Beneath the Surface

Part 34

The morning sun filtered lazily through the curtains, casting golden stripes across the bed where two figures lay tangled in soft sheets. Longtai was curled against Yok's chest, head nestled perfectly beneath his chin, breathing slow and even. One of Yok's arms draped protectively around him, fingers twitching slightly in sleep, while his other hand rested over Longtai's bare back.

Everything was quiet-peaceful. The kind of morning that made Yok wish time could just stop.

Until his phone started buzzing violently against the bedside table.

Yok groaned, burying his face deeper into Longtai's hair. He reached blindly for the phone, managing to decline the call without even looking. It buzzed again. And again. And again.

"God-what the hell," he muttered sleepily, cracking one eye open.

Longtai didn't stir, still blissfully asleep, his breath warm against Yok's skin.

The phone buzzed again.

Yok sighed, grabbed it, and answered with a hoarse whisper, "This better be about someone dying, Gram."

"Someone will be dying if we don't fix this!" Gram's voice was sharp, frantic. "We've got a problem. A big one."

Yok sat up slightly, still cradling Longtai carefully. "What now?"

"That mission we fucked up last week? The one Black nearly skinned you for?" Gram hissed through the line. "There was a hidden camera on site. Some security feed or whatever. A clip got leaked."

Yok blinked. "What?"

"It's on the damn Internet, dude. Not everywhere yet, but it's spreading fast. Some blurry video showing silhouettes, but the voices? Fucking clear."

Yok's blood ran cold. He glanced down at Longtai, who murmured softly in his sleep, shifting closer to him.

"You're joking," Yok said flatly.

"I wish I was," Gram snapped. "There's buzz online, conspiracy stuff, and now some low-level politician picked it up. They're calling it a domestic terrorist attempt. Police are sniffing around. Black's losing his shit."

"Are our faces in it?" Yok whispered, lowering his voice.

"Not clearly... not yet. But you know how this works. It's only a matter of time if it gets enhanced or some snitch speaks up."

Yok closed his eyes, pressing a hand to his forehead.

"Send me the footage," he muttered. "I'll be there soon."

"Yeah. And Yok?" Gram's voice softened just a bit. "We need to clean this up. Fast."

Yok hung up without answering, tossing the phone aside. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, the weight of reality settling over the quiet morning like a stormcloud.

Then he looked down.

Longtai was still asleep in his arms, peaceful, untouched by the world's chaos. Yok brushed a hand gently through his hair, fingers lingering.

"I'll protect this," he whispered to himself. "Even if the whole world turns on us."

He bent down and kissed Longtai's forehead gently.

The peace of morning was gone.

Now came the fire.

The sheets were still warm when Longtai stirred awake, his hand instinctively reaching out across the bed.

Empty.

His eyes fluttered open, brows furrowing at the missing warmth beside him. "Yok?" he called softly, his voice raspy with sleep.