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MC had misplaced her phone.
Unfortunately, this was not a fact that she was aware of.
She’d been dedicating the entire day to packing away her belongings, stuffing them into plastic totes and washing her laundry and pressing pieces of lavender between her shirts so they would smell nice when she folded them and placed them in the dresser in Jumin’s room.
Or rather, the dresser that was in their room.
It felt funny to think of it, to think how the room that had been his would now be theirs. That his sheets were hers now too, that she would have a place on that mattress and drawers all to herself in the dresser and control over the lamp on the nightstand.
Her mind spun as she thought about it, about how the penthouse would be hers too, soon. The view, the garden, the incredibly soft couch she would often doze off on waiting for him to come home and where he would snuggle with her before going to bed.
But even those rose-tinted thoughts faded away as she became absorbed in the tasks before her.
So engrossed in her packing and cleaning as she scrubbed the apartment and wiped away any traces of her, that she didn’t even notice her phone being buried beneath the mountain of clothes she’d tossed haphazardly onto the couch. Had her music playing from her laptop far too loud to notice the ringtone, to notice it blaring out into the small space over and over and over.
No, her hands were growing chapped and hunger was clawing at her stomach like a razor-taloned beast, but she hardly noticed anything, dearly wanting to be done with the packing, with the cleaning.
Her landlord had hit the point where he was beginning to harass her, demanding walls be disinfected, wanting all of her things packed and gone months before her official move-out day, and entering her apartment with sometimes less than an hour's notice or no warning at all.
She just wanted to be done with her packing and her cleaning, so she would never have to deal with him again, so she wouldn’t have to stand and listen to a lecture on the proper way to disinfect the low apartment ceilings. So she wouldn’t receive another text that sent her into a panic about how her things were in the way, and how it was her fault the apartment hadn’t been re-rented yet.
She almost wouldn’t have noticed the doorbell ringing either, except that her playlist had ended and she’d been in the midst of putting together a new one, when the doorbell cut through the lemon-scented silence.
MC tipped her head to the side, wondering who could possibly be at the door. She hadn’t ordered any food, and she hadn’t received a text from her landlord saying he was coming to visit the apartment.
Although she wouldn’t have been surprised if it was the landlord, considering how little warning he was giving her these days before showing up.
The doorbell rang again and MC stumbled from her laptop, making her way through the tight space. She nearly tripped over her mop bucket as it rang out again, and stifled a curse as she hit the door with her elbow.
She ground her teeth together as she swung the door open, trying to stop herself from snapping at whoever had thought it was necessary to ring the bell over and over and over again.
Only to feel her annoyance wash away as she met the quicksilver eyes of her fiancé.
“Jumin!” She squeaked, wanting to reach out and embrace him. But she froze when she noticed the way a muscle flickered in his jaw, the deep line that had formed between his brows, how his eyes were stony and dark.
“Are you okay?” He asked, crossing his arms as he spoke. “I’ve been trying to call you all morning and you didn’t pick up once. I thought something had happened.”
MC furrowed her brow, trying to ignore how he was clearly fighting to keep his tone in check. How he was struggling to hold back the anger and worry that were staining his voice.
“I’ve been cleaning,” she said. “I’m trying to get all my things out and make the apartment spotless.”
He tipped his head to the side, some of the anger ebbing from his expression. “Did you get any of my messages?”
MC shook her head. “I haven’t heard my phone go off all day.”
He sighed, his eyes shuttering closed. “Would it be alright if I came in?”
She nodded, moving so he could step into the apartment.
Jumin opened his eyes again, casting his gaze around the small space before making his way to the small couch in the corner.
“Why are you doing so much cleaning?” He asked, pushing some of the laundry to the side before sitting on the worn cushions. “I thought your last day wasn’t for another two months.”
MC shook her head, perching on the couch next to him. “It’s not, but the landlord wants me to move out my stuff early, and he wants me to clean it so it looks less like I’ve lived here.”
Jumin’s face darkened, his eyes growing sharp, steely, as she explained the situation.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He asked when she was finally done. “I could have helped. I’ll have to go over some of the laws, but I don’t believe some of his actions are legal, and-”
“-Jumin,” she said, cutting him off. “I didn’t want to trouble you with it. This is a me problem, and I’ll handle it.”
“Love,” he said gently, taking her hands. “You’re letting him walk all over you.”
She wilted, her shoulders curling beneath his words. “I know.”
He cupped her face, drawing her gaze back up to him. “I want to help you, but I can’t if you don’t tell me what’s happening.”
MC wanted to look away, feeling her resistance withering beneath his gaze. “I’d feel selfish, though. Like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“How could you possibly be taking advantage of me, love?”
She wanted to bury her face in a pillow, or curl against his chest and squeeze her eyes shut, but his hold was firm, and she couldn’t move her head except to flick her eyes away.
“Because I’m using you and your connections or your money or,” she shrugged. “I dunno, your resources, to help myself. And I’d be dragging you away from work when I know you’re so busy right now.”
Jumin’s expression softened, and he moved his hand so he was instead cupping her face gently. “What’s mine is yours, my love. And you’re not taking advantage of me by asking for help.” He leaned down, his nose brushing against her brow. “I want to be the one that takes care of you, that protects you.”
She nodded, closing her eyes.
“Will you let me help you with this?”
Again she nodded, letting him pull her into his lap, embracing her tightly.
She wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him as tightly as she could, not wanting to let go.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered, pressing her face against his shirt.
“What do you possibly have to be sorry for?” He asked, stroking her hair, his voice a low, warm song.
“For worrying you,” she said. “For not answering your calls today.”
“I could never stay mad at you,” he said, his voice growing lower, softer. “I was just worried that something had happened.”
“Well,” she said slowly. “Something did happen.”
“Oh?” He asked, curling the tips of her hair around his fingers. “And what was that?”
“I dropped a box of books on my foot.”
“MC ,” he snapped, pulling away to stare at her. His eyes darted across her face, filling with concern. “Are you okay? Do you need me to call a doctor? My private doctor is quite good, and he can assess if it’s broken and prescribe pain medication if it still hurts.”
MC had to bite the inside of her lip to stop herself from giggling as he fussed over her. It was something so small and silly, and yet it made her feel a little bit better, a little bit brighter.
“I’m okay,” she muttered, feeling bashful as he continued staring at her so intently. “It wasn’t as bad as when I nearly spilled bleach on myself.”
His eyes widened, his hands gripping her waist tightly. “Did that happen today?”
She nodded, flushing as his brows drew low, his eyes narrowing. “When I was cleaning the bathroom, yeah.”
Jumin closed his eyes, taking a long, shuddering breath. “You worry me a great deal, love.”
She cupped his face, leaning forward until they were bare inches apart. “I’m sorry.”
He opened his eyes, holding her gaze. “You have nothing to be sorry for. But perhaps you’ll let me bring someone in to finish this for you.” He smirked. “So you don’t have any more accidents.”
MC rolled her eyes, feigning exasperation. “I only had a few accidents.”
He covered her hands with his, the smile that arced across his face gentle and warm and sweet, despite how the next words he spoke were teasing.
“It’s barely after three in the afternoon, love,” he said. “You’ve already had two accidents. I don’t want to lose my beloved fiancé before the day is over.”
MC pouted, wondering if it was a mistake telling him about how she’d nearly set her microwave on fire, or how she had melted a cooking sheet on her stove.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, his eyes falling to her mouth. “I might have to kiss it away.”
“And wouldn’t that be a shame,” she mused.
He hummed, closing the final distance between them as he brushed his lips against hers.
MC tilted her head back, smiling into the kiss, but then he was pulling away, his smirk wider now, his eyes glittering like silver starlight.
She pouted again, and he laughed, running his thumb over the back of her hand. “Be patient, princess. Let’s get you out of here, first.”
He paused then, pulling her hands from his face and frowning at the dry, chapped skin. There were angry red marks streaking down her hands and wrists, and a scarlet rash beginning to bloom on her forearm.
“Is this from cleaning?” He asked, running his fingers over the red, irritated parts of her skin.
“Yeah,” she said, squirming beneath his touch as he brushed his fingers over the growing rash, her skin feeling like it was being poked with a thousand white-hot needles.
He pressed his lips to the backs of her hands, brushing gentle kisses over the angry, irritated skin.
She flushed, her mind growing blank as her stomach flipped, twisting itself into knots. And for a moment all she could think about was his lips against her skin, was the warm feeling spreading through her, making her feel lightheaded, like she’d drunk far too much champagne.
Even when he pulled away, still she felt warm, still she felt a little dizzy and silly.
Jumin smiled at her, squeezing her hands as he rose from the couch. “Why don’t we go home and you can get cleaned up, and you can have something to eat.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m assuming you haven’t eaten much today, have you?”
She shook her head, but didn’t tell him that she hadn’t eaten anything at all, her anxiety getting the best of her since the moment she’d woken up.
He sighed, pulling her to her feet. “I’ll call the chef.”
“What about the apartment?” She asked, twisting her head to peer at the mess around her. At the half-packed boxes and the cleaning supplies scattered around her.
“Don’t worry about that,” he said, pressing a hand against the small of her back and guiding her towards the door. “I’ll get someone to deal with it.”
He opened the door, bright afternoon sun washing over them. “But I would like you to give me your landlord’s contact information.”
MC furrowed her brow, leaning against him as they made their way to the parking lot, where a sleek black car was waiting for them. “Why?”
He shrugged, but his mouth was curling into a smirk, something skin to mischief glittering in his eyes. “Oh, I just want to go over a few laws, and I’ve been thinking about investing in some real-estate lately.”
MC pursed her lips, but he kissed her forehead before she could say anything, catching her off-guard. “But the most important thing right now is getting you home.”
Heat blossomed across MC’s face as he said it, as he tucked her hair behind her ear before opening the car door for her.
She’d always taken care of herself, had looked out for herself and struggled on her own, not wanting to inconvenience anyone else, not wanting to bother them with her problems. So it felt strange to let him help her, to let someone else take care of her.
But perhaps not entirely bad, either. Not when it was Jumin trying to take care of her. Not when it was him holding her tightly, running his fingers through her hair, promising to be by her side, always. Not when he could make anything better just by being beside her.
Jumin slid into the seat next to her, and she leaned against him, ignoring how the seatbelt cut into her side as she tried embracing him.
He chuckled, taking her hands in his. “What is it?”
“I love you,” she said, squeezing his hands. “I love you so much.”
He laughed, kissing her brow. “I love you, too, princess.” He furrowed his brow. “But are you sure nothing else is bothering you?”
She nodded, smiling up at him until his worried expression washed away, until his gaze grew soft. “I’m sure. I’m just happy to be going home with you.”