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Chapter Text

Hongjoong rolled a hard candy around in his mouth. "Married?" he asked to clarify.

"That's right." The police chief tapped a file on the desk to straighten the edges. "You'll have to come up with your own backstory, how and where you met, important dates, anniversaries, etc. The department will provide any documentation you might need in the form of doctored photos or social media posts."

The light in Chief Choi Jongho's office flickered just enough to be noticeable at the edges of Hongjoong's vision, and he blamed that for the headache creeping into his temples. "So this is deep undercover." He'd never been undercover for more than a few hours at a time and a long-term case like this intimidated him more than he'd like to admit.

"Yes." Jongho handed him the file. "I know you don't have this kind of field experience, but I think you're the best fit for this assignment." He sat back in his chair. "Don't worry about the details. Special Agent Jeong will take the lead."

Hongjoong exhaled sharply. "I hope that doesn't dictate the dynamic of our fictional marriage." It came out a little more bitter than he intended.

Jongho folded his hands on the desk. "You don't want to take this case?"

"I do," Hongjoong protested. He needed to take this case. He didn't become a detective to be assigned a tax evasion case every six months. If he didn't get out of the office, he'd actually lose it. "It's just not what I expected-"

"I won't make you do it if you're not comfortable." Jongho raised his eyebrows. "Your application said you were confident working undercover in most situations. Even the more risque scenarios." Hongjoong didn't like the way he looked at him. "If pretending to be married to a man is going to be a problem-"

"Well, no, the fact that he's a man doesn't bother me-"

"Then there should be no issue, Detective Kim." The finality in Jongho's tone of voice closed the conversation.

Hongjoong rolled his hard candy across his tongue and flipped open the file in his hands. "Yes, sir."

Jongho indicated the file with a nod. "You're aware of Amicus Jewelers?"

Hongjoong looked up. "Yes."

He didn't live under a rock and Jeweler commercials were inescapable. Amicus ran seasonal campaigns for diamond earrings, high-quality gold necklaces and bracelets, and the most stunning engagement rings on the market. Hongjoong couldn't hear the word "Amicus" without the accompanying mental image of two women's hands interlocked, one with a slender, elegant diamond bracelet and one with a glittery engagement ring. Or two men's hands, one with a flashy watch and one with a sleek, classy engagement ring.

Hongjoong wanted an Amicus engagement ring.

"You familiar with the owners?" Jongho asked.

Hongjoong looked down at the file, where a printout of the "about" page on the Amicus website showed two men in expensive suits with their arms around each other smiling at the camera. The blurb beneath named them Jung Wooyoung and Choi San, co-founders of Amicus Jewelers.

"They're married, aren't they?" Hongjoong remembered, rolling his hard candy in his mouth.

Jongho nodded. "They're eccentric, have a huge public presence, make all the right charitable donations, and keep out of any drama."

Hongjoong didn't know where this was going. He couldn't imagine a company like Amicus as part of an embezzlement scheme, or any sort of tax fraud. "So what's the problem?"

Jongho indicated the file again. "You're aware of Ad Aras?"

Hongjoong crunched his hard candy. The biggest drug trafficking sydicate in the nation couldn't have anything to do with Amicus. Hongjoong refused to believe it. "They're not linked. They can't be linked."

He actually owned a pair of Amicus earrings. A Stirling silver stud with a delicate chain suspending a shard of mother of pearl. They were his favorite earrings. He saved up and found them on sale after Christmas.

"We have reason to believe Jung and Choi are involved with Ad Aras." Jongho folded his hands together. "Everyone loves a fall from grace story, right? Your job is to prove their connection to the drug trafficking and make the arrest."

"What if they're not involved?" Hongjoong absolutely refused to believe that the creators of such beautiful jewelry could be involved in the dark underbelly of the drug scene.

"They are involved." Jongho's tone shut down the discussion.

Hongjoong nodded, skimming the unstable and circumstantial "evidence" of Jung and Choi's involvement with Ad Aras. "And I have to be married to this..." he checked the assignment sheet. "Special Agent Jeong Yunho in order to prove guilt and make an arrest?"

"It's the best way, yes," Jongho informed him. "Jung and Choi are a homosexual couple. They're more likely to trust you if you have some similarities."

That made sense. Hongjoong nodded his assent. "Do I get an Amicus engagement ring out of this deal?"

Jongho smiled. "I suppose that's up to Special Agent Jeong."

-----

Special Agent Jeong did not look like Hongjoong expected. When he heard "Special Agent" with lots of "field experience," he didn't imagine fluffy hair that fell into soft eyes and a wide smile that reminded him of a puppy dog.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Detective." Special Agent Jeong extended his (very large) hand to shake. Of course he had a perfect handshake; firm enough, not too long, soft skin, warm and friendly.

He slid into the booth across from Hongjoong at the cute 50's style diner where Jongho told them to meet. It felt suspiciously like a first date, and Hongjoong had to remind himself not to check out his new partner. Work partner? Fictional partner? Partner?

Special Agent Jeong leaned on his elbows over the table, heavy jacket hiding the shape of his body, but Hongjoong got the impression he would be fit, just based on stories he heard about the other athletic arrests he'd performed. "Chief said we could make up our own backstory. I think it should be something sweet, but not too stereotypical."

Hongjoong inclined his head. "Yeah, I agree." He supposed he should be grateful that he didn't have to pretend to be married to some ugly older guy, or some insufferable gym-rat frat-boy type. Special Agent Jeong seemed smart, pleasant, professional, and probably could have taken up hand modeling as a side gig. "I'll warn you now, I'm no good at remembering dates, so don't expect me to remember our fake anniversary."

Special Agent Jeong laughed and Hongjoong felt himself smiling at the infectious sound. "Me either. This'll be fun." He shook his head looking down at the table, then looked back up. "Oh, Hongjoong, I wanted to ask—" he cut himself off, "Is that okay? Hongjoong? I mean, we're married- kinda. I can't call you Detective Kim."

Hongjoong waved a hand dismissively to put him at ease. "Yeah, call me whatever."

Something mischievous flashed through his smile. "Baby?"

Hongjoong laughed, half out of discomfort because he didn't usually let people he met less than five minutes ago call him baby. And yeah, they were going to pretend to be married, but Hongjoong expected to ease into it. Not jump straight to baby. But he could play that game and this guy didn't seem creepy or anything. "Sure, but I get to call you sugar."

Special Agent Jeong beamed and Hongjoong wondered if it was possible to be blinded by a smile. "That's cute, but could you call me Yunho normally and sweetheart on special occasions?"

"What constitutes a special occasion?" Hongjoong wondered.

Yunho shrugged. "In public I guess? Or when we need to make a scene?" He made a calculating face. "Honey is alright too. And babe, or like 'yes, dear,' you know?"

Hongjoong nodded. "Of course, dear." He'd decided he liked making Yunho smile. Yunho's smile was contagious and put him at ease somehow.

"Could I call you Joong sometimes?" Yunho asked. "That's definitely something I would do if I'd known you for any length of time."

Hongjoong found himself much more comfortable than he should have been discussing pet names with a perfect stranger. "I suppose that's acceptable." He took a sip of the water the waitress brought him while he waited for Yunho to arrive. "Do you have any hobbies? I feel like it would be easiest to start with our fictional occupations."

Yunho nodded, exited. "Good idea." He drummed his tapered fingers on the table. "I always kinda wanted to be a movie star, you know?" He tossed his head with a little self-deprecating laugh. "I did theater as a kid, and through high school and stuff. Everybody said I was a good actor."

A little strand of endearment worked its way through Hongjoong's chest. "I almost went to art school for fashion design," he admitted.

Yunho's eyes widened. "No, really? That's awesome!" He unwrapped another straw and stuck it in Hongjoong's water to take a drink. He froze at Hongjoong's stunned stare and set the glass down. "Sorry, was that too... forward?"

Hongjoong shook his head and forced a smile. "No. No, we're married," he reminded himself.

The shiny red booth squeaked as Yunho shifted his weight, obviously not convinced. "So, backstory," he shifted the topic. "I think it would be really cool if you were like, high up in some designer fashion line and I was a model and that's how we met."

Well, he certainly got points for confidence. Not that it was misplaced. Hongjoong could call a spade a shovel, and he could call his new partner- partner? fake husband? attractive, because he was for all intents and purposes, a hunk. "But I feel like that's reaching a little. Wouldn't people like Jung and Choi know the people in the fashion industry?"

Yunho pursed his lips and Hongjoong wished he didn't notice the way his mouth looked like a little pink heart. "Okay, maybe you're a model and I'm your manager?"

Hongjoong snorted embarrassingly loudly then struggled to regain his dignity. "I'm sorry, but it has to be believable." Yunho's face scrunched in confusion, but Hongjoong had moved on. "What about, I'm in fashion merchandising and you're one of those personal shoppers people hire?"

A frown pinched Yunho's soft features. "That's so boring. We're reinventing our identities, why would we choose something so attainable?"

"We're supposed to blend in," Hongjoong pointed out.

"We're blending in with the owners of Amicus Jewelers," Yunho argued. "Do you think they want to hang out with normal, boring people?"

"We can't just pull entire identities out of thin air, Yunho, it has to make sense." Hongjoong knew he shouldn't be getting heated about this.

Yunho leaned over the table. "We are a filthy rich gay couple with enough disposable income to afford to live next door to the owners of fucking Amicus Jewelers. Fashion merchandising doesn't make sense."

"And randomly inserting myself at the top of a designer fashion line does?" Hongjoong demanded.

Yunho drummed his fingers on the table again. "What else do you like? Music? Art? You could be a critic."

Hongjoong made a face. "Do you know much studying I would have to do to be convincing? That's awful. And you'll be what? A model who's never actually modeled before and can't point to any examples of existing work?"

"We have to be interesting. If you're not willing to commit to that, maybe this job isn't for you and you should pursue fashion merchandising." Yunho's toxic scowl actually hurt Hongjoong's feelings.
He glowered at his partner- husband? partner? "We're supposed to be rich, right? How do you get rich? Ownership. CEO, CFO. Desk jobs."

"Boring," Yunho insisted.

"You know what?" Hongjoong didn't want to be fighting on their first date, but he knew he was right and felt more than a little petty. "Buy me an Amicus engagement ring, and I'll be whatever you want."

The seat squeaked as Yunho sat back. "Done." He picked up Hongjoong's glass of water and took a long, defiant drink. "What's your ring size?"

Hongjoong stared at him, completely dumbstruck.

Yunho set the glass down with a clink and leaned forward a little. "I'll commit to this, baby. Will you?"

And Hongjoong realized he really wasn't prepared for that question.

-----

"So, Hongjoong, what's your favorite part about being a fashion designer?"

Hongjoong ran his thumb over the brand new Amicus wedding ring on his finger. A simple band of 18kt white gold with thirty-eight tiny alternating black and white diamonds set around the edges on a slight bevel. Classy. Beautiful. Not the one Hongjoong would have chosen for himself, but he couldn't claim to be disappointed. Yunho had taste, Hongjoong would give him that.

Sure, it was a beautiful ring, but at what cost? "I like the idea that I can tell a story with my designs," he smiled at the tall rich man who probably played golf and let his wife pick out his outfits in the morning. "I like that I can be part of allowing people to express themselves and show the world who they are."

Expensive champagne bubbled elegantly in the flute Hongjoong held too carefully between three fingers. Light refracted through the crystal chandelier in the grand foyer and left tiny fragments of rainbows on Yunho's soft cheeks.

This housewarming party acted as a trial run of their story, of their acting skills. Chief said there was very little chance of Jung and Choi showing up, but it would be good practice for Hongjoong and Yunho.

"Did you design what you're wearing now?" the rich man with the statuesque face and cunning eyes wanted to know.

Hongjoong hadn't expected that question. "Ah, no..."

Yunho's hand snuck around Hongjoong's hip like it belonged there and Hongjoong exhaled slowly to keep from tensing up. "No, we thought it'd be better not to make a statement our first time meeting our neighbors," Yunho said brightly. "Wouldn't want you all to feel underdressed."

Everyone laughed easily and Hongjoong envied Yunho his effortless grace.

The statuesque pretty boy gave Hongjoong a shrewd up and down. "So you design formal wear?"

Yunho's hand squeezed Hongjoong's hip and he fought the impulse to push him away. "Not exclusively," he breezed. These lies came easily. He'd daydreamed this enough to know the answers. "I also like to reform and upcycle existing garments. Breathe new life into something old and abandoned."

Yunho looked at Hongjoong with the goofy sort of grin only lovesick pretty boys could manage to pull off. "He's amazing. All those pieces are one of a kind and completely original. He thinks about every little detail." Yunho sounded absolutely smitten and it took a conscious effort for Hongjoong not to laugh. "You should see him work. It's incredible." Yunho pulled him closer and Hongjoong had to adjust his grip on the champagne flute to avoid spilling, which clinked his wedding ring against the glass.

He shook his head with as much of a lovesick smile as he could manage. "It's nothing," he waved off the attention. "Just something I like to do."

Yunho laughed brightly and Hongjoong felt it where he was pressed against his side. "And you're in the real estate business, Mr. Kang?" Yunho asked the statuesque pretty boy.

He smiled shallowly. "Yeosang is fine. We're not too formal around neighbors." His gaze landed on Yunho's hand resting on Hongjoong's waist. "Yes. I own a few properties that I rent out."

The tall golfer man scoffed and pushed Yeosang's shoulder playfully. "Don't let him fool you. "A few" properties? What is it now? Four mansions and three high rises?"

Yeosang looked gratified, like he didn't really want to be humble about it in the first place. "Four large houses, three apartment buildings, and a smaller townhouse complex." He leaned against a table with a vase of fresh flowers. "The townhouses are newly renovated. It's not a great area, but cleaning it up has to start somewhere, you know? It's a great value and a great opportunity for a lot of people." He continued on a rant about the newly renovated townhouses while Hongjoong tried to ignore the large hand on his hip, thumb rubbing absent circles just above the waistband of his slacks.

The champagne tasted expensive and Hongjoong had to remind himself he wasn't paying for it. The whole house felt expensive in a way that made the air heavy and difficult to breathe. He and Yunho hadn't arrived much before the party, and he hadn't even been in all the rooms downstairs. The grand staircase that curved up to the second floor probably held wonders beyond his wildest dreams.

Yunho's body put out a great deal of heat, and Hongjoong found himself needing some air. He had to mentally steel himself before he rose on tip-toe to whisper in Yunho's ear that he was going to the bathroom and would be right back.

Yunho smiled that soft mushy smile that Hongjoong had very mixed feelings about and let his arm fall from Hongjoong's hip.

The first-floor half-bath was larger than the kitchen in Hongjoong's first apartment. He took a moment to assess his reflection, practice lovey-dovey faces in the mirror, take some deep breaths, and examine his ring.

It felt a little like a bribe, but he'd been the one to suggest it, so he couldn't complain. And the department did their job making him look like a legitimate fashion designer. He had a website with some actual clothes he'd reformed for sale at exorbitant prices no one in their right mind would pay. And part of his assignment this week would be actually designing some formal wear that Yunho would model on the website and would be produced and tailored for them to wear to events where Jung and Choi might be present.

Chief mentioned actually selling them if the designs were any good. The extra income could support what everyone expected to be a long-term assignment. Chief also said the house had a studio where he should have works in progress hung around so it looked like he actually did design work. Chief also suggested that he and Yunho adopt a corporate approach to conflict resolution - with "I statements" and "active listening" - to keep their "marriage" healthy. Chief also let Hongjoong know that the cleaning and waitstaff did not know about the assignment and it could be extremely dangerous if they became suspicious, which meant very little time off.

Hongjoong twisted his ring, patted the large granite counter beside the sink, and walked out of the bathroom.

Yunho lit up like Christmas when he saw him and reached out with grabby hands. "Joong! I was just telling Mingi how you used to listen to those true crime podcasts and convince yourself there was a serial killer in your apartment when it was just the neighbor's cat on the other side of the wall."

The rules of improvisation required Hongjoong to accept this new information as fact and reply with a "yes, and" statement.

He pouted dramatically and stopped short of Yunho's grabby hands. "Yunho~" he whined. "We're supposed to impress our new neighbors. Don't make me look bad." He threw an apologetic smile at the tall golfer - Mingi. "I guess now I have to tell you about the time Yunho ate some old take-out from the back of the fridge and almost died at his shoot the next day."

Mingi and Yeosang both laughed, but Yunho looked shocked and offended. "As if you weren't responsible for the utter lack of other food in the house."

"As if I would have needed to eat the last cup noodles if you had just gone shopping when I asked you to." Hongjoong argued, still smiling.

Yunho pouted. "But it was your turn to get groceries."

"I had a deadline." It came too easily. This banter.

Yunho rolled his eyes. "You always have a deadline. It's always the deadlines." And the tone of voice crossed the delicate line between joking banter and a real argument.

For a moment, for just the space of a breath, Hongjoong and Yunho really had been married for two years and dating for three years before that. Hongjoong worked so hard to be where he was as a fashion designer and sometimes he prioritized his work over Yunho. It had been the cause of every major argument they had in the last few years and usually ended with Yunho working himself into tears and disappearing for a few days without returning calls or texts until he was ready to talk it out. Those days were torture for Hongjoong. He hated upsetting Yunho, hated making him feel like the second priority, because he wasn't. Not in Hongjoong's heart. And lately, Hongjoong had been getting better. He'd been trying so hard to be better about the deadlines and still make time for Yunho so he didn't feel neglected.

He took Yunho's hand with a small laugh to cut the tension. "Sweetheart."

And the moment shattered like a rock through a window. Hongjoong met Yunho three days ago. This was an assignment. A case.

It scared Hongjoong how quickly and how easily he slipped into that headspace.

Mingi seemed completely oblivious of Hongjoong's inner turmoil. He grinned wide. "You know, I get scared of serial killers too sometimes. My wife makes fun of me for it, but when you think about it, they're really out there somewhere, you know? Why not here, right? What's stopping them?"

That launched a debate about serial killers and their whereabouts and Hongjoong had to dig deep into the limited knowledge he had of true crime podcasts to keep up airs, but didn't royally screw up.

The party ended around eleven and the waitstaff began to clean up.

Yunho nodded his head toward the stairs. "I'm dying for a shower."

Hongjoong followed him up. The master bedroom branched off to the right immediately at the top of the stairs. The rest of the floor opened into an airy loft that looked over the living room. A hallway off to the left led to the guest rooms and Hongjoong's studio.

On a logical level, Hongjoong knew that there would only be one bed, but actually seeing it in all of its California king glory made it real. He stood in the doorway and stared at it while Yunho took the overnight bag he packed into the ensuite bathroom and closed the door. He didn't lock it, but Hongjoong wouldn't dream of going in.

The room itself was tastefully decorated, bright with an off-white and beige color palette accented with a deep jewel-tone blue and a pale sky blue. A huge walk-in closet made Hongjoong drool before he remembered that it was his. This whole house. For however long the assignment lasted.

He changed out of the suit the department gave him for casual events and pulled some on some sweat pants and an oversized graphic t-shirt he'd had since college. Really the bed shouldn't be a problem. It was huge. There was no reason they had to touch.

After a time, Yunho emerged from the bathroom with wet hair and low-slung sweats. No shirt.

Hongjoong didn't realize he was staring until Yunho scolded him, "My face is up here, babe."

He tore his eyes away from Yunho's perfectly toned chest, flat stomach, and the deep v of his hips. Soft in all the right places, not bulky enough to be intimidating, but obviously strong. If Hongjoong had been asked what his ideal partner would look like, Yunho ticked all the boxes in the most irritating way.

Hongjoong didn't respond, just grabbed his toothbrush and closed himself in the bathroom. The master bathroom put the living room in his first apartment to shame. A jacuzzi tub. A gigantic, fancy shower with more showerheads than Hongjoong knew what to do with. A double sink with more drawer space than Hongjoong knew how to fill.

He brushed his teeth in a hurry and found Yunho already curled up on one side of the bed. He took a steadying breath. "I'm gonna turn the light off."

"Okay."

Hongjoong climbed into the other side of the bed and his entire world changed. He couldn't help the obscene noise that tore through his chest. He'd never considered that real people actually slept on the sort of mattress he'd only ever dreamed about. He'd never imagined that this sort of mattress actually existed outside the displays at department stores.

He could feel Yunho's glare, but he didn't bother opening his eyes. "Don't moan like that, it's weird."

"Sorry. I wasn't expecting the mattress to be so... nice," He took a breath and sank further into the memory foam, sighing slowly in deep contentment.

Yunho swatted his arm. "Seriously, stop that."

"Let me have this moment," he whispered to the dark room, feeling every pressure point in his body cradled by the most wonderful invention to ever bless mankind. He rolled onto his stomach and the mattress enveloped him, molding to fit his body in every beautiful way that a cardboard box doesn't. And really, in comparison, every bed he'd had his entire life amounted to a cardboard box in comparison to this celestial masterpiece. He moaned into the pillow.

Yunho rolled him over onto his back, and again, the wonderful, glorious mattress adapted and supported him better than his parents ever did. "Seriously. Cut it out." Yunho said too close to Hongjoong's face. But Hongjoong had never been so comfortable in his life and he couldn't care less about his hot shirtless partner- fake husband? work partner? partner?

"Don't touch me," he said, floating on a memory foam cloud high above Utopia where unicorns pranced over the rainbows and the stars granted wishes and every day was Christmas.

Yunho made an aggravated noise in the back of his throat as if this mattress wasn't the most revolutionary life-changing event in all of history. "Listen, I'm not one to kink shame or anything, but if we're gonna be married, you can't do... whatever this is while I'm around, okay?"

Hongjoong spread his arms and legs and made snow angels in the silky, high thread count sheets with a little giggle. "Oh my god, can you imagine having sex on this?" He threw his head back against the memory foam pillow, cool and soft and perfect. "It'd be so good for your back."

Yunho shook his shoulders, and he barely felt the impact against the magical, incomparable, wonderful, amazing memory foam. He felt a deep contentment he'd never experienced before, like a cat sleeping in a little pocket of sunshine. Like a duck nestled in the warmth and safety of its mother's wings. Like an angel had wrapped their arms around his body and carried him away to heaven.

"Hongjoong."

The panic in Yunho's voice made his eyes flutter open. "What's your problem, dude?"

Yunho looked intensely uncomfortable on the most comfortable surface on the face of the planet and Hongjoong could not figure out why. Yunho took a deep breath. "I feel uncomfortable when you make sexual noises. I know we're supposed to be married or whatever, but I still feel like it's too soon for me personally to be thinking about sex. I would feel a lot more comfortable and confident in this arrangement if we could just sleep quietly on opposite sides of the bed."

Hongjoong blinked at him, completely baffled. "Did you just use "I statement" conflict de-escalation on me?"

Yunho's fingers dug into Hongjoong's shoulders. "Yes," he cried helplessly. "Chief said we should try that and I don't know how to deal with this."

Hongjoong nodded slowly, coming back to himself. "Thank you for sharing your feelings, that was very brave of you." He said it seriously and it seemed to take the edge off Yunho's agitation. "I'm sorry my actions caused you to feel that way. I'm just mentally going through it now that I've figured out the true class divide is in mattress quality."

Yunho laughed and ducked his head against Hongjoong's shoulder.

"Can I talk about my feelings too?" Hongjoong asked.

Yunho looked shocked in the dark. "Of course you can."

Hongjoong pushed on his bare chest. "Please don't touch me."

Yunho leaped away as if burned. "Oh, I am so sorry. I'm a super touchy person and I didn't even realize. Please don't hesitate to slap me if it happens again."

"I'm not going to slap you." Hongjoong returned to his side of the bed to curl up in absolute bliss.

He didn't even feel the bed dip as Yunho fidgeted around. "You can. If you need to."

"Thanks." Hongjoong drifted on the edge of sleep, but he heard Yunho's low laugh. A comforting sound.

"Goodnight, Joong."

-----

At breakfast - in the sunroom, because the floor-to-ceiling windows had a delightful view of a fenced-in flower garden, and also because the door could close and keep the housekeeping staff from listening in - Yunho and Hongjoong talked about the case.

"So if we're here, Yeosang lives across the street," Yunho set his glass of orange juice in the middle of the table to represent their house and Hongjoong's grape juice to represent Yeosang's. "Mingi lives on this side of us, and Jung and Choi live on this side." Mingi was the crystal salt shaker and Jung and Choi were the fancy pepper grinder that took Hongjoong way too long to figure out over his eggs.
"Mingi's wife is the best neurosurgeon in the country right now." Hongjoong did his homework. "And Yeosang's first wife was an actress, his second wife was a politician, and that ended very badly." Hongjoong paused to give Yunho a look. "I want a prenup. I'm keeping the mattress if we get a divorce." Yunho rolled his eyes and Hongjoong continued. "Yeosang's current trophy wife is a former pageant queen."

"How old is she?" Yunho wondered.

Hongjoong passed him his notes. "Twenty-four. That's a twelve-year age gap. Might be creepy if it was a pattern, but his second wife was five years older than him."

Yunho flipped through the pictures. "Uh-huh."

"Park Seonghwa didn't show up last night." Hongjoong moved his yogurt cup to represent Seonghwa's house across the street from Jung and Choi. "He owns a few nightclubs in the city."

"What type of nightclubs?" Yunho took a drink of Hongjoong's grape juice. "Seedy nightclubs, or high-class nightclubs where Yeosang might go to cheat on his wife?"

Hongjoong raised his eyebrows. "Yeosang's not cheating on his wife."

"How do you know that?"

"He didn't mention her the whole time we were talking last night." Hongjoong took a drink of Yunho's orange juice which acted as their house. "If he were cheating, he'd feel guilty and he'd feel the need to assure everyone how much he loves her."

"What if he just doesn't care?" Yunho wondered.

Hongjoong hummed. "I think he does. He did keep talking about the townhouses and how he just renovated them and how they're the best value property he owns. He feels guilty that he cut corners so they barely meet building codes and that he isn't disclosing that information to the tenants. I found the reports this morning, but I didn't print them out." Yunho looked impressed and Hongjoong felt gratified. "The nightclubs are on the nicer side. No shortage of scuffles though."

Yunho drummed his fingers on the table. "So what I'm hearing is Mingi is harmless, Yeosang has a moral compass, and Park Seonghwa is a big question mark."

"That's right." Hongjoong watched Yunho's tapered fingers hit the polished surface of the table. Yunho's "wedding ring" matched the aesthetic of Hongjoong's. A wide white gold band with tiny alternating black and white diamonds set in a line around the middle. It flashed in the sunlight and did something funny to Hongjoong's chest.

"Then that's the neighbors sorted." Yunho finished off Hongjoong's grape juice. "Now Jung and Choi..."

Hongjoong took his notes back and flipped a couple pages. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Please be honest with me, baby."

Hongjoong gave him a sharp look. "Don't flirt with me while we're working."

"Sorry." He didn't sound very sorry.

"I don't think Jung and Choi are involved with Ad Aras."

Yunho hummed. "What makes you say that?"

Hongjoong shook his head. "I don't know, you've seen them in interviews, right? They're so excited about the jewelry, about the designs, about the process." He pushed his hair away from his forehead and waved a hand at his notebook where he had transferred all the information from the case file. "People who are excited that their silver purification process is energy efficient and their diamonds are sourced responsibly just don't strike me as the kind of people who would be involved with drug trafficking."

Yunho pushed the makeshift model of the neighborhood to the side of the table and took Hongjoong's notebook. "I see where you're coming from, but Chief Choi is pretty convinced there's something there." He flipped through the pages of Hongjoong's tight, neat handwriting. "We'll need to actually talk to them before I can form an opinion."

Hongjoong patted the tabletop. "We've got surveillance on their house running straight to the station. Chief will know before we do if anything happens."

"Good." Yunho closed the notebook. "We start back at "work" on Monday, so we have the weekend to prepare."

"Chief wants me to get a design to him as soon as possible." Hongjoong stood up and leaned on the back of his chair as he pushed it in. "I can't believe you convinced him to make me a fashion designer."

Yunho shrugged. "Didn't have to do much convincing." Hongjoong raised his eyebrows and Yunho smiled. "I told him our cover was gonna be me as a model and you as a designer and he asked if you could do that. I said you could."

"You haven't seen anything I've made." Hongjoong felt dizzy at the risk Yunho had taken. What if he sucked at fashion design? What if he didn't know the first thing about pattern drafting? What if he'd never used a sewing machine before?

Yunho shrugged again. "I checked your website when they put it up. I think your stuff looks really cool."

Hongjoong twisted his ring. "Thanks."

Yunho smiled and Hongjoong realized he really really liked it when he did that.

-----

As promised, the studio was everything Hongjoong had ever dreamed of. A sewing machine, an overlock machine, a computerized embroidery machine, a felt wall to check pattern layouts and fabric samples, a huge cutting table with every sort of ergonomic rotary cutter and scissor available to man.

But Hongjoong didn't mess around. He had a job to do. He didn't even drool too much over the stash of fabric stowed neatly in a closet. He sat down with a sketchbook and drew out a few formal designs similar to what seemed popular at the moment. But none of them resonated with him.

After an hour, he tossed aside the sketchbook and pulled a drafting muslin out of the closet. The female dress form was closer, so he started there, draping and pinning the fabric, trimming away excess, marking darts and pleats and cutouts.

He stood back after he felt happy with the shape of the jacket. It would complement most body types and allow a large range of motion. A pleated pouf to the sleeve would make the waist look smaller. The cleverly placed slits and cutouts would show the shirt - or skin - underneath in a way that Hongjoong hoped would balance the weight of the structured sleeve and give organic movement to an otherwise geometric garment.

"Girl boss," he said to himself and sent a few pictures to Chief Jongho.

The men's jacket would be a similar theme. Structured and geometric, but the linear slits and slender cutouts would allow for an organic flow of movement.

When he felt happy with the pattern, he pulled a heavyweight navy wool pinstripe from the fabric stash and cut it out. His studio wasn't fully equipped, so he'd have to go shopping tomorrow and pick up some lining fabric and some buttons. He considered bright blue piping to accent the cutouts too, and mentioned it at dinner.

"I think it needs to be worn over a contrasting color. White would work, but I'd love to see it over a pink." He took a bite of the fettuccini alfredo the waitstaff placed in front of him. He didn't even know they had a chef. "Like a baby pink, you know? Oh, and maybe silver piping instead of blue? That would elevate it I think. Make it dressier." He waved his fork for emphasis. "We can do multiple variations though, right? Different colors?"

Yunho stared at him like they didn't speak the same language and he didn't understand a single word of what Hongjoong just said, but he wholeheartedly agreed. "Honey, I fall in love with you more every time you talk about your designs."

It took Hongjoong too long to realize the waitstaff were in and out of the dining room and he needed to keep up airs. He felt his face heat up despite the fact that Yunho was just acting, and ducked his head. "Shut up, you sap."

Yunho grinned. "So the cutouts are here?" he spread his hands over his stomach. "I'll have to work on my abs if you want me to model-"

"You do not need to work on your abs, what are you, trying to kill me?" Hongjoong interrupted and it wasn't acting.

Yunho laughed from his belly as if he knew it wasn't acting. "What? You don't think some definition would make your design pop?"

Hongjoong held out a warning finger. "The only definition I want from you is for the word respect, because it is downright disrespectful for you to put any more muscles on that beautiful body."
One of the waitstaff left the room, clearly uncomfortable.

Yunho pushed his cleared plate aside and stood up, chair legs scraping over the dark wood floor. "Disrespectful, huh?" He gave Hongjoong a dark, hungry look that made his pulse race past his ears. "I'll show you disrespectful." He walked away, toward the staircase.

Hongjoong set his fork down with a clatter and followed.

Yunho stopped short in the doorway of the bedroom and Hongjoong ran into his back. "Shit." He turned around, pulled Hongjoong through the door, and closed it behind him. "Shit."

"What?" Hongjoong didn't notice anything different about the bedroom.

"The sheets." Yunho pushed his fingers through his hair. "Shit. I didn't even think about the sheets."

"What's wrong with the sheets?" Hongjoong checked under the duvet and there were clean sheets on the bed. Military corners. Nothing out of place.

Yunho made a face. "Housekeeping. We have housekeepers. They change the sheets for us. They wash the sheets."

Hongjoong didn't understand why that would be a problem. "And?"

Yunho spun in an agitated circle and waved his hands at the bed. "The sheets aren't dirty."

"Okay? The sheets aren't dirty?" Hongjoong couldn't figure out why Yunho seemed so upset about having clean sheets. "Why would the sheets be dirty? Are they supposed to be dirt- Oh." He looked from the bed to Yunho. "Oh no." He looked back at the bed. "We're not... But we just made it look like... But we're not gonna..." Yunho nodded emphatically. Hongjoong straightened up and clapped his hands. "Okay, here's the plan. I go take a long shower while you jack off. Problem solved. Jizz on the sheets. No big deal."

Yunho looked at him like he was crazy. "No. Why do I have to be the one to jack off?"

"Because you started it." Hongjoong made it halfway to the bathroom before Yunho caught his arm.

"No. That's nasty. I'm not gonna sleep in it."

Hongjoong fought his arm out of Yunho's death grip. "Then whack it in the middle of the bed where it's out of the way."

"No. That's just-" He made a face. "I'm not going to do that."

Hongjoong raised his hands in mock surrender. "Then what do you want from me?"

Yunho looked like a lost puppy and it pulled Hongjoong's heartstrings, but he wouldn't back down on this. He had to stand his ground somewhere to prove he wasn't a complete pushover and if this was the hill he died on, so be it.

"Shower sex," Yunho said suddenly.

Hongjoong blinked rapidly. "I'm gonna have to say no thank you."

"Not for real, idiot." Yunho pushed past him into the bathroom.

Hongjoong followed him into the bathroom, finger raised in protest. "Now hang on a minute-"

"The floorplan puts this bathroom right over the kitchen," Yunho interrupted. "I don't think we have to be obscene, just like, some rhythmic thumps." He bounced his fist on the countertop.

Hongjoong crossed his arms. "You showered last night, it's my turn."

"Fine." Yunho wasn't looking at him, he seemed to be assessing the structural integrity of the walls. "I'm gonna hit the wall beside the shower."

The lightly scalloped glass of the shower doors wouldn't do a whole lot to protect Hongjoong's modesty if Yunho stood right up against them. Hongjoong took a breath. "Okay, I understand that your plan is probably the best way to avoid suspicion and I am all for that, however," he watched Yunho's reaction carefully, "I'm not comfortable with you standing right outside the shower while I’m in there." Conflict resolution. It worked before, so why not try it again? Besides, this was still a workplace. Albeit an unorthodox workplace, but some of the same rules should apply.

Yunho looked like that hadn't occurred to him, then smiled shyly, putting Hongjoong at ease. "Thank you for telling me. Maybe we can work out a compromise so we can still avoid suspicion and you can be comfortable in this space. Could you explain what part of me standing outside the shower bothers you?"

As clunky and awkward as it was, this process really did make him feel better. Or maybe Yunho's accepting attitude made him feel better. "The glass is only warped a little bit, and what makes me uncomfortable is the thought that you'll see me naked."

Yunho nodded. He didn't say we're married, idiot, I'm supposed to see you naked. He didn't say even though we're not really married, we are living in the same room and it is almost inevitable that we see each other naked at some point. He didn't say are you really that insecure? He said. "I understand why that would make you uncomfortable. Could I propose a solution?"

"Of course." Hongjoong thanked his lucky stars for Yunho. If he had to pretend to be married to anyone, Yunho made it to the top of that list simply based on professionalism and empathy.

"We could hang towels over the shower doors to cover the glass. Then I couldn't see through, but I could still make enough noise to convince the kitchen staff we're getting down and dirty."

Hongjoong laughed out loud. "Perfect." He grabbed a stack of towels from the shelf set into one wall. "Thank you."

Yunho didn't laugh it off. He seemed to understand how much it meant to Hongjoong. "You're welcome."

-----

Hongjoong felt good about his designs, he felt confident in his investigative skills, and he felt optimistic about his fictitious relationship with Yunho.

He sat in on the heated massage recliner - the second best invention known to mankind, but he hadn't tried the jacuzzi tub yet - in the spacious living room watching re-runs of Project Runway on the ridiculously huge television while Yunho laid across the white leather sectional next to him reading an article titled “Top Ten Beginner Modeling Mistakes.”

“Come on,” Hongjoong waved a hand at the TV in exasperation. “You can’t sew georgette on the bias and expect it to hold weight.”

Yunho patted his leg. “Joong, look at this. It says I need a professional portfolio.”

Hongjoong switched the massage setting on his recliner. “Chief will take care of it. Have you seen my website? Professional as it gets.” He made a dissatisfied noise at the TV again. “What are you doing? Tight satin is a cardinal sin!”

“It also says I need an agency.” Yunho’s audible frown made Hongjoong look over at him.

“I’m your agency.”

“You’re not a modeling agency.”

“No, but I give you modeling jobs--” Hongjoong doubled over in his chair, wailing at the TV, “No no no, use a ballpoint needle, always use a ballpoint needle on the silk georgette, you’re going to get all sorts of runs!” And sure enough, the fabric puckered as it went through the sewing machine and the unfortunate contestant looked in horror at the snagged threads in the satin. “If you don’t know how to sew satin, don’t sew satin, oh my gosh.” He sat back in the chair.

Yunho laughed softly. “Do you get this into sports?”

“Ah, yes, I love the sportsball.” Hongjoong crossed his arms behind his head and blinked at Yunho beguilingly. “I even know all the rules about touching the ball and not touching the ball and putting the ball in the right net or hoop or whatever.”

Yunho laughed louder and Hongjoong felt a swell of pride and affection.

The doorbell rang and Yunho hopped up to answer it before Hongjoong could figure out how to un-recline his recliner and turn the massage setting off.

A young, sweet-looking man stood at the door behind two beautiful children. The little girl held a plate of cookies and the boy - who might have been a few years older - held a bottle of wine with a big bow tied around the neck.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it to your housewarming party,” the man apologized, pushing his longish hair out of his eyes. “I work most nights.”

“Please, come in.” Hongjoong held out his hand to shake. “I’m Hongjoong. It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Seonghwa,” he said with a firm handshake. “I live just across the street.” He pointed caty-cornered toward his house. “And these two are my pride and joy.” He rested his hands on the heads of his children with a paternal pride that made Hongjoong feel a little soft inside.

Yunho accepted the plate of cookies, and the little girl grinned wide, showing a few missing teeth. “They’re strawberry sugar cookies. I baked them myself.”

“That’s amazing,” Yunho gasped, surprised and thrilled. “All by yourself?”

She ducked her head, shy. “Well, daddy helped a little.”

Yunho made a show of eating one of the cookies and falling to the floor dead from how good it tasted while the children laughed.

Seonghwa smiled at Hongjoong. “Do you plan to adopt?”

The question caught him off-guard and he coughed. “We haven’t really talked about it.”

Seonghwa ducked his head apologetically. “I didn’t mean to pry. Your husband is really good with kids.”

Hongjoong watched the little girl shake Yunho to get him to wake up, which he did dramatically and asked in all seriousness what sort of magic she put in the cookies. “He is,” Hongjoong agreed. “He’s good at everything.” He knelt in front of the little boy, who handed him the bottle of wine. “This is a very nice bow.”

The child grinned wide, braces on his teeth. “Do you have grown-up drinks during the day?” Hongjoong blinked, but didn’t have a chance to answer before the child continued. “Dad says people who have grown-up drinks during the day are bums.”

Seonghwa’s eyes went wide, but Hongjoong laughed. “No, I don’t have grown-up drinks much at all,” he assured the child. “Only on special occasions.”

The boy nodded importantly. “That’s good. Do you have a bedtime?” he asked. “Dad says don’t trust people who go out at night. They’re like vampires and you have to stay away or they’ll catch you.”

Hongjoong glanced at Seonghwa, who looked mortified. “I think your dad is right. You definitely don’t want a vampire to catch you.”

Seonghwa looked relieved and pulled his daughter from the floor to sit on his hip. “Well, I won’t keep you long. We’ve got ballet and baseball.” He smiled at each of them. “Please enjoy the cookies, and the grown-up drink.” He looked a little flustered but clearly loved his kids. “If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know. We all try to support each other on this block.”

“The same goes for us.” Yunho climbed to his feet and picked up the cookies. “If you ever need a sitter, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Seonghwa bounced his daughter on his hip and exhaled some of the tension in his shoulders. “Thank you. If you really mean that, It would be a lifesaver.”

“Of course,” Hongjoong insisted.

They waved until Seonghwa made it down the driveway, then Hongjoong flopped back into the massage recliner. “He seems sweet.”

Yunho sat next to him and propped his feet up on the very trendy coffee table. “So our neighbors are a trophy husband, and millionaire playboy, and a flustered single dad.”

“Now we just have to make friends with owners of Amicus.” Hongjoong ran his thumb over the tiny diamonds on his ring. "No pressure." He simply refused to believe that the creators of such beauty could be responsible for anything bad. Certainly, Amicus Jewelers could not be affiliated with Ad Aras.