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Sehun shivered as he sat on the ground, his eyes adhered on the falling snowflakes. 

Minhyuk sat next to him, their shoulders touching, his eyes also pouring on the snow. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said softly.

Sehun nodded wordlessly, his heart heavy. He couldn't deny that there was a certain comfort in Minhyuk's presence, but his thoughts were consumed by solely his Captain. That man was dangerous, unpredictable, ruthless even, but Sehun couldn't help the way he felt when he looked at him— subdued and subtle even, but Sehun knew that his Captain did stare at him, at every chance he found, fondly, from hidden beneath the facade of Wooshik's rugged demeanour 

Minhyuk leaned closer to him, his breath hot against Sehun's ear. "Eve, you don't have to stay here. I can protect you. I can take care of you."

Sehun turned to look at him, his heart subtly aching with guilt. "I appreciate your offer, Minnie, I really do. But I can't just leave like this. Captain- Captain would not let me go."

"He might," Minhyuk said, his voice low and hesitant. "You and I both know he has a soft spot for you, Sehun. He might be willing to let you go if you just ask him."

Sehun turned away, his eyes stinging with unshed tears. He could not ask Wooshik to let him go— not when he knew that he did not want to go himself, in a way that he couldn't even begin to understand why.

Minhyuk must have sensed Sehun's distress, when the elder put his arm around Sehun's, his touch gentle and reassuring. 

"Eve, please. You don't have to stay here and suffer. I can take care of you. I can be everything that your Captain can not be. Please, believe me. You think to yourself if you were destined to be suffering so much? This hideout, a constant fear of the place you love so much, June-Way being put at stake, all the anxiety…Eve, do you really deserve any of these? You are allowed to be happy too, trust in me…please…"

Sehun closed his eyes, his heart racing in his chest. Minhyuk's words were tempting, but Sehun knew thoroughly that he could not just run away from his truest feelings. Not when there was a chance that Wooshik might have felt the same way.

"I don't know what to do, Minnie, I'm sorry…" Sehun whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the falling snow.

Minhyuk squeezed the brown barnets' shoulder, his eyes warm and compassionate. "Just give it some time, Eve. Think about it. And remember that I'm here for you, no matter what."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching the snowfall. But Sehun's thoughts were far away, consumed by the man who held his heart in his hands.

Sehun sat there with his head in his hands, the falling snow muffling the sound of his purring sobs. He knew deep down that he was in too deep, that he was in love with a man who may never love him back— all just mere speculations.

But as he looked up at the falling snow, he knew one thing for sure— Sehun could not stay at the hideout forever. He needed to make a choice, to take a chance on love, even if it meant putting himself in danger. And with that thought, he made a decision.

"I'll come with you, Minnie," he said, his voice shaky but determined.

Minhyuk looked at him with surprise, his eyes widening in shock. "Are you sure, Eve?"

But Sehun was resolute. He stood up, brushing the snow off his clothes, and looked at Minhyuk with a small smile. "I'm sure. Let's go."

-

The winter air was frigid, but Wooshik hardly felt it — his mind was cramming within the thoughts of Sehun. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about him - after all, they were on different sides of the law - but he couldn't help it. Wooshik was hopelessly in love with Sehun, no matter how much he continued to deny. 

"Wooshik?"

Wooshik turned to face her, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun hidden in his pants pocket. But he relaxed as soon as he realised who it was.

"So you are finally here?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, it's me," she replied softly, her voice quivering.

Wooshik had known Sehun's mother for years. She had always been a bit mysterious and aloof, but he had never once suspected that she might have gone that extra mile for the love of her beloved son.

"You left Sehun," Wooshik said accusingly, his voice laced with bitterness.

"I had to," she replied desperately. "I needed to disappear, to learn how to protect myself. I knew that this life - this cursed life - would never go away. And I couldn't just leave Sehun to fend for himself."

Wooshik felt a pang of sympathy for the woman in front of him. He knew what it was like to live a life you didn't want, to be consumed by the evils.

"But you didn't tell anyone," Wooshik said, his voice flat.

"I couldn't risk it," she replied. "I needed to stay hidden. And I couldn't bear to see Sehun's face if he ever found out."

Wooshik shook his head in disbelief. He had never been able to fully understand Sehun's mother - her ways were too secretive and her intentions too blurry.

"But how did you even find me? And…" Wooshik asked, genuinely baffled. "...why did you believe in me?"

"I've been watching you," she replied, her eyes flinty. "I knew that you had feelings for my son. Wooshik, it had only been you who I could trust blindly, with my plots."

Wooshik could feel his cheeks flush with shame. He had tried to hide his feelings for Sehun, but it seemed that everyone knew— if not everyone, at least Sehun's greatest weakness knew. 

"I'll do anything for Sehun," Wooshik said firmly, his hand tightening around the gun in his pocket.

"I know," she replied softly. "And I need your help. I need someone to look after Sehun - to keep him safe."

Wooshik felt a sudden jolt of fear. He knew what this meant - he would be putting his own life on the line for someone he loved.

"Of course," he vowed, barely above a whisper, "I'll do it."

Sehun's mother nodded, tears jilting her eyes. "Thank you," she said, her voice mellow and submissive. "I knew I could trust you."

"What about you? Aren't you going to meet your son?"

Mrs. Yang shook her head, dismissive, "Not yet."

Wooshik watched as she turned to leave, her footsteps crunching in the snow. He knew that this was just the beginning— that he would now be drawn into the dangerous web of the hideous underworld even further.

But as he stared out at the snowfall, Wooshik knew that he would do anything to keep Sehun safe— even if it meant risking his own life.

-

The dawn had seeped, morphing into a day darker than night. 

Sehun stood amongst the familiar surroundings of their dingy hideout, a former captive trapped in a vicious cycle of violence and danger— that was how it was supposed to be. But destiny…is indeed something funny. 

Minhyuk promised to care for Sehun and offered him a life free of danger. 

"Eve, let's go," Minhyuk trekked the trolley behind, reckoning Sehun to follow suit. 

Sehun stood at the edge of the threshold, dressed in a crisp white shirt and black jeans lacing up his sneakers. His movements were leisure and deliberate, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. 

With a deep breath, Sehun shouldered the backpack he acquired from Minhyuk and turned to leave— Sehun moved towards the ground, his steps slow and hesitant. 

Sehun's resolve wavered.

"Eve?" But with Minhyuk's view upon his sight, with the man with his blue barnets extending his arm for Sehun to hold, Sehun shook his head and forced himself to take a step forward. 

Nonetheless, Sehun's heart skipped another beat when he felt a tug at his wrist— he ruefully and reluctantly turned around, taking into clear consideration of who it might have been. 

Sehun's breath caught in his throat when he saw his Captain, standing behind him, with faint rails of tears streaming down through his face— no one had ever witnessed Wooshik crying ever before. 

Sehun's gaze flickered over his Captain's features, taking in the sharp lines of his jaw, the intensity of his dark expressive chocolate brown eyes.

Wooshik had always been a commanding presence in Sehun's life, and the fact that he was standing in front of him, tears running on his flushed cheeks, now made Sehun's heart race with a mixture of fear and desire.

Despite his fear, Sehun found himself drawn to his Captain— his body leaning in towards him unconsciously. He knew that he should move away, that he had made the decision to leave and start a new life, but the magnetic pull of Wooshik's presence was just too strong to ignore.

For his part, Wooshik made no move to let go of Sehun. His fingers dug into the fabric of Sehun's white fleecy sleeve, holding him close. There was a raw emotion in his eyes that Sehun had never seen before, and it made him shiver with anticipation.

For a few moments, they stood there in silence, their eyes locked in a powerful connection that neither of them could break away from. Eventually, Wooshik spoke, his voice low and rough with emotion.

"Don't leave, Sehun. Stay with me." he implored.

Sehun's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, but he couldn't deny the pull that Wooshik had on him. 

"I'm sorry," Sehun withdrew his wrist from the dyed blonde's grasp, and turned away, Minhyuk's palm curling around Sehun's, who had been waiting for the younger to step ahead. 

Outside, Minhyuk waited for his Eve, a small smile on his face. Sehun forced himself to return the gesture, but he knew that the weight in his heart would not disappear so easily. Nevertheless, Sehun squared his shoulders and followed Minhyuk out into the world beyond their hideout, embracing the uncertainty of the future…

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