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He was cooking one day when the idea came to have a holiday party. He'd seen a lot of foreign movies lately where people got together before Christmas, and he thought that the estate was the perfect place to have such a gathering.
After he finished cooking, he walked straight to Yo Han's office, trying to be serious and failing because his eyes were all sparkles and joy.
"Yo Han, I've got a teeny tiny favor to ask, and before you ask, no, it's not really money-related. Well..it could be, but you'd have to say yes, first." Ga On told him, trying not to bounce on his heels.
"What do you want, Ga On?" Yo Han asks, cutting straight to the chase.
Ga On is half giddy with the possibility of hosting a Christmas party.
"Well, since you asked...I want to host a holiday party at the house." He nervously watched Yo Han's face.
He looked like he was going to say no. Ga On had to turn up the charm.
"Please? It'll be fun. We'll only invite the people that are from your job and maybe sorta the people from last time..please?"
He gave Yo Han a face not unlike the one Elijah used when she wanted something.
He sighed, probably annoyed that Ga On was so insistent on this.
"Fine. We can have a Christmas party, if it will make you leave faster so I can get back to my work. Send the invitations from my email, and include plane tickets for the ones overseas." Yo Han sighed.
Ga On was practically exploding with joy. He had convinced him!
He leaned over the desk and hugged Yo Han, eyes bright. He would admit that it was rather out of character for him, but he was so overwhelmed with joy he forgot what he was doing and who he was talking to.
When he realized, he quickly straightened up and put his hands at his side.
"Thank you so much, Yo Han. It'll be the best day of your life! In exchange, you can ask me for anything you want! Bye!"
Yo Han's expression didn't shift. It wasn't like him to show too much emotion that wasn't anger, carefully collected calm, or vengeful glee around Ga On anyway, so he would have been more surprised if he had.
Oh, what food could he cook?
He was excited to find out.
Elijah quickly picked up on Ga On's holiday cheer.
"How many people are you going to invite, Ga On?" Elijah asks. She was watching him send invites from beside him.
"Hm? Oh, just a few people from work, maybe Oh Jin Joo, your new friend..actually, scratch that. He wouldn't like that at all." Ga On said the last part to himself.
Elijah seemed to drop the subject.
The two of them decorated together, Ga On laughing at Elijah's attempt to reach the higher level branches.
"You're too short~" He teased, placing the ornament where she had tried to reach.
Elijah smacked him on the arm after that statement, but Ga On just laughed harder.
Elijah was trying to hide a smile and failing.
He looked up and saw Yo Han.
"Ah, Chief! You're just in time! Look. We decorated the tree." Ga On sat up from where he'd lain on the floor.
"Mm. I see that." Yo Han was watching him with a curiosity Ga On usually saw in Kkomi when she was about to catch a mouse.
Ga On thought nothing of it, after all, it was Yo Han.
"Hey, Uncle.. You should put the star on top." Elijah suggested out of nowhere.
The Kangs had a beautiful crystal star for their tree, and Ga On had been glancing over at it with sparkly eyes ever since the first of December.
"I suppose I could."
When Yo Han reached up, he was a tad too short, and Elijah noticed right away.
"Ga On," Elijah mouthed. She inclined her head to Yo Han. The silent 'Help him.' was loud and clear to Ga On's ears.
Ga On hops up to stand beside Yo Han. "I'll give you a hand if you'd like, Chief." Yo Han stiffened.
"That won't be necessary." Yo Han muttered, his face without expression.
Ga On sighed. His boss always was a difficult one.
"Chief, really, I insist." He gently takes the star from Yo Han, who looks like he wants to wring Ga On's neck.
"Kim Ga On," Yo Han warns in a low voice. The threat is there, but he won't do anything to him while Elijah is right there.
Elijah looked to be a mixture of concerned and proud.
Ga On reached the last inch or so for Yo Han, shoulders brushing as he places the star on the top of the tree.
He sighs happily. "There we go..so pretty." His arms came down to rest at his waist, looking up at the tree in almost child-like wonder. Then he looked innocently at Yo Han, like he hadn't done anything to make him angry.
He knows that he's anything but innocent when he pushes Yo Han's buttons like that.
Ga On hums and goes about his business, cleaning up plastic wrap the newer ornaments came with.
Yo Han excuses himself to the study.
As soon as he's gone, Elijah laughs. She laughs a real, loud, joyous laugh.
"You should have seen his face. It got so red! He was so pissed off, he looked like he wanted to kill you!" She says in between giggles.
Seeing Elijah's face lit up in warm laughter is Ga On's one weakness besides Yo Han.
Elijah has become happier and Ga On loves to see it.
"Was it? I bet if I really tried I could make it redder. You know how I am an expert at making your uncle upset without meaning to, just thinkofhow easy it'd be if I really tried." Ga On chuckled at that.
Later, after dinner, Elijah went to find Yo Han for one last request regarding the holiday party.
Yo Han looked up at her, irritated, as she entered.
"Uncle, I know you don't get along, but can we please invite Hye Ri? I'll make her promise to be nice." Elijah's got the puppy charm on full blast. Ga On can hear from the living room because the door is ajar.
Hye Ri was a girl who Elijah had met at a café with Ga On recently. She wore her hair in a pink ponytail, and had been born in Switzerland, but spoke good Korean.
Hye Ri was bubbly, sweet, and very kind to Elijah. Ga On liked her well enough, but Yo Han just didn't approve.
Yo Han ignores her, so Ga On looks at her, encouraging from the living room. Elijah tries again.
"It won't feel like Christmas without Hye Ri. I like her, so why can't you? It's our first Christmas in Switzerland with Ga On, so please?" Elijah pleads.
Yo Han isn't having it. He stands up, looking perfectly calm. Except, of course, that Ga On knows better. Knows that pushing Yo Han even a little too far was getting more and more likely. So he stands up and comes around the corner to stand in the study, a hand on Elijah's shoulder.
"Elijah, will you please go get me my cardigan? It's a tad chilly." Ga On says, his
warning hidden well behind his smile.
Elijah looked confused, but walked out.
"Chief, really, what could it hurt? She's getting along with Hye Ri really well." Ga On says quietly, wary of Elijah coming back.
That was the wrong thing to say on Ga On's part.
Yo Han is livid. "You put her up to this, didn't you? You plotted against me and used Elijah to broach the topic."
Yo Han crosses the room in two strides, until they were chest-to-chest.
"We are not inviting that girl into this house. End of story." Yo Han's face is cold and there is anger burning behind his black irises.
Ga On isn't ready to give up this fight just yet. He's always been stubborn, and something about Yo Han makes him simultaneously afraid and intrigued.
Ga On steps closer.
"If you're really so indifferent, then how about you put your prejudices away for just a minute and let her come?" Ga On challenges.
"She isn't good enough for Elijah, and that's final. You will not speak to me like that, Kim Ga On." Yo Han hisses, matching the step closer that Ga On took.
They're so close that Ga On can smell his shampoo. Hints of jasmine and cherry blossom. It's a lovely and soft scent, so strange to smell on a cold, sharp man such as this.
Elijah chose then to return. She took one look at the look on Ga On's face and knew.
"Is that a no?" She looked a little upset and the disappointment crushed Ga On's heart.
"No~ Chief was just telling me how we could invite Hye Ri because he's just so kind. Isn't that right?" Ga On rests his hand on Yo Han's shoulder, silently daring him to further disappoint Elijah.
Elijah looks to Yo Han, who looks the same, cold and unemotional.
"Is this true, uncle? Can Hye Ri really come to our house for a Christmas party?" Elijah's eyes are big and shiny, so much like the child she used to be.
He would relish the day Yo Han snapped and he could give him something he'd never forget.
"It is. Now go away. I'm busy with work." Yo Han growls, agitated further now that he'd lost.
"Mm, we're being banished. C'mon Elijah, let's go see who can get upstairs the fastest."
Ga On cheerily followed after Elijah, who exclaimed "You're on!" and rolled away quickly.
Ga On was beaten by only a few seconds.
"Okay, fine. You win this time. What shall I give you as a reward?" Ga On asks, a smile on his face.
"Tell me, why do you stay when you know how cruel my uncle can be?" Elijah raised an eyebrow.
Ga On sighed, leaning against the banister.
Even he didn't really know.
"Oh, I don't know. He saved my life, once. I've always wondered how I could repay that for him. A life is much more valuable than anything either you or I own, you know." He looks at Elijah.
"That doesn't explain why you're here." She states as Ga On wheels her into her room.
Ga On smiles at her tone. Kang Elijah could be much too smart for her own good during certain occasions.
"Oh, well..I guess..I feel indebted, in part, and also.." Ga On sighs, looking at the ceiling. "It's nice to feel like I belong somewhere sometimes. Like I'm part of a family."
Elijah stops, her brush halfway down her long hair.
"My parents died when I was younger. I haven't had a real family for years. I bounced from relative to relative, all of whom didn't want the extra burden of another mouth to feed. Then after losing Soo Hyun..well..you two were my only comfort. When you left Korea, I was happy for you, but I missed you terribly."
Ga On smiles.
"But now, I have you two to take care of, and I feel less alone. Does that make sense? It might be a little strange, but-"
Suddenly, he looks up, and Elijah is crying.
Ga On panics a little. "Wait, Elijah--" he quickly sat next to her on the bed, holding her hands. "Why are you crying?"
"Who's crying?!" She wipes her eyes aggressively.
Ga On wipes at her eyes.
"Don't cry anymore. It's okay now. We're both okay."
Elijah nods.
Ga On smiles. "Let's both go to bed, okay? I'll see you in the morning."
He patted her head, and she, as usual, pushed his hand away.
When he went back downstairs, Yo Han cornered him. He's furious.
"You are going up there and you're going to tell her Hye Ri isn't coming." Yo Han snaps.
"No, I'm not. It does you good to interact with people who aren't me or Elijah, and even more if you don't like them." Ga On pretends he isn't afraid, but his heart rate has increased.
Yo Han grabs him by the collar.
"This is MY house, Kim Ga On. You dare speak to me like that?" His voice is soft. Dangerous.
Ga On places his hand over Yo Han's. "It's hers too." He says, his voice even and level.
Yo Han stops. His eyes are two shards of dark flint, ready to be stuck with the steel that is Ga On's will.
"It's her house too. Will you shut her away for the rest of her life because you say so? Will you restrict her from making friends for so long that even someone random like Hye Ri makes her cling desperately to them?" Ga On's voice doesn't get any louder, and of that, he's proud.
He pushes Yo Han back.
He goes into the kitchen, a little upset. He still has to prep breakfast for the man and his niece.
Ga On slept terribly that night. He wasn't sure why he'd gotten so upset. He was, after all, just a glorified nanny. But he wasn't going to apologize when Yo Han was being unreasonable.
He also worried for Elijah. She didn't have many friends her age that she could talk to. Ga On hadn't been in school for at least six years, and there was no way he could understand all her worries the way she needed him to.
The way that Yo Han refused to bend his iron ruling for one day made Ga On upset. Elijah deserved to be happy, and just having a friend her age would be perfect for her.
He sighed to himself as he sneaks into the house the next morning, heading straight for the kitchen.
He jumps a little as Yo Han's voice comes from behind him, though he should have expected it. Yo Han was always the second one up.
"Look at you, crawling back so soon. Honestly, Judge Kim..You shouldn't bother leaving if you just come back the next day." Yo Han says, a drawl in his voice. Obviously, he was still irritated with Ga On, but that didn't bother him.
Ga On chooses to ignore the insult.
"I never really left.. Besides, I have to prepare breakfast for a certain ahjussi who never learned to cook for himself and his niece." Ga On keeps his voice level and calm. "And you? What are you doing up so early?"
He turns around, spoon in hand, waving it around as he talked. "Were you waiting for me to--hm, what was the phrase you used.. Oh, yes, come crawling back to you?"
Ga On has been around Kang Yo Han long enough to perfect the art of passive aggression.
"Don't try my patience so early in the morning." Yo Han warns, the twitch in his brow revealing that Ga On has gotten under his skin.
If you spend enough time with someone, you learn what makes them tick. And little things about Yo Han slipped through the cracks of his walls he tried so hard to maintain.
Ga On turns around, ignoring his threat.
"That's alright, Chief. Keep your pride, you don't have to admit you were thinking about me all night."
Yo Han is quiet, and Ga On feels smug. He's content with leaving it at that.
Breakfast for the Devil consisted of home-cooked foods that were almost never expensive, and even when he was upset with him, Ga On packed him lunch as well.
He begrudgingly shoved Yo Han's lunch into his hands and shoos him out the door.
He occasionally stays home with Elijah, working from home on days when it's not required for him to go in.
He begins the trip up the stairs to Elijah's room.
"Are you decent?" He calls.
He'd had an embarrassing encounter where Elijah hadn't been wearing her nightgown because it had gotten hot during the night.
"Yes. Come in." Her half-asleep voice answered.
"Your class is starting in half an hour, isn't it? Come eat." Ga On pats her head as she nods sleepily.
Elijah was not the sort of girl who enjoyed getting up early.
"How many days until winter break, again?" Elijah groaned.
"Just about 2 weeks now, Elijah. You have to pull through it." Ga On says. "Breakfast is ready, come on down when you're ready, and as always you can call me if you need help."
Ga On pulled the door shut behind him.
Their days flew by, and before Ga On could even blink, it was nearly the date of the party. He made sure Elijah was awake, gave her breakfast and ran out the door, a muffin in hand.
His last day at work wasn't too chaotic, thank his lucky stars. When he arrived in Switzerland, Yo Han had presented him with a job as a legal consultant at the hospital in Switzerland that helped Elijah walk.
Ga On was a bit overwhelmed, but he was sincerely glad that Yo Han thought of him.
Ga On confirmed everyone's attendance and all he had to was wait for that night. Christmas Eve.
He had the dinner planned and prepped in the fridge. That was how excited he was.
He got home earlier than Yo Han, and Elijah was still at school for at least another hour or two.
Ga On smiled to himself as he changed into one of his favorite cardigans he had snagged from his closet at home.
He was cooking for the next three hours, carefully balancing everything. He hummed, occasionally calling in Elijah to taste something once she arrived ho.
Yo Han came in, crossing his arms.
"You've been ignoring me." It's not a question, but a statement.
"Maybe I wouldn't be if you weren't so irritable about something so small." Ga On said easily, contrary to his true feelings.
He appears relaxed, and the smells of his cooking were making him hungry.
The past two weeks have been radio silence on both sides.
Ga On doesn't talk to Yo Han unless the conversation was work-related or Elijah needed something and Ga On needed money for it.
It was, in every sense of the word, torture. He kept finding himself studying Yo Han, only to realize he'd been doing so when Yo Han looked up.
"I let her come. Isn't that enough?" Yo Han sounds tired.
"Hm." Ga On reaches into the cabinets for a spice, choosing a milder one. "I wonder, is it enough?"
Yo Han's patience was running thin, and Ga On could hear it when he started up again.
"Listen to me. Stop this. It's childish. I'd expect this from Elijah, but from you? It's time to grow up, Kim Ga On."
"Mm. You're being awfully condescending for someone who's asking me to start talking to them again."
Ga On reached around Yo Han to grab a dish.
"Fine. Fine, alright? I'm sorry for whatever it is you're angry about. Now stop."
"Since you've finally stopped being hard-headed, I'll forgive you..if you go and apologize to Elijah first." Ga On hummed.
It was satisfying, hearing Yo Han apologize. But Ga On needed him to apologize to Elijah.
Yo Han scoffed. "What? Why would I do that? I haven't done anything but look at for her!"
Exactly six seconds of eye contact and Yo Han breaks.
"What am I apologizing for exactly, Kim Ga On?" Yo Han mutters.
"For being so harsh with her. You know she's not a baby anymore, Yo Han. She'll be eighteen next year." Ga On's tone is gentle.
He understood. Really, he understood why Yo Han wanted to protect his only family. He knew the fierce love of family once as well.
"Fine. I'll apologize to her."
He watched him go up the stairs in satisfaction, then resumed his plans. He was secretly smug that he'd won.
Knowing Yo Han, he'd be so preoccupied with guests to be antagonistic.
Yo Han's newest coworker, Sarah Hubermann, was the first to arrive in the dress Yo Han had evidently given her as a gift last Christmas, before Ga On was around. The woman idolized the man, and when he'd gifted the dress, she must have felt as if she were going to faint.
Just like Jinjoo, who was on her way.
Her eyes lit up as she looked around.
"You have a lovely home, sir." She gushed.
"I'm flattered. Please, enjoy the party." Yo Han said, his usual smile littered with people pleasing plastered onto his face.
Hearing that, Ga On quickly went to greet Sarah and hopefully lead her away from the alcohol.
Hye Ri arrives, and Elijah is overjoyed. Yo Han conveniently forgets to greet her, instead ignoring her arrival altogether.
"Hye Ri! You really came!" She excitedly says, rolling up quickly, very nearly crushing the toe of Yo Han's dress shoe.
"Of course! I couldn't just pass up an excuse to hang out with the better Kang, now could I?" Hye Ri says.
For a tense moment Ga On thinks Yo Han might snap at her. Then the instance passes and he turns away and greets another guest.
The normal chatter resumes and Ga On made his way over to Yo Han.
"So? See how happy she is?" He bumped Yo Han's shoulder with his own to get his attention.
"This is utterly ridiculous, Ga On. I cannot believe that you and my niece forced me to have that insufferable girl in my house for some holiday party." Yo Han muttered.
For Ga On, it was adorable.
"That wasn't my question, Chief. Seeing her happy makes you happy, doesn't it? She smiles so much nowadays."
He said this with a light tone.
YoHan looked disgruntled, but he nodded.
"Yes. Of course it does..she deserves the world. But she still- she's just a young girl, and she's so naive.."
For the first time, Ga On saw what Yo Han had tried so hard to hide. His love for his niece was greater than his love for anything else.
Ga On was pleasantly surprised.
"I know. And that's why she has you. To guide her, but not control her. Releasing control just a little does wonders, hm?"
His attention was diverted by Elijah calling his name from above. In her hand she held a mistletoe.
The surprise showed on his face, and Elijah nodded.
"Do it, Kim Ga On, or I'll let Kkomi chew up your laptop charger!" She called.
Ga On looked at Yo Han.
"There's a tradition, want me to show you what it is?" He asked, his smile growing.
"I suppose so?" Yo Han's face shows a rare expression: one of confusion.
Ga On leaned in and reclaimed a kiss from the Devil.
Yo Han looked stunned for a moment as a cheer went up.
"What..?"
"Don't you know? You have to kiss under the mistletoe, Chief."
Ga On was happy.
He'd achieved his goal with Elijah's help.
"How..vulgar." Yo Han muttered.
Ga On had never ever seen Yo Han flustered.
"Of course.. you know us commoners like to behave in a vulgar way." He can't help but find this hilarious.
"..Kim Ga On, you are an enigma.." Yo Han murmured.
It was oddly endearing, like so many other things about Yo Han.
"Oh well. I'm going to steal your heart anyway." He teases, bumping Yo Han with his hip.
How the tables had turned.
Hye Ri waved and he went over to her.
"So you really must love him, huh?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips.
"Mm. I do." Ga On leans against the wall next to her.
Hye Ri pretended to roll her eyes.
"Is that why she made me promise to be nice to him? Gosh, Elijah's father is a married man, it seems." Hye Ri smiled.
"Not yet." Ga On laughs a little.
"Ohoho, not yet, you say? You plan to marry him? Gosh, Ga On, you must be a nut job..good thing I always knew that you were a little bit crazy."
Hye Ri is easy-going and relaxed. Ga On likes that about her.
"Crazy for him, maybe." Ga On rolls his eyes playfully.
"I saw that mistletoe stunt. You and Elijah are a couple of geniuses." Hye Ri complimented.
Ga On nodded.
"It was Elijah's idea. She planned it all on her own. I had no idea what was going on up until the last moment." Ga On looked over at Elijah and smiled.
He really was proud of how brilliant she was.
"That Kang Elijah..She's going places alright." Hye Ri said.
He agreed.
Seeing Lawyer Ko and Jinjoo, along with the young lady who first helped Yo Han, it was nostalgic, and Ga On gave them each a bone-crushing hug, complete with enough welcomes to fill the gap time had created.
The party began to wind down at about ten, and Ga On made sure that he presented all of them with food to take home.
When the last guest had been waved goodbye, Ga On closed and locked the door behind them.
Then he made his way into the living room to find Elijah, who was asleep. He crossed the room.
"Elijah. Come on, let's go upstairs. You'll hurt your back sleeping on this old couch." He helped her up and handed her the cane she used to walk.
Ga On can remember the wave of pride when he saw Elijah standing up for the first time. He'd cried and Elijah had laughed and let him hug her.
"Ga On..is the party over?" She sleepily asked.
Ga On nodded.
"Mhm. Upstairs, let's go. Santa won't come if you're not asleep, you know."
She rolled her eyes, but allowed Ga On to help her to the stairs.
He met her at the top, as he always did.
She was tucked in, Ga On closing the drapes.
"Ga On..I was good this year, right?" Elijah sleepily said.
It was times like this when Ga On realized how much Elijah had missed when she was growing up.
"Mhm. You were very good this year. Santa will bring a lot of gifts for sure." Ga On gave her a thumbs up.
She smiled back and settled in to sleep.
Ga On watched her for a while with a fond smile curving up his lips. She really had become a member of Ga On's family.
Into the next room, he saw Yo Han, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Mm. What are you up to, Chief?" Ga On crossed the room to sit at Yo Han's side on the bed.
Yo Han had stirred a little at the noise, then looked up when he saw who it was.
"You are confusing, Kim Ga On. I just can't understand you."
"How so? Personally, I think I'm rather transparent."
Yo Han sighs.
"You say one thing, and yet I know that you're thinking another. You contradict yourself more often than not. I never know how you really feel about things..especially things regarding me." He mutters.
Yo Han sometimes sounds like he's trying to make sense of something when speaking to Ga On.
Now he knows that something to be Ga On himself.
The silence that followed those words was heavy with thought.
Yo Han turned to look at Ga On at the same time Ga On turned to look at him.
"Do you want to understand me, Chief? Do you want to understand how I'm really feeling about you?" Ga On asks. He looks up at Yo Han, eyes speaking volumes.
Yo Han, for the first time, looks conflicted.
"Understand you?"
"Mhm. And in turn, I'll learn to understand you, too."
Ga On smiles at Yo Han.
"Now you should go to sleep. Santa won't come unless you're asleep." Ga On joked.
Yo Han catches his hand, and Ga On stops, gazing at him questioningly.
"Yes?" Ga On asks. Yo Han let his hand drop.
"Are you sure, Ga On?"
Ga On tilts his head.
"Sure of what?" Ga On wondered.
"Are you sure you want to understand someone as twisted as me?" Yo Han's face is grave.
Ga On can't help it. He smiles at Yo Han, taken a little aback at his words.
"Of course. You're just one man. Twisted or not, you can't go it alone." Then Ga On leaves.
But of course, he doesn't go far. He never does. Down the hall, two doors down. Close enough to touch.
He wakes up to someone shaking him.
"Ga On, wake up! There's so many presents under the tree!" Elijah whispers.
Ga On smiles sleepily. "Mhm. Coming." He'd snuck downstairs to put the presents he'd hidden in his closet under the tree late last night and discovered that Yo Han must have added some as well.
"You have to wake up Yo Han, I can't do it. He keeps going back to sleep." Elijah said.
Ga On sighs, but he nods.
"Sure. Head on downstairs. We'll be down there in a minute."
Ga On pulled himself out of bed as Elijah hobbled out of the room.
He chuckled as he dressed and brushed his teeth, grabbing a Christmas sweater for Yo Han.
He breezed into Yo Han's room, opening the drapes.
"Chief, Elijah is waiting. Come on." Ga On says, tugging the blanket off of Yo Han's sleeping form.
He wasn't expecting to be yanked downwards. When he looked up, he met eyes with Yo Han.
"Kim Ga On. What are you doing?" Yo Han's gravelly tone sent shivers down Ga On's spine.
"Your niece would like to open her gifts, but you need to be there too. Come on. Up." Ga On half pulls Yo Han out of bed.
He helps him put on the sweater, then drags him down the stairs to where Elijah waits.
"Here he is, Elijah. You can open your gifts now." Ga On says, sitting down on the couch.
Yo Han sits, not commenting as Elijah picks one.
Her eyes light up.
"This is the perfume I wanted! How did you know-?" She looked at Yo Han.
He shook his head, declining to answer.
The next one she picked was Ga On's.
He winced. It was nowhere near as expensive as Yo Han's gift.
But nonetheless, Elijah holds it close to her chest.
It was a blue dress that he'd thought would look beautiful on Elijah.
It brought out her eyes.
"Ga On, it's so beautiful..thank you. I'll wear this often." She beamed at him, and Ga On felt his own lips quirk up in a smile.
"I'm glad you like it. I had it tailored to your measurements, but let me know if it doesn't fit right anywhere." Ga On nods.
Elijah was glowing as she opened gifts from Ga On and Yo Han both, ranging from perfumes, books, new headbands and all other manners of things. Ga On was happy watching her.
"Ga On, I got this for you." Elijah pulled out a small box from a stack pushed to the back.
Ga On eyes widened and he looked at Elijah quickly. "For me? Oh, Elijah, you didn't have to.." He carefully tore open the present, and was shocked to see a locket.
It was unassuming, but what made it special was the small picture of Elijah and Yo Han inside.
"So you have family wherever you are." Elijah told him quietly.
Ga On couldn't help it.
He started to cry. It took him a few minutes to collect himself.
"Thank you, Elijah. This..this means a lot. Really, I love it." He hugged Elijah from the side, and she let him.
"Here, there's more. This one is from the grumpy guy over there!" Elijah cheerfully said.
Ga On looked up, curious.
"Chief? You got me something?" Ga On asked, a tone of wonder in his voice.
Yo Han was skillfully not looking Ga On in the eyes.
"Yes, well..I couldn't just not buy you anything..you clean and cook, and you're..quite the housemate and employee. I wanted to get more but Elijah pointed out that you might not accept too many gifts." Yo Han's awkward praise and subtle thoughtfulness made Ga On's heart sing.
"Mm. I see~ I'll open it now."
Inside, there was two things. A cardigan from an expensive overseas seller and a little silver bracelet. The bracelet held charms of flowers, a small star, a crystal heart, and a silver rectangle with his name.
"Oh, Yo Han..it's beautiful..and I absolutely adore the cardigan." Ga On looked at Yo Han. "This makes my gift for you look a little stupid.."
He sheepishly handed him a box.
Inside was a collection of photos in a small book, secretly taken of Yo Han and Elijah bonding and having fun together: Yo Han chasing Elijah through the sprinklers, Elijah and Yo Han playing rock-paper-scissors. There were dates and little notes scrawled in the corners in Ga On's neat, loopy handwriting.
"July 17th, 2021. Yo Han was beaten by Elijah in their race through the lawn sprinklers. They look adorable ♡" read the first.
Ga On's ears grew redder the longer Yo Han stared at the pictures.
"I know, it's not expensive..but-"
"Kim Ga On."
Ga On jumped a little at how serious Yo Han sounded.
"Yes, Chief?" Ga On said.
"Thank you for this. I like this much better than any expensive product."
And Yo Han smiled. He genuinely smiled at Ga On and he felt his ears burn even brighter.
Elijah giggled.
"Uncle, you'll like these." In her hand, there were photos of Ga On on the other side of the camera, photographing them.. Ga On being chased through the sprinklers by none other than Yo Han.
"Elijah, where did you-" Ga On was struck dumb.
Elijah, however, didn't answer. She seemed to find it hilarious.
"You really didn't think we have our people watching? Plus, Yo Han likes those the best." Elijah told him matter-of-factly.
"It's true. These are just as important to me as your gift."
Ga On sighed.
"You two Kangs, ganging up on me like that. You ought to be ashamed." Ga On huffed.
The two did not, in fact, look ashamed. They looked proud of their work.
Like uncle, like niece.
Since it was no longer the absolute crack of dawn, Ga On started on breakfast.
Well, he tried to.
Yo Han and Elijah shooed him out of the kitchen.
"We've got it from here, Ga On." Elijah said, closing the door to the kitchen.
Ga On let it happen, albeit with a raised eyebrow and a silent threat.
He was reading on the couch when they finally called his name.
"Coming, you two."
Ga On nearly laughed. Both Yo Han and Elijah had flour smeared across their cheeks, and in their hair.
He chuckled as he walked over to Yo Han first, and with a napkin gently wiped off the flour.
"You two really are so messy." Ga On playfully says as he wipes Elijah's face clean as well. "Did you call me because you needed help?"
They shook their heads.
"We didn't need your help for this! We made the pancakes from your recipe. Well, Yo Han did most of the work..but I helped!"
Elijah hands him a plate, and Ga On feels his heart swell with pride.
His Kangs, who often ate cup ramyeon and freezer dinners whenever he was away, had managed to cook something.
"Oh, goodness, you two are full of surprises today."
They ate, and Ga On couldn't help but feel a pang as he watched them.
Yo Han teasing Elijah, much more like a child than he realized, Elijah retorting with her fiery sass.
It was family. Ga On hadn't know that until he met them.
He couldn't help but smile.
They spent that day enjoying the company of each other, Ga On curled up next to Yo Han, even falling asleep, to his mortification when he woke up.
Yo Han let him lean on him, not saying much, and Ga On felt his ears warming.
For some reason he couldn't seem to stop thinking about the mistletoe prank Elijah had pulled and dragged Ga On into.
Yo Han's lips on his own.
He'd always felt something for the man. Something nameless and selfish that Ga On would never dare to say out loud.
He never..really knew how far the feelings of gratitude ended, and where something else entirely began.
That night, after he made sure Elijah had fallen asleep, he was going to go to bed when Yo Han softly called his name.
"Kim Ga On. Come here."
He stopped, looking curiously at Yo Han, who didn't waver.
He shrugged and made his way into Yo Han's room, following him in.
"Would you like to accompany me for a stroll in the greenhouse?" Yo Han asked.
Ga On loved the greenhouse. Roses of every variety grew inside, and Ga On tended them closely.
"Of course, what kind of question is that?" Ga On matched Yo Han's pace. They walked in silence for a while, Ga On leading the way into the greenhouse.
Then, after a while of walking, Yo Han broke the silence first.
"I need to tell you something, I would much prefer you to listen closely. I won't repeat it." Yo Han, for the first time, looks uncomfortable.
"Sure. Something wrong, Chief?" Ga On asked, walking alongside Yo Han.
Yo Han hesitated while Ga On waited patiently for his answer.
"You said you wanted to know me. And in return, I could know you. Did you..Did you mean that?" Yo Han asks.
"I did."
Yo Han took a deep breath. Then he stopped next to Ga On's favorite bench, inviting him to sit down next to him.
"Kim Ga On. The only way I could ever let you know me is vulnerability. What you're asking me to do will take time. Do you understand?"
"Of course. I've stuck around for this long, you think I wouldn't be willing to wait any longer?" Ga On smiled warmly at Yo Han. "Really, Chief, you're silly for thinking I wouldn't."
He wasn't expecting Yo Han turn to him so sharply.
"You said I could ask you for anything, once upon a time. Is that still true?" Yo Han asked, eyes blazing.
"Oh- of course, what is it that you want?" Ga On asked, a little taken aback by the way Yo Han looked.
It was almost jittery, the way Yo Han's cool hand came up to rest of Ga On's cheek. The unexpectedly gentle action made his heart flutter.
"I want you. Not just as my employee, not just as a housemate, and most definitely not just as a friend. I want you as all of those things and more. You have been at my side through even my darkest hour."
"Even though you were mistrusting me, even though you bugged my office, you still leapt directly in front of the bomb to push me out of harm's way. Even though you suspected me for crimes, you still fought for me in the end."
Yo Han took a deep breath in, and Ga On's eyes were wide.
"You cook for me, you help my niece, who I love more than anything else, live a normal life. You- you crawled under my walls, Kim Ga On, and you will pay the price..because I love you." Yo Han's voice got quieter as soon as he said those three words.
Ga On, on the other hand, was so taken aback he couldn't speak for a good minute or two.
"Yo Han, you..you- what?" He eventually whispered, afraid if he spoke even just a little too loudly it might break the spell over the two of them.
"Don't make me repeat myself. I meant what I said. I'm not one to joke about something like this. I love so much about you. How much you feel..smiling when you're happy, crying when you're sad. I admire that." Yo Han's hand fell from his face, where Ga On caught it.
Ga On never expected this from Yo Han. Not once in his three years of being with Yo Han, did he ever think Yo Han saw him as more. More than what..he never was sure.
"If I..happened to agree to this..what exactly would that entail?" Ga On slowly said, holding Yo Han's hand in both his own.
"It would entail a promise ring now..perhaps another, more special one later. It would entail promises, and so much more." Yo Han isn't backing down. Then again, no Kang ever backed down from anything.
Ga On's head was spinning. Was this really happening to him or was he having the best dream of his life?
He pinched the skin on his hands, hard.
Not a dream.
"So what you're asking me..if- if you love me, then..we'd be together. As- as lovers?" Ga On has to clarify, even as he stares down at his hands, unable to look Yo Han in the eyes any longer.
It was like his world had shattered, just like it had when Yo Han left Korea and came to Switzerland. That time was negative. But..this time, it was positive.
And just like the last time, Kang Yo Han was the one who would pick up all of Kim Ga On's shattered pieces.
"Yes. That's what I am asking of you," Yo Han tilted Ga On's chin up, gently, so he met eyes with him. "but do you accept?"
Suddenly Ga On's throat is tight and his eyes are stinging. He practically throws himself into Yo Han's arms.
He's never hugged anyone this tightly before. Not even Soo Hyun. His emotions are spiraling out of control. All for Kang Yo Han.
"Of course I accept. Even when I insisted that I stayed for Elijah, I still stayed for you. This is the only home I want to return to. Even my house in Korea didn't feel like home without you. How could I ever walk away from this?" He huffed into the fabric of Yo Han's jacket.
When he finally pulled back, he could feel how flushed his face was.
Yo Han was beautiful under the soft lights of the greenhouse. The angles of his handsome face were beautiful anywhere.
"Then I have another request for you, Ga On. May I kiss you?" Yo Han asked, his voice soft. Ga On could only wordlessly nod.
When Kang Yo Han leaned in and kissed him, Ga On swore he saw stars. He saw flashes of the life that had led them up to this moment, here in this very greenhouse.
The night with the bomb. Rehab at Yo Han's house. Elijah warming up to him. Cooking meals. Catching the real Do Young Chun. Yo Han's faked death. The final showdown with the corrupt government.
If someone told him three years ago, just before he was almost hit by the crazed bus driver and saved by Kang Yo Han, that he would be in his arms..well, Ga On would never have believed them.
This wasn't a possibility until now. Until Yo Han brought out into the light what Ga On had never even believed existed.
Kim Ga On, against all odds, managed to fall in love with the Devil.
The metal felt smooth against his skin as Yo Han slid on the silver band with a gentle kiss on his forehead.
Kang Yo Han was still sharp around the edges, no doubt about that. Little by little, those jagged edges were being smoothed over.
"I love you, Kim Ga On." Yo Han murmured.
"I love you too, Kang Yo Han." Ga On responded. His heart was full.
The promise ring glinted on his hand as they walked back inside, hand in hand. Ga On didn't sleep alone that night, nor ever again.
Each day, it was Yo Han that he saw.
There was a quote that he'd seen.
"Love is an untamed force. When we try to control it, it destroys us. When we try to imprison it, it enslaves us. When we try to understand it, it leaves us feeling lost and confused." -Paulo Coelho
In one of Yo Han's books.
Ga On never understood, back then. But now, he can tell. He knows it to be true. And Ga On has never been more grateful.
He found his family.