~𝟱𝟲~

(Third person, Lee Know's perspective)

Lee Know stood frozen in the kitchen long after Ava had disappeared up the stairs and into her room. His skin tingled where she had kissed him. He brought his hand up to let his fingertips touch the spot her lips had met his skin, and the touch elicited a shuddering sigh from him, a shiver running through his body. I shouldn't be the one melting right now, and yet here I am, reeling from something as simple as a peck on the cheek, he thought to himself.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to get his thoughts back together again. His attention was quickly drawn back up to the stairs, Ava standing there in a simple T-shirt and shorts, but still making his heart flutter. Like she always had. He never really noticed, too busy thinking of other things or focusing on making conversation. But the feeling got stronger and stronger every time he looked at her. Since the beginning of their friendship, it had been there. He never acknowledged it, but now that the truth was staring him in the face, he couldn't help but reminisce.

"You ready to go?" he asked Ava as she got to him. She nodded slightly, her messy bun bobbing along with her head.

They walked out the sliding door, onto the sand and towards the ocean. They started walking next to the water, the soft sounds of the waves filling the comfortable silence between them. As they walked, Lee Know intentionally brushed his hand against Ava's, chasing the tingly feeling that spread through his body whenever their skin met. Until he slowly slipped his hand into hers, interlacing their fingers.

Her hand just felt so right in his, like it was meant to be there. He didn't believe in soulmates or fate; he never had. But Ava was pushing his boundaries and making his eyes open up to things he had never even thought about.

It startled Lee Know when Ava spoke, her sentence breaking the silence around them. But her voice still managed to sooth him.

"I'm sorry you have to hide this. Because of me."

It took Lee Know a moment to register the full weight of Ava's words, but when he did, he immediately answered.

"If it makes you happy, I'll do it in a heartbeat."

Insecurity rushed through him as he realised the full meaning of the words that left his mouth, but Ava didn't seem bothered by it, smiling up at him.

"Gosh, how did I end up here?" she asked with a sigh, looking at the sand as they kept walking.

"You went with your gut. You made a decision even thought it was hard for you. And then you met us and... well, I guess the rest is history."

"And how the hell did I end up with such amazing friends?" she asked.

"I guess that just happened. Like most friendships do."

"And how did I end up falling for a man, even while being battered and broken?"

"Now that I don't know, but I do know that I'll be by your side on this journey. This journey of healing. I'll be there with you, every step of the way."

Lee Know stopped as he said that, pulling Ava to stand in front of him, taking both her hands. Ava smiled up at him, her eyes glossy. She sniffled and brushed a hand over her eyes, catching the wetness before it could slip over her cheeks.

"Oh, come on. Don't get all emotional on me," Lee Know said.

Ava laughed at him and he chuckled. Her laughter was infectious. It made fleeting brushes of warmth dance along his skin to hear it, and it made his heart leap to be able to share in that laughter.

They started walking again, the air filled with silence. Ava brushed her thumb against Lee Know's hand, sending tingles up his spine. Memories filled his mind. Memories of them together. The first time they trained together. The time she attached the wire to his jacket on the undercover mission and he watched her work. The time he saved her from falling out the window when she saved the suspect. The time she cleaned his wounds. The time he brought her inside after the guy strangled her.

The time he held her after her first mental breakdown, the bruises on his skin barely having any effect on him because of his overwhelming need to protect her. All those moments seemed so insignificant at the time, but now that he was reminiscing them, they seemed like such big events in his life.

"Do you remember the time you cleaned my wounds after I got into a bar fight?" he asked softly.

"Of course I do. You had gone out to clear your mind and that guy had come at you out of nowhere. I had stayed up waiting for you."

"Yeah. And then you helped me. And I... I made you have a flashback."

"Hey, that doesn't matter. I'm fine now. Okay? And besides, it wasn't your fault. If I had told you guys sooner, you would have known."

"I pushed your boundaries. I'm sorry for that."

He heard Ava sigh. She stopped, making him turn to her.

"Think of it this way. If it hadn't happened, if I hadn't had the flashback, I might not have told you guys about my past. I might not have had the confidence to be able to tell you guys. Okay? So even though it wasn't your fault, it still got me to where I am now."

"I still feel guilty, though," he said softly, looking at her hands in his.

"You know, a wise person once told me that the guilt will eat you up inside. So let it go."

He smiled at her quoting him. She squeezed his hand, giving him a smile. A smile that sent sparks flying in his chest. And he wondered if she would ever be able to understand how much he cared for her.

(First person, Ava's perspective)

The whole time I was walking with Lee Know, I couldn't stop thinking about what he had said that morning and what I had done. I finally understood why there was an emotion swimming behind his eyes. But what I didn't understand was where my sudden confidence had come from when I kissed him. My brain didn't even stop me, not giving me any warnings or bad thoughts to stop me. I just went for it. And that I didn't understand. I had never been the forward person in relationships, especially anything more than friendship.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I almost tripped over the edge of the deck, Lee Know managing to catch me before my body hit the wood. I looked at him, his face inches away from mine. I stared into his eyes, until I heard someone speak in front of us, making both me and him pull away from each other sharply. It was Chan.

"I'm glad the two of you are back. I have something to tell you, Ava."

My eyes widened slightly at him and I heard Lee Know sigh, looking over at him. He gave Chan a worried look, but Chan just nodded at him. He got up from next to me, reaching out a hand to help me up. He took my wrist, pulling me to my feet before letting me walk in front of him through the sliding door. I sat down on the couch; the rest of the boys already gathered there. Chan took a seat next to me; Lee Know sitting down on my other side.

"Ava, I have news. About... about Damian."

At the mention of him, I turned all my attention to Chan, turning my body to face him. He seemed tense and unsure, like he didn't really want to tell me what he was about to tell me.

"Agent Reilly, one of the guys in my first team as an agent, is in charge of the task force that has to catch Damian. I gave him a call two nights ago to ask about their progress and he... he said that Damian is still in the vicinity of the dorms."

He stopped, letting the information sink in. My eyes widened at the information, my breathing becoming more laboured.

"But, the boys and I plan on keeping you safe and getting this guy. So don't worry. We plan on having at least one of the members near you at all times. We won't mess with anything; we'll just stay within viewing distance from you. But if you feel that will mess with your daily routine too much or feel like you need additional protection, I'm sure we can come up with something."

He smiled at me slightly, the corners of his lips pulled up in a concerned way. I took a few deep breaths.

"I'm sure you guys being near me will be enough. I trust you all and your abilities. And I should be able to defend myself if need be."

...

It was our last day on vacation, and I felt quite sad. I would definitely miss the ocean lulling me to sleep most nights, and the feeling of sand between my toes. I reluctantly started packing, my movements slow so as to stretch out the process as long as possible. I was almost finished when I noticed the sun had started setting, the orange light shining through my window. I saw Lee Know on the beach, standing with his feet in the water. I smiled slightly at him before going downstairs.

"Hey, Ava. Chan said dinner should be ready in about an hour. He's making it early tonight so we can stargaze after dinner," Jeongin said as I walked past him.

"Thanks, Jeongin," I said over my shoulder, walking out the sliding door.

I slipped off my shoes, standing with my feet in the sand near the deck. I wiggled my toes around in it, feeling it rub against my skin. I picked up a handful of it, letting it slip through my fingers before dusting my hands off on my pants, looking up at the horizon. Lee Know still stood exactly where he had before, hands resting at his sides and hair gently blowing in the wind. I slowly walked towards him, trying not to startle him. I walked up next to him; my feet submerged in the cool water.

He hadn't noticed my presence yet, so I took his hand, interlacing our fingers. My other hand wrapped around his arm, my head resting against his shoulder. I looked up at him when he shifted, seeing him smiling down at me. He slowly brought his free hand up towards my face, brushing a strand of hair away.

I subconsciously leaned into his touch, my skin tingling at the feeling of his fingertips grazing ever so gently over my skin. I looked up at him for a moment longer before turning my attention back to the quickly changing sky, the previously orange streaks joined by strands of purple, pink and yellow to paint the horizon. I sighed contently, the beautiful view in front of me and the presence next to me so calming.

"Do you think we'll ever come back here?" Lee Know asked softly.

"I really hope so. I don't know what'll happen if I never get to see the ocean again."

"It really is something else, isn't it?" he asked, and I nodded against his shoulder.

We stood in silence for a while, the waves gently splashing up against our feet. The information Chan had given me earlier started spinning in my head, making me restless. I squeezed Lee Know's hand.

"What do you think will happen if Damian does come back? What if you guys aren't near me and he... do you think I'll be able to protect myself?"

Lee Know looked down at me, care enmeshed into his features.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. But if you want I can help you train more? Or one of the others if you want?"

I shook my head at him.

"I'm sure you're more than capable of teaching me. And besides, I think I'd like us training together."

Lee Know gave my hand a squeeze, a smile spreading on his lips. I bit my lip and dropped my head at his tender gaze, heat creeping up to my cheeks. I looked back up at him again, and I saw his eyes flick to my bottom lip pulled in between my teeth. His gaze moved to meet mine, that same emotion from earlier swirling into view in his eyes. The smile on my lips slowly fell, anticipation coursing through my veins. I saw his gaze fall to the water we were standing in before he turned his head away, shaking it slightly.

A sudden surge of confidence rushed through me, just like that morning. Compelling me to do something. Anything. All my inhibitions were gone. My mind was completely quiet. My veins were like rivers of adrenaline, coursing through my body and making a shiver run up my spine. And I knew something was about to happen, but I never imagined it to be the way it happened.

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A/N

heyy guys :) sorry for not posting in a while... grade twelve has been a bit hectic, especially with the school production having started their practices. but anyway, i'm back ;P

kinda left you guys on a cliffhanger at the end of this chapter but i hope that you still enjoyed it and i'll see you guys in the next one <3