kind of looking forward to sprouting wings or something."

Despite his efforts, Ravn's face split into a grin and he snorted. The younger seemed pleased with this reaction and he sat a bit taller, like a cat that got the cream. This job was tough and it was easy to forget the little things. There were way too many people in the CCG who have become overworked or jaded. It was why the other always took it upon himself to keep the others around him in a good mood, even if it was sometimes at his own expense.

After the two calmed down from their chuckling, Ravn turned his head and looked at the boy's side profile, his grin dying down into a more serious expression. Hwanwoong really was a special kind of person. One that Ravn would be severely remiss if he lost. He was more than a 'sometimes pain-in-the-ass' subordinate. He was a friend.

"Hey," Ravn suddenly blurted out. Hwanwoong turned his face towards the other and smiled back, his face open to show he was listening. For a moment, the older agent felt he could literally see the stars dancing in his gaze. "I'm proud of you."

The grin immediately dropped from the younger's face and he tilted his head slightly to the left in surprise. "Oh?"

"Not just for what happened a few days ago," Ravn continued as he leaned back on the bench and tilted his head up towards the ceiling. "But for what you did at the club too. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

Hwanwoong felt as if all the breath had left his lungs. Wow. He reached up and fisted a hand over his chest. Was that his heartbeat? It felt different. No one had ever told them they were proud of him. Many just considered him the annoying jokester and didn't think he could take anything seriously. He tightened his grip on his shirt. This was....a lot.

"Thank you," He exhaled with what little breath he had left. His voice was barely but a whisper. "That...just thank you."

Never having heard that tone of voice from his happy-go-lucky teammate, Ravn tilted his head to the side to get a look at the man's face. Hwanwoong's expression was closed off and he seemed to be staring off into space. Feeling an irresistible itch in his hands, the older agent reached out and gently brushed a loose piece of hair out of the other's face.

Feeling a feather-light touch against his face, Hwanwoong blinked and looked up and locked eyes with Ravn's. They stared at one another for a moment, an unreadable expression on the older's face. The younger swallowed thickly, his throat clicking with how dry it was. Was he having a heart attack? He had never felt it beat this fast. Had they moved closer to one another?

In the blink of an eye, Ravn must have snapped out of whatever trance he was in and he cleared his throat, suddenly backing off. He laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck roughly. Hwanwoong was left blinking in confusion. What had just happened?

"Well," The older agent began, his voice tight. He coughed into his hand to cover the awkwardness. It didn't work. "I should go check on-no- I should go back to work. Yeah, work. So much to do, so little time to do it."

Before Hwanwoong could even say anything, Ravn was up on his feet and backing away down the hallway as he rambled his goodbyes, the tips of his ears red. The younger had never seen his put-together superior act so odd before and he didn't know if he wanted to laugh or feel sorry for the man.

As quickly as he came, the older agent rounded the corner to who-knows-where leaving Hwanwoong still sitting on the hallway bench staring after him in bewilderment at the whole situation. Looking down, he saw that his hand was still clutching at his chest over where his heart was. It was still beating twice as fast.

XxX

Seonghwa shifted awkwardly in the leather chair in the backroom as four other pairs of eyes stared him down. A moment ago, he had been so confident in his decision but now he was suddenly feeling nervous. He had never been in such close proximity to Ghouls before when he wasn't trying to kill them and he couldn't help being a little on edge.

"So," Yunho started pleasantly. He seemed to be the only one a bit more relaxed but whether it was genuine or for the sake of the other's in the room, the agent was unsure. Wooyoung still seemed fidgety and on edge while San was skeptical and kept a loose, but firm, hand on the boy's thigh as if to keep him grounded. "I think it would be best if you started with your side of what happened the night of the auction."

Nodding, Seonghwa took a deep breath. That was logical. He could do that. "There were two teams that night." He began. "The main infiltration squad which was meant to break in and disrupt the auction. The goal was to kill or capture as many Ghouls as possible and free the hostages. This was the team I was a part of."

The rest of the room nodded, following along with the story. The agent resisted looking down at his hands and playing with his fingers. "The second squad was led by Eden, a senior and highly qualified member of the CCG. Their only goal was to locate and capture a Ghoul by the moniker of Madame A. There were rumors she was the supplier of a drug we have been investigating for a while. We dubbed it 'Mist'."

Wooyoung shifted in his seat marginally and San's hand tightened on his thigh. Seonghwa's eyes locked in on the action, however small. That was interesting. They definitely knew something about that. He decided to save it for later.

"We had reason to believe that there was a possibility of a cult-like group by the name of Lady Red showing up." Seonghwa continued. "At first, we believed it to be one person but after a botched operation going after the Butcher, we know that is not the case. I'm not sure if you are familiar with them."

"Oh, we're familiar," San said, remembering the arrow and message of warning after burning down the children's housing at his former gang's compound. Yunho had a similar grave expression as his eyes flickered over to Mingi whose eyes were still firmly planted on the agent's face.

Senoghwa raised an eyebrow. "I take it you aren't on friendly terms?"

Wooyoung gave a scoff. "No offense Mr. CCG but you aren't the only ones that can do investigations. We were wary when the Butcher showed up and have had our own few run-ins with this group. We aren't exactly fans of their behavior."

Seonghwa just nodded agreeably, not at all put off by the blonde's attitude. In fact, he was rather shocked at the news that other Ghoul's didn't approve and that they seemed to almost have their own governing system. He felt a little ashamed. There was clearly so much he didn't know about this world. In his mind, he beat himself up for the umpteenth time as guilt gnawed at him.

"That night, we were hoping to track down a sample of the drug." Seonghwa continued. "I'm sure you already know this, but Ghoul's have three kinds of cells: white, red, and RCC cells. The RCC cells are what makes a Ghoul a Ghoul. From our limited studies, this drug essentially duplicates the number of RCC cells in a Ghoul and makes them exponentially stronger. I can imagine that power can be intoxicating and highly addictive but it is also extremely dangerous. That many unnatural cells in a body causes the Ghoul to lose control and succumb to a nearly feral state."

Wooyoung didn't speak and instead, his lips pressed into a thin line. He could attest to that feeling. When he had landed in that pile of vials he had never felt so powerful, like he could punch through a brick wall, but he also remembered how fast his heart was beating. The sweat on his temple and the anxiety that clawed at him to just rip something apart.

And he had.

Madame A.

San's hand started moving soothingly up and down the blonde's thigh, seemingly sensing the tension that was building in his boyfriend's body. It was going to be a long and winding road recovering from something this dangerous. Something that could change you so chemically.

"What about a human?" Mingi suddenly piped up from where he was sitting. Yunho's gaze immediately landed on the brunette curiously to see the boy's eyebrows were set in firm determination. "If it could do all that to a Ghoul, what about a human?"

Seonghwa's brows furrowed in confusion as if he weren't expecting the question. "Well," He drawled slowly. "I'm not an expert and I haven't seen anyone try it but, I'd imagine they'd die."

Yunho's eyes widened and his hand immediately flew out to grab his boyfriend's arm in worry. As if being subjected to that drug was enough, he could have very realistically died. It sort of explained his momentary memory loss, his body had been so overloaded with a foreign substance it couldn't handle it. It was a miracle he hadn't died. Mingi didn't say anything at first as his jaw set.

"What if there was another possibility?" The brunette began cautiously. He had a vague idea he had been toying with ever since he had been drugged and regained his memory but he had no concrete proof of anything, only a theory. "What if that drug, in some people, could turn them into Ghouls?"

The agent's eyes widened. He hadn't really thought of that but given the recent spike of one-eyed Ghouls, maybe it was a possibility. Before Seonghwa could say anything, Mingi scooted to the edge of the couch and looked the dark-haired male right in the eye.

"A while ago, I was kidnapped at a club." The man began. "I had been drugged by the Lady Red cult. Before that, I remember talking to one of the members, a girl who attended my school She said that she was a follower of the Butcher and that, if they proved their loyalty, they could gain the ultimate power. They could become Ghouls."

Seonghwa felt as if he had been punched in the gut. His half-assed theory was right. Suddenly, so many of the pieces of the puzzle were coming together in his mind, almost in a frenzied haze. All the disappearing women presumably murdered by the Butcher. The sudden reappearance of Lady Red and realizing that it was a group of people. A group of people apparently working for the Butcher. One of their victims showing up at the botched operation, alive and well. The drug contained RCC cells, the only thing that changed a Ghoul's chemistry from a human's. Theoretically, it could be possible if you introduced enough RCC cells into a person's body, it could adapt to its new conditions and evolve but it would be a highly risky procedure and virtually unheard of up to this point, not to mention how inhumane it was. These people must be going through excruciating pain.

Suddenly, he thought of Maddox. Had he gone through pain like that? He was supposed to be dead. Was Hongjoong one of these Ghouls too? A subject to someone's cruel fantasy? Had he been human before all of this or was he born a Ghoul?

"Wait," Seonghwa held up a hand as he tried to organize his racing thoughts. "You said you had been drugged? Aren't you human? How are you alive?"

"I don't know," Mingi said truthfully as he shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly have no idea. Maybe it wasn't a concentrated enough dose for it to take effect."

"I was under the drug." Wooyoung reluctantly admitted after a moment of silence. "It was an accident. You were right to track down Madame A. We were there that night, tracking her down too. I ended up falling into a crate of them. What you said that they do to Ghouls is true." He said solemnly. "I felt incredibly powerful but not like myself. What's worse is my body is constantly craving more, like an itch I can't scratch."

Seonghwa frowned but nodded solemnly in understanding, remembering the footage the Director had shown when informing the higher-ups of the drug. San looked over sympathetically at the blonde. He lifted his hand off the other's thigh and reached to grab his hand, giving it a squeeze in solidarity.

Yunho kept his eyes on Mingi's face the whole time and felt something squeeze at his chest as an increasingly familiar feeling welled up inside him. The barista suddenly blurted out words before he even realized he had opened his mouth.

"We have it. The drug." Four pairs of eyes immediately locked onto him and he fidgeted just slightly but didn't back down. He suddenly knew what he had to do. "You said you were tracking it down but didn't have a sample," Yunho said. "We do."

The agent's eyes widened. "You would let me test it? Aren't I the enemy?"

Yunho shook his head. "You're going to help us track down Hongjoong. There are no enemies here."

Seonghwa's face suddenly dropped and the sullen expression he had been sporting before was back. "I don't even know where to begin."

"You're a member of the CCG." Mingi said with a slightly wobbly half-smile. "You have more resources than any of us. If anyone can help find Hongjoong, it's you."

The agent's throat seized for a moment before he remembered something. "If you got the drug, what happened to Madame A."

"Uh," Wooyoung suddenly fidgeted, a guilty look on his face. "Let's just say you don't have to worry about her but we've lost the chance at figuring out her supplier."

Sighing, the agent ran a hand through his hair. "I guess it can't be helped." His hand flopped back down to his lap. "As for Hongjoong, I actually may have an idea of what happened but I don't think you will like either option."

The room's eyes were locked on the agent, eagerly awaiting his news. "My subordinate, Yeosang, said that Hongjoong had come back to save him. They were about to escape when another Ghoul showed up." Seonghwa swallowed. "My brother, Maddox."

There was a gasp in the room. "You're brother is a Ghoul?!" Wooyoung nearly screeched, his voice rising in pitch with his closing throat. Yunho quickly shushed him for being too noisy and the blonde leaned back in his seat with a mumbled apology.

Seonghwa looked at the blonde before bringing his gaze down to his interlocked fingers. "He wasn't before. I know that for a fact. We spent years together. That is why I feel like your 'Humans to Ghouls' theory is very much plausible." His hands were sweating. "He was supposed to be dead."

"I'm sorry about your brother," San said solemnly, "But what exactly does that have to do with Hongjoong?"

"Right," Seonghwa ran a hand through his hair for what must be the second or third time. He didn't realize how hard this was to talk about. "Maddox, or what I thought was him, was wearing white with a red mask, a similar attire to the Lady Red group. He was acting differently than I ever remembered. He began attacking Eden and I and Hongjoong stepped in. Maddox seemed rather interested in Hongjoong." The agent swallowed thickly. "I'm ashamed to admit that I really wasn't much help. Eden and Hongjoong really did most of the work. I felt like I could barely move my body."

The dark-haired man kept his eyes locked on his polished shoes, shame eating at him as he looked back on his actions. He really was useless at that moment. Top academy graduate, awarded agent, and valuable asset to the CCG, suddenly reduced to a blubbering frozen mess in the face of his presumably dead brother.

While wallowing in his self-pity, Seonghwa suddenly felt a hand on his knee. Looking up, he spotted Mingi's smiling face staring back at him, comforting him, a near stranger, for the second time. He suddenly felt a little jealous of Hongjoong for having such a great friend.

Taking strength in the gesture, Seonghwa sat up a bit straighter but still wary of this next part. "Hongjoong ended up getting hurt protecting me. It was bad." A voice crack. "I must have hit my head when Hongjoong tackled me. That coupled with the shock and fatigue, I was on the verge of passing out. I remember, just before I lost consciousness that more agents bust into the room."

The room sat in heavy silence as they took a moment to absorb all that the other had said. They had a fair idea where this might be going but waited patiently to see what the other had to say. Finally, Wooyoung couldn't take it anymore.

"So," He said, surprisingly quiet. "Either this Maddox guy has him or...." He couldn't even finish the sentence. Seonghwa decided to finish it for him, knowing the implication of the statement.

"The CCG does."

XxX

Thirty-three

Thirty-four

Thirty-five

"You're wasting your time."

Thirty-six

Thirty-seven

"You shouldn't have gone back."

Thirty-eig-

"He doesn't care about you!"

"Enough!"

Hongjoong didn't even have to look up from where he was curled up in a ball in what he had dubbed the Big White Room to see who was talking. No one else had even bothered to come into the space he was confined to the whole time he had been here. Ghoul Hongjoong grinned maliciously from where he was lounged across the bed frame that was covered with a thin mat that could hardly pass for a bed. The real Hongjoong knew that the man before him was just a figment of his imagination but it was getting easier and easier in this isolated hell for the other to manifest himself and he was full of opinions.

"You did it again. You helped a human and now look where you are." The Ghoulish version of himself said in a bored manner while picking at his black painted nails. "I don't know why you keep insisting on ignoring me."

"He was in trouble," The real Hongjoong huffed. He had heard the lecture before. The worst part about being in isolation for however long was he only had 'himself' for company and said company really needed a new topic of discussion.''I trust Seonghwa. He probably would have helped me too, if I needed it."

"Would he?" Blue-Hongjoong sat up and swung his legs off the edge of the bed and leaned his arms on his knees. "Would he really have saved you? Didn't he tell you to get out of his apartment when he found out what you are?"

"He was upset-"

"Doesn't matter!" The Ghoul suddenly roared, taking the other by surprise. "On some levels, humans are even worse than Ghouls. They lie, they cheat, and they deceive. There is nothing good from them."

"I was human." The red-head reminded.

"And now you're not." Blue-Hongjoong rolled his eyes. "You've evolved."

The half-Ghoul didn't have anything to say to that and instead curled tighter into his small ball. As much as he thought he had accepted his reality, there was still a part of him that struggled with who he was. He still remembered how it was to be a full human and the vulnerability that came with it. On the other hand, there was a kind of cruel, intoxicating power that came with being a Ghoul and it was so easy to see how some had fallen prey to it. Perhaps it was the reason he even existed as he is now. Humanities twisted attempts at transforming and grabbing that power for themselves.

A presence suddenly hovered over the still huddled Hongjoong but there was no shadow cast. Looking up, the red-head spotted a hand held out near his face. Trailing his eyes upward, he spotted his Ghoulish side with a rather serious look on his normally mischievous face.

"Embrace it." He said shortly. "You've had nothing but suffering and fought against yourself for long enough. It is time to end that."

For a long moment, the red-head just stared blankly at the hand extended to him. As much as he had thought he had truly accepted himself, there was still probably a part of himself in the back of his mind that thought maybe one day that this could be reversed. That things could go back to normal. That he could return to Seonghwa with two normal eyes that he had full control over. He had played two sides long enough and it just got him hurt in the end.

He needed to make a choice.

Together the two pieces of himself stared each other down, eyes never wavering or blinking. Tentatively, Hongjoong lifted one of his hands from his knees. As he reached up, he felt a tingling run over his scalp, like someone softly running their fingers through his hair.

Their hands clasped.

XxX

Sighing, Mingi stepped out of the room as he ran a hand roughly through his hair. After Seonoghwa had dropped that particular bomb on the room, everything went silent for about a minute as everyone processed the information. If the CCG really did have Hongjoong, there was going to be a lot of complications coming up but Mingi found himself hoping that the agency actually did have him. There was a lot more assurance that his friend was alive and mostly well in their hands. The CCG, as cruel as it could be, was not without its peculiar mercies. Seonghwa himself had confirmed to the others that, if you had something to offer, the more likely you were to be kept alive for studying purposes. As much as Mingi hated it, he was rather glad that Hongjoong was a walking anomaly.

With this Maddox guy, there were a lot more unknowns. Seonghwa said he hadn't even known the man was alive until the night of the auction. They didn't have as many resources there and wouldn't even know where to begin looking. Other than his possible connection to the Lady Red cult and being their most likely suspect for the Butcher now, they really didn't have much to go on. That particular thought filled Mingi with a sense of dread. They were quite possibly the very people that changed Hongjoong in the first place. There was no telling what could happen to him at that time.

"Hey," Mingi turned to find Yunho stepping out of the break room, closing the door softly behind him. "You ok?"

"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine." The brunette exhaled quickly, his voice hoarse. The barista just raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Mingi's shoulders slumped. He should have known better than to try and trick his boyfriend.

"No," He finally admitted. "Not really."

Yunho made a sympathetic sound in the back of his throat and immediately went to wrap the man in a hug, cradling his head softly. "We'll find him. I know we will."

Mingi just clutched desperately to Yunho's back, his fingers fisting the back of the other's shirt tightly in a way that was surely going to leave wrinkles but he knew that the barista didn't mind. Instead, he stroked the brunette's back softly as he whispered words that the other didn't have the capacity to understand at the moment. He didn't cry, he had been all cried out for a while now, but he did appreciate the comfort.

After a while, they pulled apart and Yunho cradled Mingi's face between his warm palms and brushed his thumb over the apple of his cheeks. They stood there for a moment just staring at each other and taking in one another's presence. They didn't know long they were silent but to them, it didn't matter. Sometimes words weren't needed.

"You," The barista began after a while but stopped as if he were trying to process something and find the right words, his eyes shifting between each of Mingi's. After a moment, his mouth moved before his brain once again. It seemed to be the day for it. "I love you."

Mingi froze for a moment, his eyes widening exponentially at the unexpected exclamation. He opened his mouth to say a reply but found his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth. Had he really heard that right?

As if sensing Mingi's thoughts, the tension left Yunho's shoulders as if he had been holding in the confession for eons, and now that it was out, he felt relief. He repeated himself. "I love you, Song Mingi."

On the second time, the brunette seemed to regain himself a little bit more. He managed to croak one word past his dry, chapped lips. "What?"

"You are one of-no- you are the most wonderful man I have ever met in my entire life." Yunho started his eyes suddenly becoming a little glassy. "From the day that you walked into this cafe, you had my attention, probably even my heart, before I even realized it." The barista gave a wry chuckle and his gaze looked a bit unfocused for a moment, as if recalling a distant memory, before his eyes refocused. "Despite everything, you have never once, not even for a second, considered me anything other than 'Yunho,' and you don't know how much that means to me."

Mingi stayed silent as the blonde talked. Yunho took a moment to take a deep breath as his emotions started to get to him. Clearing his throat, he relocked his eyes on the other's

"You never thought about leaving me. Was never a thought in your mind. And now I'm going to do the same." Suddenly, the emotions were gone and replaced by a fierce determination, eyes fierce. "You are strong, Mingi. Through whatever happens, for good or for bad, I will stand with you. Always."

With this, Yunho seemed to have finished his little speech and Mingi blinked, frozen in stunned silence. For a full minute, the two just stared at one another, the barista never letting their fierce look drop from his face. Suddenly, as if a cord snapped within him, Mingi surged forward and grabbed Yunho's face and slammed their lips together, the force of the impact enough to push the blonde's back against the wall. Immediately, Yunho's fingers laced themselves into the brunette's thick locks and tangled themselves there as if they belonged, their lips tearing at one another's. It was pure, unadulterated, and unrestrained passion, something that neither of them had experienced before. Sure, they had kissed before, but those were soft, shy, and affectionate pecks like shy teenagers or drenched in solemn emotion when Mingi had told Yunho he knew his secret. It was nothing like this. This was primal, teeth nipping and tongues meeting for the first time in a heated dance.

After what felt like a second and an eternity all at once, the two unspokenly decided to pull apart, chests heaving. Yunho's cheeks were flushed as his hands slid from Mingi's hair and down to his firm chest, his nails lightly grazing. Mingi's pupils were slightly blown and his lips kiss-swollen as his hands gripped at the blonde's waist, his thumbs unconsciously moving over the slightly jutting hip bones.

"I love you, too," Mingi whispered, finally, after regaining some of his breath. His voice sounded awed, as if he almost couldn't believe his own words but as soon as they left his lips, he knew them to be true.

Yunho's grin was so wide he felt like his face was going to split in half. A short chuckle suddenly burst forth from his lungs, followed by another, then another. Before long, he had broken out into a full-blown laugh as tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He wasn't exactly sure if it was from the pure happiness he was feeling or the strength of his laughter. For a moment, Mingi was concerned at the other's sudden laughter but, seeing that Yunho was ok, he felt his own chuckle burst forth. Now both of them were in a fit of giggles that lasted a full minute before they calmed down and their foreheads pressed against each other, chuckles dying on their lips as they looked at one other, Yunho's eyelashes wet.

Yeah. No matter what life threw their way, thick or thin, they would be ok.

XxX

Wooyoung, San, and Seonghwa continued to sit in awkward silence in the break room when they heard a sudden thump from outside the door. Startled, all three looked at the door wondering what could have happened. Then, Wooyoung's eyes widened.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." The blonde huffed. "Those two are so sickening. Yunho is supposed to be going to get the drug so you can run it through the CCG lab."

San smirked from his corner of the couch. "You have to admit, it's about time they stopped flitting around each other and just got dirty. Their school-girl, teenage romance was cute but I know Yunho secretly wants to jump Mingi's bones."

"Ugh!" Wooyoung fake gagged as he reached for his ears as if to protect them. "Disgusting. I did not need to hear that. My poor ears."

"Oh, please," San rolled his eyes. "That's rich coming from you." Wooyoung just stuck out his tongue in an immature manner.

Seonghwa, obviously not knowing about this particular dynamic, sat with wide eyes as he absently wondered what in the world could be happening outside the door. Judging from San and Wooyoung's conversation, it must be something not exactly school-appropriate. From their actions from before, he knew the two were close and obviously took comfort from each other. It was awfully nice to have someone around in times of hurt.

A flash of red-hair filled his vision and another wave of guilt hit the agent. Biting his lip, Seonghwa looked down and ran his index nail across his pants lightly. He recalled the one time that they were able to kiss, his chest filled with warmth. He knew it was after a vulnerable moment but it was the best kiss that Seonghwa had ever had, soft and tender and filled with so many promises. Promises that he hadn't been able to keep.

Suddenly, a raging motivation flooded away the guilt. He would find Hongjoong and get him back, no matter what. He would get him back and then do everything he could to make it up to the boy for rejecting him, even if it took the rest of his life. Hongjoong had already risked it all for him. It was his turn now.

Abruptly, a wrapped lollipop filled his vision. It was so close that Seonghwa nearly went cross-eyed looking at it. He looked up to see Wooyoung standing on the other end of the stick with a mildly guarded look on his face but the gesture was clear. It was a truce.

"Take it," The blonde wiggled the candy until Seonghwa reached up and took it from the other's grasp but didn't open it just yet. Once free of his burden, Wooyoung reached into his pocket and pulled out another sucker. In one swift move, the boy removed the wrapper and plopped it in his mouth.

Seonghwa, seeing this, raised an eyebrow before looking down skeptically at the sweet treat he held between his fingers. Was this some kind of trick? He thought Ghouls couldn't eat anything other than flesh.

Seeing the agent's hesitation, Wooyoung rolled his eyes. "Relax. It isn't some weird human candy. The CCG should really update its information on Ghouls. It's coffee-flavored. The added sugar and stuff is kind of gross but it's good in a pinch."

Relaxing marginally at the news, Seonghwa peeled off the wrapper and popped it in his mouth. Wooyoung was right. It tasted just like a black cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Wooyoung reluctantly admitted, his cheek puffed out just slightly as he spoke around the candy. "I think part of my anger towards you was just misguided anger at myself. I feel responsible for a lot of what has been happening."

"Don't be," Seonghwa was quick to shut down. "Without you, I might not have been able to get as close to Hongjoong as I did. In a way, I kind of owe you."

Wooyoung's 'kicked-puppy' look quickly dissolved into a shit-eating grin. "You kinda do, don't you."

"Ugh, don't get him started," San said from behind the couch. He then leaned over and draped his arms over the other boy. "If you do that, I'll never hear the end of it."

"Hey!" Wooyoung protested hotly but there was no real bite. Instead, he reached into his pocket and produced a third sucker, presenting it to San. The shop owner seemed to instantly light up at the sight of the candy and gently took it as if it were a precious treasure, his expression melting into something undeniably fond as he looked at the blonde.

"Thanks, Woo," The ex-gang leader said softly with a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek which quickly caused said boyfriend to dissolve into mock gagging as he aggressively wiped at his cheek just to annoy the other. San seemed to pay no mind to this and just shook his head in fond exasperation.

Starting to feel a bit like a third-wheel. Seonghwa hefted himself up to his feet and straightened out his shirt from where it had bunched a little. Sensing the movement, the two stopped their shenanigans and looked over at the other.

"Let Yunho know I can pick up the drug later," The agent said. "From now on, we will have to be extremely careful. If the CCG catches even a small wind of something going on, everything is ruined."

Seonghwa had obviously switched back into his 'work mode' and the two acknowledged the seriousness of the man's tone and the severity of the situation. They couldn't afford anything to go wrong. Hongjoong's life may be on the line.

"I'll go into work early tomorrow to see if I can't find anything." Seonghwa continued as he made his way towards the door. "I suggest you all get some rest. Get ready to hit the ground running."

'Hongjoong. We're coming for you.'

XxX

In a white room, a man lay on a thin hospital-like cot with wires connected to his temple. Beside the bed was an EKG machine that monitored his steady heartbeat. The man had one arm thrown over his eyes as if to block out the blindingly bright light. A tear slid from beneath the arm, down the man's temple, and onto the pillow below with a plop.

"Seonghwa, I'm sorry."

The wires on his temple ignited with electricity.

He screamed.

Notes:

Hi, I'm back sorry it took so long. I apologize if anything is awkward in this chapter but this one came really easy to me and basically wrote itself. Took me maybe four hours but sorry no action so hope it wasn't boring or the stuff felt out of place. 

I'm not sure how often I will be updating from now on. I have a lot coming up and I'm going to be trying to focus to get my blog off the ground and maybe working on rewriting/self-publishing a short story I wrote in 2016 for a class that I found recently that isn't half bad. Though it probably doesn't look like it from the mistakes in my chapters, covid really made me realize how much I've always actually wanted to pursue becoming a real writer (and by 'real' I mean make money) but was always too afraid I wouldn't be successful at it but life is too short to not try. 

Would love to hear thoughts/theories on the chapter. Things are finally being pieced together! But I still have some secrets up my sleeves mwahhaha. Like I said, every plot point, even small ones, will circle back at some point.

Fun facts y'all probs don't care about but I wanna tell anyway:

*If you can't tell, every couple in this story has a different kind of dynamic. My favorites to write are Seongjoong (of course), Yungi, and the third is tied for either Jongsang or Xeedo. 

*Almost every outfit in this story is based on one the characters have actually worn in real life or pieces from their wardrobe. Thought of making a book where I compile all their looks, Quinques, ect but didn't think anyone cared enough for that lol. 

*I view each chapter as kind of like an "episode". The story plays out like an anime in my head which is why the formatting is the way it is.