the new werewolf nods, big doe eyes glancing up and bright. “i’m sure, i want to, hyung.” he responds, a slight smile slides across his face for a few moments, hoping that it would reassure him that he genuinely wanted to. in all honesty, being under the same roof as sungmin made him feel more protected than if he were to stay by himself. the younger lets out a small laugh, nodding his head and smiling. “mushrooms it is.” he watches his hyung reach over, deciding to continue a conversation going — maybe that would stop him from attacking the poor mushrooms. “hyung? someone told me that you have something going on with someone else.” joonki says, a tiny grin on his face as he cuts the mushrooms delicately, this time.
Sungmin went back to his own tasks as soon as he handed off the mushrooms, entrusting Joonki to do well this time. And truly, even if the younger were to mess up again, he’d probably just use whatever he were to cut up without question and give him a nice pat on the back for his efforts. He was trying, after all, and that was all he could ask for. The bookkeeper tore off a small piece of the now cooked meat and popped it in his mouth to get a taste of the seasonings, though he almost choked on it as Joonki’s comment caught him off guard. Someone told him what?
“Um, pardon? Someone told you what?” His brows furrowed as he tried to figure out what that could possibly even mean, but his brain came up blank. Sure, he had a lot of things going on with a lot of people, but most of them were business-related, and judging by the tone in the younger’s voice, he was referring to something a bit more involved than that. Sungmin just couldn’t quite fathom what. “I--- I have no idea what you’re talking about, kiddo. What kinda gossip is out there about me that I don’t know about?”
He pattered out of his room and down the stairs, taking care not to step near the floorboards he knew were prone to creaking. He hit the landing and looked to the right, and Vic couldn’t help the gummy smile that spread across his lips upon seeing the bookkeeper. He walked over and rather unceremoniously plopped down on the couch beside Sungmin, letting out a relived sigh as he did so.
“Ah,” he started as he plopped, bringing his hands down to his knees, “What a fuckin’ day. You holdin’ up alright?” he asked, both a question to his mental and emotional wellbeing as well as the his physical wellbeing considering he’d been shot earlier. “I can do some more work on it, y’know. The quicker it gets worked on, the less likely it is to leave a scar.”
Sungmin felt cozy, warm, curled up in too-big pajamas that hung over his frame like a blanket and smelled like the detergent that Victor used. Complete and utter peace, the silence of the Rhee’s home feeling so much more serene than it had when he’d been sheltering a shaking little girl from the world. The bookkeeper wrapped his arms around himself like a hug and sunk back into the cushions of the couch, feeling smaller than he had in quite a while. Perhaps that was something that he needed--- to feel small, unattached, like not a single move he made in this moment would have such catastrophic consequences.
Sungmin caught Vic’s eye as the other stepped off the stairs, and a soft smile spread across his lips, not quite mirroring the medic’s but the sentiment was still there. His eyes followed the other’s figure as he approached, doing nothing short of staring at the side of his face even as he plopped down onto the sofa beside him. “What a fuckin’ day, indeed,” the skinwalker echoed back, finally looking away in favor of letting his head fall backwards to rest against the back of the couch. “I’m feeling pretty okay, actually. As okay as I can be, all things considered. Are you? Holding up alright?”
He sighed at the prospect of having to shift his body around to actually allow Vic to see the wound, though he was already shifting forward, pulling himself out of the comfortable little dip in the couch that he’d settled into. “Less likely to scar sounds ideal.” Tugging the hem of his shirt up, he winced at the sight of the wound once again. Truthfully, it looked so much better after the blood had been rinsed down the shower drain, but the little bit of mangled flesh where the bullet had grazed his skin was something that he never once thought he’d have to see on himself. “Oh god, doc, tell me I’m not gonna die,” he joked, overdramatic as always as he made a show of averting his eyes from the wound.
excessive amounts of pillows strewn across a headboard, coffee rings on wooden tabletops, open windows providing natural lighting, organized clutter over kitchen counters, over-watered plants snaking over nontraditional pots, welcoming words spoken through an open front door, the sound of coffee brewing in the morning, spreadsheets tucked into the pages of books, tripping over discarded pens on the floor, the overwhelming feeling of tranquility
Sungmin, more than anything, is a homebody. Considering the nearly unhealthy amount of time he spends within the confines of his own home, his little townhouse is a cozy little organized mess of a space. After spending years chasing his dreams and running with the big leagues, he found himself craving that same cozy feeling he grew up with in his childhood home, and so his own house mirrors his mother’s sense of style, though he has a bit more money to spend on his home decor than she ever did.
Technically he lives alone, but Sungmin is never lonely, if only for the multiple Howlers who come and go from the residence as if it’s their second home. Everyone has a sort of extended invitation to pop by whenever they feel like it for a home-cooked meal, some good conversation, or just a place to crash for the night. Currently, he’s housing Joonki in the spare bedroom, though the werewolf isn’t the first to occupy that space and he won’t be the last.
it was odd, to have someone care for him the way sungmin did. he had only ever had his father, but even then, with their circumstances at the time he was unable to care for joonki and be there for him the way he wished. being forced to spend time apart, barely being able to see each other and even when they were allowed, it was practically like his father as visiting joonki in prison, he hated it. to have someone care for him the way that sungmin did was new. he sighs gently, slowly glancing up at the elder. he was use to being scolded and all nonsense if he didn’t do things exactly how he was instructed, but hearing his soft voice made joonki confused, wondering why he wasn’t angry. it made him feel okay.
“i’m sorry..” he says quietly, watching sungmin pick up the cutting board and put the diced inions in the skillet. “i’ve never done it before. i wanted to do well.” joonki admits, a tinge of guilt and shame evident. he shakes his head. “no, no, i want to. i want to help.” his voice is clear, evidence of determination. “please? i’ll be better, i promise.” nodding his head viciously, eyes lit up and ready to prove he can he good at something that doesn’t involve violence. though, that was a story that he would keep to himself, and himself only. “what else can i do?”
“It’s fine, Ki, I promise,” Sungmin assured, ruffling the younger’s hair briefly with his fingers. He wasn’t sure he could ever be truly mad at Joonki--- especially for something so insignificant, but also just in general. The kid could do no wrong in his eyes, and that notion was probably a bit dangerous, but how could he ever manage to work up anger with someone who always looked so lost? It wasn’t in Sungmin’s nature to be capable of such feelings, never had been. Even with the Nightbloods ( who he’d so recklessly decided to abandon ) he could never hate them. Still cared for a lot of them, even with the distance that he’d purposely put between them. Joonki was like that to Sungmin--- someone he considered family, someone he’d care about even if the werewolf was worlds away from him.
“You sure?” Sungmin asked, if only because he wanted to be sure that the younger was helping because he wanted to, and not because he felt obligated. His home was an open door for a reason, and he never wanted anyone staying within it to feel obligated to do anything for him in return. “I mean, if you want to... you can cut the mushrooms for me? Maybe not obliterate them this time?” he teased, poking Joonki playfully in the side as he reached for said ingredients.
Standing in the street, waiting for Sungmin, he of course drew looks for wearing a high turtle neck and a cap on a rather warm summer day. The vampire didn’t really care or take note of the looks, as he noticed that his old friend was approaching with a rather distressed look on his face. “Come, lets go talk in private,” Joon spoke and looked at the other, giving him a moment to catch his breath and not seem like he just sprinted from across the world. “Didn’t mean to scare you, truly. I have not been myself since the blast and it has been a…tough time to say the least. I will explain all once we have settled down somewhere.”
Sungmin sighed in relief as he found his friend unharmed, albeit acting a bit strange. His attire, for one, was entirely inappropriate given how hot it was outside, and the skinwalker couldn’t help but worry about what it was that he was hiding under there, especially given how the day of the cook out had gone down. Sungmin himself had sustained quite the injury, though with Vic’s help, the wound was mostly healed at this point, the last of the scarring already starting to fade--- the Howlers’ medic had made sure to keep tabs on him, check up on the gunshot wound at any opportunity he had ( despite the fact that it wasn’t really that bad, but he wasn’t about to dismiss Vic’s company ) and Sungmin was grateful.
“Yeah--- yeah, somewhere private,” the bookkeeper echoed, following close behind Joon to find a spot away from the prying eyes and ears of the city’s inhabitants. “You’re okay, though, right? What about everyone else? Kitty? Fei? Mira?” For Sungmin to say that he had no regard for the Nightbloods would be an outright lie. Truthfully he cared far too much, his old family on his mind constantly, especially after events such as the one that had just gone down. He might have left, made that impossible decision for himself, but that didn’t mean that he welcomed being on an opposing side against his friends with open arms.
sungmin was pretty much the reason joonki had a life right now. the moment his life changed, was the moment that the bookkeeper had found him, and now he was slowly catching up on the months of his life he had missed out. sure, he still didn’t know how to handle the whole werewolf thing, he had no real, genuine clue what it meant, but he was hoping that somewhere down the line he would know, be able to understand. hopefully, he would meet someone who could teach him. but for now, he was at sungmin’s, ready to help with dinner. well, help as much as he could. he had barely cooked before, so he wasn’t too sure how well dinner would go.
he had given the werewolf a job — to slice onion. for one, this would be an easily simple task, one that would be done within minutes. however, for joonki, that wasn’t the case. having a sharp knife in his hand had brought him back to his medical days, the days where he was forced to do many bad things, and the haunting thoughts scattered his mind until sungmin’s voice snapped him out of it. his head immediately lifts up, looking at his hyung with his jaw dropped slightly. he closes his mouth, then glances down at the onion that was obviously sliced into tiny, tiny little pieces. joonki sighs deeply, placing the knife down as he pouts. “i’m sorry, i haven’t done this before..”
Sungmin was just so soft for Joonki. And that wasn’t to say that he wasn’t soft for anyone else--- actually, the skinwalker would argue the opposite, that he was soft for everyone--- but there was something about the defeated expression on Joonki’s face as he set the knife back down on the counter that made him want to wrap the younger in blankets and keep him safely tucked away in his home forever. “Hey, I was joking... I can still use the onion diced, not that big of a deal,” he shrugged it off, voice gentle. Soft. Just as he’d thought.
Carefully, he reached around the younger to pick up the cutting board and dump the onions into the skillet, though his eyes kept flitting between the task at hand and Joonki’s figure beside him. He’d always been a little untalkative, but there was something... off about him today. “You alright? You can go sit down, y’know, I can finish dinner by myself. Just thought it might do you some good to get you involved in something, but if you’re not feeling it, you absolutely don’t have to help me.”
Sungmin hadn’t known what to think when Joon had contacted him for the first time since the bomb ( hell, the first time since weeks prior to the bomb ) to ask him to meet up. Even with everything he’d gone through following the cookout--- the gunshot wound, the return of their jailed gang members, simply trying to return to normal after such a traumatic event--- thoughts of the vampire had crossed his mind often. Not only did Sungmin worry for his family within the Howlers, but also for the family he’d left behind with the Nightbloods. Joon, Kitty... all of the people he stilled cared for but had no easy way to keep tabs on. Sitting still and waiting to see if they were okay felt like torture.
And yet, here he was, blindly on his way to meet Joon after one of the most cryptic phone calls he’d received in his life. He couldn’t help but worry. Who wouldn’t worry after disconnecting from a call like that? The moment Sungmin’s eyes landed on his friend’s figure, he sped up his pace, nearly jogging to pass through crowds of people on the sidewalk to get to Joon. “Hey, I’m here, what’s going on?” he asked, slightly out of breath. “You okay, Joon? You kinda scared me over the phone.”
Sungmin, despite living alone, was so used to having company in his home that when he did have an empty house, it felt almost unsettling. Wrong. Like someone else belonged in the room beside his and there was a piece of the puzzle missing. Lucky for him, this was not one of those nights, the usual company having showed up earlier that day, and it didn’t look like he’d be leaving anytime soon. And that was A-Okay with Sungmin. Joonki could stay as long as he wanted, any time he wanted--- the werewolf was good company, and Sungmin would welcome him with open arms no matter the reason. As long as he promised to help with dinner.
The bookkeeper was currently multitasking, supervising the younger while also trying to prepare the meat for their meal. “Jesus Christ, kid, are you trying to murder the poor onion? I said slice not dice,” he quipped ( affectionately, of course ) as he abandoned his own work momentarily to watch over the younger’s shoulder if only to intimidate him into doing it correctly.
Victor was used to scrubbing dried blood off his hands. He was a medic, after all. He was a surgeon, and while surgeons wear gloves, he still had blood to wash his hands of metaphorically at the end of the night. It didn’t phase him to watch the dirt-tinted crimson wash down his drain. He did make a mental note to wash it down with bleach tomorrow, but for now, all he cared about was getting as much out of his shower as possible. Sungmin still needed to be looked after. Had the bookkeeper not have been around, he probably would have taken a normal shower and just tried to go to bed, but he was here. Sungmin was a calming presence that Victor kind of needed right now, admittedly, and he wasn’t about to just call it a night. He was, however, going to take his sweet time in this fucking shower, being a good host be damned for a moment. He was sure Sungmin would understand.
Sungmin nodded in response, though he wasn’t sure that he could ever just help himself to anything in other people’s homes--- no matter how much he extended that same offer to guests in his own house, he could never find it in himself to accept the same when offered his way. Clutching the stack of clean clothes to his chest, the bookkeeper watched Vic leave the room before wandering his way into the guest bathroom. It was clean and tidy ( though that wasn’t a surprise in the slightest ), bottles of various soaps and oils with different descriptive labels were placed neatly on the shelves, and Sungmin found himself reading curiously through each one before taking only a few into the shower with him.
The stream of hot water seemed to relax the tension in his muscles, though the temperature was admittedly much cooler than what he’d normally have it set on--- the extreme heat had irritated the skin around the wound on his abdomen, and so he’d found himself quickly turning the knob back to dial it down. Sungmin felt like he hadn’t gotten a single moment to just breathe ever since the moment of the blast, everything just happening one right after the other. Even cuddling with Yeona earlier, his mind was racing, worrying about Vic’s whereabouts, about Yeona’s mental state, about the few Howlers who hadn’t yet made their status known in the group chat. And he was still worried, but at least under the steady stream of warm water, surrounded by the calming scents of soaps, he felt like he could finally breathe.
He couldn’t even tell how long it had been when he finally stepped out, carefully patting himself dry with the fluffy towel hanging outside of the guest shower. So entranced by the peaceful atmosphere that time hadn’t even existed for him. Vic was right, the pajamas he’d left him with hung slightly off of his form, the older man’s height apparent in the length of the garments. Carefully, as to not irritate his side, he bent down to cuff the ends of the pants around his ankles, if only so that he wouldn’t trip on the stairs, and then left the room, heading back toward the Rhee’s living space. The sound of the shower running was still ever present when he passed by Victor’s room, and Sungmin found himself happy that the medic was giving himself a long enough time to relax. Making his way down the stairs, he simply opted to lower himself back onto the couch he’d been lying on earlier in the night, waiting patiently for the witch’s return.
He gave a little nod, satisfied that the clothes would fit, “Then c’mon, let’s get you situated. The guest quarters are free for you to use.” because truthfully, after today, both men were in need of a shower. Even if for nothing more than to soothe the nerves. A nice shower, perhaps a meal or a drink, and eventual rest. If he were being completely honest with himself, Victor didn’t think he’d be able to sleep at all tonight.
He lead them out of his room and took a turn to the left, leading down a hallway. Vic’s house wasn’t incredibly large or luxurious, but it was spacious enough to comfortably house guests. The guest bedroom was just down the hall from Vic’s own, and had its own little ensuite that was wonderful for privacy. Vic spent his money on comforting aspects in a home, not the luxurious ones. Everything in his house, aside from Yeona’s room, was decorated in muted earthy tones surrounded by plants, with accents of silver and emerald green that tied in with his family’s crest displayed in the living room.
He opened the door to the guest room, revealing a very similarly decorated room to the rest of the house, but with a lack of blooming plants. Just a few leafy friends here and there. “The linens are fresh. Feel free to shower or have a bath if you’d like. I’m actually going to wash up too, I feel pretty disgusting now that I’ve had the chance to think about it.”
Sungmin felt a tired smile tug at the corners of his lips at the medic’s words. “Thanks, hyung. Seriously.” Because he wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of this type of kindness, because he was tired and in pain and he wasn’t being left alone to deal with it, because Vic was simply a positive presence in his life at the moment in every aspect possible. The bookkeeper wasn’t one to feel entirely comfortable outside of his own home, and yet somehow Vic had managed to make this house feel comforting in every way, somewhere he felt just as at home as he did in his own quaint little town house. It was a different sort of feeling, but not a bad one. Not at all.
Eyes wandered as he followed the older through the hallway, noting the earthy color scheme of the house’s interior design--- it was calming, in a way, and it felt so very Vic that it was hard to separate the two in his mind. Contrast to his own home, all dark wood and muted reds and oranges, rich and cozy in a different sort of way that he felt had the same kind of sentiment to it.
Sungmin stepped into the guest room behind Vic, hugging the stack of pajamas he’d been handed close to his chest. It wasn’t as lived in as the witch’s own room, obviously, but it still held the same homey vibe as the rest of the house. “Yeah, absolutely, thanks again,” he was probably throwing around that word much too often at this point, but really he couldn’t help but let his gratitude slip into every ounce of his speech. “I’ll meet you back in the living room afterwards? Unless you’re planning on going straight to sleep. In which case, you definitely deserve it and I wish you a good night.”
He turned his attention to his drawers, pulling open his pajama section. For now, something soft and cozy would have to do. He wasn’t sure any of his form-fitting everyday streetwear would fit the bookkeeper. He rifled through neatly folded piled, trying to find this one specific set that he hadn’t worn in quite some time… he clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth until his eyes settled on crimson. A crimson and gold tee-shirt emblazoned with a now faded 𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐎𝐋𝐀 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐆𝐎 paired with matching pajama pants with his alma mater’s mascot he had once worn in his youth. Surely, that would fit Sungmin. He’d bought it just a size up, having gone through a phase where baggy clothing was the love of his life.
“D’ya think this might work?” he raised the items up, tilting his head in question.
A small smile tugged at the corners of Sungmin’s lips, truly touched by Vic’s words. It wasn’t that it was a new concept--- hell, he himself had said similar things plenty of times before, treating all Howlers as his family, extending his home to them. He’s sure he’d said similar things to the medic before as well. But there was something different about hearing it now, in the wake of a tragedy when he needed it the most, from someone he felt so close to. Perhaps this was a real test of bonds, seeing what someone would do in a situation such as the one they were in now. If it was a test, Vic would have passed with flying colors. “Alright,” he finally conceded, voice soft. “As long as it’s not too much trouble.”
Sungmin watched the scene before him in vague amusement, hardly fazed by the way the Rhees’ familiars appeared seemingly out of nowhere. At this point, he’d been exposed to so many different types of supernatural occurrences that it was hard to surprise him with much. He stayed put, eyes simply following Vic’s retreating figure, conceding that the medic might want a moment alone to put his daughter to bed. As soon as the other called for him, however, he found that his feet carried him in Vic’s direction without much thought, running on empty at this point. He waited patiently near the room’s doorway, heart warm as he watched the witch tuck his daughter into bed, the cats curling up beside her in comfort.
Only once Vic’s attention was pulled in a different direction did he venture further into the room, extra careful to keep his footsteps light, as if one misstep would wake the poor sleeping figure on the bed. Sungmin mindlessly held his arms outward, allowing the other to hold items up to him to test. “Yeah, that’ll be fine,” he agreed, voice hushed as he looked over the set that the medic had chosen. Vaguely, he noted that he’d heard the words printed on the shirt before, thrown into simple conversations with Vic about their college days. Both items in the set would probably be slightly large on him, if only for the height that the other man had on him, but truthfully he didn’t mind at all. He always did find oversized clothing to be comforting in stressful situations, like a blanket. Hence why he always wore baggy sweatpants and oversized sweaters around his own home.
Truly, their proximity hadn’t even registered to Victor until Sungmin had stood up, even when he’d simply pulled away he hadn’t realized just how close they’d been. It had just been nice to have someone comforting him, having spent so long being the one to comfort others. Vic wasn’t one to find himself flustered over the little things in life, however, and his face didn’t reflect any reaction to the situation at all. It had been nice to have Sungmin close, sure, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but the medic would settle on comfort. Sungmin had always been a comforting presence to him, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that having the man close after a traumatic event would be comforting.
Yes, comfort was what it was.
Sungmin’s eyes searched Vic’s for any sort of sign that he wasn’t being genuine, that he was offering only for the sake of hospitality, but there wasn’t any to find. The medic had always been one of the most honestly kind people he’d ever met, but somehow Sungmin found it harder to accept when that kindness was extended toward himself, harder to allow himself to take advantage of such kindness when all he wanted to do was spin it back around on Vic and take care of him instead. He supposed the two could take care of each other, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. “No, you’re right, it’s probably not the best idea to step back out there just yet. I just didn’t want to, y’know... intrude. Especially right now, after everything that’s happened, it’s best to be with family.”
At the medic’s words, Sungmin glanced down toward his wound, noting the torn fabric from where the bullet had grazed his abdomen, soaked with blood which has since dried. It needed to be cleaned, that much was certain, the skinwalker having ignored it since he’d left the chaos of the cook out. “Okay,” he agreed easily. “Please don’t try using magic right now, though. It’s not that serious, and I can tell you’re exhausted.”
Sungmin couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but there was something very serendipitous about existing here, in the Rhees’ living room beside an exhausted Victor and a peacefully sleeping Yeona. It just felt... entirely effortless, like the universe had fallen perfectly in to place, given them this one peaceful night after all the shit they’d been forced to endure throughout the day. It was unfamiliar territory, the thoughts that were spinning through his mind that night, but Sungmin would chalk that up to the minimal blood loss and the fact that Victor had always been very good at making him feel valid and cared for. “Let’s get Yeona to bed and make sure she’s sleeping well, then you can have at my injuries all you want, yeah?”
He knew that wasn’t true. Jinhee knew, more than anyone, that Vic would do everything in his power to keep her safe. He knew that if today had taken a turn for the absolute worst, Jinhee would never have placed the blame on him. He glanced at a picture of himself and his late wife on the coffee table behind Sungmin. The photo was of himself and his wife at the hospital, just after Yeona’s birth. The little one had been cleaned, swaddled up, and placed in Jinhee’s arms- Vic had one arm wrapped around his wife as he sat on the edge of her hospital bed, the other hand reaching up, gently stroking Yeona’s cheek. The two were smiling at the baby with a tender look of love and happiness that no single person on Earth could even begin to describe. That photo had been taken mere hours before his wife passed. The only photo of the three of them as a family, and the last photo of him and his wife.
“C’mon,” he slowly jerked his head towards a hallway, “I need to put Yeona to bed, and we need to get cleaned up. I’ve got spare clothes that’ll fit you.” while Sungmin may have had broader shoulders, the older man was taller, so anything he owned would fit the bookkeeper well enough, if not just a bit baggy.
Sungmin’s eyes searched the other man’s face as he wiped at his tears, hoping at least to find some sign that the crying would ease, that he would be able to calm down, that the skinwalker’s actions were helping in some way. He hated seeing Vic like this, his heart nearly tearing in two as he watched one of the most composed people he’d ever known fall apart piece by piece. An empathetic tear began to roll down his own cheek, but Sungmin quickly lifted his free hand to dab it away before it had a chance. He couldn’t fall apart himself, not when Vic needed him like this, to be an emotional anchor, tying him to reality while he let out all of his feelings. A relieved breath escaped his lips as the medic began to calm down, his breathing becoming more and more even with time.
The bookkeeper nodded almost enthusiastically, glad that the other had at least accepted his limits and knew that he wasn’t alone in this. “Tomorrow,” he echoed softly. “Tomorrow we can wake up and start the search first thing in the morning, but none of us will be useful without tonight’s rest.” It nearly broke his heart, observing the way Victor was looking at his daughter, no doubt in his mind that the other was blaming himself for what had happened. But there was no way he could have ever known that the cook out wouldn’t be safe for Yeona, nothing he could have done to prevent it. Sungmin was thanking any higher power that would listen that Yeona came out alright, if only a bit traumatized. Dropping his hand from where it was still resting against Vic’s cheek, Sungmin gently squeezed the medic’s shoulder, a silent reassurance.
“Yeah,” he quickly agreed, slightly pulling away from his proximity with the other man. He hadn’t really noticed until right then how close the two had been, engrossed in comforting Vic, but now that he was self-aware, he couldn’t help the slight embarrassment that came along with it. Why, he wasn’t so sure, but the heat creeping up his neck didn’t seem to care for a logical explanation. Ignoring that thought, Sungmin pushed himself up from the sofa, once again cringing with the pain that bloomed in his right side, though he managed not to let out any sort of sound this time. The wound would be alright, he was sure, but for now it hurt like a bitch. “I don’t want to intrude or anything, I can head home if you’d rather just go to bed with Yeona. You deserve it, really.”
It was nearly 5 before Vic walked up the steps to his home. The witch had spent the last six hours of the day doing what he does best- helping people and saving lives. He’d lost track of the countless number of people he’d manage to help, Howler’s, humans, and other gangs alike. He hadn’t needed to push himself to this point of exhaustion in years, not even during the hits on La Fortuna and the Underground last year, but he couldn’t give up. Two Howler’s were unaccounted for, and Sam wasn’t around. Someone had to find them. Vic spent hours after the dust had settled and EMT’s had cleared the scene of most of the victims. He’d been told so many times by officers that the area wasn’t safe for a civilian, and that any recovered loved ones would be reported. He’d been assured that rescue efforts were going to be in effect for quite some time still.
Vic spent the last six hours looking for Hisoka and Jisoo, and all he had to show for it was the djinn’s cell phone.
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Sungmin had nearly dozed off with Yeona in his arms when the sound of jingling keys jolted him back to consciousness, unwittingly tightening his grip on the little girl tucked into his side as to protect her from whatever unknown presence may have just entered the house. The moment Victor’s form wandered into his line of sight, however, the skinwalker relaxed, all tension leaving his body. Not only was he relieved that what he’d heard wasn’t some kind of intruder in the Rhees’ home, but there was living, breathing proof before him that Vic was safe. The continuous texts in the Howlers’ group chat were enough to keep him from having a panic attack, but Sungmin hadn’t realized just how badly he needed to see the witch’s unharmed face in person until now.
He watched silently as Victor kneeled in front of the couch, opting for silence as not to interrupt the moment between father and daughter. Eyes carefully watched the medic’s every move, sighing in pure relief as the other finally spoke up, announcing that whatever magic he’d performed would help Yeona to sleep peacefully through the night. The poor girl deserved a good night’s rest at the very least, after all of the trauma she’d been through that day.
As soon as Yeona was lifted from his embrace, safe in her father’s arms, Sungmin pressed the palms of his hands into the sofa beneath him, struggling slightly to push himself upright, what with the wound still garnishing his right side. A wince escaped his lips, though the pain was bearable, truly. Not nearly as bad as it had been when the wound was still fresh. Can’t say the same for us. Sungmin couldn’t disagree with that statement, knowing for a fact that his experiences earlier that day would haunt his dreams for quite a while. Just as the events of a year prior had up until only a few short months ago. It was impossible to catch a break, huh?
Sungmin stilled as an arm fell gently around his shoulders, pressing him closer to Victor’s warm body in a cautious side-hug. It wasn’t something that the bookkeeper was expecting, not at all, having anticipated the other to focus his attention entirely on his daughter. As he would’ve been completely entitled to do. Sungmin only remained frozen for a fraction of a second before he seemed to melt, all tension falling from his frame as he carefully rested his head against Vic’s shoulder. His eyes began to feel a bit misty, if only for the fact that he felt... taken care of. Vic was worried about his feelings and was comforting him in light of a traumatic experience, and Sungmin had found himself so often on the other side of this dynamic but so rarely in the position that he was in now.
“No--- no no no, hyung, please don’t talk like that. None of this is your fault, so you couldn’t have failed,” the skinwalker quickly stepped in to reassure the older man, lifting his head from his shoulder to study his face. He looked tired and stressed and overwhelmed, and that was completely understandable. Tears began to well in Sungmin’s eyes at the sight before him. “You did your best, I know you did. We all know you did.” He bunched the end of his sleeve in his hand, lifting it to gently dab away the tears streaming down Victor’s face, even as they still fell. “We’ll find them, alright? Tomorrow, after everyone’s gotten some rest and let the shock settle. If they weren’t still at the site then nothing too bad could’ve happened, yeah? They’re probably at the station with Sam. No need to stress yourself so much over it.”
It was the most relaxed Sungmin had felt in quite a long while, spread out on a picnic blanket with Victor and Yeona, laughing along with the young girl’s antics as they downed fried chicken and lemonade. For the past years, if the bookkeeper wasn’t working he was thinking about work, caught in a constant state of stress and fatigue that weighed down on him at all hours of the day. And yet, spending time with the Rhees, he found that work was the last thing on his mind, entirely distracted by the good company and light conversation.
Of course paradise couldn’t last, as nothing ever did.
The explosion, in Sungmin’s memory, was one tangled mess of chaos--- the shrill screams replacing the ear-splitting boom of the initial explosion. Himself and Vic quickly managed to join the chaotic crowd of people trying to escape the area, running as fast as they could toward an exit. Vaguely, the skinwalker recognized a situation brewing as they passed, a group of non-humans fighting back against the officers who were demanding their cooperation, and he immediately fell into step behind Vic and Yeona, creating a barrier between the chaos and the little family he’d spent the day with. It was only a split second later that he felt it, the piercing pain that tore through the right side of his abdomen, invoking a cry of pain to spill past his lips. He nearly doubled over, pace slowing to a stop as a hand flew to put pressure on the wound, thin streams of crimson spilling past his fingers.
It was the shock more than anything keeping him rooted in place, brain scrambling to try and make sense of the situation even as he felt gentle arms help him upright, lead him away from immediate danger. The skinwalker couldn’t manage to shake himself back to reality until he was lowered to the ground in a more sheltered area, blinking furiously to make out the worried faces of Victor and Yeona before him. Sungmin had never had the pleasure of being healed by the witch before, but if this was always what it felt like, he found that he very much preferred it to a hospital trip, a calming warmth radiating from where Vic’s hands made contact with his skin and spreading throughout the rest of his body. The pain hadn’t disappeared, not at all, but it was so much more bearable. And there were so many more important things to be doing right then than staying put and wallowing in the pain.
“I’ll take Yeona,” Sungmin managed to croak out, one hand still pressed against his wound as he used the wall behind him to help him stand upright. Vic looked extremely conflicted and, judging by the incessant buzzing of both of their phones, the medic had work to do. “You do your job. I’ll take Yeona, get her out of here--- she’s safe with me, I promise.”
They’d finally made it to the Rhees’ home, the journey feeling so much longer than it really was, if only because it was filled with limping and crying and whining for the man that they’d had to leave behind. Understandable. Sungmin was missing Vic’s presence almost as much as Yeona was, but as badly as he wanted to join the sobbing, he had someone to stay strong for. The young witch pointed out where her father kept the spare key, and Sungmin wasted no time in getting them safely inside, locking the door behind them. The eerie silence of the house was broken by loud sniffles and careful footsteps as the skinwalker made his way to the sofa, settling Yeona on his lap to avoid his wounded side.
Uncle Minnie, where’s appa? Why did we have to leave him? Sungmin was trying his best to console the girl, but the situation called for far more than a comforting back rub and soft words. Uncle Minnie, is appa gonna die? No. No, he fucking would not, and if he did, Sungmin would have some choice words to throw at whatever higher power was overlooking Agdoeg today. Uncle Minnie--- “How about some hot chocolate, hm? Does that sound good, sweet pea?” Of course it did. If there was any such thing as a constant in this universe, it was that sweets would always help to settle an upset child. Sungmin carefully laid the girl onto the couch, wincing as he stood to navigate Vic’s kitchen for hot chocolate supplies.
Two mugs and an hour’s worth of cuddling later, Sungmin was laid on his back on the Rhees’ sofa, Yeona tucked into his uninjured side, safe and snoring quietly. There were tear stains still littering her cheeks, the poor girl having nearly cried herself to sleep, even after accepting Sungmin’s offer of hot chocolate. The man himself had only prevented tears by a close shot, relieved only by the messages still coming from Vic in the Howlers’ group chat. That meant that he was okay. And Sungmin wasn’t sure that he could handle Vic not being okay. A head count was slowly taking place in the chat, everyone accounted for except for Hisoka and Jisoo, and the bookkeeper couldn’t help the drop in the pit of his stomach at the thought that something had happened to those two, something bad. He wished he could do more to help, but the poor little soul tucked into his side needed him more at the moment.
“So,” he started, “Where should we head to first? I did promise the little one some watermelon lemonade earlier, so maybe there?”
Yeona raised her hand and patiently waited for her turn to speak, “What if! Ooh! What if we get lememmade and then a snack!! And have a picnic! Daddy said this was like a big picnic! I’ve never had a picnic not my backyard before,” she suggested, excitement evident in her tiny voice. For such a small girl, the flower child has such a big personality. She was so excited about life, and Vic never wanted to see that light and childish wonder fade from her eyes.
It was always the same, that tingly feeling somewhere deep in his chest whenever Victor touched him in greeting. Sungmin knew that it must be some kind of magic, at the very least have something to do with the other man being a witch, but he didn’t ever really bother to ask questions about it. He trusted that whatever it was, it wasn’t harmful--- he didn’t think that anything the medic could do would be harmful, really. He did, however, glance up to meet Vic’s eyes, raising one eyebrow in acknowledgement.
Sungmin almost spoke up, offering an answer to the question, though when Yeona’s little hand in the air caught his attention, he nodded in her direction instead, encouraging her to offer her opinion. “You’ve never had a picnic?” the bookkeeper emphasized. “Well, that’s gotta be changed, don’t you think?” Sungmin suggested, sending a glance in Vic’s direction for a final approval. What stuck with him, however, was the way the witch looked at his daughter, like he was committing every detail to memory, holding onto it for when she grew older. Sungmin had never been one to yearn for children of his own, not really--- he’d unofficially adopted enough kids throughout the years to at least get a joke gift or two on father’s day--- but the bond between the Rhees was one that he admired, somehow hoped that he would achieve someday.
Sungmin gently lowered Yeona back to the ground, not letting go of her entirely until he was sure she’d caught her footing. “You know what? I passed by a fried chicken vendor earlier that smelled amazing. What do you think? Lemonade and chicken make a good picnic snack?” he suggested, eyes glancing between both Rhees as if asking for their opinion.
The Rhee’s scanned the area, keeping their eyes peeled for their favorite skinwalker. Yeona tugged anxiously on the hem of her pink jacket to keep herself from biting on her nails. This many people, all of whom were strangers, were making her anxious, but with the promise of a hug from uncle sungmin she knew it would be well worth it to stick it out. Vic himself was getting a little worried with how much trouble he was having finding the other man. He stuck his hand in his jacket pocket to reach for his phone- had the other man texted him? Should he text Sungmin? Just as Vic was about to cave and send the bookkeep a message, Yeona tore away from Vic, sprinting full speed ahead.
“Uncle Sungmin!” she exclaimed, calling attention down her her. If Sungmin hadn’t gotten the message that Yeona was upon him from her yelling his name across a crowded field, there’s no way he could miss her as she flung herself at his legs, her small arms wrapping around him in a tight hug. “Uncle minnie, we found you!” her eyes crinkled into little moons as she flashed a beaming gummy smile to rival even her father’s.
When Vic had suggested that he meet him and Yeona for the cookout, Sungmin had been a bit hesitant--- not because he didn’t want to spend time with the father-daughter duo ( quite the opposite, in fact ) but because he had a lot of work to do. To be entirely honest, the bookkeeper always had a lot of work to do, a side effect of trying to manage the most financially unstable gang in the area. But he so badly needed to get out, spend some time somewhere other than his office or living room, in the company of someone other than his spreadsheets and reports. And who better to keep him company than the Rhees?
Yeona was always good company, of course, the young girl just cute and wacky enough to hold anyone’s attention. But Sungmin had found himself missing Vic’s company more often lately, his time spent with the medic some of the most stress-relieving and comfortable that he’d had in quite a while. He was an excellent addition to the Howlers, not only for his medical expertise but simply for how he assimilated with them so perfectly, filled a hole somewhere in Sungmin’s heart that he hadn’t even known was there. It felt that way with a lot of the gang, the group becoming a family that the skinwalker never knew he needed, but with Vic... it felt like a final puzzle piece locked into place, like the universe was finally in balance. Maybe that was a sign of something, who knows.
The skinwalker was focused, weaving in and out of the crowds gathering around the ample tents and booths set up around the street. Mentally, he took note of some of the yummy smells wafting from some of the tents, opting to stop back by later with Vic and Yeona, but he’d have to find them first to be able to do such a thing. He felt overdressed, almost--- although, to be fair, this was the most casual the skinwalker had dressed outside of the comfort of his own home in quite a while.
Sungmin was too busy peeking over the tops of heads hoping to catch sight of the duo he was searching for that he failed to notice the little girl sprinting straight at him until she barreled into his legs, nearly knocking him off balance. The moment he realized who it was, his face broke out into a bright smile, reaching down to lift Yeona into his arms for a proper greeting. “Of course you did, sweet pea, you’re an expert navigator,” he told her, gently ruffling her hair. “Now where’s your appa, huh?” Sungmin asked, eyes already wandering the crowd to catch sight of a familiar face before carrying Yeona to meet him somewhere in the middle. “Hyung!” he greeted, adjusting his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. “Your daughter beat you here, what do you have to say for yourself?”
