Blaze

Team Strong II

~_____~

Much of his time was spent alone. Always out on the field, out for work and never home. It had been a long run, cooperating with the Military Intelligence and so much more complex work than he ever imagined. The entire team was a screw up, him included.

Lay hadn't gone back to his apartment. Instead, he had thought to visit Chorong. The thought of relaxing alone just didn't feel right. It just felt like he needed to be somewhere and not back at home. What did it matter if he got a night's rest? Tomorrow he would be back at headquarters, meeting with Donghae and waiting for the rest of the results from the Crime Division. Unfair, though, that so many gray things were occurring but he couldn't spend all his time saving someone else's ass. He wasn't that much of a hero.

Maybe he didn't care enough for his teammates. Maybe that was why he prioritized work and success over everything. Cooperation with Victoria, obeying the team leader had been taught to him as norm. He had never disobeyed orders before...until coming across Donghae's team – Suho, the biggest influence, who managed to still do things right.

He was...really amazing and Lay was...envious.

That guy cared about his team like they were his family. He wasn't just someone who followed orders, but gave his own. Suho was his own superior. Lay had never thought of being his own superior before. He had always been someone else's superior before becoming Victoria's underling.

It had just been that way. Now things were irregular.

That was why Suho made him so angry with his secret assignment, work behind the entire team's back. They were betrayers...but they were still a part of the team and Lay had let his feelings get into his work; that had never happened before. Suho had nearly died because of his unprofessionalism.

Then he thought he wanted to talk more with Suho, so he'd gone to the hospital. Suho would probably be staying with Namjoo overnight. Never before had Lay seen two partners care about each other so deeply. Donghae's team was certainly unique.

The room was enveloped in darkness when he slid the door open. The TV screen was flashing and he spotted Namjoo sitting on the bed. She looked surprised to see him.

"Is Suho here?" he wondered.

"He's gone out," Namjoo replied then added, "probably home. What are you doing here?"

He looked her over before entering and sat down on the chair and stared at the screen. "What are you watching?"

"Just tending to my boredom," she replied. "Have you been drinking? You should have brought me something."

Lay surprisingly chuckled at this amused. "I guess I had one too many." After a pause he asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I suppose I can't say I'm feeling good."

"You're right," he apologized.

"Something bothering you?" Namjoo wondered.

Lay seemed to struggle with himself for a few seconds then said, "I'm not sure how to say this...I guess...this job a lot more than I envisioned. Your team really leaves others speechless."

Namjoo stared at him and slightly frowned, appalled and confused. Breathlessly laughing he wondered, himself, what the hell he was talking about. He felt just as bewildered as Namjoo. Perhaps drinking without eating was a very bad idea after all.

"I'm just questioning my ability to work," Lay glanced down at his hands on his lap. "You see, in our entire career hierarchy rules everything. If someone is higher than you, you follow them without failure. You might as well lose your job if you violate orders. Going on the field is high risk itself, but it's even greater risk if you decide to act alone – when you do, you don't go down alone but bring the entire team with you. That's why I look lowly on disobedience. I see it as a violation to the job you've contracted for and disrespect to your superior. If you're going to act that way, why did you want the job in the first place? That was my mindset. When I look at your team, it sets everything I've known off balance. First of all, the team leader is too headstrong and impulsive. Then there are you and Suho who just seem...more in charge of yourselves than Donghae is of you. It's not normal, but you all have the same goals and the dynamic between your team is uniquely familial. In the end, when you're working apart you're still working together." There was a long pause then Lay admitted, "I'm envious."