Chapter Text
tae in wakes up with a pain in his throat and the taste of metal in his mouth. he’s disoriented at first, his arms reflexively move to protect himself from something before he feels the ache that brings him back to his surroundings.
of course moo won is sitting there, fingers fiddling with a case file he’s probably worked out the logistics to in at least hundred different ways. he places the file down immediately and strides over when tae in clears his throat. they regard each other silently before a large hand comes down onto his shoulder and moo won says “i’m glad you’re okay.”
the controlled emotion, even when it’s just the two of them alone, is so typical that tae in can’t help but hold back a laugh. “yeah,” he says because what else is there to it, other than barely surviving in this job. tae in decides that a vacation is probably deserved at this point, honestly.
-
he’s discharged from the hospital two days later after constant inspection from doctors and even further ones from his old team. min joo is caught between concern and comfort when she visits and settles on a gentle hug and a promise to treat him out to beef and soju when he’s up for it. tae pyeong interjects half heartedly and chuckles that tae in should be the one to treat them out instead. it’s an awkward and forced banter but tae in’s glad for it, hoping it’ll get his old team to stop looking at him like he’s a dead man walking.
moo won is the one who takes him after his discharge, carrying tae in’s belongings as tae in signs forms for his leave. the air outside is muggy and cloudy and tae in feels an uncomfortable heaviness in his body. he stumbles slightly but the arm of cha gunwoo arrives in time to steady him.
“tae in…” gunwoo breathes out like his body could barely the contain the name for so long. tae pyeong had told him what happened to gun woo, told him that gunwoo had nearly died to protect what tae in had sacrificed and it makes him want to hit the other man. instead his body moves to wrap his arms around gunwoo’s shoulders, careful to avoid knocking into the cast wrapped around his right wrist and forearm. gunwoo’s grips him tightly as he can with only one fully functioning arm and let’s his forehead fall against tae in’s shoulder. “i’m,” gunwoo let’s out a deep breath before he continues, “i’m so happy you’re alive.”
gunwoo’s hiding his face but tae in can perfectly envision the wet eyes and clenched jaw that appear every time gunwoo looks at him, every time he apologizes for not being able to protect him. tae in really was going to hit him one day but for now he’s just grateful that they both survived.
-
moo won arranged for a vehicle to take them back to gunwoo’s home. “every member that worked under lee kyung young is currently under investigation,” moo won explained on the ride over. “the entire NIS is going a complete overhaul right now and i don’t expect you’ll be left out of questioning even if you were nearly killed by him.”
tae in huffed out a laugh. of course having his body used to cultivate a virus wasn’t enough to get him exempted from this. he felt gunwoo tense up next to him, hand coming down to grip the seat cushion between them. “that’s not fair,” he bit out indignantly. tae in met moo won’s eyes in the rearview mirror at the statement and tae in knew that they needed gunwoo to calm down before he got started.
tae in placed a hand on gunwoo’s knee, thumb rubbing against the side of his leg. “it’s fine,” he said “it’ll be okay.” he rolled his head back and closed his eyes. his hand was still placed on gunwoo’s knee and he liked it, felt like it was grounding him back into reality among this mess.
-
tae in settles into gunwoo’s home so easily, like falling back into a routine his body remembers even with his eyes closed. it’s still the same as he remembers it being, only a bit more cluttered than it had been a few months ago. tae in likes it, sees it as progress for gunwoo to finally give the place a feeling of being lived in. he sets his bags in the living room, tucked away behind the couch he’ll be sleeping on (despite gunwoo’s inevitable protest that he should take the bed) for next week or so until the investigation at his apartment ends.
-
they call him in a few days later. it’s enough time for the building to have been completely turned upside down and he’s one of the last resorts they have for filling in the missing pieces. it’s the same questions of “hows” and “whys” everyone’s been asking themselves since the beginning of this whole thing, only now the face, the body, behind the answers has led to a hole they’re unsure they can fill without losing face.
he thinks of the many identities he’s carried throughout the years - exposed, examined, and then thrown away by the men in front of him in just a few minutes. he doesn’t feel any particular sense of nostalgia for them but he feels strange having his secrets laid bare in front of government worker’s who will never know what his team has been through.