The amber liquid sloshes while Allan lifts his glass to his lips with a trembling hand. He couldn't sleep last night. Today, he's running on half a bagel and three cups of coffee. His boss chewed him out twice. When he finally gets home, his mate is undoubtedly going to lace into him over being out late, again. The bit he told Jeon about a tracker in his phone was a lie, but Denise is still beginning to get suspicious.
All he needs to do is hand Jeon the check and fucking leave.
It weighs heavy in his pocket, finally signed. Twenty minutes ago, the anxiety reached its peak when he and this Zodiac character finally met. Allan—Well, Allan wasn't sure what he expected, but a kid in sweats wasn't it. Probably some rich brat friend of Jeon's. They didn't talk much, which suited Allan fine, because something about the kid's smile unnerved him. Zodiac scribbled his signature on the check and wandered away—out of the restaurant, or something. Allan hasn't seen him.
Now he's just waiting for Jeon. Waiting and nursing a bourbon and waiting and getting a concerned look from the bartender so he must look ready to pass out and waiting and continuing to wait and can he just hand this check to someone else and leave or pop it in the mail or—
A hand slides over Allan's back, making him jump. Bourbon sloshes.
"Mr. Andersen," Jeon's unmistakable voice purrs. "I hope you weren't waiting long."
Allan stiffly turns to look up at him. As usual, Jeon spares no expense in his appearance. A white lace shirt underneath a white silk jacket, high cut shorts with his muscular legs shown off. Even though his hair is a little longer and messier than the last time Allan saw him, he's still beautifully made up—sultry and smokey-eyed.
Jeon Jeongguk is entirely too pretty for his own good.
"Not at all," Allan replies. "I was just finishing—" Most of the bourbon is gone, now. Down his throat or on the bar counter. "I... guess I'm about finished."
Jeon smiles and bats his eyes, and he's a lot more convincing than Zodiac was, which only manages to unnerve Allan more. "Then we can go?"
"...Go?"
"I'm here to pick you up, aren't I?" Jeon asks innocently and it's then that Allan realizes this is an act. Of course they aren't going to do a money transfer in the middle of the bar at a crowded restaurant.
"Y-Yeah. Yeah, of course," Allan replies hastily. He clumsily reaches into his pants to find his wallet to throw a few bills down on the counter before half-falling off the bar stool. He follows Jeon out of the restaurant and around the side of the building.
The sun has finally sank below the horizon, and the world is quickly darkening. Jeon is a bright spot, but the surroundings are getting that weird kind of blurry they do around dusk. A thick coating of moisture hangs in the air; it must be going to rain soon. Allan hopes this exchange will be quick so he can go home.
Allan follows Jeongguk deeper into the alley, growing more and more nervous as they go. It doesn't look like Jeongguk is carrying any weapons—certainly not that sledgehammer—but it's impossible to tell. He could have a knife. Oh god, this is a trap, isn't it—
"So. You've got money?"
"I—Y-Yeah." Allan hastily pats down his clothes. Which pocket did he put it in—?
Relief washes over him when his fingers finally close around the paper, and he pulls the check out of his back pocket and presents it to Jeon. He'll be free, now. Free from Jeon showing up in the middle of the night and breaking his door down to set his house on fire.
Jeon delicately takes the check from him, opening it up. He must not be able to read it very well in the dark, because his brow furrows. Allan opens his mouth to explain that it is the full amount, when Jeon glances up and catches sight of something over his shoulder. When Allan checks behind him, his blood runs cold, because someone is coming towards them down the alley, and he's got something in his hand.
