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Ever since Choi and Soleum got together, Choi has made it a habit to give goodbye kisses to Soleum whenever he leaves their shared apartment for work or when he goes out on a separate mission. Choi is a very affectionate guy, after all. He makes sure that his partner feels his love through his actions and gestures: he would wake up as early as 4am to cook for breakfast, bring back trinkets for apartment decoration because a nearby shop had them on sale, or even scoop up Soleum in an embrace after noticing that he had a bad day at work.
On the other hand, Soleum was the opposite. This was his first relationship, after all. He was not used to receiving this much affection. The old life that he had in his own world only revolved around his family and w*rk. After being dropped into this ghost story world, he was busy fighting for his life and finding a way back home to the point that he had barely any established social connections outside of his own circle of colleagues. So, naturally, he was not used to giving affection either.
In this relationship, you could say… he fumbled. A lot. For example, during their first kiss, he somehow forgot to breathe and ended up slobbering Choi with saliva; when Choi tried to initiate something during a cuddling session at the couch, he ended up falling asleep because of how tired he was; and that one time when he forgot he was living with another person, he walked in on Choi while he was changing and ended up scrambling out of the room flushed red like a tomato (Choi didn’t mind and even teased him for it).
So, when his sunbae-slash-boyfriend started giving him goodbye kisses every time he went out, Soleum would just stand there like a tree trunk and watch the man leave with a wave saying "I'll be back before dinner” or “I’ll see you at the waiting room”.
Choi understood that Soleum was still adjusting. He wanted to give him all the time that he needed to get used to their newfound relationship. So every time he did something for Soleum, he made sure not to pressure him and didn’t expect anything in return. He loves him, after all, and he wanted Soleum to know that— every day, every hour, every second.
But then, it happened. An accident occurred during a mission. Just as Soleum was about to make a move, the veteran agent had already pushed him away and the next second, Choi was already lying on the ground, bleeding. What happened after that— he wasn’t sure. It was as if he was stuck in a daze. Everything happened so fast, and yet he saw it all in slow motion. The next thing he knew, he was already sitting next to a hospital bed with Choi lying there, unconscious.
A few days later, the injured agent himself came back to work with his usual cheery smile and laid-back attitude, as if nothing had happened.
Soleum’s heart sank. He got so used to Choi’s presence and affection that he didn’t realize that he was taking advantage of it— of him. The nature of their job was dangerous. Anyone could die in mere seconds, and he was a fool for forgetting this fact. To make matters wose, the man had given more than what was reciprocated and didn’t even blame Soleum for it. It felt so unfair. It hurt and the guilt was gnawing at him like a plague.
He knew he had to do something… before it was too late.
…
On the same day he came back from the hospital, Choi was already being dispatched on a joint mission with Agent Haegeum and Hyunmoo Team 3. Just like the usual, he came up to Soleum to give him a quick peck before leaving. But this time, before the agent could even walk a step away from his beloved hoobae, Soleum had already grabbed his arm, pulled him close and kissed him right on the lips.
The kiss lasted for a few seconds, making sure the warmth lingered on the other’s flesh.
……
Choi blinked.
Once.
?????
Twice.
????????????
Thrice.
?????!!!!!!!!!!
“G-Grapes-ie????!” He brought a hand to his mouth. On the same spot Soleum had kissed.
“It’s for protection.”
“Eh?”
“So you can come back from the mission safely.”
“Eh?”
“See you later at home. Stay safe.”
“Hey, wai–”
Bang.
Soleum had grabbed some files from a nearby table and scurried out of the waiting room. Choi was left there, stunned, with his other arm reaching out in the air as a poor attempt to stop Soleum from leaving.
“Congratulations,” Agent Bronze, who was also in the room, said casually before continuing his paperwork.
Choi looked at him in disbelief, before scratching his head in frustration.
“Did he just-???”
“…”
“Grapes-ie, waaait!!”