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whatsk-poppinhomies · 3 years ago

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𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚!𝐘𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐞 𝐱 𝐅!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 : 𝐍𝐨𝐧!𝐈𝐝𝐨𝐥 𝐀𝐔 ; 𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐀𝐔 ; 𝐓𝐖 : 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 ; 𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 ; 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 ; 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 ; 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 ; 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭 ; 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 ; 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟-𝐢𝐬𝐡 ; 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧/𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 ; 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : 𝟗.𝟎𝐤

Being in the mafia wasn’t like what most people thought. Animes and tv shows had some people thinking it was all dark, sleezing around alleyways in the middle of the night and wreaking havoc on whichever city you lived in. It was nothing like that though, not all the time, at least not for the crew he was in. Things were greasy, but it was always like that when you were part of something as shady as he was, but it wasn’t always like that. They were like a family, all of them, and when they weren’t out running jobs for the boss, they were having dinner and drinks together, talking like brothers. They cared for each other like family, they loved each other like brothers, and after everything they had done together, the bond they had was stronger than any families would be, but sometimes there was something that was stronger than that bond, more important than that sense of family, and all it took was to find that something to show just how much that family wasn't needed.

“What do you mean you couldn’t do it?!” The boss shouted, eyeing Yonghee specifically. He had been in charge of whacking out one of the people that owed the boss money, he didn’t even know the guy, but he was supposed to get rid of the whole family as a warning to anyone else that owed money to them. “I gave you one simple job… You got something wrong with your head or something? You didn’t hear me right?”

Yonghee swallowed thickly, but he wasn’t going to show any fear in the face of his boss, he wouldn’t show any weakness. “I got the rest of them, I did.” He defended himself, but the rest of his crew started laughing from behind him, the shot glasses being slammed down on the countertop had him jumping slightly. “I shook her up enough. She isn’t going to say anything.”

The boss scoffed in disbelief, looking between Yongee and the others who sat behind him, his laughter filling the room, but right now it didn’t sound nearly as lighthearted as it usually did. “Are you hearing this? Let the girl live! Sounds like our friend is going soft, is that what it is?” Yonghee quickly shook his head, fearing the worst with the way that the boss was staring him down. “I want you to follow her everywhere she goes. That’s gonna be your job from now on. Make sure she doesn’t talk to anybody. Can’t afford to get pinched just ‘cause you wanted to have a heart.” There was nothing else for Yongee to say, so he simply nodded, his head dropping with shame as the boss walked out of the small club room, the only sound that could be heard now over the pounding of his heart in his ears was the laughter of the rest of the crew behind him.

The sound of the gunshot from one of the other guys had her jumping in her chair, her hands bound behind her back and her feet tied to the legs of the chair she had been forced to sit in. It was the strangest thing, she didn’t struggle, she didn’t fight against him when he had dragged her into the room, she only looked upset… But who wouldn’t be in a situation like this? She didn’t struggle against the ropes that she was tied up with, she only kept her eyes shut, bracing herself for what she thought would come next.

In a way, her reaction was intriguing… Pitiful, but intriguing all the same. She wouldn’t fight for her life, which was strange in itself. Of course, Yonghee was left with the assignment of getting rid of her while the other members got rid of the girl's parents and cleaned that mess up, and that gave him time to really look her over. Her eyes were glassy with the tears that continued to stream down her cheeks, but he was able to tell immediately that those tears weren’t for herself, but for the family that she had just lost. That was the first mistake he had made, looking into her eyes, letting himself get lost in them as they stared widely up at him. “Why don’t you fight?” He asked, trying to pull his own eyes away from hers only to land on bruises and cuts that littered her short clad legs and thighs, the marks traveling up higher and disappearing beneath the clothes that she was wearing.

“I don’t think I have anything left to fight for now…” She responded, her words choked off, being punctuated with a soft sob. “I won’t have anywhere to go now when my boyfriend comes home drunk and angry… So if you don’t finish me off, I’m sure he will.” It was cynical and dark, her thinking, but for some reason, looking at her and knowing that there was someone else who’d hurt her for no other reason than being drunk had him fuming inside.

Why should he be the one to end her when there was already someone somewhere else that could finish the job and get in trouble for it. It wouldn’t even come down on him and his guys if she were to be found. It was an easy out. “Hmm…” He hummed, undoing the ropes from her arms and legs before taking a step back, watching as she twirled her wrists and her ankles, but she looked confused by his actions. “I’m not going to risk getting pinched for this when your boyfriend could do it.” He said nonchalantly, tossing the ropes to the floor at her feet before turning on his heel. “And you’d better not say anything about this. Just go back to your boyfriend and act like nothing ever happened.” Yonghee said, but he knew that his reasoning wasn’t just that… It wasn’t that at all to be honest. He just didn’t want to be the one to kill her. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, and it wasn’t because he was going soft, it was because when he looked at her, he saw something that he couldn’t quite place, and when he heard that her boyfriend hurt her, he felt the sudden urge to protect her.

Finding out where she lived with her boyfriend was easy, and Yonghee would stay parked outside of their apartment all day, waiting to see if she’d come out, his keys sitting idly in the ignition, waiting to be turned just in case he started walking somewhere. He had to follow her, it was the boss's orders, not that he was disappointed with the job he was put on, it meant that he could be with her always, even if she didn’t know that he was there.

“Screw you! You’re shit! You’re a piece of shit! I fucking hate you!” The sound of screaming came from the main door of the apartment building, and as Yonghee turned to see what was going on, he could see her walking out of the building, her hand cupping her face as he winced with pain. “You’re lousy and you’re good for nothing. You’re just a lazy alcoholic.”

Right after she had come out, she was followed by someone else, presumably her boyfriend who had the smuggest smile on his face as he walked after her. “Oh I’m shit?! That’s why your momma and daddy got whacked off. You and your whole family are cheap shit, that’s why my own dad didn’t want to do business with yours. Bet the only reason you’re alive is because you gave them some fun.” Yonghees fists tightened around the steering wheel as he listened to the boyfriend talk to her, humiliated her on the street in front of a bunch of people. It was infuriating to say the least, especially since he now found out that she was dating the son of one of the higher members in another mafia family.

She said something back, although Yonghee couldn’t hear it, but her mouth moved as she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned in the boyfriends direction. Before he knew it, before he knew how to even react, the boyfriend had his hand wrapped around the nape of her neck, and now she was fighting, struggling to push him away, but the back of his other hand came up and shot forward, landing right against her face. The sound of her cries of pain were loud, and now that her hand wasn’t covering her face, he could see that her nose and her lips were bleeding.

Something akin to rage shot through Yonghees body as he watched everything play out. He had never seen any of the other men in his family treat their girlfriends or their wives like this, he hadn’t heard any stories about it happening either. He never heard about it, let alone did he think anyone would do something like that out in public, especially if they were the son of a higher ranking member in their own family. It was just something that he couldn’t understand.

There was nothing he could do about it, not right now at least. The last thing he needed to bring down on everyone was a war between the two families, and he knew that if he got involved right now while the boyfriend was still around, it would cause an unneeded amount of bloodshed. That’s not to mention what could possibly happen if he did go over and she recognized him. Would she tell her boyfriend that he was the one who had tied her up and almost killed her? At least he let her go though, right? That has to count towards something…

Even still, there was too much risk attributed to going out and trying to help her right now, he’d have to do it later when the boyfriend wasn’t around. He’d have to plan the whole thing accordingly, and he’d have to make sure that no matter what, her boyfriend never finds out who took her away, who saved her from him.

The streets were filled with people on their daily commutes home from work, the sidewalks packed as everyone tried to get to where they needed to be. Even in the crowd, his eyes followed her as if she were the only one there. Her hair was like a curtain around her face, and although the clouds were blocking out the sun she wore wide framed sunglasses. Most would assume she’s just sensitive to the light of daytime no matter how cloudy it was, but he knew better, he knew what she was really hiding.

Yonghee hadn’t even brought his car for today, deciding that following her on wheels would be too suspicious, that she’d catch on immediately if she saw the same car following her all day, so he decided to travel on foot. He stayed a couple paces behind, his eyes glued to her at every turn, at every crosswalk. It would be impossible to lose her.

The doors to the grocery store slid open, and even when she was inside, she didn’t remove her glasses. That just validated his guess entirely. He was right, and for the first time in his career, he hated that he was right about this. He wasn’t even sure that he’d be able to let her walk back to the house where he knew she was in danger. It was kind of silly the more he thought about it though… He was the one who was supposed to kill her in the first place, yet here he was, trying to figure out the best way to save her. Would his boss even be okay with that?

“I know that you’re following me.” She said as she walked by him, his hand gripping onto the apple that he had been pretending to look at just so that he could be in the same aisle as her. “Look, if you’re tailing me just to make sure I won’t say anything… Don’t waste your time. I haven’t talked to anyone about you.” He didn’t turn around to look at her, not yet at least, and he felt like there was more to her sentence, but she never continued. Instead, she started walking again, and now he was dropping the apple back into its section and walking beside her instead of behind her.

“I’m not following you because of that…” Although that’s what his boss had assigned him to do, the job became far more important to him. It was more than just reading her lips whenever she passed by anyone just to make sure she wasn’t describing him or his crew. It was looking at her lips to make sure there weren’t any cuts on them, to make sure that they weren’t swelling up or the area around them wasn’t bruised. “Your boyfriend is-”

Her eyes went wide, her handing moving in a flash to stop him from talking as she looked around the grocery store. “Don’t. You shouldn’t even be talking to me. Please, stop.” Her voice was a whisper, but it sounded so urgent, so fearful, he could hear it in every word she spoke and every breath that followed afterward. She started walking again, and now he didn’t care. He knew that by the end of the day, he’d have her safe in a place where no one, not even his own boss would be able to find her. “Look… If my boyfriend finds out I’m talking to someone, especially someone like you… There’ll be a war, and I won’t even be around to see what they’ll all say I’ve caused… And they won’t even be able to find my body.” She stopped once more, whipping her head to look up at him, her eyes already glossy and her nose scrunching up as she tried to hold back her tears. “I told you I’ve got nothing to live for… but that doesn’t mean that I want to be missing. I at least want to be buried next to the family that was taken away from me.”

He knew that it was a jab meant at him, especially with the way she looked at him after she had said it. For some reason the blame was being put on him, and maybe that’s just because he was the only one around right now, but she had to have known that he wasn’t the one who had set up the hit. He wasn’t even the one who had killed the parents, it had been the other two guys from his crew. “That wasn’t me… I let you live…” He defended himself, glancing over at her out of the corner of his eye, his voice was hushed, just above a whisper, only loud enough for her to hear him.

“Yeah, well… I’m starting to wish you hadn’t. Now, leave me alone.” How was she able to whisper so loud? He could feel the force behind her words, the anger, the desperation, the sadness. Had she gone to her parents every time her boyfriend hurt her? Were they her safe place? He could see how that could be the case. He could see why she would be mad at him because they were gone. He was the only person she had seen that night, he was the only person that she knew to be mad at. It wasn’t fair, but it made sense.

He had stopped following her, he had left her alone in the grocery store because the least she deserved was some time to shop by herself. It was probably the only time she got to be by herself, and if there was anyone who needed it, it was her. That didn’t mean he wasn’t watching her though. He watched her from the ends of the aisles, walking by and glancing over at her just to make sure she was still okay. At this point, he felt like that was his job, to protect her, to make sure that she was safe instead of the other way around. He knew that if anything were to happen to her, his boss wouldn’t give a shit. They’d probably be more relieved than anything that they didn’t have to worry about her anymore. He wished he didn’t have to worry, and soon, he wouldn’t.

The lights inside the house that she lived in were all being shut out one by one. Yonghee watched intently from the other side of the street, laying back in his car just enough so that he wouldn’t be spotted. One light had stayed on, and in that light he could see the shadows of two people arguing, undoubtedly her and the boyfriend, and although he couldn’t hear what was going on, he could tell that things were getting bad. He could run in there right now, he could end the fight, he could end the boyfriend as well. It wouldn’t take much, he had his gun in the glove compartment and he could easily take out the boyfriend in one shot.

He wouldn’t though. He couldn’t. The boyfriend was too important, and while Yonghee didn’t even know the guy's name, he knew the trouble that would come along with whacking him. He would just wait, and he’d wait, and he’d keep waiting until the time was right to get her out of there. Yonghee knew that it wouldn’t take that long for the opportunity to arise, he had been following her long enough to know that the boyfriend wasn’t home that often which meant that she was alone a lot.

With a loud bang and a couple of audible screams, the boyfriend walked out the front door, slamming it shut behind him and climbing into his own car before speeding off. Did Yonghee think that the chance would come so soon? Absolutely not. But was he happy that he’d be able to get this done faster? Absolutely.

As soon as the boyfriends tail lights disappeared around the corner at the end of the street, Yonghee was out of his own car, running over to the house and sneaking into the backyard. It would be too suspicious if he went through the front door, and he knew that if he knocked she’d just slam the door in his face. He had to move fast, and that meant he’d probably have to do some things that he didn’t want to do, but it was for the sake of her life, so he knew that in the end it was necessary.

The back door was unlocked, which was crazy in itself. A person in the mafia leaving their doors unlocked? It wasn’t normal, especially since there was always the chance that there was someone out to get you, out to get rid of you. Yonghee walked in quietly, trying not to make a sound as he crept through the kitchen, looking around the dark room, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Everything was so quiet, so silent, silent to the point that he could hear the sniffles of someone, that someone being her, coming from a couple rooms over. He dreaded going over to where she was and possibly having to see what had been done to her this time, but he also knew that he was being timed right now, he just didn’t know how much time he had left. The faster he got this done, the more safe she’d be, the more safe he’d be.

As he walked further into the house, one of the floorboards creaked underneath his foot, causing him to stop where he stood, his eyes going wide when he heard the sniffling stop. She was clearly listening out for whatever it could be that caused the noise, and Yonghee could only hope that she wouldn’t come looking. “Jihoon? Is that you?” She asked, her voice timid and weak as she called out for, who Yonghee could only assume was her boyfriend. All the strength that her voice held at the grocery store, all the courage that she had when she had a gun pointed in her face… It was all gone. Whatever this Jihoon guy has done, whatever he does, he makes her weak… And that was infuriating.

There was no time to think, no time to hide, he could hear her footsteps across the floor, and he knew that she’d be coming out of the room soon and she’d see him. He was right in the middle of the room, there was no way that she wouldn’t be able to see him standing there. His entire body was tensed up, and he wished that he could disappear, but now the bedroom door was open and the light from inside was streaming out into the main room, shining right at him like a spotlight. He watched as she froze next to her bedroom door, and although the light behind her had made her face unseeable, he could just tell that she was scared, that she was shocked.

“What are you doing here? Leave! You have to leave! I’ll call him!” At first Yonghee thought she was joking. Why would she call her boyfriend? Did she really think he’d come to protect her after everything that he did to her? Even with all of that, her hand twitched toward something in her pocket, and he could only assume that it was her phone, that she was really about to call her boyfriend to come ‘save’ her. He didn’t have the time to talk her out of it, he knew that she probably wouldn’t listen to him even if he tried. He had to go with his second plan, with the only other plan he had honestly and he hated the fact that he did.

Of course he had to hide her. He couldn’t just take her to his own house and set her up in a room where everyone could see her. He would have loved to, but it was far too risky. The last thing he wanted to do was have her panicking, to terrify her before he could even explain what was going on, but just like everything else, he had no other choice.

The walls of the room were cement, the floors were cement as well, but he had tried his best to fill the room with carpet so that her feet wouldn’t get cold. He had tried to decorate the room as best as he could, but it was hard considering it was the basement of his house that no one had gone into for so long, most people forgot that it even existed. He had to soundproof the walls and the ceilings, and he knew that it looked way worse that it actually was.

There was a bed though, and there was a bathroom, and he had spent days cleaning out the entire basement just so that she’d be a little more comfortable. There was a small fridge and a rice maker and pretty much everything that she’d need to live comfortably down there, at least until he could figure out what to really do. His goal was to get her out of the basement as soon as he possibly could, but also keep her safe from her boyfriend.

She started to stir, her fingers twitching and her eyes fluttering open as the chloroform started to wear off. God, he hated having to do that, he hated seeing the look of fear in her eyes as he held the rag over her mouth. It was the most terrifying walk to his car as well, carrying her in his arms over to the car, hoping and praying that the boyfriend wouldn’t return any time soon while he was putting her in the passenger seat. Hell, at least he cared enough to still buckle her seatbelt before he started driving.

“Where… Where am I? What is all this?” She mumbled, her voice still laced with the sleepiness that the chloroform had caused her. He watched from the other side of the room as she took everything in, her eyes going wide and her breaths visibly becoming more shallow, more panicked as her chest rose and fell quickly. “Where am I?!” She shouted, her eyes finally landing on him. He thanked himself for soundproofing the entire basement before taking a step closer to the bed he had placed her on. She moved back, her back against the headboard and her knees brought up to her chest.

He shook his head, his steps calculated as he walked a little further until he was standing at the end of the bed. “Please listen… You’re not here because I want to hurt you… You’re here because I want to protect you. Okay… You’re in my basement.” She looked around the room once more, her eyebrows furrowing, the sound of her swallowing thickly could be heard clearly from where he stood. “I know you’re scared but-”

“We’re both going to die…” She whispered, her nails digging into the thick blankets on the bed, her head finally dropping with her realization. “I told you to stay away from me. You don’t listen very well. Maybe that’s why you didn’t kill me when you were supposed to. You just suck at taking directions.” He pursed his lips, running his hand through his hair as he shook his head at her. “You couldn’t have possibly done this to protect me. You do know what the outcome of this is going to be, right?”

He shrugged his shoulders, looking around the room that he had redecorated just for her. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t look at all like a prison or a torture cell. “The outcome is what you want it to be. If you keep shouting, someone is bound to hear you and then we’re both screwed. If you’re quiet though, I can work something out for the both of us.” He took the final step towards the bed, lowering himself down onto the edge of it and running his hands over his face with a loud yawn. “Not even my crew knows you’re here right now… It’s only me. If they find out, they’ll kill you themselves to keep a war from happening.” She rolled her eyes, but ended up reluctantly nodding her head, lowering herself down onto the bed and curling up under the blankets. “If you need anything to eat, there’s a phone in the bedside table drawer. It’s brand new…” She reached into the drawer of the table and pulled the phone out, looking over it like it was some kind of unknown device before looking back up at him. Her confusion was evident, and he was pretty sure he knew exactly what it was about. “I trust you enough to know you won’t text him or anyone else… Please don’t break that trust.”

You sat on the bed in the basement of Yonghees house, and strangely enough, it had become home to you just as much as your own house had been. You didn’t need to scratch lines into the wall or the floor to keep track of the time, he had put a calendar up in the room where you could keep track of the days and how many had passed since you had been there.

As of right now it had been two months since he had taken you away from your home. You could remember how upset you had been, how terrified you had been when you had first woken up, but he had long since explained why he did what he had to do. It’s not like his explanation makes it any better, but it at least made sense as to why he thought he had to do it. It was something that you brought up to him often, and he’d always apologize profusely for terrifying you the way he did, and you could tell in the tone of his voice that he felt absolutely terrible about what he had done.

It wasn’t only the way he talked though, it was the things that he did. It was strange, kind of silly, but mostly strange how he found a way to treat you better from his basement than your boyfriend did while you were in the same room. Yonghee would ask if you wanted to have a specific dinner, and if you said you wanted to get a meal from a restaurant, he’d apologize for not being able to take you out and then bring the food home to you. Most of the time he’d join you for dinner, having set up a little table in the far side of the basement where the two of you would eat together. He was trying his best, that much was obvious, and as crazy as it was, you respected that. He was at least trying to make your stay in the basement as bearable as possible.

The craziest part though, the part that anyone would think was crazy if you had told them, was the fact that you didn’t say anything. You had a phone that had internet access, you could have told any of your friends, you could have told your boyfriend where you were, but you didn’t. You never said a word to anyone because, in a weird way… You liked the basement. By day two of you being there, you realized that Yonghee really wouldn’t hurt you, that he really was doing his best to protect you, and now it’s been two months since you’ve had to be afraid of anyone or anything. It was… relieving… which seems even crazier to say considering you haven’t left this room for sixty days.

At this point you were looking forward to him coming down to the basement. You couldn’t wait to see him. He’d always smile at you when he came downstairs, and sometimes you wondered how he could possibly be in the mafia when he was such a sweetheart… Then you remembered. Mafia members have two different sides to them. One was the sweet and loving side they showed to the people that they loved, the side of them that would give the clothes off their back to someone if they loved them enough. Then there was the other side… The side that your boyfriend seemed to preserve solely for you. The kind that had you terrified and hoping that the bar closed early so that when he got home he’d just go to bed instead of going off on you for no clear reason.

Yonghee was better than any of the guys you knew, he was better than any of the guys you had ever known, and maybe that’s why you had started to look at him the way you do now, feel the things you feel for him now. He wasn’t the normal mafia type of guy, and on days and nights that he’d spend with you down in the basement, you’d almost forget that he was part of the mafia… until you looked around and realized where you were.

“You don’t have to wake up yet. I was just bringing down the stuff I got you for breakfast.” Yonghee said as he descended the stairs, noticing that you had started stirring due to the creaking of the boards beneath his feet. “It’s pretty early. I wanted to make sure you had something to eat this morning before I left.” He explained once he noticed that you had sat up completely in bed now, the covers pulled up to your chin and your eyes barely open as you watched him place a couple bags on the table in the corner.

“Why do you have to leave so early?” You asked, ruffling your hair with your hand as you smacked your lips, your face contorting slightly when you realized how dry they were. “Are you coming back soon?” It was a question that you had never asked your boyfriend back at home. You never wanted him to come home, you wished that he’d just stay out forever and never come back. It would have been a dream, you would have been able to live normally… Not that you hated the basement though. Yonghees face changed to one of slight worry, and even though it had changed back to normal almost immediately, you had caught the look, you had caught the expression, and now it had you concerned. “What’s going on, Yonghee?”

The sternness of your voice had him shuffling nervously where he stood, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans as his eyes glanced around the room. You were finding it harder and harder to look at him as a mafia man, he looked so nervous, he seemed so shy, so scared. You couldn’t imagine him actually doing the jobs that he had told you all about one night. “They’re looking for you… And now they’re even recruiting my family to help them search. Your boyfriend… Jihoon… he’s pissed. He said-”

You shook your head, rolling your eyes and letting out a quiet scoff that had Yonghee stopping to look at you, his eyes narrowed and his eyebrows lowered with confusion. “Let me guess. He said that he’s going to kill whoever did this? Whoever took me away is asking to be tortured?” Yonghee nodded his head in agreement, although you could tell that he was still mulling over how you could have known that Jihoon had said what he said. “He says it all the time. It’s like his favorite line to say. I guess it makes him feel more powerful or something…” You trailed off, letting your head fall back against the pillow as you let out a loud groan. “Just be safe… Okay?” You mumbled, rolling over and pulling the blankets over your head to block out the little bit of light that was streaming in through the partially opened curtain hanging over the small window.

“I’ll do my best… I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He reassured you, and while you had gone back to hibernating underneath the blankets, you had missed the sheepish smile that had spread across his face at your words. It was the first time you had said something so… endearing… since you had been here. It had his heart racing and his cheeks turning a bright shade of red, a color that he was happy you hadn’t been able to see on him, knowing that you wouldn’t let him hear the end of it if he had. “Get some sleep, and try not to worry about me, okay?” The sound of your soft snores let him know that you were already asleep, and the only response that he had gotten out of you was a sleep laced grumble that was both incoherent and hysterical. “No one is going to find you…. You’ll always be safe with me.”

Maybe you had subconsciously heard him say it, you weren’t sure, but you knew from that day on that you loved him. The feeling had come on so quickly that you weren’t even sure if it was really real or if you were just beginning to feel like you loved him because he was the only person you had seen for what felt like forever. You’d question the feeling while you were by yourself, but once he came back down into the basement, you were sure that you were feeling correctly. Every single time he walked into the room it felt like fireworks, and the only thing you wanted to do was run to him and wrap your arms around him and thank him for saving you. The tables really had turned, and sometimes, late at night, you’d lay in bed and stare up at the sound proofed ceiling and wonder what your parents would think about all of this, what they’d say to you. It was all just so crazy, you could barely wrap your head around it.

It took a while for you to finally be able to confess your feelings to him. You were nervous, especially considering the fact that you didn’t know how he’d react to it, you weren’t even sure if he felt the same way as you, you weren’t sure what he’d do. Would he kick you out if your confession made him uncomfortable? Would he stop coming down to the basement as often? Would he send you back to your ex boyfriend? Yonghee very rarely, if ever, showed his feelings to you, and you were pretty sure you had never seen him look at you in any specific way that would give away any emotions that he might have. All of it was just so confusing, so it seemed to take forever to finally get the courage that was needed to tell him everything.

It was even crazier to think that you actually wanted to stay with him, that you were actually scared of potentially having to leave him. That thought stuck in your mind like glue, and every time you felt like you’d be able to tell him, you’d get scared and shut your mouth so quickly that his eyes would glance over at you at the sound of your teeth clicking together. Sometimes you could have sworn you saw his lips pull up at the corners, that you heard a quiet chuckle escape him and that his head would shake, but it all could have been a trick of the eyes, something that your heart wanted you to think you saw. Would he think you were crazy for wanting to stay with him? Would he think that you’ve absolutely lost it?

There was a point though that you got tired of asking yourself those kinds of questions, and although that time came a little bit later than you had hoped it would, it did finally happen. You stopped being scared of the outcome, you were ready to just go through with telling him, you were tired of worrying about losing him, if he didn’t want you the same way you did, it was better to know it than to go on hoping and wishing that he felt the same way.

The sun was shining bright and even with the temperatures dropping and the season shifting to a much cooler autumn, the afternoon always brought with it the sweltering rays of the sun that made it feel like mid-July instead of early October. He was still running the air conditioner to try to keep the house cool, hoping that the air would reach the basement. His visits down to the lowest level of the house were far more frequent just to make sure she had everything she needed and to be sure it wasn’t as humid for her as it was in the rest of the house.

He could see the way she looked at him whenever he came down the stairs. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked around the room, restocking the mini fridge that he had recently purchased. It made him nervous, not the kind of nervous that he was used to feeling though. Usually when he was nervous his hairs would stand on edge and he’d get goosebumps across his entire body anticipating something awful, it was just the norm when working the jobs that he worked. This kind of nervousness was different though. It had his entire body heating up, and he could have sworn that his cheeks were bright red when he passed the mirror that he had installed in the basement. He couldn’t even say that it was just the nervousness that he felt though. He was flustered, and while he had felt that kind of way a couple times before, there was no one that he had met that made him feel it as much as he felt it around her.

“Yonghee…” Her voice came from right behind him making him jump up and immediately whip around to face her. He hadn’t even heard her get off the bed, and now there she was standing right in front of him. He knew that she was beautiful, but he had never realized just how gorgeous she really was until she was this close. Maybe he was just imagining it, or maybe his body had become more sensitive with the close proximity, but he could have sworn that he felt the heat emanating off of her body. Her chest rose and fell heavily as she looked at him, and before her mouth had even opened, it was like he could tell what she was thinking, like he knew what she was about to say before the words even left her mouth, but he wanted to hear her say it himself just so that he knew he was right. “I know I shouldn’t… I know that I should hate you… But I don’t.” She began, and it almost looked like she was about to cry, her eyes beginning to gloss over and reflect the light that hung above his head. “I love you… I want to stay here with you…”

It was something that he had been wanting to hear from her for a while, he had felt the same way for her, but now that the words were spoken he didn’t know how to react, he didn’t know what to do or what to say. There was so much that could happen, and none of the scenarios that were playing out in his head were positive. If her ex boyfriend were to find out, if anyone were to find out that she was here, that she felt the way she did for him and that he felt the same way for her, it wouldn’t be pretty and there would be blood spilled, no doubt. “Y/N… I-” It was like he was caught in a fork in the road, and he wanted nothing more than to tell her that he felt the same way. She had been living with him for over half a year now and there had been so many times that he just wanted to come down and tell her himself, but there was always the fear of a potential mafia war that would stop him.

“I know… You don’t feel the same way… I just wanted to tell you…” She bit her lip, no doubt trying to hide the trembling as the glossy look in her eyes turned into tears. He felt his heart sink as he watched her, the first tear slowly slipping over her lower lash line before trickling down her cheek. “I’m sorry… It’s probably awkward and… You don’t have to keep me here.” Her words shocked him and he couldn’t keep his jaw locked, his mouth dropping open as he looked at her with narrowed eyes. Was that really what she was worried about? All of the strength and fearlessness that she showed before seemed to be gone, she seemed so weak, so fragile now, and maybe it came from the fear of him actually doing what she was afraid of, but she couldn’t be more wrong.

He didn’t know what to do, and before he even had a chance to respond she had already begun to turn back towards the bed, she was walking away from him, and even though he knew that she wasn’t going far, it still terrified him. He didn’t want her to think whatever it was that she was thinking right now, so he did the only thing he could think to do. “Stop…” He whispered, reaching out and grabbing her hand to pull her back towards him, his other arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. Her breath hitched in her throat, her glassy eyes growing wide as she looked at him. It felt like his heart was going to burst through his chest, and even with all of the things he had done in his criminal career, nothing felt scarier than this. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do next, but she was looking up at him with expectation, waiting for him to make the first move, and for the first time in a situation like this, he felt like he was frozen.

“What do you want to do?” She sounded so timid, so shy, and for a split second he couldn’t think of what he actually wanted to do. There were so many thoughts running through his head, but the one that stuck out the most was just how gorgeous she really was. The one thing that he really wanted to do was look at her, really look at her, he didn’t want to take his eyes off of her for even a second, but he knew that she was waiting for an answer, an answer that he just couldn’t seem to come up with right now, so he did the only other thing that he could think to do.

Without hesitation, he leaned forward, his lips crashing against hers as silent prayers sang out in his head, hoping that she wouldn’t pull away from him. Was he being too forward? Was it all too sudden for her? He hadn’t even reciprocated the feelings vocally, yet here he was with his lips pressed against hers… But it didn’t seem like she was upset about it. Her hands soon found themselves sliding up his back and becoming tangled in his hair, almost like she was trying to keep him there although she didn’t have to worry about him pulling away.

There had been with a lot of girls in his life, not as many as the other members in his crew, but enough to notice a difference between this kiss and the kisses that he shared with the other girls. To say that he felt fireworks seemed too cheesy a description, but there was something there, something that had his heart racing and his body feeling like it was floating off the ground, he didn’t want the kiss to end, and in all honesty, it felt like he needed more.

It felt like his feet were moving by themselves as he slowly inched back towards the bed, her own feet instinctively moving along with him until the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed. That was when her lips finally broke away from his as she fell back against the bed, leaning up on her elbows and looking up at him with wide eyes that he just couldn’t seem to read. He knew what he wanted to do, he knew exactly what he felt right now, but he didn’t know what she wanted. “I’m sorry…” He whispered, his own voice just as soft as hers was just moments ago.

Her head fell to the side as her widened eyes narrowed into a look of confusion. “Why?” She whispered back, her question having him swallowing thickly as he glanced around the room, now feeling nervous and shy around her. He didn’t even notice when her hand reached out to grab his, pulling him closer to the bed, it felt like he couldn’t breathe. “You don’t have to be sorry…” She murmured, giving one last tug to his hand to pull him down on top of her and he couldn’t help but notice how perfectly he fit between her legs, and that thought alone had his breath hitching in his throat and his pants feeling tighter.

It didn’t take long for emotions to take over, it’s like they flooded into the both of them, completely taking them over and controlling all of their movements. Her touches were like jolts of electricity coursing through his body wherever she touched him, her lips against his skin felt like flames burning beneath them, every kiss sparking a new flame and he loved the way it burned. Everything with her just felt perfect, it felt like his life was falling into place the more he kissed her, the more he felt her. Every time she said his name, her face contorted into one of pleasure as he back arched off the bed, it further proved to him that she was the one, the only one that he ever wanted to be with, and he’d do anything to stay with her.

“You’re going to work already?” You asked, turning around to face him as he grabbed his jacket off the back of the stool at the kitchen island. He looked sleek, as handsome as ever, but there was something about knowing that he was yours that made him ever more attractive. “Didn’t you just wake up?” Your back was already turned to him before you had asked the question, returning your focus back to the breakfast that you were preparing on the stove.

His soft chuckle sounded from behind you as his arms wrapped around you, his thumb lightly brushing over your stomach that was covered by one of his own t-shirts. “I’m not leaving just yet.” His breath was hot against your ear, his chin resting on your shoulder as he spoke softly to you causing your skin to be covered in goosebumps. “I just like the way you look at me when I get all dressed up like this.” He teased, pressing a swift kiss against the crook of your neck before pulling back, his laughter returning and growing louder as he moved to the refrigerator. “You stare so hard, it’s like you’re not even trying to hide it.”

You jokingly scoffed, flipping the pancake that was in the pan before looking over to him, lifting your hand and wiggling your fingers for him to see. “I don’t need to hide it because you’re mine.” You teased, watching as the light caught on the ring that had been slid onto your ring finger almost two years ago. “Plus, I catch you staring all the time and you don’t even look away, you just start smiling.” He hummed quietly in agreement as he poured his drink into his glass, his lips pulling up around the brim as he sipped it. “You’re even smiling now.” You pointed out, and you heard him snort softly inside the cup.

“How could I not?” Placing the cup down on the counter he walked over to you, his steps were almost predatory and they had your stomach fluttering with excitement and the anticipation building up inside of you. “Especially when you’re dressed like this.” His voice dropped lower, it wasn’t even a hint of seduction, it was being purposely done and he knew exactly what he was doing to you. “You make it hard for me to go to work when you’re looking like this.” His fingers tightened around the fabric of the shirt you were wearing, pulling you closer to him in one swift tug as a smug smile graced his face. “You know what it does to me.”

You rolled your eyes, playfully swatting his hands away before pushing yourself up on your toes and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “I know exactly what it does to you… But this wasn’t done on purpose.” Quickly, you flipped the pancake out of the pan and onto the plate that housed the rest of the stack that you had already finished making. “I just wanted to be extra comfortable this morning while I made breakfast.” You fiended an innocent smile to him out of the corner of your eyes and you could see, feel his eyes roaming over your body, your bare legs that led up underneath the shirt. Shaking your head, you suppressed a giggle, turning away from him to hide just how flustered he had made you. “If you come home on time tonight, maybe you can get something special.”

Yonghee groaned loudly, his head falling back dramatically as he did and you couldn’t hold back your giggling any longer at his over dramatic acting. “You know how my boss loves to work me over. You know that I’d love to come home on time to you, jagi.” His head slowly rolled forward until his forehead was resting against your own, his lips barely brushing yours as he spoke. “I quit everything, I changed my name, I moved as far away as possible from everything and everyone just to be with you…” His teeth sunk into his lower lip as he looked you over once more. “And even after all that… My boss is finding a way to keep me away from you. Isn’t that something?”

You shook your head, rolling your eyes as you took a step back, straightening out his shirt and smiling sweetly at him as you did. “But was it worth it?” It’s a question that you found yourself asking him from the silence of your own head but never having been able to ask him before now. You were always worried that he missed the life that he used to live, the job that he used to have, the thrills of the crime and the adrenaline rush that came with it. There was always that fear that somewhere deep down, he’d want to go back.

He scoffed quietly, grabbing your hand that had stilled against his chest, bringing it up to his lips and kissing along your fingers before stopping at the ring that he had slid on to you. “Having you made it all worth it…” He murmured, and the silence that hung over the room after those words was enough to let the both of you hear the soft pattering of feet coming up from behind him. “And having her…” He quickly turned around, whisking your daughter off the floor and into his arms, holding her tight against his chest as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. “Having the both of you in my life makes everything that I’ve done worth it.”

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