Seonghwa groaned as his eyes were assaulted by morning light. His head hurt from the few drinks he had last night and the call they had gotten. He finally had a day off before things started to heat up so, for the love of god could he just sleep in.

He made to cover his head with his pillow but it was no use, he was already awake. Frustrated, he threw his cushion to the end of the bed and rolled over. He reached blindly for his phone on the night stand and pulled it off the charger. He glanced at the time. 7:15. Great.

If he couldn't sleep, he might as well mess around for a little bit since he didn't feel like getting up. Sighing with no hope of ever getting a normal amount of rest, he unlocked his phone. He apparently hadn't closed an application last night and that was the first thing that greeted him. It was his contacts page and was still displaying the last contact he had added.

Kim Hongjoong
010-****-1998

Seonghwa bit his lip as he stared at the number. It was rather bold of him to ask for a victim's phone number. He kept telling himself that it was in case anything happened and to make sure he was ok but he knew that wasn't the full truth. While it was true the agent probably had the tiniest bit of a hero complex, there was something about Hongjoong that was intriguing and a little bit endearing. They may have had an unconventional start but he had a feeling that the two of them could become decent friends.

He clicked 'Message' before he had the chance to chicken out.

'Hey, it's Seonghwa. I'm off today and already bored. Fancy catching a movie?'

The agent didn't even review what he had typed before he had hit send to prevent himself enough time to erase everything and forget the whole thing. When he read it over, he cringed at his own phrasing. 'Fancy catching a movie?' What was he, some kind of grandpa?

When five minutes passed without a reply, the man tried not to think too much into it. It was early and any normal human, especially a college student, would definitely not be awake. He tried to suppress the small twinge of jealousy over being able to get a full night's sleep.

Just as he had accepted this fact, he felt his phone buzz from beside him. It was a text from Hongjoong, containing one singular word.

Sure

Seonghwa rolled his eyes at the lack of enthusiasm. He knew everyone had a different texting style and it's hard to judge tone through words. He ignored it and typed a reply.

Great! Pick you up at the cafe around 6. Is that ok?

The only reply he had gotten was a quick thumbs up emoji. It wasn't the most ideal response but it was straight forward and was confirmation enough for him. With confirmed plans now, Seonghwa decided to start his day. He threw off his blanket and hobbled into the kitchen to try and find something to entertain himself until six o'clock.

XxX

Hongjoong stared at the plate in front of him on the back room table. It was early in the morning and the cafe was already filling with smells of pastries and freshly brewed coffee as they prepared to open for the day. So far, the only occupants of the building were the red-head and Yunho.

"Staring at it isn't going to make it eat itself." The blonde remarked as he leaned on the doorway with crossed arms. He had come to check on the other and make sure he was doing ok but the red-head was still in the same exact position he had left him ten minutes ago.

"It's just so...pink." Hongjoong said, poking it with a fork. "Is this what I look like on the inside?"

Yunho chuckled as he made his way further into the room. He took a seat on the couch across from the other. "I would imagine so."

"You know," the student began. "I'm not as weirded out seeing it as I thought I would be. It's just like biology class or the meat at the supermarket....Which is a little concerning."

"Well, if you didn't know what it was, you could assume that it's just something store bought. Except we don't really cook ours," Yunho pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

Hongjoong made a face. "So we have to eat this stuff raw?"

"Well there are some....eccentrics... that like to try and make recipes but there aren't really many of those people." The blond shrugged. "Most of us don't eat for enjoyment. We just eat to live. I guess it just doesn't feel that way to us because we don't know anything different."

At the sight of the other, Hongjoong sighed and put down his fork. "Yunho, I owe you an apology."

The blonde tilted his head in a way that reminded the red-head of a curious dog. "For what?"

"You have been nothing but a saint through all of this and helping me out and I've been nothing but a brat to you." The other admitted, ashamed. "This is all still so new to me and I know there are still so many things I don't understand or feel comfortable with. I'm sure I have been insensitive to you and the others at some point and I have a feeling I will do it again sometime in the future, so, I'm sorry."

Yunho smiled, endeared by the thoughtful apology. He reached forward and patted his friend on the shoulder. "It's ok Hongjoong, you weren't born into this life. I can't imagine the amount of stress and confusion with having your world turned upside down. I understand and I don't take offense. You'll learn."

Hongjoong sighed as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He definitely didn't want to come off as stubborn or ungrateful for everything that the Ghouls had done for him. They had been more than patient with him as he tried to find his feet and he hadn't been the most welcoming in return. Finding a little bit of peace, the red-head took a deep breath and picked his fork back up and went to cut a piece.

Just as his utensil touched the morsel on the plate, there was a bang followed but a rush of noise. Startled, Hongjoong dropped his fork again and jumped. Yunho stood and made his way into the hallway and through to the lobby in a rush only to be met with a panting Mingi.

"Yunho!" He yelled excitedly while still trying to catch his breath. He must have been running. "I made it!" He said triumphantly.

The blond didn't move as he tried to process what had just happened. Mingi didn't seem to mind this and glanced down at himself and picked up his shirt between his forefinger and thumb and took a sniff at it. "Oof, I should go change. My bike chain broke so I had to run the whole way here!"

The tall brunette went to push past his friend towards the back room and Yunho seemed to snap out of his stupor then. Remembering that Hongjoong was back there eating, the blonde panicked for a way to stop him. Catching the clock just behind the other's shoulder, he found his reason.

"Stop!" Yunho called in a rush. Mingi jumped at the sudden outburst but it did the trick. He paused and lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "You're late."

"What?" The other questioned incredulously. "Nuh-uh, I made it right on time! Now you have to grab lunch with me."

Yunho shook his head and pointed at the clock behind him. It read 7:10, the exact time that Mingi was supposed to be there, however, it was almost to the hour, meaning that he was late by mere seconds.

"Oh come on!" Whine the brunette. "It is still 7:10, I should technically be on time."

Yunho just wagged his finger and tutted. "Nuh-uh-huh! I won the bet. Guess you get to do what I say for a day of my choice."

Mingi whined at Yunho saying that he was being unfair but the other wouldn't hear it. Instead he went behind the counter and reached in one of the under cabinets for an apron. He grinned smugly as he shoved the garment into the brunette's chest.

"Why don't you cry about it while starting another batch of coffee, huh?" The other went to protest again when the back door swung open, revealing Hongjoong walking into the lobby area while frowning at his phone.

"Hyung!" Mingi yelled enthusiastically, causing his smaller friend to jump and nearly drop his phone. "I didn't know you were here already?"

"Ah, yeah," the music student quickly tried to recover while rubbing at the back of his head.. "I, uh, came in early today."

"Did you finish eating?" Yunho asked with a rather pointed look.

Hongjoong looked away, suddenly shy. "A little..." He said quietly.

The blonde sighed. That meant he either didn't finish it or didn't eat any at all. He really hoped that he could get over this mental block he had that was holding himself back from accepting this new way of life. Yunho didn't say anything more as he went towards the back room to clean up in case anyone else walked in.

With the head barista now gone, Hongjoong looked back at his phone. Mingi shuffled closer and leaned down to place his chin on the older's shoulder to read from behind before the other could hide his device. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Yah!" Hongjoong whirled around, startled and slapped the other on the arm. He had just received a text from Seonghwa, asking if he had wanted to go see a movie. He was trying to figure out how to respond when he had walked into the room and realized that his lanky friend was present.

"A movie? Does Hongjoonie have a hot date?" The brunette teased. "You better not try and replace me."

The red-head bit his lip and averted his gaze. He wasn't sure if he should tell Mingi who had texted him. In regards to the recent changes, his best friend has been kept entirely out of the loop. Hongjoong was punched with a sudden sense of guilt. In the past, the two of them shared everything. Food, homework, their deepest darkest fears and secrets. He felt like he was betraying the other, not telling him what had happened and what he has become but he knew there was no way that he could. There was no telling how he would react and Hongjoong didn't want to change in Mingi's eyes. He always wanted to be that same boy that he suddenly talked to at the river.

The student glanced down at his phone once more before looking at his smiling friend. Maybe this was one development in his new life he could share. "His name is Seonghwa. He is a CCG agent and he helped me out a while ago. I guess he is bored and wanted to see if I'd go to a movie with him."

"CCG?" Mingi said, surprised. "Why would you run into one of them? Did something happen again?"

Hongjoong felt his guilt increase. "Nothing major, just a little scuffle."

"Are you for real?" The pitch in his voice became a little shrill. "Hyung, why aren't you telling me these things? First the car accident and now this? I feel like anytime you go out now, something happens!"

'Car accident?' The red-head was confused for a moment before he had remembered his little white lie to explain his two week absence. It really did feel like he was always in trouble since this all started. His life had never been so exciting before. "I know, I'm sorry. I just felt it wasn't that important."

"I think your life is a little more than important," The other rebutted, "and besides, when did something have to be important to talk about? I would call you just to tell you of an interesting butterfly I saw in the park."

Hongjoong suppressed a smile. That he did. "Fine, I promise I'll be more forthcoming from now on but I don't know what to say."

"Yes is what," Mingi crossed his arms. "He helped you out so he probably isn't a bad guy. Just repay him with a movie. It's not like it's a date."

The red-head felt his cheeks start to burn at the suggestion. Just a second ago he had teased that it was a date. He coughed behind his hand to hide his embarrassment. Well, Wooyoung did ask him to keep an eye on the guy. "Fine, I'll message back."

Mingi leaned back over the smaller's shoulder as he typed his reply. "Just 'sure'? Wow, you really know how to woo a guy."

Hongjoong elbowed Mingi in the gut. He knew his friend was only teasing but couldn't resist the jab. "Shut it, we are just going to hang out. He was nice and keeps checking up on me to make sure I'm ok."

Mingi hummed as if he didn't quite believe it. "Just don't think you can go and replace me ok? You owe me a sleepover and some ice cream for keeping secrets."

"Will do," The student chuckled before he felt his phone vibrate. He glanced down to check the messages. He was all set up for tonight. He just hoped that he could finally have a normal evening for once.

XxX

Jongho groaned as he felt a crick in his neck. He sat up rubbing at his sore shoulders and rolling his head, trying to regain feeling. Once a little more awake, he looked around his surroundings to realize he was still in the office. He felt something slide down his shoulders. He glanced down to see another jacket laid over his back. Jongho reached for it and smiled. Yeosang must have left it.

"Rough night?" Jongho turned his head at the other voice in the room. Xion was standing by the doorway with his arms crossed. He looked like he was just arriving to work.

"What time is it?" The other said with a yawn as he scratched his head.

Xion stood from where he was standing and walked closer. He leaned his back against the neighboring desk. "9:30, everyone seems out for the day since there isn't a lot going on until the next crime scene."

Jongho sighed and scrubbed at his face. Even though he got some sleep he still felt exhausted. Guess desks really weren't that comfortable. "Figure I should go home then."

"Wait a sec," the other put his hands out to stoop any movement. "It's been awhile since we've been placed on the team together but we've hardly had a chance to talk."

Jongho paused. He was about halfway out of his chair when the other stopped him. He sat back down. "Yeah it has been awhile, hasn't it? We haven't gotten a chance to spend any time together since I left. How were things?"

Xion shrugged. "Eh, same old, same old I guess you could say." Then he grinned devilishly. "They still haven't fixed the simulation panel in training room 8 after you accidentally smashed it."

Jongho blushed and rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly, "Oh really? That was almost a year ago."

The brunette shrugged, "What can I say? You really did a number on it." There was a brief lapse in silence and then, "So... the team, huh?'

The younger smiled, "Yeah, the team. They're a good group. Seonghwa is a reliable leader and Yeosang's a bit of a stickler but I think he is warming up." He unconsciously gripped the jacket resting on his shoulders.

"Ah, that's a relief!" Xion leaned back and sat on top of the desk, kicking his feet up. "I was a bit worried when I got this assignment. Truth is, I just got my early release about a month and a half ago and now I'm here. I honestly don't know that much about my own team."

"Really?"

The other nodded. "Yeah, I can tell that Ravn has a good head on his shoulders and Hwanwoong seems to act more like the maknae than I do. It seems like a good group, though. We just haven't been put to the test yet."

"I'm sure it will all work out. We are both pretty new teams so we can figure it out together." Jongho reassured his friend.

Xion smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure. We were trained for this after all. Hey, did you want to grab some brunch? It's kind of useless to be the only ones here and I know of a pretty good place."

"Sure," Jongho stood up from his seat. He carefully removed the jacket from his shoulders. Xion raised an eyebrow but didn't comment as his friend carefully folded the jacket and set it on the chair. Together they turned and headed out the door, happy to be spending time together again after so long.

XxX

Hongjoong scuffed his shoe into the dirt as he waited outside of the cafe at the agreed time. After his morning shift he had time to go home and take a shower. He was wearing a white oversized shirt and black jeans and combat boots. A black bomber jacket was thrown on top for warmth in the increasingly cold weather. He kept in his small silver hoop earrings and threw on a silver chain necklace and a ring or two because he felt naked without them.

To complete the outfit he threw a black beanie on top that he unconsciously tugged at like a nervous habit. He was getting used to his new hair color but it still felt a little out of place because, despite it being weeks, it was still incredibly vibrant. He had even tried to dye it over once but the color just wouldn't stick. It seemed he was stuck as a red-head for the time being.

Hongjoong twisted a ring around his index finger before he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to spot a smiling Seonghwa. His mouth suddenly went dry with nerves. He may have been asked to keep tabs on him, but the red-head was not confident in his ability to not get caught. Besides, how was he supposed to act? Hongjoong was sure he would get caught.

"Hey, I hope I didn't keep you waiting!" Rushed the other. It was the first time Hongjoong had seen the agent out of his suit and, even though he looked nice in it, it was a bit of a shock to see him in "civilian" clothing. He was dressed casually but effortlessly suave in black jeans, a white turtleneck, and a black leather jacket. His dark hair was fluffy with one side swooped back like a modern day greaser. The red-head blushed when he suddenly realized they were wearing "couples" outfits with a matching color scheme.

"You look nice." Seonghwa commented. Either he had noticed the coincidence and chose not to comment or he was genuinely oblivious. Whichever it was, Hongjoong was grateful that more attention wasn't drawn to it. "Shall we head out?"

The red-head nodded and together they turned to make their way towards the nearest CGV, which just so happened to be in the Lotte Tower Mall a few subway stops away. They walked in silence to the nearest station and headed down the stairs. They scanned their T-Money cards and went down the escalator. They were a little early as they stood waiting for their train.

"You covered your hair up." Seonghwa said, breaking the silence for the first time in five minutes.

"Uh, yeah," Hongjoong said while pulling subconsciously at the hair peeking out. "I'm still not quite used to the color-" He was cut off as he felt his hat being pulled off of his head.

"Yah!" The red-head yelled as he looked over to see Seonghwa grinning while holding his hat pinched between two fingers.

"Give that back!" Hongjoong jumped and tried to grab back his hat but Seonghwa just lifted his arm up. Unfortunately, the agent was taller and his arms were fairly long. The red-head growled in frustration before crossing his arms and pouting. The other laughed but took pity on his companion and gave him his hat back.

"I like your hair," Seonghwa said. "The red suits you."

Hongjoong took his hat back while avoiding the other's gaze with a mumbled 'thanks'. He could feel his cheeks warming again. He stuffed the hat in his pocket.

It was then music played from overhead and a voice announced the arrival of their train. It slowed and the two waited patiently for the doors to open and people to get out. They stepped on but the subway was busy and there were no seats available. It was a very busy station and more people tried to shove their way inside.

The student felt a hand on his arm and he stumbled as he was pulled forward and into a chest to make more room. He looked up to see Seonghwa staring straight ahead. Hongjoong swore that he would never regain normal pallor in his cheeks at this rate.

The train ride was quiet as there were too many people to talk and they didn't want to disturb anyone. About five stops later, Hongjoong shivered as he felt breath on his ear. Seonghwa had leaned down to whisper to him. "This is our stop."

The train slowed but the door they had to exit from was on the opposite end through the crowd of people. The agent grabbed the music student's hand to not lose each other as they shuffled through the people. They made their way through the crowd and up the stairs into the underground entrance of the mall. It was only when they were a little into the mall area that they realized they were still holding hands. Seonghwa quickly dropped it as if he had been burned and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. It was his turn to have red cheeks now.

"Sorry," He mumbled before turning towards the rest of the people. "We should go buy our tickets first." Together they headed up to the 5th floor and walked into the Lotte Cinema and over to a ticket purchasing kiosk. Seonghwa selected two tickets to their desired movie.

"Wait," Hongjoong put a hand on his companion's arm. "You don't have to by my ticket."

"Don't worry about it," The agent waved off. "It's only $5, it can't hurt. Besides, I never paid for that coffee the other day so think of it as my compensation."

Seonghwa selected two seats next to each other and printed the tickets. He took his and handed the extra to his companion for safe keeping. "We still have some time left, want to grab a bite?"

Hongjoong panicked for a moment and glanced around trying to figure out an excuse. "I-I'm not really hungry. I could go for a coffee though."

Seonghwa shrugged one shoulder. "Sure, I think I saw a Mega Coffee downstairs."

The two went downstairs and found what they were looking for through the din of shoppers. They placed their orders and sat down at a table. This was more awkward than Hongjoong thought it would be. He had no idea what to say or what to talk about. How did someone start a conversation with the guy who had saved their life but now had to spy on?

Seonghwa seemed to notice this atmosphere and sighed. "This wasn't a good idea, huh?"

"No, no, it isn't like that at all!" Hongjoong was quick to wave his hands in the air and placate the other. "I guess I'm just a little nervous. I only ever really hang out with my friend Mingi so it's all kind of new for me."

The agent raised his eyebrow, "You only have one friend?"

"Well no," defended the red-head, "But I'm only really close to one person."

"C'mon, it can't be that hard." Seonghwa leaned back in his chair and brought his coffee, a caramel macchiato, up to his lips. "So, I know that you work but do you also go to school?"

Hongjoong nodded. Instead of taking a drink, he fiddled with his cup. He was happy that he still had this one thing from his old life. He was pretty sure his blood was caffeine at this point. "Yeah, I go to school for Music Production."

The agent raised an eyebrow. "Music? Wow, that's so cool. Would you ever let me listen sometime."

The red-head hummed, suddenly much more at ease with a subject he knew and loved well. "That depends. What do you know about music?"

Seonghwa shrugged one shoulder. "Probably not as much as you but I was in a band in high school."

Hongjoong scoffed behind his hand, trying to imagine the other singing on stage. "Oh yeah. I can imagine you were a hit with all the ladies."

The other detected the sarcasm but played along. "But of course, we were a hit at all the birthday parties."

The red-head couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed. He felt the tension leave his shoulders and the nervousness seep out. He knew Seonghwa was a good guy. He didn't know why he had to be so nervous. It wasn't like he was going to leap across the table and chop his head off. He just had to be a little more careful is all.

The two sat there chatting some more before it was time to head towards their movie. They threw their cups away and headed back up. They both decided to forgo popcorn since neither of them seemed very hungry and showed their tickets to the usher. She waved them through and they found their seats. It was a typical action flick with the muscled and rugged main character who came to save the day and get the girl. Hongjoong didn't mind though. The lack of a unique plot gave him time to think.

While watching, he glanced over at his companion as he watched the overly dramatic love confession between the two characters, enthralled. Was this really the same guy that killed Ghouls for a living? The same one who not 30 minutes earlier said he was in a high school band and enjoys watching cringey ASMR videos? Hongjoong just couldn't see it. He looked like a regular man with a big heart to him.

The other looked out of the corner of his eye and caught the student staring and leaned over to whisper. "Is there something on my face?"

The red-head squeaked, not expecting to be talked to and instead sunk down in his seat. Embarrassed, he tried to actually pay attention to the movie. It wasn't long before his eyes started to feel heavy. The next thing he knew is he felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him.

"Hongjoong, wake up." the student groaned as he was moved.

"Five more minutes," his sleepy mumblings were met with a chuckle. Hongjoong cracked his eyes open to see Seonghwa leaned close to his face and the rest of the theater lit up with people leaving. "How long was I out?"

The agent took a step back and let the other sit up, rubbing sleepily at his eyes with a pout. "Oh, about half the movie." He chuckled.

The other groaned. "I should have warned you, I'm not very good at movies."

"It's ok, you didn't miss much." The two made their way out of the theater, nodding in thanks to the cleaning staff outside collecting garbage. "Pretty predictable plot. I'm surprised you could sleep through all the explosions though."

"What can I say, it's like a lullaby." Hongjoong joked. He glanced at his watch as he made his way down the escalator. "It's getting a little late. I should head back soon, I have work early in the morning."

"Sure thing. I know its kind of late for dinner but I was wondering if you would get a snack with me?" The agent asked shyly while rubbing at the back of his neck.

Hongjoong didn't really have a way out of this one. Maybe he could try to fake it? But the food just tasted so horrible. It really was a shame. He really did miss home cooked Korean food. While walking, the red-head tried to look for a distraction. He suddenly stopped walking as he saw the flashing lights of an arcade.

Seonghwa, noticing that his companion wasn't next to him, stopped and turned around. He walked up to the other. "See something you like?"

"You any good?" the student smirked as he pointed a thumb over to a claw machine.

The agent smirked, accepting the challenge. "Come on, I'll show you what I can do."

The two made their way into the arcade area and the claw machine. Seonghwa slipped in some money as the claw activated. He tapped the joy stick to the left and to the right two times. "Anything you wanted?"

Hongjoong didn't waste any time and pointed to the Minion plushie that was sandwiched between a Moomin and a Pikachu. Seonghwa nodded and moved the joystick over to that area. A small part of his tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. The student found it endearing to watch. He adjusted the claw once more before hitting the red button. The claw descended and made to grab the Minion. It grabbed the plushie and pulled but it wasn't strong enough and dropped the Minion. Seonghwa cursed.

"I thought you said you were good at this," Hongjoong teased. The agent rolled his eyes before inserting another dollar. He shuffled the joystick, twice to the left, once up, twice to the right, once down, and hit the red button. This time the claw had a better grip and pulled the Minion up. It held on long enough and deposited the prize over the hole. The agent cheered at his success.

Seonghwa reached down and grabbed the small toy. He stood back up and handed it to his companion. Hongjoong grabbed it and blushed. "Th-thanks. You didn't have to do that."

The agent shrugged. "No big deal. I love these things." He tapped the machine. "Here, I know a nice little place to grab a bite to eat. It won't take long."

The student tensed. It figured his distraction wasn't enough and would still have to figure something out. He sighed, resigning to his fate. He followed the other down another escalator and outside under an awning by the street. They were met with pouring rain.

"Man, it must have started when we were at the movie." the dark haired of the two bemoaned.

"Guess we have to take a rain check on dinner," Hongjoong quipped.

Seonghwa wrinkled his nose at the bad pun. "That was terrible."

The red-head laughed and pulled the Minion a little closer to his chest. "Any chance it will slow down soon?"

The other looked up at the sky and tried to gauge the weather through the darkness. "I don't think so, we might just have to brave the rain."

"That's what I was afraid of." Hongjoong sighed, "I live kind of far from here. Maybe I'll run into a wet t-shirt contest that I can enter on the way there."

Seonghwa snorted before nudging the other in the ribs. "C'mon, my place is close to here. We can run over and wait the rain out or I could get my car and drive you home."

Hongjoong pursed his lips into a thin line. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hang out with the other and hide the fact that he wasn't eating. "I could just take a taxi, no big deal."

"I insist," Seonghwa reassured. "I want to make sure you get home ok."

"It really is ok. My subway station isn't far from here," Hongjoong tried to back away but bumped into two teenagers chasing each other. In their haste, the kids didn't notice someone moving into their path and Hongjoong lost his balance. He couldn't regain his footing and tripped over a loose rock in the pavement. He dropped his plush and fell into a puddle.

"Hongjoong!" Seonghwa hollered, watching it happen. He had tried to reach for him but was a tad too far away. The teenagers, seeing what they had done, muffled an apology before hurrying away. The agent shot them a look before offering Hongjoong a hand. The red-head reaches to take it but winced as the palm of his hand stung. He had slid it on the pavement trying to catch his fall.

"Looks like you scraped up your hand there," Seonghwa looked over to the water logged prize on the ground. "Poor Minion too."

"Dave," Hongjoong mumbled as he tried to stand up. He was embarrassed to have fallen over like that. Seonghwa raised an eyebrow. "That minion's name is Dave. From Despicable Me."

"You really like those things, huh?" The agent smiled as he helped the other up. "I guess there is no point in fighting coming over now, since you're already wet. I can loan you a warm, dry set of clothes and wrap up your hands before driving you home."

Knowing there was no point in arguing, Hongjoong nodded and bent over to pick up his fallen gift. He looked at the pitiful thing and tried to squeeze out the water. "We can wash and dry him too. Then he will be as good as new." the other tried to salvage.

"Which way?" The red-head asked. Seonghwa pointed in a general direction before shedding his jacket and draping it over Hongjoong's head. "Hey, don't do that. Then you'll be cold. Besides, I have a jacket."

"It's fine," The other shrugged off. He then grabbed the red-head's hand and pulled him along. Together they ran through the rain. Seonghwa wasn't lying when he said he lived close by. They ran maybe two blocks before they stopped at a high-rise building, both dripping wet.. Hongjoong stared up in awe.The area around Lotte Tower was not known to be cheap so he was amazed that Seonghwa could afford something so nice. But he figured the pay being in the CCG was nice considering their lives were in danger every day.

Seonghwa typed in the main building code and the glass door slid open. They entered inside, drops of water sloughing off of them as they made their way into an elevator. He pressed a button for the 15th floor.

Despite being so high up, the elevator ride felt like it lasted two seconds. The automated voice announced the floor before sliding the doors opened revealing a long hallway with one door at the end. Seonghwa walked forward and Hongjoong hurried to follow. He typed in his door code and held it open for the other to enter.

The red-head stepped in and removed his shoes before looking up and staring in awe. It was a modern looking apartment with clean lines. Lots of blacks, whites, and chromes. Not to mention it seemed very spacious. Hongjoong didn't realize he had been staring until he felt something touch his nose. He blinked to see Seonghwa smiling.

"You had water dripping off your nose. Come on, I'll go grab you a towel." The agent brushed past the other and further inside. Hongjoong stood still as to not track water onto the perfectly polished floors. Seonghwa returned shortly with two towels. One was draped around his shoulders with one end in his hands drying his hair and he tossed the other to the red-head. He scrambled to catch it as it slapped his chest.

Hongjoong stood and patted himself dry as best he could before stepping into further into the apartment. He threw the towel over his shoulders and started rubbing at his hair as he walked into the living room. He ran his fingers on top of the back of the black leather couch.

"Wow, if the CCG can afford this place, maybe I should sign up." The student joked with a sly smile.

Seonghwa snorted, "I wouldn't if I were you. You seem to attract trouble wherever you go."

'You don't even know the half of it.' Hongjoong thought before he sneezed. He shivered lightly.

"Oh, wait, I should get you a change of clothes. You must be freezing. Don't want you catching a cold." The red-head didn't even get a chance to protest before the other was out of the room and presumably going to his bedroom. The other emerged a few moments later with some folded garments.

"You can change in my room or the bathroom if you want."

"The bathroom is fine," There was something strangely intrusive about going into another person's bedroom when you hardly knew the person. Seonghwa just pointed to a room down a hall.

"Aren't you going to change?" He paused right before going in.

"I'll do it in a little bit." The other offered as a way of explanation. "Then we can clean up your hands from that scrape."

Hongjoong just shrugged and closed the door behind him. When he turned around he was amazed. If he thought the living room was extravagant, then the bathroom was a whole other level. There was a spacious shower with shining chrome fixtures and neatly organized toiletries. There was plenty of counter space for the various skin care products and a large mirror. The toilet had so many button functions that Hongjoong didn't even know what half of them could possibly be for. For a bathroom in crowded Seoul, this apartment was the epitome of luxury to the poor college student.

Realizing he was wasting time, Hongjoong quickly pulled his shirt off to change. He grabbed the knitted sweater that he had placed on top. It was cream colored and soft to the touch. It also smelled amazing. The student wasn't sure if he would ever want to give it back.

He slipped it over his head quickly. It was a little big and the sleeves were long. He pushed them up for a moment before unfolding the pants. It was a black and white plaid pair of PJ pants. They, too, were soft. They were sure to be different pant sizes so it was a good thing that they had a drawstring that he tied tightly. They were too long as well, but that was to be expected since the other was taller.

Fully dressed, he opened the door only to stop at the sound of someone talking. Was someone else here? Hongjoong crept out quietly towards the end of the hallway. He spotted Seonghwa facing away and talking on the phone.

"He attacked? When?" The student ducked behind the wall to keep out of sight even though the other hadn't moved. Seonghwa sighed and rubbed his face in exasperation. "The one day I'm off....Where was it?"

The person on the other end must have said something the agent didn't like because in the next moment he whispered a curse. "I was just over there. I can't believe it. You know our time frame now, everyone on high alert for the next week and intense patrols of the area but don't get spotted. We can't alert them that we know the approximate area where Lady Red will strike."

Hongjoong's eyes widened from where he was huddled listening. Was he talking about the Butcher? And who was Lady Red? Seonghwa moved and the red-head shuffled closer to the wall to try and not be seen. Luckily, he just moved around the room and didn't turn around to spot the other spying.

"Any signs of that drug?" There was a pause. "Good. The last thing we need is a drugged up mass killer."

'Drug? The same drug that the Ghoul who attacked me had?' Seeing that Seonghwa was almost done with his conversation, Hongjoong backed up a few steps to make it look like he wasn't listening in.

"Ok, I'll be there soon." Seonghwa hung up the phone and turned at the sound of the bathroom door opening. "All finished?"

The red-head nodded. "Going somewhere?"

The agent rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. "Duty calls."

"Work?" Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. "At this hour?'

"No rest for the wicked I guess," He joked. "I'll still drop you off at your place though."

"You're not going to change first?"

Seonghwa pinched a bit of his shirt between his thumb and forefinger to inspect it. "I think I've dried off enough. I don't really have a lot of time."

"If that's the case, don't worry about me." the student placated. "There is no reason for you to go all the way out there and then backtrack. It is still early enough that I can take the subway."

"Are you sure?" The agent asked. Hongjoong just nodded. "Ok, I'll head out. You can stay here and dry off a bit more if you want. Or I have some food in the fridge. Help yourself."

The red-head raised an eyebrow. "You really trust me like that?"

Seonghwa shrugged before giving a cheeky smile. "Just don't throw a party and we're all good."

The agent grabbed his car keys before heading towards the door. Hongjoong followed him to the door. The student looked at him a little concerned. "Be careful, ok?"

Seonghwa smiled softly at the show of concern. He reached a hand out. Hongjoong winced a little in reflex, but the next thing he felt was a hand on his head. The agent ruffled his hair and Hongjoong pouted before the other finally exited the apartment.

The student stared for a moment after the door had closed behind the other. Once there was no sign of Seonghwa returning, Hongjoong walked back into the living room to retrieve his clothing. He had a phone call to make.

Notes:

Wow y'all. Almost 1K reads between posting the last chapter and this one! I went through my notifications and counted that Asphyxia was added to 50+ reading lists CRAZY! I'm so glad so many people enjoy my work because I enjoy doing it. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!

While I do love writing Asphyxia and the last chapters have been coming to me like crazy, I would enjoy a break to explore other storylines. I probably wont start them for awhile but wanted feedback on what you guys might want to see from me in the future!

Here are the ideas:

-SNS/ Social Media AU (newly debuted idol Seonghwa and struggling music production student Hongjoong) w/ everyone making appearances of course.

-Ateez video game AU: Hongjoong and his friends get sucked into a video game one day and meet 4 other boys that share his fate. They have to fight and win the game to escape. (I haven't decided if I want it to be just a Call of Duty/military thing or have every level be a different game. What do you think?)

-Vampire Seonghwa (because I just feel like there are not enough ang I want to contribute to the Seonghwa vampire agenda) not much developed on this one, I just like the idea.

-If you are a DCAMU fan: DamiRae AU based on Apokolips War where Raven actually goes with Damian to the League of Assassins

**The art in this chapter is by the same artist of the last! Enjoy one-eyed Ghoul Yunho. If you want to send in art or an edit, feel free! I would love to showcase your work and talent. It doesn't even have to be Ghoulish!