Bodyguard | Heesun

8

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No matter how calm Heeseung may have seemed, to say that he didn't feel worried would be a lie. It is, however, not because of the crowd, nor the cameras almost shoved into his face—he went through far worse than this, and this would instill more anger than worry in him—but rather because of how anxious Sunoo looked in that situation. Somehow, Heeseung felt like he had to do more than simply guide him to safety. It was about keeping him safe, and not only physically.

The plan he had the minute he saw those people gathering outside was clear in his head; get Sunoo inside a taxi, make sure the driver would bring him home, and go back to the parking lot to drive the car they'd left behind. However, it quickly fell apart the moment he heard the panic in Sunoo's voice, asking him, almost begging,

Don't leave me, please.

It had tightened Heeseung's heart in a way he couldn't even describe. He wondered for a second, a very brief second,

Would that be alright?

And perhaps he shouldn't even have asked himself that, because the moment he entered the car and took a seat next to Sunoo, he felt the pressure previously weighting over Sunoo's shoulders lessen—saw it in the way Sunoo's eyes closed, the way his breathing calmed down, the way he let his body relax and his head fall over Heeseung's shoulder. It is almost like all the worry inside Heeseung disappeared when Sunoo's did, too. A relief.

This is where Heeseung belonged.

By Sunoo's side.

The car pulls over by Sunoo's home, and before the driver has the time to speak a word, Heeseung raises his index to his lips. Murmurs as to not wake Sunoo up, "Five more minutes, please. I'll pay extra if needed." He just can't bring himself to wake him up after what happened. Stealing a glance at where Sunoo has his head rested over his shoulder, he can't help but smile. Endeared, and relieved. If he knew that Sunoo didn't mind him touching him, he would have brought the pad of his finger to Sunoo's forehead, brush the stray clump of hair out of his eyes, ran his fingers through his curls, and—

"Are we here?" Sunoo asks, startling Heeseung. He doesn't sound like he was asleep in the first place, but simply resting.

"We are," Heeseung is quick to respond, clearing his throat in embarrassment. When Sunoo opens his eyes and meets his, Heeseung can't help but ask, with worry hidden in his tone, "How are you feeling?"

But Sunoo doesn't even respond, he just shrugs and thanks the driver before he gives him probably more money than it costed and gets out of the car and starts walking to his apartment building.

What just happened?

Heeseung takes a few seconds to process the reaction before he jumps out of the car and rushes to follow Sunoo. A thousand questions start crowding his mind, but he only manages to call him, confused by the sudden shift, "Sunoo-ah!"

Sunoo stops in his tracks then and turns to look at him with a frown.

"Am I not older than you and your boss, Heeseung-ssi?" And his blood turns cold at the gaze from the older and at the sharpness of his tongue.

"I apologize," Heeseung quickly tells with a bow, clearly not expecting such a reaction. Sunoo just nods and turns around again to head inside the building.

He says hello to the doorman and presses the elevator button as he waits.

Heeseung cannot help but notice how tense he looks again, how... mad , even. He holds the bag where the necklace he bought is so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. When the doors open, Heeseung hurries inside, forgetting about his car—he could always retrieve it later.