In Chains and Shadows || Heehoon

Old married what now!?

The atmosphere at Heeseung's mansion was slightly more chaotic than usual. A new presence in the house, his cousin Riki, had arrived for a visit. Heeseung wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of anyone intruding on his carefully constructed, controlled world, but Jiho had insisted. And Heeseung had a soft spot for him—so, here they were.

Riki, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying the situation. With a grin that never quite left his face, he'd been poking fun at Heeseung ever since his arrival, finding the whole dynamic between Heeseung and Sunghoon to be highly amusing.

"Your little 'captive' sure seems comfortable here," Riki remarked with a smirk, taking in the sight of Sunghoon lounging on the couch, casually flipping through a magazine like he owned the place.

Heeseung rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the twitch in his lips. "Don't start," he muttered, though his words were laced with a begrudging fondness. Sunghoon, despite everything that had happened, had become a permanent fixture in his life. It had been over a month, and Heeseung's feelings were—well, confusing, to say the least.

"Oh, come on, hyung," Riki said, clearly entertained by the situation. "It's cute. You two are like an old married couple already. The way you two bicker, the way you look at each other—admit it."

"I do not look at him like that," Heeseung shot back quickly, his face slightly flushed. "And we don't bicker."

"Sure, sure," Riki teased, raising an eyebrow as he caught sight of Sunghoon, who was now walking across the room in what could only be described as an exaggerated swagger. "I'm sure he doesn't drive you crazy."

Heeseung's eyes narrowed slightly, but his annoyance was tempered with something else. "It's just—he's... difficult."

"Oh, I see how it is," Riki grinned. "He's difficult because he's *too cute* for you to handle, huh?"

Heeseung shot him a glare, but Jiho was already laughing, clearly enjoying himself. "You're impossible," Heeseung muttered.

Sunghoon, overhearing the conversation, decided to get in on the teasing. He sauntered over to the two of them, his usual nonchalant smile in place. "What's going on, hmm? Are we talking about me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the way he had the two men's attention.

"Don't get too cocky," Heeseung replied, his voice flat, though the hint of a smile tugged at his lips.

"Why not?" Sunghoon challenged, tilting his head. "It's not like I don't deserve to be talked about. Look at me."

Heeseung blinked at him, suddenly remembering all the times Sunghoon had dropped his usual sarcastic lines, looking far too comfortable in the mansion for someone who had been kidnapped. That cocky smile, the playful glint in his eyes—it drove Heeseung crazy, in the best way. And now, with Riki here, it seemed like Sunghoon was only getting more confident.

Sunghoon wasn't done. "You know, Heeseung, I've been thinking," he said casually, walking up to Heeseung and putting a hand on his shoulder as if they were the best of friends. "Maybe you could bring me some snacks from the kitchen? I'm kind of craving something sweet."

Heeseung stared at him, blinking once, twice. "You're literally sitting right here. You could just get it yourself."

Sunghoon looked at him with exaggerated innocence. "But I'm being so *nice* and *polite* right now. Is it too much to ask?"

"You—" Heeseung started, but then he saw Jiho, who was barely holding in his laughter.

"Oh, man," Riki said through chuckles, "You two really are like an old married couple. The way you argue, the way Sunghoon just *demands* things from you—it's hilarious."