"Ow! Watch it."

"Don't be a baby," Wooyoung scolded as he pulled the alcohol soaked cotton ball away from the gnarly scratch on San's back. "You would think a former gang leader would be able to handle a little sting."

"It was cold," pouted the other. "I don't see why you're doing this anyway, they will heal in less than an hour."

"And let it get infected?" Rebutted the other. He didn't even spare his companion a glance as he put more antiseptic on a clean cotton swab. He pressed the new ball onto the man's bare back without warning and a little too harshly.

"Ah, cold!" San recoiled at the touch, his shoulders nearly touching behind him as he tried to get away from the sensation. "Give a guy a little warning next time, huh?"

Wooyoung just rolled his eyes before throwing the swab away and packing up the first aid kit. He didn't bandage anything since San was right and the wounds would close soon. It would be a waste of perfectly good gauze.

San, seeing Wooyoung move away out of the corner of his eye, pulled his arms back through his shirt. He didn't bother buttoning it, however, since he would have to take a shower soon anyway. He was still covered in a lot of dirt and grime from the warehouse.

After Wooyoung had put the first aid kit up, the blonde reappeared into the room before throwing himself on San's bed with a huff. He shoved his head into his friend's pillow and tried to fight off the sleep that his tired muscles wanted to pull him under. To keep himself distracted, he pulled out his phone and started mindlessly scrolling.

"I can't believe Hongjoong kicked your ass," Wooyoung said, still fiddling with his phone. "I thought you were supposed to be some super Saiyan like Goku."

San turned to look at his friend who had made a home in his bed. "You try to take down a nearly feral Ghoul without killing him. It's hard to throw hits at a friend who couldn't even dodge a punch not even two minutes before."

Wooyoung hummed in agreement. "He really got you, flung you right into a wall. I swear the whole building was shaking."

"A lot of help you were," San scoffed. "You just flew around and shot your little feathers from a safe distance."

The blonde didn't acknowledge the jab and changed subjects. "It was weird, though. Like a switch had flipped."

"He must have gotten in touch with his inner Ghoul. He never grew up with it and learned to control his urges so it must have gotten the better of him and took over." The tattooed man mused. "I hate that we don't know anything about one-eyed Ghouls. Everything feels like trial and error."

Wooyoung didn't answer as he sat up looking intently at his phone. "Yunho just texted. He says he found Hongjoong and they just got back to the cafe."

"Really? We couldn't find him anywhere. How did Yunho get to him so fast?"

"Yunho is a living Golden Retriever. He probably sniffed him out." The blonde shrugged as he put his feet back down on the cool wood floor. "Can't blame us for not finding him, though. Seoul is huge."

"What are you texting back?"

"I'm asking what happened when he got there and where he found him." Wooyoung stood up and walked over to where San was seated at a desk, his sock clad feet padding on the floor boards. "Does this look ok?"

San crossed his eyes as a phone was shoved too close to his face. He gently grabbed the phone from the other's hands as he scanned the text message. He felt his friend move behind him and a weight on his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye he could see blonde fringe. Wooyoung had leaned over and set his chin on the other's shoulder from behind to read.

San fought down the heat rising to his cheeks at the proximity and turned his eyes back to the device in his hands. He read it over a few times before handing it back. "Looks ok to me."

Wooyoung took back his phone and straightened back up. "Good. I'll send it to him now."

The room lapped into silence as the blonde laid back down on the bed, tapping at his screen. San stood from his chair, deciding his wounds had healed well enough, and made his way to the shower.

About fifteen minutes later, San walked back into the room with just a pair of pants on a towel drying his hair, a cloud of steam following him. "Heard anything back from Yunho?"

When he got no answer back from the blonde, the tattooed Ghoul turned from where he was rummaging in his drawer for a fresh shirt. When he glanced at the bed, he saw Wooyoung with his phone on the bed and his mouth open, snoring lightly. San smiled at the sight, endeared by the other.

Deciding to forgo the shirt, the man walked toward the bed. He shuffled his friend and tried to shimmy the covers from underneath the other. Wooyoung didn't even stir at being moved around, too tired from the day's events. Once the blanket was free, San put them over the other and tucked him in. He grabbed the other's phone so the blonde wouldn't roll over on it in his sleep. The screen woke up at the movement and San smiled at the wallpaper, a picture of the two of them hanging out a few months ago. Below the picture, the Ghoul saw that Yunho had replied.

Figuring that the barista could wait until Wooyoung woke up, San set the phone on the nightstand. He stood there for a moment longer before pushing some of his blonde fringe away from his forehead. San hopped they could always stay like this, close and comfortable in each other's presence. He feared for the day when that all changed.

San had to remind himself that they weren't always like this however. In fact, it had taken them months to have a full conversation without getting frustrated with one another. The Ghoul's eyes grew soft and a nostalgic smile formed on his face as he thought back to their first meeting.

San sat on top of a wooden crate flicking a lighter and watching the flame burn before it was blown out by a breeze. He and a few other "thug types" were lounging in an abandoned building that had been set for demolition months ago but the workers had been scared off by the current building's occupants. The old factory had caught fire about a year prior. The windows were all blown out and the walls were charred. It probably wasn't a smart idea to hang out in a place like this but it was an escape for the ragtag group.

The leader sighed in a bored manner as he flicked his wrist, closing the lid of the lighter in his hands with a metallic snap. He was bored. It was as if nothing could entertain him anymore. Beating up thugs and establishing his rule as one of the most up and coming and ruthless gangs in Seoul meant nothing to him. There was no challenge, no spark.

It's as if he had died at the tender age of seventeen.

San's attention was snatched as he heard a door slam followed by the sounds of yelling and a body being dragged. "Let me go you asshole! Hey! Knock it off!"

The young leader watched as two of his subordinates dropped a body in front of him. He was dirty and scraped up, presumably from a scuffle with his lackeys. From the smell of blood, San could tell he was a fellow Ghoul, just like the rest of his gang.

He seemed skinny and scrappy and probably around his age. He was wearing a high school uniform from a neighboring district with styled black hair. He was sporting some keen bruises and a split lip. What really caught his attention, however, was when the boy, ever stubborn in his capture, looked up.

His eyes were angry on the surface, most likely from getting beat up, but underneath, there was a real sense of melancholy. It was as if this kid had a lot to hide, which was likely. Living as a Ghoul and trying to pass off as a normal high schooler was a momentous challenge in itself and often a lonely one. Not to mention regular teenage problems on top of it all. San tilted his head.

"Boss!" One of the two goons said. "We caught this one trespassing on the grounds."

"I wasn't trespassing!" The boy on the ground interrupted.

"Said he wanted to talk to you," The other lackey continued as if he hadn't heard their captive. "Put up quite the fight."

San slid off the crate. With his feet back on the ground, he took a few steps closer to the fallen before bending at the hips to bring his face closer. The boy's hard stare didn't waver in the least by the gang leader. In fact, he wasn't intimidated at all. San smirked.

"Well, what did you want? A fight? My gang?" The leader questioned.

The boy didn't bat an eyelash. "I want to join your gang."

The request was so abrupt and said so surely, San couldn't help the surprised barked laughter. "Ahaha! This one has guts! What's your name?"

The boy narrowed his eyes, not too keen on being laughed at. He grumbled. "Wooyoung."

"Well, Wooyoung," San began a little sharply. He stood up and ran a hand through his black and red streaked hair before turning. He walked the few paces back to his previous sitting spot. "Turns out, we're all full up. You'll have to take your business elsewhere."

"But-!" San didn't even look back as he lifted two fingers. Wooyoung suddenly found himself being grabbed by both his arms again before being dragged back towards the way they had come. "I wasn't done talking! Hey! Wait a minute!"

San didn't even give the other any mind as he was already back on his crate with a lighter in hand. "I'll be back! I won't stop until I get in!"

Those were the last words Wooyoung had yelled before he was tossed out like yesterday's garbage. San scoffed as he heard the words before laying back on the crate with his hands behind his head. Wooyoung would come back maybe once more but his guys would handle it again. He would give up soon. They all do.

Except, Wooyoung did come back the second time. And the third. And the fourth. He just kept coming. Always spouting the same things about not stopping until he joined and always getting beaten up. San almost felt pity for the guy. Did he like getting his ass kicked? What was so damn special about his ragtag group anyway?

San watched as Wooyoung, now sporting lavender hair as a possible means to look tougher (but lavender?), landed on his back once again after getting tossed out. It was October now, a whole month since the other had started coming around, and the weather was getting colder. While the building was a nice hang out, it was rather drafty as the gang leader suppressed a shudder at the cool breeze.

The rest of the gang turned around to head back inside to beat the chill now that the fun was over. The red and black haired youth stayed, watching the other curiously with his hands in his pockets. Wooyoung cursed as he stumbled back onto his feet and wiped dirt off of his coat.

"Why do you keep doing this?" San questioned, following the boy's movements with curious eyes.

"Doing what?" Wooyoung ground out, disgruntled.

"What is so special about this gang that you want to join so hard? Can't you find another or, I don't know, start your own?"

"No, it has to be yours." The lavender haired boy said stubbornly.

San rolled his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had asked these questions and gotten these answers. He was starting to grow frustrated. "But why ?"

"Because!" The other snapped back. It seemed like he was getting frustrated too. Wooyoung sighed and rubbed angrily at his face. It seemed he had come to a decision. "If I join your gang, they will leave me alone."

San couldn't believe his ears. Bullies. He barked a laugh. "What? Aren't you a Ghoul? Take care of it yourself!" Wooyoung's eyes widened at the sudden accusation. "Don't worry, I could smell it in your blood that first day. We are all Ghouls too."

The boy's shoulders sagged with relief before he looked up. "I can't 'take care of it,' I would get expelled. Or worse, I'll have doves chasing me. Don't fancy dying just yet."

The leader scoffed. "Seems to me like you do, coming around here."

Wooyoung glared but chose not to comment. "I've seen you in action before."

San raised an eyebrow intrigued. The boy suddenly found a rock on the ground extremely interesting. He kicked at it. "Last Spring, I was walking by the river. I heard a sound and went down so see you fighting. Five to one. Not easy odds."

The leader tilted his head. He remembered that day. It was one of the last he had truly felt alive. The adrenaline and thrill of the fight. He missed it. Nowadays, whenever he was in a fight, his heart wasn't in it. It was all monotony.

"I thought you looked cool. That Spring was where things had really gotten bad with these three goons at school. Seeing you in action, if I could just say I worked for you, I just know they will leave me alone."

San rolled his eyes. So that was it, he just wanted to use the status as a symbol. Well, he was no charity case. You didn't just join a gang to protect from school yard bullies. Stupid. And just when he was starting to admire the other's tenacity and stubborn will.

"This isn't some grade school click and I'm no charity giver." He nearly growled. "You're a big boy, not to mention a Ghoul. Take care of it yourself."

"It isn't like that!" Wooyoung shouted, trying to stop the other when he saw the other turn away after his story. He seemed almost crestfallen. "I don't want to join just for the name! I really do want to be a part of the group!"

San didn't stop walking even as the lavender haired boy kept yelling. He was always being used. Everyone always wanted something from him. Taking and taking until there was nothing left. He was sick of it. He was starting to wonder if Wooyoung was different. That he wanted to be there for him, the group, and not for himself. Turns out he was wrong.

Wooyoung stopped coming around after that. The rest of the gang seemed relieved that they didn't have to keep quashing that bug and were often cracking jokes. 'Guess he couldn't take it anymore!' 'Good riddance.' 'Finally, I was getting tired of how easy it was.'

San ignored all the chatter as he stayed stationed on his crate, still flickering that same lighter. A lackey seemed like it was a good time to engage their boss in idle chatter. "What do you think, boss? A pain in the ass, huh?"

The leader didn't bother answering and instead stood up from his spot and walked towards the door. He could feel a headache developing with all the talking. He didn't feel like being there anymore. What had once given him a great sense of satisfaction was now a source of emptiness or ire.

San decided to take a walk. He didn't really know where he was going and instead walked aimlessly. Before he knew it, he was in another district. The boy didn't mind though. He still had plenty of time to get home. The sun was just starting its last descent in the sky while casting everything in a warm glow.

It was when he started to walk along the river did he hear something. There was yelling and a few grunts. Always curious about a fight, San made his way down the hill and closer to the underpass of a bridge. What he saw there surprised him.

Standing there, in front of three boys, was a bloody and bruised Wooyoung. The other three squaring off didn't look like teenagers at all. They looked like college kids and were nearly twice the high schooler's size. Were these the guys that the boy was talking about?

"You can't touch me!" Wooyoung spit and some of it was colored with blood. "I'm in a gang now. They will come hunt you down."

The one in the middle, a man with light brown hair and a bad buzz cut, laughed with his whole chest. "Aha! You? In a gang? What, did you join the lollipop guild?"

Wooyoung didn't like that answer and sneered. "No, the Black Shibas."

San widened his eyes. Black Shibas? That was his gang. The boy wasn't part of his crew. Was he lying just to get them off his back?

"No way in hell are you part of that sadist group." The one of the left spat. He had an eyebrow piercing and black cargo pants with chains on them. "They would take one look at you and snap you in half."

"Well they didn't," the boy was done talking as he charged forward. He didn't make it far as his fist was snapped up in a meaty hand. Buzz cut had caught him and didn't waste time flipping him over his shoulder. Wooyoung gasped as his back collided with the ground and all the air was knocked from his lungs.

The fight continued this way for a few minutes and was decidedly one sided. Wooyoung was scrappy, this much he knew, and a half decent fighter, if not a little rough around the edges. His problem was he put his all into a strike and left himself vulnerable. The other three knew this and took advantage of it as often as they could.

San watched as Wooyoung was knocked on his ass for the third time. He was getting tired of this. He was about to turn and leave when a crackling sound caught his attention. He looked and spotted the third guy, a man with a greasy ponytail, pull something out of his pockets.

' A taser?' The gang leader's eyes widened as he watched electricity bounce between the prongs of a taser Ponytail had just brought out. This was getting ridiculous. What college aged kids pick on a high school three to one and bring a taser?

San lept into into action. He ran swiftly and got behind Buzz Cut. He was the biggest out of the three so it was best to bring him down first. He kicked the back of the man's knees with as much force as he could muster, bringing the man down. Once he was a little shorter, the boy chopped him on the neck and his target fell to the ground like a led weight.

The thumping of a body caught the attention of his two comrades. They turned around to see San standing over their friend's unconscious form and switched their targets. Eyebrows, enraged that a kid had taken down his friend, lunged first. The leader, expecting this, jumped back. He continued to retreat as Eyebrows swung widely. His jabs were sharp and tight but he was hanging back more than the other two in the fray and seemed to have less stamina. San wanted to tire him out.

Sweat beaded on the man's eyebrows as he growled in frustration at not being able to get a hit and his punches were growing sloppier. San smirked. On the next swing, Eyebrows left an opening on his left side. Without taking his hands out of his pockets, the young leader swung his leg. His foot connected easily to his target and he could hear the cracking of ribs. The man's body was flung where he hit the leg of the bridge.

San made to walk towards the fallen man, not quite done with him, when he saw a shadow stretch in front of him followed by the clicking of electricity. He turned his head to defend but a 'thunk' was heard followed by Ponytail falling forward. His body revealed Wooyoung standing behind him with a pipe grasped in his hands, still held low from when he struck the other.

San raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get the pipe?"

Wooyoung shrugged and tossed it away from him. "Found it on the ground. Came in handy didn't it?"

The leader looked down at the unconscious man and tapped him with a foot. "How come three grown ass men are attacking a high schooler?"

The boy sighed. "My friend owes them money. An online bet went south and when he started to get pressure from the shady dealers, he said he was me. Now they've been trying to shake me down for the money. Figured if I told them I was part of a gang they would finally be too scared to mess with me and back off."

"Sounds like a shitty friend." the leader commented. "Couldn't you just tell them they have the wrong guy?"

Wooyoung shrugged. "What can I say, I'm loyal to a fault."

San snorted, "What are you, a dog?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Why are you here? Didn't you tell me to take care of it myself? Well, I did that."

"No, I took care of it." the other said. "You just jumped in at the end."

The two lapsed into silence then. San glanced down at the damage. Two unconscious bodies and a third crawling away while clutching his side. He knew he wasn't going to go to the police. Who wanted to admit that they were harassing high schoolers for money from an illegal gambiling ring only to get their asses handed to them?

San moved his eyes to look at Wooyoung. He was surveying the damage done to his body and poking at a scratch on his arm before wincing. Was this what he dealt with all the time? These guys obviously didn't look like the type to give up anytime soon and their methods were getting a little over the top. A normal person would have bucked months ago or at least gone to the police.

But normal people didn't have to hide colossal secrets that could get them killed. Walking out everyday was a calculated risk. You put on a mask for the world to protect yourself. Eventually you get so good at playing the part that you don't even know what is real anymore. San could relate.

"Would you still try and join the gang, even if I wasn't in it?" The other man broke the silence.

Wooyoung hummed as he looked out at the river passing underneath the bridge. "No."

San looked over at his companion's profile, a little surprised. "Oh? How come?"

"When I saw you fighting that day, I thought you looked amazing. Strong and full of fire. I didn't want to join a gang, I wanted to join your gang."

"Well, you can stop trying." San shrugged. "I don't think it's going to be my gang much longer."

"So quit," Wooyoung said as if it were the most simple thing in the world. "Maybe it is what you need. I haven't seen that fire since that Spring. I can tell that something changed."

San stared at the other for a moment longer. Maybe it was what he needed. A reset. Something to help him feel alive again. There was no way he could just up and quit right away. He built that gang from the ground up. But there was no point in staying when something that was supposed to give you pride and purpose did the exact opposite. He was tired of feeling so empty. Gone were the days of bashing in heads to feel a spark of adrenaline.

Or so he thought. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel a small ember light within the depth of his chest. It wasn't a hard fight, not by far, but it was different from the others. If he could figure out what it was, then maybe he could figure out a way to fan that ember back into a bright flame.

San crossed his eyes as something was shoved close to his face. He looked up to see a grinning Wooyoung on the other end of a lollipop he had somehow magically procured from thin air. "Candy?"

The Ghoul took the offered sweet and unwrapped it before popping it in his mouth. His lavender haired companion grinned widely before taking out one of his own. He put it in his own mouth and together they watched the ripples of the river as the last of the sun disappeared.

San felt warm.

XxX

Yunho sighed as he locked his phone after replying to Wooyoung. He glanced over his shoulder to spot Hongjoong still sleeping on the couch. He wondered how long the red-head would sleep. He had so many questions about what had happened after the other had left the cafe that afternoon.

The barista heard a buzzing sound. He looked at his phone and realized that it wasn't his. He looked over at Hongjoong still laying stone still. He moved a little closer and realized that the buzzing was coming from him. He sent a silent apology before he started looking for the source of the sound.

Yunho stuck a hand inside Hongjoong's jacket pocket and found his phone. He sent a small thank you in his mind that the red-head was wearing a jacket and kept his device there. Otherwise, there would have been an awkward explanation happening.

Once the phone was free, he looked at it. The screen read "Minki" followed by a dinosaur emoji. The picture accompanying it was Mingi holding up a peace sign while puffing out his cheeks. It was rather cute.

Yunho glanced one more time at Hongjoong as the phone kept buzzing in his hand. It didn't seem like he was waking up anytime soon. Not wanting there to be any questions, the barista slid the bar to answer and held the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?"

" Who is this?" The voice on the other line asked. Mingi's lower tones were piercing over the line.

"It's Yunho." The barista said. "Hongjoong fell asleep on the couch in the back room."

"Ah~" the soft sound of understanding followed. " I would say wake him up but he doesn't get enough sleep as it is. Would it be ok if I came to pick him up?"

Yunho cast another glance at the room's other occupant. Having Mingi come pick up Hongjoong could be a bad idea. There was no way of telling if he woke up what kind of state he would be in. He didn't want the other tall boy to get caught up in that. Not to mention it could blow everything.

"That's ok," the blonde tried to placate. "Why don't you just let him crash here? You said he doesn't get enough sleep anyway."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah it's not a problem." Yunho shrugged though he knew Mingi couldn't see him. "He has a shift in the morning anyway."

Deep laughter followed. "Thats cold."

The barista could feel a smile break out at the other's voice. "If memory serves, you have a shift tomorrow too. Opening."

That put an immediate halt to the laughter followed by a curse. "I forgot about that."

"I guess it is good you called then so I could remind you." the blonde chuckled. "You better not be late."

"Yes, yes, I understand." Mingi said. " But if I'm on time, you have to promise me something."

Yunho raised an eyebrow and hummed. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

" You have to go get lunch with me."

The blonde could hear the smug tone clear as day. He could just imagine Mingi puffing his chest in pride at tricking the other into something. Yunho bit his lip to keep the smile wanting to break through at bay. "And if you're late? What do I get?"

"I won't be late, so you don't have to worry about it."

Yunho couldn't stop the laugh that burst out. "Not be late? I don't think you've ever been on time, especially for an opening shift."

"Fine," Mingi conceded. "If I'm on time, you go to lunch with me since you bailed last time. If I'm late, which I won't, you get to tell me what to do for a whole day. And, you get to choose the day to enforce it."

"It seems like either way I win." Teased the blonde.

The brunette sound affronted. " How do you win both ways?"

"Well," Yunho began. "If I win, I get a minion for the day. If you win, I get an on-time employee and free lunch. A win-win."

There was a sputtering of disbelief from the other line. "Who said I was going to pay for lunch?!"

"You did. Just now." There was a squeak from the phone. "Welp see you tomorrow, bye~." Yunho rushed the last part of the call and hung up before Mingi had a chance to protest. The barista held the phone for a moment with a dopey smile on his face. If anyone were to walk in the room at that moment, they would have given him strange looks.

The moment was lost, however, when the Yunho heard groaning from behind him. Turning, he spotted Hongjoong groaning and pulling a hand up to his head in pain. The blonde fully turned from his spot on the floor and propped himself on his knees by the other.

"Alive yet?" He questioned as he spotted the red-head's eyes flutter open.

"What happened?" Hongjoong groaned. "My head feels like I've been hit with a freight train."

"What is the last thing you remember?" The other asked as he helped his friend sit up on the couch.

"Remember?" Hongjoong looked pensive for a moment. It took everything in him not to throw up with the spots spinning across his vision. "I left here with Wooyoung and San to go training. Everything is blank after that."

"Really? You don't remember anything?" The red-head shook his head again. Yunho sighed. "I guess I'll have to ask those two what happened before I found you."

"Found me?"

"Yeah," The blonde nodded. "I found you in an alley...with blood on your hands."

"Blood?!" Hongjoong sad up on his knees, ignoring the pain in his head. "What happened? Was it mine?"

"I don't know what happened exactly." Yunho looked to the side, avoiding eye-contact. "I got a text from Wooyoung after dance practice that you were gone. I went out to look for you and found you in an alley. There was a body."

Hongjoong seemed to shut down on himself. "D-did I kill someone?"

"We don't know that!" The blonde was quick to sit up and turn to placate the other. "When I found you, the body was already there. Maybe you just stumbled upon-"

"I ate him." Yunho heard his teeth clack as he snapped his jaw shut from the sudden revelation. Hongjoong didn't look up and continued to stare at his hands. "I was starving before but now I don't feel as hungry anymore. That means I must have ate him."

"Hongjoong..."

"I did the very thing I never said I would do." The red-head said solemnly. "I've really become a monster now."

"You don't know that," Yunho placed a hand on the other's arm. "We all need to eat to survive. For all we know, that Ghoul could have already been there and you just found him."

"Ghoul?" The other seemed to perk up at the new information. "The man was a Ghoul? Why didn't you just say so?"

Yunho furrowed his brow. "So...You are ok with eating someone as long as it's a Ghoul?"

"Well yeah," Hongjoong shrugged. "I could eat Ghouls right? I can survive and there is one less threat on the street."

The blonde took back his hand as if he had been burned. He tried not to let the hurt in his eyes show. "So, after all this, that's still how you see us?"

The red-head's eyes widened as what he said and who he said it too finally registered. "No, Yunho- wait. I didn't mean it like that."

The barista held up a hand to stop the other and sighed. "It's ok Hongjoong, you still haven't seen all of our world yet and see us as people yet. I'm sure one day you will understand. But I do have to tell you that we can't eat Ghouls. It's cannibalism."

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a little hypocritical?"

Yunho shook his head. "Like I've said before, Ghouls are different from humans. We are stronger and heal faster. Our tongues are different on every level and we can only gain nourishment from humans. Eating a Ghoul, while it may make you full, doesn't give the body what it needs. Not only that, but eating our own changes us."

"Changes how?"

"We become feral. It is like a drug that we can get addicted to. We change on a chemical level and lose all rationality. It's dangerous and taboo. If you really want to become a monster, keep being a cannibal."

Hongjoong didn't look at the other as he thought about what was said. "But, I don't want to lose who I am."

"And you won't." The blond said softly. "You will still be Hongjoong, just a slightly different version of yourself. Hongjoong 2.0." When he saw the corner of the red-head's lips twitch Yunho continued. "We are not asking you to kill. You don't have to go outside and hunt someone. There are other ways to get what we need. Everything we have comes from people who are already dead, usually by their own hand or an accident, we just harvest what is left."

Hongjoong took a shuddering breath. He had so many emotions and thoughts buzzing through his head he didn't even know where to begin. It did make him feel better, however, that the group were a bunch of murderers slaughtering on the street. He didn't know if he could get past the mind block of eating something that he once was but he knew at this point, he didn't have a choice. The black spot in his memory was a big cause for concern and he didn't want anything like that to happen ever again, especially around customers or Mingi. Someone could seriously get hurt.

"Why don't you sleep here tonight," Yunho tapped the other's leg before using it as leverage to stand up from the floor. "It's been a rough night, I'll grab you a blanket."

It was only then that Hongjoong realized how sore his body really was. He nodded in thanks as he laid back down on the couch, suddenly exhausted. He let his eyes slip back closed as he felt darkness overtake him. He still had a lot of things to think about and process but it could be saved for the morning.

The last thing he saw before he fully succumbed to the sandman was blue hair and glinting red eyes.

XxX

Yeosang cursed himself as he walked back down the dark and abandoned hallway of the CCG building. Everyone else had already left for the day, including the janitors, and the only light illuminating his path were the emergency flood lights. It was eerie being there so late at night but he had forgotten his briefcase at his desk and he couldn't be without it in case there was a call.

Stupid rookie mistake.

Yeosang stopped at the door to his shared office space at the end of the hall. He made to reach for the door handle but paused when he saw a light spilling out from the crack at the bottom. Someone was here.

The young brunette narrowed his eyes before pressing his body to the door. He tried to listen if there was anything happening on the other side. It was mostly quiet before a thump was heard and a curse. Was it an intruder? Who in their right mind would be here so late at night?

Again cursing at his lack of foresight and leaving his Quinche, Yeosang decided that surprise was key. He kept his body close to the door and ripped it open quickly, startling the person on the other side. Before they could even react, Yeosang was behind them with an arm around their neck in a choke hold.

"Gah!" The 'intruder' yells at the unexpected arms around him. He struggles and reaches up to pull away from the grip of his attacker.

It was while the intruder was struggling that Yeosang was close enough to see who he had pinned. The office was dimly lit so he wasn't able to see well before, but now that he was close enough, it was plainly obvious. Startled, he quickly let go.

"Jongho?" the other said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

The agent sputtered as he was released and rubbed at his neck. Of all things to happen that night, getting attacked wasn't one of them. "I was working."

"At this hour?" Yeosang inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Doing what?"

"Research," The other answered. He barely spared his teammate a glance before he sat back at his desk. "You made it seem that I wasn't taking this case very seriously so here I am."

Yeosang could see the slight bags under his companion's eyes and felt a twist in his gut. He didn't want to make the other feel bad. He just wanted to succeed on this mission so badly. There was a lot riding on it and, as rookies, it was a lot of pressure. The lighter brunette sighed as he pulled up a chair and flipped it, sitting in it backwards. He watched Jongho type for a while, the changing of the screen casting a blue glow onto his face.

"Seems like a suicide mission doesn't it?" Yeosang quipped and Jongho's lip twitched upward.

"It would be if we didn't have Seonghwa and the others." The agent closed a tab before opening another one. "We just have to work hard and prove ourselves."

"Still, it feels like lambs being to the slaughter." The elder ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "Either way the CCG gains something. If we die, we are just rookies. If we succeed, it will be one hell of a press story."

Jongho turned his head and smiled and said with the most matter of fact tone that Yeosang had ever heard him speak, "We better win then."

The other just sat with wide eyes. He had never voiced these concerns before, instead he had always just tried to stay as focused as possible. He wouldn't admit it, but truthfully he was really nervous about the outcome of his first real mission on a team. His teammates' attitude didn't come off as overly confident, just sure of a fact. There was something comforting in his reassurance. It was then that Yeosang realized he probably wasn't being the fairest to Jongho over these past few weeks.

"I'm sorry," He spat out before he could lose the nerve. The other, shocked at his admission, stopped typing and fully turned around in his chair. "I'm sorry for....being so harsh these last few weeks. I guess I'm just feeling the pressure."

"Yeosang," the agent said softly while scooting his chair a little closer. He placed a reassuring hand on the other's arm that was on top of the back of the chair. "We are all nervous. We just try not to show it. That is why we have to trust each other that it will all be ok."

The brunette offered a small sheepish grin. He guessed his teammate was right. He needed to learn to trust others, something that wasn't exactly the easiest for him. He had always been alone in the academy, his drive to succeed had often pushed people away. They had called him a hard ass and no one could tolerate his attitude on mock simulations, saying he was too uptight. He just wanted to do what was best to ensure his own survival and the safety of others.

Yeosang looked past Jongho's shoulder to the computer screen, seeing that he probably had over twenty tabs open. "Need some help with that?"

The other followed his teammates gaze and winced at the computer screen. He turned his head back and gave a look that just screamed 'help me.' Chucking, Yeosang shook his head as he stood from his chair. He booted up another computer and set to work.

The two worked pleasantly in silence for about another thirty minutes, the only sounds being clacking keys. After a while, Yeosang noticed that the sound of clicking had suddenly gotten dimmer. Confused, he slowed his own typing before looking over next to him. He smiled at the site.

Jongho had clearly had enough of working and had passed out on the desk, his screen still casting him in a soft glow. His mouth was open just slightly and he was emitting soft snores. The tiniest bit of drool was collecting at the corner of his mouth and Yeosang knew he must have really been exhausted. He glanced at the clock. It really was late.

Knowing he couldn't move the bag of muscles without waking him up, Yeosang shed his red bomber jacket he was wearing. He had been out in civilian clothing before he realized that he had left his briefcase. It was starting to get a little colder outside and he already knew that his teammate would already wake up uncomfortable in that positon.

Yeosang shook it out once before he placed it over Jongho's shoulders softly. The other must have felt the small increase in warmth because he smiled slightly in his sleep and gripped the jacket before snuggling into it a little. The brunette put a hand over his mouth to suppress the laugh that bubbled up. If Jongho knew what he was doing, he would surely be embarrassed.

Yeosang cast one last glance over his shoulder as he made his way towards the door, remembering to grab what he left. He smiled as he reached for the handle. Maybe this team wasn't useless after all.

Notes:

Wow, thanks for over 2K reads! Decided to publish this one super early because the version I have on AO3 is a little ahead and now it is even. Plus, I really enjoy enjoy what you all have to say and feel like this work is more appreciated here. The more love this gets the more motivated I get to update a little faster. 

For now, enjoy Woosan backstory with sprinkles of Yungi and Jongsang development.

**The art at the beginning of this chapter was sent to me a few months ago. The artist said they had found my twitter from AO3 and sent me two drawings and that her San was inspired by my description of him so please send it lots of love as well!