In Chains and Shadows || Heehoon

Frustration and Adoration

The mansion was quiet. It was always quiet, a place of solitude, of control, where every movement had purpose, every step echoed with authority. And yet, for the past few weeks, the quiet had been interrupted by something Heeseung hadn't prepared for—a certain stubbornness, an unyielding presence that had wormed its way into his life and his thoughts. That presence, of course, was Sunghoon.

It had been nearly a month since Sunghoon had been taken into Heeseung's custody. A month of frustration, irritation, and—Heeseung begrudgingly admitted—something else. Something that had started out as a strange annoyance but slowly shifted into something more complicated. Heeseung had found himself drawn to the younger man in a way he didn't understand, in a way that had started to unsettle him. The more Sunghoon defied him, the more he couldn't help but find it... endearing.

-

Heeseung had expected to find Sunghoon locked in his room, sulking, stewing in his anger like he had been for the past few weeks. But when he walked down the hall that day, he saw something that threw him off completely.

Sunghoon was wandering around the mansion like it was his own home.

Heeseung watched from a distance as Sunghoon casually strolled through the grand hallway, his hands shoved into the pockets of his oversized hoodie. He wasn't walking with the same trepidation or fear that had plagued him in the beginning. There was no sense of caution, no careful step that might signal someone being held hostage. Instead, Sunghoon moved with the ease of someone who had every right to be there.

Heeseung felt an eyebrow twitch at the sight. Was Sunghoon really walking around like he owned the place? He wasn't even trying to hide his disdain for the situation.

"Sunghoon," Heeseung called out sharply, his voice cutting through the silence.

The younger man didn't flinch or stop walking. Instead, he turned his head slightly and gave Heeseung an almost lazy smile, one that radiated annoyance and a strange satisfaction. "What? You don't like me going for a walk?"

Heeseung clenched his jaw. "You're a prisoner. You're supposed to be confined to your room."

Sunghoon rolled his eyes and continued walking, not a care in the world. "Yeah? Well, if I have to stay here, I might as well enjoy the view. This place is a mansion, after all." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, but there was something in his eyes—something that caught Heeseung off guard.

Despite the defiance, there was a certain casualness in Sunghoon's demeanor that made it hard for Heeseung to stay mad. In fact, it almost made Heeseung laugh. It wasn't right. It wasn't what he'd expected. But damn it, it was cute.

"Don't make me order you back to your room," Heeseung muttered under his breath, though he wasn't sure if he wanted to follow through.

Sunghoon stopped walking but didn't face Heeseung directly. Instead, he leaned against the wall, tilting his head back and staring at the ceiling as if considering Heeseung's words. "Go ahead. Order me. I dare you." There was something in the way he said it—something playful, almost challenging.

The challenge was enough to make Heeseung's patience fray. He took a step forward, his mind racing. But before he could say anything, Sunghoon pushed himself off the wall, hands still stuffed in his pockets, and started walking again.

"I think I'll take a walk to the garden," he said, not even waiting for Heeseung's response. "You can follow me if you want."

Heeseung stood there for a moment, frustration bubbling in his chest. But then something shifted. Something clicked in him that hadn't been there before. Sunghoon's casual defiance, his blatant disregard for the power Heeseung held over him—it wasn't a threat. It was... adorable.