Dr. Seo Moon Jo harbors a dark secret, he had this urge to cleanses the world of imperfection and with an artist's hand, he will do anything to get rid of it.
When Yoon Jong Woo shows up at his clinic.
Moon Jo finally finds the perfection he'd been...
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The sight of Jong Woo sleeping in Moon Jo's bed, wearing Moon Jo's clothes, warmed his cold, dead heart.
Jong Woo looked exhausted, but the painkillers he had given him would hopefully do their job.
The swelling hadn't gone down, but at least the ice had numbed the bruises, Jong Woo had informed him via phone.
Moon Jo had had dinner, but just as he suspected, Jong Woo hadn't.
He drank broth from a straw, and Moon Jo had watched him.
Now that Jong Woo was asleep, however, he had clean-up to do.
Washing blood off clothes was easy if one knew how to do it, and Moon Jo had plenty of experience.
Moon Jo's go-to plan would usually be to burn them, but no crime had occurred this time.
Not committed by him, anyway.
Two hours later, the clinic was as spotless as ever. Possibly even more so than usual.
The sight of Jong Woo's blood had disturbed him deeply, and he felt the need to scrub harder, pour more bleach, disinfect everything.
It was nearly four in the morning when Moon Jo, completely exhausted, stumbled into his apartment.
He took a shower, easing the tension in his muscles just a bit, and changed into clean pyjamas.
He hadn't even had time to plot Ahn Hee Jong's murder.
He would, though.
He would.
Moon Jo cancelled his appointments for the next day via text with a lengthy apology and an offer of rescheduling, and by the time his head hit the sofa, he was out like a light.
***
Moon Jo woke up with a groan, hissing at the soreness of his back.
He had fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position.
A heavenly aroma filled his flat.
His eyes fluttered open.
Coffee... and bacon?
"Jong Woo...?"
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
A text.
'I'm sorry, doc. I know I shouldn't snoop, but I just wanted to make you breakfast. As thanks'
He looked up, to see Jong Woo with his own device in his hand, peeking at him from his open, American-style kitchen, bashfully.
Something stirred very pleasantly in his chest, a different kind of urge, completely sated.
Jong Woo in his kitchen, wearing his clothing, cooking breakfast.
It was beautifully, painfully domestic.
"Darling, you shouldn't have..." He said, but he could not hide the fondness in his voice. Right after waking up, it would be impossible to even if he tried. "Thank you."
His muse smiled then, lips sealed tight, but his eyes conveyed all the warmth his mouth could not.
Moon Jo suspected it hurt.
It had to.
They ate in comfortable silence. Well, Moon Jo ate. Jong Woo slurped on some orange juice with a straw.
"I cannot in good conscience let you go back to your uncle," Moon Jo finally said. Jong Woo looked up from his juice. "But I'm afraid I can't let you stay here for much longer. I have important business coming up for the next few days."
Jong Woo nearly choked on his juice, looking panicked.
It squeezed painfully at Moon Jo's heart.
"I'm awfully sorry," he murmured. "Would... would you be opposed to me calling your friend? Mrs. Kang likes you, and you are her son's best friend. I have no doubt in my mind she would be willing, dare I say enthusiastic, about letting you stay in her home, let alone for just a couple days."
He would also mention the discount deal he had absolutely decided he would give them, just to compensate for their troubles.
Moon Jo truly believed she would take Jong Woo under her wing, but their financial situation was dire enough that having another young adult in the household might strain their pay check.
But Jong Woo didn't need to know about that, of course.
His muse nodded, looking uncertain.
"Jong Woo?"
He pulled out his phone and got to typing.
'It's just... my relatives will go ballistic.'
"You're eighteen. Where you choose to spend the night should no longer be their business."
'I know that, but I just... I haven't left because I had nowhere else to go, right? My aunt kept my parents' inheritance money, and my uncle is spending it all. No one will take my job applications because they think I'm bad news. I'm trapped there.'
"No, you are not," Moon Jo said, trying to keep his voice even. It was hard when he was quaking in fury. "Not anymore. You're not alone, Jong Woo. You have options."
Moon Jo seemed to have said it with enough certainty to convince Jong Woo, if his relieved look was anything to go by. He hadn't even told him what the options were.
There was trust in those brown eyes, so much faith put on him.
And Moon Jo would not let him down, ever.
Even if Jong Woo hated him.
Even if he had to make arrangements from a prison cell.
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