*Not Beta Read

Seonghwa couldn't stop himself from smiling. The action was completely involuntary at this point. The coffee mug in his hand was warm, just like the feeling that was settling deep in his chest. The homely cafe itself was currently bathed in the orange glow of a setting sun through the large open window as the young man sat on one of the barstools. 

Seonghwa's eyes slid to the side as he sipped on his drink. He watched as Wooyoung and San bickered back and forth off to the side about something seemingly mindless. The argument seemed to be heated as Wooyoung's voice was decidedly climbing in volume but judging by the smirk San was desperately trying to hide as he listened to his boyfriend, it was probably nothing of actual concern and was all done in jest.

Behind the counter, Mingi and Yunho stood working quietly in tandem. Just from observation the two were comfortable with each other and easily navigated the small space without a word. Every now and then the two would glance up at one another and share a small secretive smile. It was nauseatingly sweet.

In the back corner of the cafe sat Yeosang, Jongho, and a third person.  Yeosang sat typing away at a laptop, always one to take work with him or try to be efficient. Meanwhile, Jongho was smiling while talking softly to another person at the table while he occasionally took sips of his ice Americano, the condensation beading on the outside of the cup and sliding down. Just then the third person at the table laughed, tilting his head enough where his face was able to be seen. Xion. Alive and smiling.

A tinkling bell sound alerted Seonghwa to the door being opened and suddenly Ravn and Hwanwoong walked through the door. The two sent a wave Seonghwa's way before they went to sit down at one of the available tables in the room.  Seonghwa had never felt a sense of calming peace come over him like this. There were no more worries to be had. Nearly everyone important to him in one area and safe. Well....almost everyone. 

"Seonghwa."  There it was. The voice the agent had been missing. A smile lit his face like a blazing sun as the man turned around on his bar stool. 

"Hongjoong," Seonghwa breathed out the name like a prayer. The other was perfectly fine with flaming hair like he remembered and no red irises. The shorter boy just smiled back just as brightly. 

"I'm home."

Seonghwa groaned as an incessant buzzing sound went off nearby. Swatting his hand out, the young man felt around for his phone before he managed to grab it laying somewhere on his sheets and silencing the bastard. The peace didn't last long however as the noise started back up just a moment later. Finally giving up on any semblance of sleep, Seonghwa huffed and lifted his head, blinking blearily, and glanced at his screen. As soon as he saw the incoming call, he sat up immediately, all signs of drowsiness leaving him. 

Casting a glance at the still-sleeping Hongjoong, the agent carefully stood up and crept out of the room to answer the call.

"Hello?" He asked cautiously into the phone.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Came the angry voice of Ravn through the receiver. "I've been trying to call you all morning!"

Seonghwa winced at the tone in his fellow agent's voice. Ravn wasn't one to typically curse and the face that he did meant that the other had royally messed up. "What's going on?"

"The director is looking for you," Ravn responded, dropping his voice. "There has been a break-in at Wonderland."

Seonghwa felt the blood in his veins freeze. Did they know he was a part of it? What did they already know?

"How is that possible?" He forced out instead, feigning ignorance. "It is one of the most secure facilities the CCG runs."

"Well apparently not secure enough," The other agent scoffed. "The director is out of his mind. He says that the subject that escaped was one of the most dangerous we had captured. The entire CCG is on high alert."

Dangerous? Hongjoong? Seonghwa fought the urge to laugh before the images from last night began to replay in his mind, as well as the events from the auction. The other was definitely formidable but in no way more dangerous than any other Ghoul they had faced. 

"You better get back here as soon as you can," Ravn continued. "They're calling a search party."

"A search party?" The agent raised an eyebrow. In all the time he had been working as a Dove, he had never been called to do a search party. Someone seriously wanted Hongjoong and they wanted him by whatever means necessary. 

"You have 20 minutes to get here before the briefing." The other said before the line went dead. 

Seonghwa stood in disbelief for a moment as he listened to the beep on the other side. He had anticipated something like this happening but the reality of the moment was different. What was he supposed to do now? There is no way he would be able to keep Hongjoong hidden for long just in his apartment. But where could he go?

"They're looking for me, aren't they?" The sudden voice from behind caused the young agent to startle, his phone clattering to the ground as he whipped around. There stood Hongjoong in the bedroom doorway, adorably ruffled from sleep. Seonghwa opened his mouth to greet the other warmly before he caught sight of the other's eyes, still the stark red and black of a Ghoul.

"You're up," Seonghwa started slowly and with caution. He wasn't sure how to approach the other. The Hongjoong in front of him was unpredictable. There was no way to tell whether or not this man was friend or foe.

The Ghoulish Hongjoong ignored the inquiry and walked past the other and toward the kitchen with a large yawn. Curious, Seonghwa followed.

With the uncanny ease of someone comfortable in an environment, the Ghoul reached up into one of the cupboards, pulled out the tub of coffee grounds that the agent kept, and began prepping himself a cup of coffee.

"I'm not sure how long you expected this little plan of yours to work," Hongjoong commented as he scooped some of the grounds into a freshly placed coffee filter. "But they're going to find me eventually, you know." 

"I won't let that happen," Seonghwa denied vehemently. "I'll keep you safe."

Hongjoong scoffed as he filled the coffee pot with water and began pouring it into the well. "And how do you expect to do that oh knight in shining armor?"

"They don't know exactly who they are looking for," Seonghwa said as he leaned against the counter next to where the Ghoul was standing. "Your hair is different now," The agent glanced up at the now shock of white on top of the other's head, "and you'll lay low. In a few weeks, we will fake your death and then you can go out like before."

Seonghwa startled as the sudden slam of the coffee pot on the counter caught him off guard. Looking up, he met the Ghoul's eyes as they gleamed menacingly. 

"You really think something as asinine as that would work?" The Ghoul huffed. "I thought the CCG was supposed to be better than that."

Seonghwa just narrowed his eyes. "The real question is, when are you going to let Hongjoong go?"

The Ghould just smiled darkly and tapped at his head. "Ol' Joongie is nice and cozy right now, don't you worry." The smile dropped from his face just as quickly as it had formed. "You really don't know much about the organization you work for, do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean," The agent frowned. While it was true that the agency did not have the best track record at the moment, what else could he possibly not know?

"They targeted him," Ghoul Hongjoong spoke lowly. His eyes blazed as he stared forward, his gaze far off.

Seonghwa narrowed his eyes, a spark of anger suddenly flaring in his gut. "What do you mean?"

"Hongjoong doesn't remember," The Ghoul said solemnly, "but I do."

It was a bit off-putting to hear the man say his own name but Seonghwa didn't dwell on it. Hongjoong had said he was human once. That he was turned into a Ghoul. The idea of someone changing had been floating around in the back of his mind ever since he started the Lady Red investigations. Do Ghouls create more Ghouls like Vampires in movies do?

Seonghwa realized that he now had the opportunity of a lifetime: an interview with a Ghoul.

"Tell me everything."

XxX

Ravn stared at his phone as he hung up on the other agent. Glancing up, he stared down the man on the other side of the desk who was gazing out the window to the street below. He sighed.

"He should be here soon." The agent said. "I still think you're lying. There is no way that Seonghwa would do something like this."

The director took a deep drag from his cigarette before he turned around to face his subordinate, releasing the smoke out slowly through his nose. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a file. He tossed it onto the desk, the paper sliding just slightly.

"Obviously you don't know your little pal."  The director stated as he sat down in his seat and crossed a leg, one over the other.

Curious, Ravn leaned forward and pulled the manilla folder closer before flipping it open. Insider were several pictures of Seonghwa with another person. The first was a picture of Seonghwa and a man with red hair smiling at an ice rink followed by a picture at a coffee shop. The next one was a photo of the red-haired man cradling a little yellow-looking stuffed animal. So far they were all just happy and cozy photos of a couple enjoying themselves on what looked to be a date. 

Ravn was about to question the legitimacy of the director's claim as well as telling him off for spying when the next photo caused the words to die in his throat before he could speak them. 

In the picture were two figures, one carrying another. The image was a bit blurry due to it being blown up from a CCG feed but Ravn had spent enough time with the other that he immediately recognized one of the figures as Seonghwa. He seemed to be facilitating the break out of Wonderland.

"The Ghoul that escaped was one that we captured during the operation at the Auction." The director said while taking another puff of his cigarette. "Having him would have given us access to a plethora of information that could have been beneficial to tracking down the Ghouls terrorizing the streets or the rise in the drug Mist. Losing him was a great loss against our war against Ghouls."

Ravn almost couldn't believe his eyes and ears. His gaze flickered helplessly back and forth as he swiftly started to sift through the pictures. Seonghwa meeting up with a few other Ghouls. Getting in a van with them. Taking off down the road. How was this the same man that had had countless conversations with him about removing the scum from the city and being a hero? Where was the man that wanted to avenge his lost brother? 

"But why would Seonghwa want to help a Ghoul?" Ravn asked puzzled. "I don't understand?"

The director just leaned forward in his chair, snuffing his cigarette out in the nearby crystal ashtray, and tapped one of the discarded pictures. "This was all the reason he needed."

It was a close-up picture of the Ghoul that Seonghwa had helped escape. Red hair with bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. It was the same man from the ice rink pictures.

"I-" Ravn was at a loss for words. A Ghoul? He did everything for a chance to shack up with some guy? The agent felt anger start to well up in his chest. What happened to the other's morals? His sense of justice? Ravn thought of all his fallen brothers and sisters who had died at the hands of one of these monsters. That Seonghwa just gave it all up for some lay.

The agent didn't waste another second. Disgusted at his once-respected colleague, he threw the pictures in his hands back down on the desk and looked up at the director with determination.

"What do I have to do?"

XxX

"Ow! Watch it!" Mingi hissed as the Q-tip covered in antiseptic left his injured cheek.

"Aw, did the little baby get a little sting on his owie?" Wooyoung cooed mockingly as he tried to go back in with the antiseptic to clean the wound again. It was already looking like it would heal nicely but Yunho, being slightly paranoid at his human boyfriend's injury, insisted on keeping the gash nice and treated. 

Still, the blonde Ghoul wondered how he got stuck with this job and not said boyfriend.

"Must be nice being able to heal so fast," Mingi grumbled as he accepted his fate as a patient. "Did Yunho get ahold of this KQ guy yet?

"Should be talking to him now," The other shrugged as he put the Q-tip away and pulled out a bandage. Ripping it open, he carefully aligned it to the injury on the taller's cheek.

"I still don't understand that guy anyway," The human said while tilting his head back to where it tilted off the back of the couch. "Like, I know he is your 'leader' but he is hardly ever around. It feels like Yunho takes care of things more often than he does."

Wooyoung paused in his rummaging of the medical supplies, his face growing a bit somber. "It's...complicated."

Mingi lifted his head up. "Complicated how?" Seeing the Ghoul's hesitation in answering, Mingi rolled his eyes. "I think I know enough now that we have moved past the complicated stage."

"KQ is....well he is the one who kind of brought us all together I guess?" Wooyoung ended his statement with uncertainty. "I'm sure you noticed how different we all are." The blonde said. At the other's nod, he continued. "That didn't exactly happen naturally."

"So how did it happen then?"

The Ghoul sighed, figuring that there really wasn't a way out of this. Not that it really mattered since the others were still off doing something. Damn, where was Yunho and San when he needed them?

"San and sort of met in high school," Wooyoung started, "But we didn't meet Yunho until about a year later." 

- 

"San!" Wooyoung yelled as he watched his friend get tossed down the alleyway after a cheap shot. The blonde turned his head back forward just in time to duck a punch that was thrown at him by the rival gang member they were currently fighting.

Wooyoung continued to duck and weave as the rapid jabs continued their barrage. With a rippling flair, the blonde Ghoul brought out his winged Kagune. With just a flick from one of them, razor-like feather shards flew from the wing and caught the opponent in the shoulder. With a grunt, the rival gang member grabbed onto the injury and stumbled back.

Now free from the rapid onslaught, Wooyoung quickly brought his leg up and landed a spinning kick to the other's head, knocking him straight to the ground. Too easy. 

San and Wooyoung just happened to be minding their own business and walking back to their hideout when two idiots from a neighboring district decided it would be a good idea to try and run one up on them.

Unfortunately for them, they had picked the wrong guys.

Hearing another rather familiar noise of pain, Wooyoung whipped around just in time to see San put his hands together and jam his elbows into the back of the last remaining Ghoul's neck and upper back, instantly knocking him out.

"Nice," The blond nodded, letting his wings disintegrate. It was always a sight to watch; all the little particles floating up to the sky like diamonds before disappearing.

San just nodded as he stepped over the man still on the ground, not so accidentally hitting him with his boot as he did so.

Digging into his pocket, he grabbed something and held it out to Wooyoung. "Lollipop?"

Rolling his eyes, Wooyoung took the offered treat anyway and pulled the wrapper off before popping it into his mouth.

"You know," The blonde muttered around the offered treat. "We do have to get something to eat eventually. We can't just keep curbing the hunger with blood lollipops."

Just as the two were about to leave the alley, there was a crash followed by the sound of clinking glass bottles. The two whipped around just in time to see one of the gang members they had fought with a protruding hole in his chest with something spiked peeking through. 

Suddenly, the sharp object pulled out and the rival member crumpled to the ground. Behind him stood a tall man with black hair and glowing red irises. His thick sharp yellow and blue tail gave a quick swish in the air to flick off the blood before allowing the cells holding the Bikaku Kagune together to dissipate. Immediately the two gang members were on high alert.

"Who are you?" San hissed out, his Koukaku-type Kagune spiraling out from his shoulder blade and around his hand like a drill.

The new Ghoul threw up his hands in a surrender gesture. "Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble." 

"Then why are you here," Wooyoung said while staring the other down. He was not opposed to another fight.

"I heard there were a few troublemakers in the area and wanted to check it out." The other Ghoul shrugged. "I'm Yunho."

"Well, Yunho, nice to meet you but it's time for us to go," San mentioned while grabbing Wooyoung's wrist and trying to pull him away.

"Wait!" Yunho scrambled to keep the others there. The two Ghouls weren't sure why they felt the need to stop and turn back around, but they did.  "Do you want any coffee?"

-  

"After that, Yunho took us to the cafe where we met KQ." Wooyoung explained while finally finishing up his tidying of first-aid supplies. "Said he had been watching us for a while and knew that we wanted out of the game. He offered us an opportunity and we took it. The rest is history."

"So if he is the reason you all work together, why is this KQ guy never around?" Mingi asked as he stood up from the couch and lifted his arms up to stretch, causing a bit of his shirt to ride up and expose his stomach.

Just as Wooyoung opened his mouth to answer the question, the door to the back room opened and Yunho stepped through, looking a bit haggard with messy hair, as if he had been running his hands through it several times. 

"Well, the cafe floor is finally cleaned up," The tall Ghoul sighed as he fell heavily onto the vacated couch across from the other two. "I can't get ahold of KQ though." 

"Do you think something happened to him?" Mingi asked as he walked around the coffee table that separated him from his boyfriend. He took a seat beside the other and reached out to massage Yunho's temples to release some of the stress.

The barista exhaled deeply and allowed himself to accept the attention. He slumped back in the cushion and hummed. "Not sure yet. He isn't always the most available guy."

"He will get back to you," Wooyoung said. "He always does."

"I hope so," Yunho frowned before he went to stand back up. "I'm going to help San with fixing the rest of the cafe."

"No, wait," Mingi pouted. "You've done enough for today. Look at you, you're so stressed out. Come sit back down."

"I wish I could," The barista sighed, "but we need to get that window fixed ASAP to open back up the shop." 

"I'll go help," The human shot back as he quickly stood up. He pushed Yunho back down onto the couch. The Ghoul made an 'oof' as he landed harshly back down onto the cushion. "You stay put!" Mingi hollered as he ran out the door into the main part of the cafe.

"Mingi, wait!" Yunho yelled after him, knowing his efforts were in vain. With a sigh, the Ghoul leaned back.

"Well," Wooyoung said, "he seems like a keeper."

"Yeah," Yunho couldn't help the small smile that overtook his face. "Yeah, he is."

XxX

"Jongho, what do you think you're doing?" Yeosang said as he followed the younger as he stormed out the apartment door. "We're still on medical leave!" 

"I'm going to the lab," Jongho throws over his shoulder as he hits the button for the elevator to the garage. In his hand, he has a familiar-looking box.

Yeosang quickly reaches out and stops the elevator door from closing with his forearm, wincing at the movement pulling on his still sore ribs. "The lab at the CCG? What do you think they're going to do?" He asks as he slips inside.

"I can't hold onto it for much longer," Jongho said as he hit the button. Slowly, the elevator started to descend. "It is deteriorating as we speak. I need to see if they can run a biopsy on the hand and run the fingerprints through the system."

"You think we can figure out who she is if she's still alive?" Yeosang asked. 

The younger agent just nodded. "Either that or the identity of the victim. The family would need to know."

The other agent pressed his lips together thinly and didn't say anything more on the subject. He didn't like that Jongho was still stuck on this one particular Ghoul. He liked it even less that the man was ignoring medical advice. However, if this is what the other needed for some kind of closure, then he would support him as much as he could. 

Together the two of them walked up to Jongho's car, a sleek black number that was spacious and with a slight lift. Jongho stood to the side and opened the car door for Yeosang and handed him the box to hold for safekeeping. The older agent was a bit perturbed by this but took the responsibility anyway.

"Are we going to let Seonghwa know about this?" Yeosang asked from the passenger seat as Jongho closed the door on the driver's side and put on his seatbelt.

"It might be best to keep it from him for now," The younger answered as he started up the car. He quickly reversed out of the spot one-handed and turned to head out of the dimly lit parking garage. 

"Shouldn't he know about this?" Yeosang questioned. "She is a part of Lady Red, who we're chasing? This could be a big breakthrough or a lead?"

"I know but just trust me on this-" Jongho didn't get to finish his sentence when he slammed heavily on the brakes, causing the car to jolt forward. 

Yeosang gasped as he felt the slack in his seatbelt pull tight to keep him from going through the windshield or slamming his head on the dash. The sudden jerk hurt his sore ribs and he felt all the breath leave him for a moment as he forgot how to breathe.

"Jongho what the hell?!" The older agent gasped as he tried to regulate his breathing and rapid heartbeat while looking over at the other.

But Jongho wasn't paying any attention to Yeosang. Instead, his face was pale as he stared out in front of him with his mouth agape. Confused at the lack of response, the other agent turned his head to look out the windshield. What he saw made him nearly choke.

"Xion!?"

XxX

Xion stared over at the bed where the sound of soft breathing filled the room. As soon as they had gotten back to the apartment, Leedo had been sleeping. It must have really taken a lot of energy to heal after a major injury like that. He would definitely need to eat once he awoke.

The former agent quietly walked over to one of the books that Leedo had given him to read earlier in the week. Opening it in the middle, Xion pulled out the slip of cloth that he had found from the battle. When they had gotten back, the ex-agent tried his best to put the cloth in a ziplock bag to preserve the specimen. 

What he was about to do was a risk. A big one. If Leedo knew about this he would for sure kill him. But he had questions and he needed answers. This was his life, dammit. He deserved to know what exactly had happened to him and who was involved.

He needed to hurry if he wanted to be back before Leedo woke up. Slipping on his shoes and a jacket, Xion put the sample in his inside jacket pocket. Once he was sure everything was set, he was out the door.

As he went down the street, Xion couldn't help but feel a building anxiety building in his stomach. This could easily turn out badly but, what was life without a little risk?

After about thirty minutes of walking, Xion turned down the path to a rather familiar street. Heading toward the parking garage, Xion slipped past the sleeping attendant and tried his best to remember what car he was looking for. He walked up a level and slowly scanned each vehicle.

Suddenly, he spotted headlights. 

XxX

The ticking of a clock is followed by the soft thumping sound of the chess pieces as they move across the board. Once one was placed, a hand hit the stop clock and flipped the board that was sitting on a rotating table.

He was growing impatient. Everything he had worked for was slowly starting to unravel and it was beginning to infuriate him. It was swiftly becoming time to stop playing the long game and make some explosive moves. Ones that were enough to rattle the whole board.

He already had the first piece in place.

All that was left now was to sit and wait for the fallout. A snowball effect of change that would shake the whole foundation of trust that was left amongst the group. It was truly a powerful feeling.

Reaching out, the man grabbed one of the black pieces on the board. He held it up to the light and twirled it slightly for a moment before he reached out over the whole board and tapped one of the white pieces, grinning in satisfaction as it topped over with a clack. 

The director leaned back in his chair.

It would all be coming together now.

XXX

Wow, what a year. Did you think I forgot? Thank you all for the kind messages. Even if I didn't respond, I did read and appreciate everything that was sent to me. 

I tried to make up for it with a slightly longer chapter. Things are going to spiral from here so I will try and make even longer chapters from here on out because I really don't want this story to be longer than 60-65 chapters. However, you know how these things can go.

I really hope that people aren't losing interest in this story. Especially because it is more plot-based when I know a lot of people are here for the romance. I also get a little self-conscious about the scenes, especially because even though they are characters based on real people, it can be a struggle. I've never really written a romance so sorry for the hella slow burn!

Hopefully, I will update soon! Please look forward to it and send me any questions! Can't wait for the Ateez comeback!