Themes and Prompts

by deadlockedread

Summary:

I will post here some short pieces in response to monthly/daily prompts I come across such as Flufftober and so on. Mostly G, I think. I will mention if a chapter is not G.

Chapter 1: Breakfast Blend

Summary:

Flufftober Day 26
Prompt: Blankets

Yeo Jin and Si Mok regularly stay over at each other’s apartments these days. The weather has been getting cool, but she sleeps hot and he sleeps cold. What to do? Si Mok literally needs two extra blankets because it’s not time yet to turn on the heat. In the mornings he is like a duckling peeking out from his blankets with his hair sticking right up.

She wakes up a bit earlier, unable to stay asleep for some reason lately. At her home she puts on the electric kettle and brings them both tea. His tea sits on the night table, cooling, while she drinks hers and reads the news on her phone. He curls around her and refuses to get up.

“Your tea is getting cold.”

“Yes. It is.”

“Aren’t you going to drink it?”

“I appreciate you.”

“Drink your tea.” She brushes his hair forward, but it doesn’t help.

Chapter 2: Trope: Roommates in a Marriage of Convenience

Summary:

I suppose this is what you call fluff because nothing really happens in this "story".

Han Yeo Jin notices Hwang Si Mok's personal habits. Hwang Si Mok helps Han Yeo Jin out of a jam. Jang Geon is longsuffering.

Notes:

This story takes place in an AU where Han Yeo Jin and Hwang Si Mok are married roommates for reasons. See "Happiness" and lots of other kdramas where there is a very good argument for platonically marrying your friend so you can live together. How did this happen, you may ask. Well, chalk it up to the fact that Han Yeo Jin is about the only person with whom I can ever recall seeing Hwang Si Mok share a drink.

The signs were all there and yet somehow after 5 years of knowing each other YeoJin had managed to miss them. For a detective, that was embarrassing. But from the first day she met SiMok she should have known that he was as fussy about his appearance as an aging movie star. Thus, it is that she is caught a little off guard when confronted with him tiptoeing from his bathroom with a black towel slung over his shoulders and his hair bunched up in alligator clips. 
What the heck are you doing, SiMok?
“My roots,” is his dry response. 
“But why?” the brilliant detective flings back with this most piercing of questions.
“Because they’re gray” SiMok retorts a little slowly. Not as if he is annoyed. That particular pursing of the lips and squinting of the eyes is missing. It is more of a dull stare as if he thinks she is being especially obtuse that day.
Finding herself with nothing more to say, she leaves him to it. But then begins to grow curious. How much gray hair does he have? Why is he dyeing it? It must be many many gray hairs. YeoJin herself has only a few, and so does not bother to dye her hair. The word “yet” hangs in the air like a thought bubble in a cartoon. But she refuses to look at it. 
In the coming weeks, YeoJin finds herself studiously observing SiMok, trying to see if his roots are coming in and how much of his hair might not be his trademark chestnut color. Which now is under question. What exactly is the color of his hair? What other little vain practices does he have? Lip gloss? Face cream? Does he wax his eyebrows?! The stalking continues as if she is a documentary filmmaker in the wild. She catalogues all kinds of things. The lines around his eyes, the lines of his neck, how delicate his hands appear and how curiously neat the nails are (manicures?). After she is finished, she is sure she has almost memorized the patterns of his pores. Funny, she has never seen him with a five o’ clock shadow, or any stubble for that matter. Now, that is puzzling. 
She asks Jang Geon about it at the gym. 
“Hey, do some guys just not have beards at all?”
“What kind of weird question is that? Why don’t you just ask your roommate?”
“He’s my housemate, not my roommate.”
“Actually, he’s your husband. So, why don’t you ask him.”
YeoJin rolls her eyes and says ‘pfft.’
“Oh, is it about him? Is that why you’re asking me instead?” Jang Geon thinks YeoJin is being too weird this time.
“No! I just was curious. Okay, fine. I’ve never seen him with any kind of facial hair. I just wondered if he can grow a beard at all.” 
“Yeah, you should probably ask him.”
“No, it’s prying. That’s going too far. We should maintain social customs.” 
“Okayyyy,” Jang Geon replies. “But, what about the social customs with me? You’re asking me about another man’s beard.”
“Yeah. It’s weird, right?”
“Yep.”
“Never mind. Get back to work.”
Jang Geon cranks up the speed on his elliptical while YeoJin walks off looking for the stair climber. 
====================================
It doesn’t necessarily follow that SiMok should be the one to do her nails when she is suddenly commanded to manage the guestbook at her cousin’s wedding due to someone having a sudden accident and being genuinely incapable of attending. The bits of conversation SiMok overhears are enough to tell him YeoJin is in trouble.
“I can’t do it,” she mutters, then seems to listen to something on the other line
“Well, I do have a black dress.”
“Yes, I was going to be at the wedding anyway.” Her tone is a bit grudging.
“Hmph! Well, I only left early that time because there was an emergency at the station.”
“Yes, yes fine.”
“No, I’m not getting a manicure. Why should I spend so much money for something when I’m not even … Anyway, give me a break!” YeoJin almost makes it sound like she’s not already married but catches herself just in time!
“Nah, I’ll just do it myself. How hard could it be?”
Turns out it’s hard when one hasn’t been practicing this skill since the age of six or sixteen at the latest. Apparently nail painting is right up there with gymnastics and it’s too late for YeoJin. Painting any of the nails of your dominant hand with your nondominant hand and trying simultaneously not to breathe noxious fumes too deeply is impossible. After listening to her curse and fuss for a bit, SiMok comes to the rescue. 
“Do you need help?” SiMok doesn’t waste any time beating around the bush.
YeoJin is hesitant to admit it, but it’s unclear how she’s going to finish her nails, get them to dry in time, and still have a snack before she leaves for the event. Yes, a snack, because she figures she’s going to be on her feet a lot.
“Yes, I guess I do.”
“Okay, I’ve done this once before.”
“Well, that’s more than me,” YeoJin quips while internally wondering when the heck SiMok had the opportunity to do anyone’s nails. . . probably a sting operation and she wonders if it was his nails or someone else's.
“Hold still,” he mutters.
YeoJin hadn’t realized she was chuckling to herself.
“You should really try to cooperate. Everyone will be looking at your hands.” 
“I know,” she groans. "They told me exactly the same thing.”
“Not that it’s a big deal, but if we’re going to do this, we should do it well.”
She resigns herself to relaxing a tiny bit while he swipes on coats of “Be there in a prosecco”. SiMok is concentrating so hard he’s probably about to break a sweat. But he is careful and makes certain to bring the color close to, but not onto her cuticles and with a steady hand guides the brush upward to the edge of each nail. The windows are open and the air purifier is on. The room will be back to normal in no time. 

 

Chapter 3: The Invitation

Summary:

Yeo Jin continues to be intrigued whenever Si Mok reveals any kind of emotion.
Fake Marriage AU
Seo Dong-Jae is mentioned but doesn't appear.

Notes:

I don't know the etiquette for receiving/responding to a 100-day celebration invitation. Please forgive me if I'm totally incorrect. Please also inform me if you do know.

Yeo Jin loves to capture Si Mok’s rare smiles. The first one she noticed was over ramen. No, udon. No, he had udon and she had ramen and she told him she didn’t really trust him and did that thing with the two fingers and the eyes that means “I’m watching you.” His smile was illuminating. And then it was gone. Since then, she had been hoping to catch some other expressions and was so lucky that on two separate occasions he had shown he was quite annoyed with her for hitting him on the arm. It was sudden and rare like that plant that only blooms at night once a year.

Since they have been living in the same house, she has been hoping to have more opportunities to see his expressions. Their schedules are similar, but they both work overtime way too much and don’t see that much of each other. So, when the opportunity comes, it comes literally out of nowhere.

“Hey, Si Mok, there’s some mail here for you.”

He barely grunts in response. But, Yeo Jin is curious about what appears to be an invitation, so she walks it over to him.

He sighs as he flips through the envelopes and ignores the invitation.

“You have an invitation there.”

“You know I don’t go to things. You look at it.”

“But it’s addressed to you! Fine.” She knows he knows she’s curious.

It’s an invitation to a 100-day celebration for Seo Dong-Jae’s new baby girl. Maybe they’ll just send a gift. Si Mok wouldn’t want to go to that. And neither would Yeo Jin. She shows it to him and explains what it is, and as he’s reading it over it seems as if he chuckles. Yeo Jin almost sprains her neck because she turns to look at him so quickly.

“Did you laugh?”

“No.”

“You did. Why did you laugh?”

“I’m sure I didn’t laugh. I don’t laugh.”

“Gimme that.” She snatches the envelope and card from his hand.

Upon reading it more carefully, Yeo Jin can’t help but chuckle, herself. Seo Dong Jae has given his daughter a name that is the equivalent of a Dad joke; the child of a lawyer with a name that sounds a lot like “lawsuit.” She sincerely hopes he didn’t pay someone to come up with that name. Poor kid.

When Yeo Jin turns to look back at Si Mok, she could swear there is a twinkle in his eye.

Notes:

While I respect and enjoy pairings with HSM and SDJ, I fantasize here that he and his wife were able to make things work after S2 and were rewarded/punished for their efforts.
ps I love children, but I won't assume that all readers do.

Chapter 4: Afterparty

Summary:

Han Yeo-Jin and Hwang Si-Mok find each other rather fetching in traditional clothing.
This could take place after Seo Dong-Jae's party, or it could be some other thing. Like certain US shows, there are infinite universes here.

Chapter Rating is T, perhaps.

The slight buzz he had felt earlier in the evening is gone and in its place is clarity. Everything about the moment is in high definition. Every line of her face is as clear as if drawn with a heavy pen. The sound of the material of her hanbok brushing against her skin are like notes of a stringed instrument. When her hands reach for him, he can almost feel them before they touch him, cool, dry, confident. And then, suddenly, the clarity is gone in a blur of kisses, so many kisses.

He kisses her nose, her eyes, her brows, her neck, her chin, her top lip, her ear. He sucks gently on the skin just below it. She strokes his hair and grips his shoulder, while touching his neck with her other hand. She scratches at the shiny material of his jeogori like an animal that wants to get inside. He doesn’t need any stronger hint than that.

“Why don’t you help me with this?” He suggests.

“Will you help me with mine?” She teases.

But the words are murmured against each other’s lips.

Notes:

I want to work on a longer fic (i.e. the fake marriage AU that keeps me awake at night) . . .but it's slow going. I'm all over the place. Oy. But for now, I hope you will enjoy these imaginings.

Chapter 5: Coffee and Pastry

Summary:

This is my version of a scene from, er, was it Secret Garden?
Two drabbles for the price of one! Black Friday sales are still going strong in the US, so please don't miss the preceding chapter which I posted just a few minutes before this one.

In the coffee shop, Hwang Si-Mok and Han Yeo-Jin are taking a short break. They make quite the team don’t they? Well, teams do need to run on something. Having sat down with their coffees, Yeo-Jin realizes they should probably eat. She gets up to get pastries for them and when she gets back, Si-Mok has taken a sip of his coffee and gotten froth all over his upper lip. She grabs a napkin and wipes it away while holding his chin lightly with the other hand. As she does so, he blinks slowly, watching her progress a bit cross eyed.

Chapter 6: Running Late

Summary:

Yeo Jin is running late for an end-of-year dinner with Si Mok. He helps her work around an inconvenience.

Notes:

TW: There is a nosebleed with moderately graphic description.

It’s a late fall afternoon in December. It’s almost Christmas, and Yeo Jin and Si Mok are getting together to hang out and catch up at the end of the year. Crime doesn’t take a break, but they don’t have many meetings, and cases have been slow.

They are meeting at a new little place down an alley that Si Mok found entirely by accident. They serve a dish Yeo Jin likes, so he suggested they try it.

When he gets to the restaurant, he goes ahead and requests a table for two. It’s not a popular place, so there aren’t many people. It’s a low-lit place that serves simple meals described along with prices on hand-lettered pennants. It is simple and humble, and some people would find it charming.

Si Mok waits for about five minutes before his phone buzzes.

Han Yeo Jin: I’ll be there soon. Something came up.

Hwang Si Mok: I didn’t order anything yet. Should we meet another time?

Han Yeo Jin: No. I’m almost there.

Hwang Si Mok: Okay.

After a minute or two, he looks out a window and notices her car or a car that looks a lot like hers. There’s a woman inside. It could be her.

He decides to check.

 

=========================

 

Yeo Jin isn’t at all caught off guard when Si Mok taps on her passenger-side window. Even with her head tilted back, she clocked him coming out of the restaurant with her peripheral vision. She’d been hoping he wouldn’t spot her just yet, but this is the only parking spot she can find.

She rolls the window down and tilts her head carefully in his direction. The blood is still flowing copiously and is half flowing down her throat to the point she almost feels suffocated. She’s also sure she looks ridiculous with a tissue rolled up and stuck in her nose. She wouldn’t say she feels miserable. Overall, she feels fine, except hugely inconvenienced and a bit annoyed with her nose.

“Hey.” She sounds artificially nasal.

Si Mok merely gives her a slight bow of acknowledgment and motions toward the door she hasn’t unlocked. He opens it and gets inside.

“Does this happen often?”

“Not since I was a kid. Not sure what’s going on now. Probably the dry weather.”

“Want me to drive you home?”

“Nah, I’m almost done here. We can probably still eat.” Her stomach growls in agreement.

“Actually, it looks like there’s blood on your jacket. One or two drops.”

“Ugh! Yeah, I don’t want to go in there like this.”

“Takeout then? What do you want?”

“Something I don’t have to chew? It’s kind of awkward.” Yeo Jin thinks the bleeding is done, but on checking, it seems like it has really started in earnest.

With a mumble of assent, Si Mok climbs out of the car, leaving his briefcase behind.

It seems like he’s gone for a while. Yeo Jin feels like she’s being a big baby about this. As a police officer she is versed in taekwondo, hapkido, judo, and kendo. But a nosebleed is throwing her right now.

She thinks she sees the door opening and sighs with relief. Si Mok comes bearing takeout bags filled with who knows what. She doesn’t care what it is. She’s so hangry she could eat just about anything at this point.

“They had corn soup and pancakes. Do you think you can eat that?”

“Sure. My place or yours?”

“Let’s go to your place so you don’t have to go back out. Let me drive so we can leave now while the food is still warm.”

By the time they reach her place, the soup is no longer piping hot, so he warms it up on her tiny stove while she cleans up in the bathroom. Then, he arranges chopsticks, spoons, and napkins for them at a low table. She didn’t know he had it in him to be such a mother hen. But she doesn’t mind it. Everyone needs fussing over once in a while.

Notes:

A kind soul left me a comment on another work and I decided to go through files to try to work on something. I found this that I seem never to have published. Another post–season 2, plotless, fluffy thing.

Chapter 7: Perception

Summary:

Ever since he could remember, SiMok could hear too much.

Ever since he could remember, SiMok could hear too much. . . the water running in the faucets, a plane flying overhead, the tick of a clock, the hum of insects. What he never told anyone was that he could also hear and feel other people’s intentions. It was a cacophony of color, sound, and sensation. It was like jumping into a thorny bush with bare feet. The resulting overwhelm was painful, consuming, and maddening.

The number of things he destroyed. . .by the time he was able to receive an experimental surgery he had lost count. Some notable items included a cuckoo clock, a classmate’s fingers, keyboards, radios, his parents’ marriage. The surgery left him bereft, enhanced, disabled, but superior. But he could no longer hear and feel what people were thinking and feeling from across a room. After his surgery, he could only get faint glimpses by touch. The brush of a hand was a mere suggestion of wishes, hopes, and a general impression of what kind of person he was encountering. A press on the shoulder could suffuse him with the stinking effluvia of a wicked soul. Unfortunately, this skill was of no use at all to him as a prosecutor. He was able to tell what kind of person someone was, or how they were feeling at the moment, or what was driving them, but nothing so clear as to whether they had done what he said, or just wanted to do it, or were just picturing the details being relayed to them.

The moment he touched YeoJin for the first time, he was disbelieving. The peace and light that seemed to flood through him were like nothing he had ever experienced before. The closest he could recall was a time before everything had fallen apart. On a trip his family had taken, his parents all smiles. As they ate and talked and walked together, he was surrounded by a sense of beautiful belonging. . . of rightness. When YeoJin touched him, he felt like he was home.

Notes:

Cleaning out my files and just putting some stuff here if it sort of fits.

Chapter 8: Milestones

Summary:

Hwang Si Mok grows beyond parroting greetings and platitudes.

Naturally, they were eating together, and naturally, they were interrupted. His phone rang, and it seemed important. His boss was calling about an ongoing case. But he was busy. Han Yeo Jin was talking to him, and he just didn’t want to go. Somehow they had got on the topic of her police academy days, and he found that he preferred for her to continue talking about something that wasn't work. . . something closer to talking about herself.

His phone rang, and he excused himself and picked it up.

From Yeo Jin’s perspective, there were few clues as to what the call could be about, but with Hwang Si Mok, it was almost always about work. It’s definitely full-time with him.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“I see.”

“Okay.”

Then, he calmly put the phone down and motioned for her to go on.

As they left the restaurant, her eyes were glittering. SiMok saw this but said nothing. She was telling him about a ridiculous self-solving case she heard through the grapevine. This type of story would normally be considered irrelevant in her office, but it was too good for anyone to keep to themselves.

“So, then the actor tied up the intruder on the living room floor and waited for the police to come!” She concluded with a flourish.

“How did he manage that?” Si Mok asked.

“I guess he really had brushed up on martial arts for his last movie, so when he heard a disturbance in his house, he was ready to defend himself.”

“Which actor was this again?” SiMok doesn’t really follow actors that much, so he knew nothing about any recent action series or movies.

“Hwang Si Mok! You’re being so polite to ask when you don’t even care. I’m so proud of you!” Yeo Jin didn’t bother to answer his question, and Si Mok hoped she wouldn’t illogically expect him to recall this information at a later date.

“Oh, by the way, what was that call you got earlier?” Yeo Jin was more focused than most people he knew.

“It seemed important, and you usually rush right off when that happens,” she continued.

“They asked to see me, but I couldn’t make it,” he explained. And then he stopped right there. She wondered if she felt like prising the details out of him.

Yeo Jin’s first thought was that he wanted to spend more time with her, but she quickly dismissed that idea in favor of thinking he wanted to finish his meal for a change. Either way, she was a key witness to this latest development.

“Prosecutor Hwang, could I give you a hug?” She turned toward him, and her eyes were somewhat wet once again.

“Okay.” He turned slightly toward her and half raised his arms away from his body. She stepped closer to him, and he did not step away. She hugged him loosely so he could end the hug whenever he wanted. As she was letting go and stepping away, she felt his hand gently brush against her jacket, momentarily resting on her shoulder.

“Hwang Si Mok, I’m proud of you.”

“Why?” Si Mok was mystified as to why that could be.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you put work second,” she replied.

He tilted his head slightly to his left and blinked slowly as if he thought he left the iron on or forgot his phone somewhere.

“Yes, I suppose I did,” he answered.

Notes:

It's not finished, but I'm ready to stop.
In my head, Han Yeo Jin adopted Hwang Si Mok as one might adopt a stray puppy or a duckling. I thought I was imagining it and then noticed in Season 2, ep. 9 (~38:00) in Yongsan station, she basically ordered his food without letting him speak for himself. SoonChang asked if he wanted dumplings and fishcake skewers, too, and she assured SoonChang, "Of course, he'll eat it."

Chapter 9: Patina

She is lovelier now than she was then. Her face is like a map of happiness. Easy smiles of optimism come even easier now, with a realism softened by acceptance. Her strong, wiry hands are slower, but still quick to hold his. Her hair, short or long, glimmers, now, in the light. She used to be able to hide the silver with an artful part of her hair. All that is in the past, now, like summer birds flown away in the autumn, giving way to the gold leaves that go down into winter.

He is not now, as he was, then. He’s quieter, more given to reflection and keeping his own counsel. How quickly a young man’s strength becomes tempered by uncertainty, reserve, sobriety. She could sink in his depths and be buried by all that she has unraveled about him and there would yet be more. . . layer on layer, knit, and purl. Here, a scar, and there a remembrance. The crisp edges of his chestnut eyes have faded. Like the stone smoothed by time, and the sea; smoothed into an insight most elegant.

Chapter 10: Telehealth

Summary:

Just cleaning some old files/or finishing unfinished ideas.
=====================================
Prosecutor Hwang feels a little odd.
Set in a post-pandemic S3 AU.

Despite it being widespread throughout the pandemic, Hwang Si Mok still had not heard much about making doctor visits via phone. In fact, he still thought it was faintly suspect and quite possibly against the law, so it was still something he hadn’t tried until the investigator in his office brought it up.

“I’ll get those files for you by the end of the day.”

“Didn’t you say you had a doctor’s appointment?”

“I do, Prosecutor Hwang, but it’s online. I’ll just need a few minutes to get my prescription refilled.”

“Okay.”

He filed the information away but didn’t think much of it until weeks later when he started experiencing unusual symptoms. They came on suddenly, especially during dinner. A fluttering in his chest, accompanied by nausea. He couldn’t put his finger on it. Once in a while, he felt a bit lightheaded, as if he had stood up too quickly, but he hadn’t changed position at all. Occasionally, he caught himself tapping his foot, shaking his knee, or clicking his pen. He seemed agitated even to himself.

It wasn’t easy for Hwang Si Mok to always know about his emotions. They sometimes crept up on him and caught him unawares. Negative emotions, especially, caused excruciating headaches and even made him collapse sometimes. His body never lied. But this time, the message was confusing.

Si Mok tried cutting back on caffeine. He didn’t have a coffee habit, anyway. Occasionally he had an iced americano or the odd cup of tea here and there. But he tried replacing those with herbal tea and snuck in an extra half hour of sleep several nights that week. But the symptoms seemed to get worse. Sometimes, his heart would start racing, and his palms would begin to sweat.

He was having dinner with Han Yeo Jin when she remarked that he looked a little bit different as if he were feverish. His cheeks looked pink to her, and his eyes seemed glassy.

“SiMok, you look feverish. Are you okay?”

“I don’t think I have a fever.”

Yeo Jin reached over and felt his forehead, and then his cheek. Si Mok’s head involuntarily turned a little into her palm.

“No, maybe not. You don’t seem particularly warm.”

“What would make me look sick without being sick?” Si Mok wondered under his breath.

“This is weird. We haven’t even been drinking. You should check it out.”

Si Mok nodded obediently and returned to assembling perfect spoonfuls of food from his soup, rice, and banchan.

===========

 

The investigator in his office showed him the app.

“It’s pretty easy,” said Yu Kang Dae as he explained the three-step process of setting up an account.

Very shortly, Si Mok had put himself on a waiting list for a call back from a provider. While he waited, he put finger cots on his thumbs and began highlighting his way through stacks of files. It seemed like hours passed before a face popped up in a little rectangle on the webpage, and there was the sound of a chime. The caption underneath read “Dr. Uhm Eun-Jung.”

“So, how can I help you today?”

The doctor was diminutive and looked as if she was perched on a stack of books in order to reach her desk and peer into the camera. Her silver hair was perfectly coiffed, and she wore bright red glasses frames. Her strong country accent was incongruous with how many people imagine doctors should sound. All this was lost on Si Mok. He only tried to form a response to her question.

She asked him the typical questions.

When he gave his medical history, she paused for a moment.

“Are you seeing a neurosurgeon to follow your case?”

When he indicated he wasn’t and hadn’t for a long time, she merely flicked her eyebrows up and down quickly, then, “Yeah, that’d be good. But right now, it’s a no-go. Ha Ha! How about I’ll put in a referral and you can get on a waiting list? Alright?”

“Okay.”

But when it came to his symptoms and when they started, she seemed mystified.

“Huh. They happen while you’re eating. Should we do cardiology, too?”

Si Mok didn’t know. He had a law degree. But he also knew it was a rhetorical question. Why do people ask questions they know I can’t answer?

“We’ll do cardiology. I want you to get an EKG.”

After finishing up with Dr. Uhm, he was about to log off when she suddenly said, “Wait one second. Another thing! No hanky-panky until you get a clean bill of health. All right?”

“Hanky?” “Panky?” Si Mok was not one for euphemisms.

“No sex! And no marathons either. Suddenly everybody wants to run everywhere just because they had to stay home for a bit.”

“Oh. I only do light jogging,” Si Mok explained.

“Well, make it brisk walking for now. You’re young, but we don’t know what’s happening.”

“Understood.”

Disconnecting the call had the odd effect of transporting him from an imaginary doctor’s office into his room.

===========

Some days later, while waiting for Yeo Jin in a different restaurant, music was playing. There were few people, and the proprietor had an oldies music station playing on the television. A song came on. The singer sounded ill, judging by the lyrics. She sang about weakened knees, a racing heart, confusion, and even falling down. But at the end of the song, she revealed that it was all because she had fallen in love.

Yeo Jin walked in while the song was still playing and noticed he looked like he had heard something preposterous.

“Hey, what’s up? You look . . . hmm. . .unimpressed.”

“Oh, it’s this song. It’s so weird.”

“Oh, this is a great one. It’s from the 90s! Do you remember it?”

“I don’t listen to music.”

Only when it pertains to a case, right?

“Yes, well.”

“Yeah, this one was so good. She said that when she fell in love, it made her feel ‘weak in the knees.’”

“Exactly!” he looked triumphant. “How would that even happen? That doesn’t happen. Has that happened to you?”

“Yes, once.”

“Oh.” He was suddenly thoughtful.

“So, what are you getting?” she asked. She seemed to want to change the subject, and Si Mok played along.

“I want soup,” he said.

“Of course. You love soup,” she replied, a little wistful.

“No, I think I like soup,” he replied.

========================

That night, Si Mok realized something. But he would wait until after the cardiology appointment to confirm it. Just to be on the safe side.

Notes:

Yes, those are SWV lyrics.
Right, so I forgot that I had not published chapter 9, which I had left on "draft."

Chapter 12: Hot Pack

Summary:

The premise is that when Si Mok has been drinking he becomes pretty emotional, for him.
HSM/HYJ Established relationship.

When Si Mok has been drinking he’s often someone else altogether. His colleagues take offense when he doesn’t drink with them. But he learned a valuable lesson in his twenties, drinking with old classmates from high school. Some things slipped out—things better left unsaid. It wasn’t that he was ashamed to go back. But he knew he should be.

When Si Mok drank, things happened. All that he kept bottled inside came out. The day of Eun Soo’s funeral, his rage was alcohol-fueled. Alcohol did something to him, and he could easily allow it to become a crutch. So, he only drank with people he trusted deeply and implicitly. People consisted entirely of Han Yeo Jin.

One night, drinking with Yeo Jin after dinner, he noticed her shifting in her chair. When they got the cab, she had turned from side to side in the back seat, arched her back a little and then sighed.
Si Mok, cheeks pinked by drink asked her what was wrong.
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“You’ve been antsy all evening. Did you get hurt?”
“No, my back is just a little sore.”
“Why? What happened?”
Yeo Jin wasn’t shy to answer. She just didn’t like making a big deal out of things like this. She was, after all, a very tough police officer. But sometimes cramps got to her like anyone else. Her lower back was hurting, and her insides were twisting. Police or not, she was a mere mortal come a certain time of the month.
Taking in her hesitation, Si Mok responded, “Ah, I see.”
“You see?” she asked.
“Yes, what can I do to help?”
“Uh, nothing now. Maybe when we get home, you can get me a hot water bottle.”
Si Mok thought for a moment, then placed his hand between the car seat and her back, then leaned over and placed the other hand on her lower abdomen. She was effectively sandwiched by his hands.
“Are my hands warm enough for now?”
His hands were like embers. She leaned toward him and placed her head on his shoulder. She must have drifted in her mind, not quite to sleep, but the ride was over rather quickly, and she realized she couldn’t recall some of it.
Once inside, they both busied themselves getting ready for bed. But instead of just washing up, Si Mok put the kettle on first. When it clicked off, he poured some water into the hot water bottle that was kept by the bathroom sink. The rest he made into tea for Yeo Jin.
“Will you have some too?” she asked him.
“No. I’m alright.”

Notes:

I think I read somewhere that much of the world uses electric kettles and I finally bought one. I love it so much! I think it's so much more efficient than heating up the stove and I swear it boils faster. But anyway, that is why the kettle isn't whistling but clicking. *does happy wiggle*

Notes:

I seriously think about them all the time. I thought writing fanfic would get it out of my system, but nope.

If you like some of the AUs here, you might enjoy some multi-chapter stories like:
I Will Give You Blue
(rated T)
or
The Closer I Get to You
(rated G)

Or if you want something under 500 words with no romance:
Cheers!
G
and
14 per day G

Thanks for reading!!!
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