Château de Versailles (1/?)
Title: Château de Versailles (1/?)
Pairing(s): DooWoon
Rating: PG-13+
Word Count: 6,189
Summary: Yoon Doojoon is a decorated police officer of New York City. Away from work, he is also the spouse of a sweetheart and a doting father of their triplets. He has brought countless criminals to justice, but one will bring him to his knees.
A/N: First chaptered DooWoon… Either I spent too much time on this for nothing, or I spent too much time on this for nothing.
“X. The light has gone out of my life.” - Theodore Roosevelt, February 14, 1884
(Doojoon’s POV…)
I yawn and sweep the corners of my eyes clean with the sides of my index fingers. Another full, fall day. Sitting up in bed, I find my uniform-ironed and pressed-laid out beside me, where my beloved rested hours before. My hat’s there, my silver shield badge, shirt… everything. I’m not surprised to see them all present. It’s all Dongwoon’s doing; this is our morning ritual. Babe’s always up before I am. He wakes up with the sun, I tell ya.
Staying faithful to the ritual, I peel out of bed and make for the shower. I practically saturate myself with the body wash Dongwoon bought for me. He said he liked the scent on my skin, and I aim to please.
I dress myself in uniform-save the hat-and head for the lively kitchen.
All four of my babies are accounted for: Dongwoon is sitting in one of the dining table chairs, one which he turned and planted in front of three, separate highchairs. In each one of the yellow chairs sits one of our three, pant-less, beautiful baby boys: Junghwa, Junghee, and Jungsu.
Eight identical orbs of brown attack me all at once upon my emergence.
“Oh. Appa’s up, guys,” announces Dongwoon.
I walk over to them, standing beside Dongwoon. I bend over forward in front of the little audience. The babies, habitually, start to kick about and babble with restlessness the closer I become to them.
“And how’re my men this morning?”
I tickle the soft, coral soles of their six little feet; I kiss each of their noggins twice, their dark hairs tickling my lips in return. They respond happily, turning their attention away from their morning meal and onto me. I take a step back to gaze individually at these three round, beaming faces, not finding a physical trace of myself. Dongwoon marked all three of them, but of course, they’re identical: Their subtle, yet unique noses, their eyes as brown and big as coconuts, their smiles… it’s all Dongwoon. I’m looking at my husband all the time; he’s unavoidable.
“It’s like peering into a mirror every day,” Dongwoon whispers to me, “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
He begins kissing my neck-which is nearby. I feel him inhale my scent. He ghosts the tips of his front teeth against my skin first before those forever moist cushions touch down. I feel my heart skip. I hone in on my lover. Dongwoon takes this advantage. His divine lips swipe mine into very deep morning kisses.
“That right there is why there may be another one of these on the way,” I mumble, looking to the children, slowly curling my fingers in my lover’s hair. Dongwoon’s hot mouth strikes mine again, chuckling between our lips.
“There just may be~” he sings.
Yes, it’s very, very possible that Dongwoon may be pregnant again. He broke the news to me a week ago, jittered with nervous excitement, and penciled himself in to see the OBGYN to confirm his suspicions. (He doesn’t trust the at-home tests.) His appointment’s this afternoon; unfortunately, I can’t go with him, being on duty and all. I told him not to call me when he found out. I like surprises; I’ll know when I get home in the evening.
“I’m gonna drop the boys off at daycare before I go…” Dongwoon informs me. He returns his attention onto feeding the babies. He has three little spoons-one for each of the triplets-sticking out of the single, small yet deep bowl of lukewarm, sweet, creamed wheat. There is a red, yellow, and blue spoon, Junghwa’s, Junghee’s, and Jungsu’s respectively. He gathers some of the soup onto the yellow spoon and levels it before Junghee’s mouth, the greediest one, and the most outspoken. Junghee helps his umma, tentatively clutching Dongwoon’s wrist with little, impatient fingers as the latter hurries the utensil to the top of his tongue.
“I’m pretty sure I am pregnant. I feel different… just like I did when I was carrying the boys. After a while, I could tell. I felt something was there; I feel the same way now. It’s hard to explain.”
…I hover behind Dongwoon, fully applying my smiling lips upon the soft crown of his head of dark locks. And then, my arms come lacing around his torso, finishing with a gentle, great tie. I embrace my baby and deliver a following kiss to his cheek. Dongwoon turns his head to peek at me. There are sparkles glinting in my husband’s wide irises… happiness. This sudden pregnancy is definitely a surprise for us both. We just welcomed a bundle of three into the world a little over a year ago in September! But, if there indeed is this little life growing inside of Dongwoon’s belly, of course, the child will definitely be a delightful, welcomed, and loved surprise. Me being an only child, I’ve always wanted a big family…
“I just hope you’re right,” I utter.
Dongwoon kisses me confidently, “I know I’m right.”
“Maybe this time I’ll get one that looks like me, huh?”
Dongwoon’s head falls back as a laugh sprouts from his throat.
“They laugh at everything I do, they love to roughhouse, and they smack my ass whenever I crouch to play,” he stresses, whispering the curse, “They take after you. So it’s even.”
I smile, pleased with my boys. They certainly inherited my energy.
“Well they all are beautiful, and I have you to credit for that.” I peck his fleshy pillows. Dongwoon then directs me to the coffee and the breakfast he set aside for me. He takes his own seat-my lap-once he gets the boys cleaned and occupied. He sits sideways, his arm snaking along my shoulders.
“I made pancakes this time,” says my lover.
“Blueberry ones.” My favorite.
“Mhm. Sorry if they’re a little burnt... the boys didn’t let me do very much this morning.”
“S’fine, baby. They’re fine… Did you eat yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“No? Well then let’s eat these together.”
Dongwoon refutes, “I don’t want to eat your food, Doo. I made those for you.”
“You made me five. I can’t eat five pancakes, baby. I love ‘em, but not that much. We’ll share. We’re gonna share these.”
And we share them fairly. Dongwoon smiles as I feed him every bite.
…It reminds me of our first date. I had to get him to shimmy out of his shell a little bit. He warmed up to me, though.
We met at this corner bagel shop he was working about five years ago. He was wearing his adorable bagel get up, but his little hat did not catch my eye first. When he greeted me the first time I came through those doors, when that voice carried over to me, I was taken from the start. And then our eyes swapped ganders and I tell you since I have not been able to keep my eyes away.
I left him my number on that first day; we went on our first date that weekend. Dongwoon was his name. We got to know each other: He left for America in hopes of better financially supporting his parents back in Korea. He was working two jobs, low-end jobs, but that reality couldn’t wipe away his sweet smile. He was doing something lovely; this hardworking boy was warming my heart. He stayed on my mind daily: during the academy, in my dreams, my daydreams. I wanted this boy.
So I did something about it. After a month of seeing one another, I cooked for him one night, and I never cook. Over that dinner, I told him how I felt about him with a knotted tongue and throat. Dongwoon laughed at me the whole time. He took my hand, and wrapped our fingers around one another, and he told me he liked me, too… I could finally breathe.
Our connection is a deep one. He seems to know what’s on my mind, and he’s always been at my side. He encouraged me through the academy when I felt like I would fail the examinations, when I felt like giving up. Dongwoon always made me feel good… I wanted to him to forever be a part of my life, and so, being selfish, I asked him to marry me. In our second year of togetherness, he became Yoon Dongwoon. And in our fourth year, he became the mother of my children. Finding out that I would be a father to three was definitely a shock. But Dongwoon handled it with grace from the beginning to the end. The boys were born a month early, but they were still healthy. It was the happiest day of my life.
Dongwoon has made me the happiest man.
Breakfast is done, and it’s about time for me to head out. I clap my hands, “Alright guys, Appa’s gotta go noooow.”
Dongwoon takes the dishes into the kitchen. The boys are all huddled together around their sea of toys and other playthings. Jungsu and Junghee heed my announcement first; I painlessly pick them both off the ground and carry them in the hooks of my arms. They giggle and shriek. I kiss each of their flush faces before pulling away, taking the time to remember how it feels to have their skin upon mine… and to see their toothy smiles, and their twinkling eyes. It’s important that I savor every second.
“Be good for Umma, ‘kay?”
“Kiss kiss,” Dongwoon chimes to the babies, returning. Understanding the command, the boys paste their dribbling lips at different points on my face. They suck rather than kiss. I kiss them back, “I love you…”
They return the love, babbling, “labyu.”
Jungwha starts to whine for me, circling my right leg.
“Appa didn’t forget about you,” Dongwoon scoops him up. Jungwha complains more. He wants to be in my embrace just like his brothers.
“Yeah?” Dongwoon turns from Jungwha and looks me straight in my eyes, “Umma doesn’t want Appa to go, either.”
As always, I spy that smudge of fear and uncertainty dulling his glassy, brown spheres. His eyes start to round. That’s always been an indication of anxiety. This is, unfailingly, the hardest part of our day. I have to leave Dongwoon to care for our three boys alone. He has them to worry about, and he has me to worry about. It’s a lot for his shoulders every day. Neither of us knows if this will be the final time we see one another. It’s something we consistently think about… I wish it wasn’t this way, but in my profession, it’s inevitable.
I set the boys down so my arms are free to receive Jungwha. He has his turn to suck my face; I kiss him, tell him that I love him, and watch him smile at me. He reaches for the black brim of my hat.
“Yaah, you can’t have that…!” I tell him. He still tries stubbornly, until Umma grasps him and puts him on his hip, “Trouble maker.”
“He’s perseverant, too.”
“Who do you think he gets that from?” Dongwoon asks rhetorically. I take his hips into my hands, and then his entire body into my mold. We hold one another. His eyes get around again; he pins me down with them.
“Be careful,” he says softly to me.
“I will.”
“…Love you,” Dongwoon murmurs to my bones.
“I love you.”
Our lips meet four separate times, each union heavier than the last. His lips are lovely things.
We depart… I look behind me and smile before I walk out of the door.
(NYPD Parking Complex…)
It’s not easy getting into a department, especially NYPD’s. Sure, you can have all of the credentials, have all of the required degrees, but if you don’t make it past initiation, forget about it. An added bonus is having connections, but I had none of that when I first joined. I was one of the lucky ones.
I knew I always wanted to be a police officer. It’s one of those jobs that children fickly choose in kindergarten or elementary school; I stuck with my goal, in the end. Back in the day, this place was pretty unforgiving. I’ve seen someone die a few blocks down from where I stayed when I was young. I wanted to do something about this problem. I felt like I had to.
My parents supported my career decision, though they’d always envisioned me doing something else with my life, like being a… a tycoon of some sort. They emigrated to the states in the mid-eighties, and naturally, they wanted me to be very successful and happy with whatever I chose to do and be. So, I studied up, graduated from the rigorous NYC Police Academy, and now, I’m an NYC cop. I’ve been one for five years. I love every bit of it. Any chance that I’m given that’ll help me defend this city, I’ll take it.
I walk to the lot of patrol cars, finding my partner leaned against the driver’s side of our vehicle.
“Sup, Guk.”
“Sup, Joon.”
Guk-Seo In Guk-is my partner, and he has been a close friend of mine since our academy days. We carried one another through. It was fate that paired us together. I could’ve easily been picked with someone else.
“What’s up for today? More babysitting?” I ask.
“Nah. We’re free!” he exclaims happily. He hasn’t had the best of luck with the fledglings. “You wanna drive today, Joon?”
“Sure.”
We hop inside, and I start the engine. I hear the hum of the radio.
“Coffee first? Bagels?” Guk inquires, wetting his lips, “I think I want some espresso. I’m feelin’ an onion bagel with pineapple spread today.”
“That sounds disgusting. And I’m stuffed. Woon cooked this morning.”
“Oh he did? And how is wifey? Has he gone to see the doctor yet?”
I put the car in reverse, then shift gears and cruise out of the parking complex, “He goes today, though he probably doesn’t need to. He seems sure that he is, you know, pregnant. So I take his word.”
Guk nudges me, “Ready for another one?”
“Three was a… delightful surprise. But I’m ready. Woon seems ready, too. We really weren’t expecting this one. We used condoms. I guess one just broke. Either way, we’re both happy about this baby.”
“And I’m happy for you, man. I should’ve foreseen you with four kids. Since day one you haven’t given this boy a break.”
I swerve around the corner, merging with the early morning traffic, “Nope. And as long as he’s with me, he won’t ever get a break.”
If only Guk knew. If only he knew Dongwoon’s undeniable mystique. And his eyes and their depth. And the way his hips move around me behind closed doors. And when he calls for me with chords stricken with pleasure. It is a crime not to touch him twenty-four seven. He’s always on my mind. I always have him in my heart.
I have a picture of my Woonie in our car. I take it with me wherever I go.
Wherever.
(Yoon Apartment, 12:22 A.M.…)
I’m glad to finally be home. I push the key into the keyhole and twist the knob. I find Dongwoon folding clothes on the couch, upon opening the door. It’s almost midnight… why is this man not in bed?
“Hey, Doo,” he greets as I lock the door behind me.
“Hey.” I maneuver past the blue laundry basket to get to my lover’s side. I delicately put my hand upon his left shoulder. He looks up; I look down. We sow a kiss.
“How was work?” he asks.
“Good, quiet. Not too much trouble. Guk and I patrolled.”
“Ah, so a lax day?”
“Pretty much. We were still called, yeah, but nothing dire. How long have the boys been asleep?”
Dongwoon blew air, folding one of the triplets’ many blankets, “For a while. For hours. They’ve been playing with the kids at daycare, and we played for a while before bed, so they’re worn out.”
I start for the boys’ room, light on my feet. I enter without taking a breath. My ears are tickled by their little snores… They’re knocked out, curled up in their individual cribs. Once we tried putting them in one massive crib to save money. It worked when they were smaller. But the bigger they got, they all seemed to find a way to annoy one another in the middle of the night. They are starfish sleepers like Appa, so they need all the sleeping space they can get.
I hover over the babies’ cribs, stroking their small backs and petting their heads for an equal amount of time. Well, they’re certainly asleep. They must’ve really had an eventful day…
And speaking of eventful… Dongwoon envelops me from behind as I look over Junghee. “They’re getting so big,” he utters wispily, and into my right ear.
“Next we’ll be putting them in actual beds.”
“Yup. They won’t be babies anymore.”
Speaking of babies… I turn my entire body around to face Dongwoon’s. I snatch him into my arms, and I add a raise or two to my eyebrows, “…………..So?”
His lips purse into a teasing grin. His eyelashes flutter. He brings his hands up, gliding across the front of my uniform dress shirt, until they clamp onto my shoulders. He giggles a telltale giggle, a giggle that gives me my answer. I open my eyes further. I smile.
Dongwoon smiles wider. I smile wider.
He brings our brows together softly, “……Five weeks.”
Dongwoon’s lips-as if seemingly pulled by silver hooks at the corners of his mouth-rise, making a grand, deep smile. My pupils descend to his stomach, and soon, we join one another in quietly laughing in joy, incredulousness, and togetherness. My lips retain that smile of proudness… and of love. His eyes are warm with emotion. I feel honored to be revered in such a way by this man I call my husband. Dongwoon carries his lips to mine.
“I told you~” he breathes between us.
“I never doubted you…” we kiss again, “…so we’ve got four now?”
“Yep... There’s only one this time. Happy?”
I dip my tone considerably… “Of course. I think we should celebrate.”
“How~?”
He winks those eyes at me. He knows how. We both know how.
I don’t think I can ever keep my hands off this man.
(Next Day, Dongwoon’s POV, 12:35 P.M.…)
I like to take the boys out of the city every once in a while. It’s good for them. More spacious, quiet grounds are my favorite areas to bring them. I decide to go to a pharmacy out of town in southern New Jersey, but just a somewhat lengthy taxi ride away. It’s easier and safer to travel with three babies in a capacious setting rather than in the hurried city. We would get trampled if I tried to push them along in their stroller at five in the afternoon. I promised them ice cream once I finish shopping, so they will surely enjoy that.
Doojoon had to leave early this morning. He kissed me and told me they needed him in earlier than usual. I wished him a good day-or, I think I did, I was so worn out I can’t even remember correctly-and he was on his way. He called me on the way to the pharmacy, just to check on me and the boys since he was not there to formally do so in the latter part of the morning. I told him what we were doing for the day, and he spoke to the babies on speakerphone briefly before returning to his patrol work. They fought for the phone.
We’ve arrived at the steps of the store. I exit the vehicle; the driver is so nice as to retrieve my triplet-friendly stroller from the trunk. I settle Jungwha, Jungsu and Junghee into their places. It doesn’t take very long; they’re rather docile today… I pay the driver and mutter a kind thank you. He drives away as I enter the shop.
Runi noona greets me from behind the counter. She knows me well. I came here often to get prenatal pills for when I was pregnant with the boys. That’s what I’m here for today.
“Hi, Dongwooooon~”
“Hello Runi~ I brought the babies this time today.”
“I see!! Ohhh, look at theeeeem-” she stops to bend over the counter, peering down onto the boys, “Goodness, Woon. They’re so… plump now… and they look just like you~ Hi babies~”
The boys look up to her curiously.
“Jungwha, Junghee, Jungsu,” I say, pointing to each one.
“Beautiful… How do you tell them apart?” Noona asks. I somewhat understand this expression…
“Hm?”
“How can you tell who is who? They’re all the same~”
“Oh!! I know. Umma knows always.”
Noona grins, “Can Doo tell who’s who?”
“Sometimes. I tell him who is who when he forgets.”
“He’s got four Woonies to keep up with. He’s at work now?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, so you’ve got your hands full today. What brings you back here? The boys aren’t sick, are they?”
“Ah, no, no. The boys are not sick. I… I am pregnant again…~”
Noona’s eyes get really big. She’s smiling, too.
“Really!?!”
I nod, trying to put my smile away, but I can’t~ I can’t believe it, either.
“Oh my goodness, Woonie, you’re going to have another baby!?”
“Yes. Doctor told me yesterday. Five weeks. It is a surprise.”
“I bet it is. Congratulations either way! Wooow... You and Doojoon don’t rest, do you~?”
I blush and smile bigger, thinking of last night, “…No.”
“It’s great that you two love each other so much~ I’m guessing you’re here for some vitamins, then? They’ve moved them to aisle twelve.”
“Oh okay. Thank you. I will be right back.”
I start on my way to the twelfth aisle, passing my other shoppers. The boys start talking to one another. It makes me wonder how they will react to another person being in the house, another boy in particular. I wouldn’t mind a girl this time… Doojoon said it doesn’t matter to him, but I know he wants another boy. I wonder what the boys think.
“What do you want guys? Hm? Yeodongsaeng-?”
Two gunshots punctures the peace in the store.
I crouch to the floor instinctively. There’s instant pandemonium within the store. I hear Runi noona and other women shriek, and then, very masculine voices add to the mix, shouting commands very fast in English. “Don’t move.” “Don’t touch the phone.” “Shut up.”
I crawl in front of the stroller. Jungsu begins to gently cry automatically at the noisy disruption. The other two look perplexed and worried. I’m shaking. I worry first for my children. I have to protect them.
There’s a restroom a few aisles down. The shelves are actually very tall, but I can still see the darkly-dressed men. They’re starting to rustle through the store, terrorizing whoever is in their paths, spouting other unclear demands. The last thing I need is one of my kids hurt, and some man yelling at me in a language that I partially understand. I slowly move the stroller a few feet down to reach the front of the restroom door, praying that I am not caught. My prayers are answered.
As quietly as I can, I start to unbuckle the kids from the stroller. I smile to all three of their blank faces, hoping to calm them. I hear their soft grunts of confusion, grunts that threaten to morph into sobs. They’re used to various sounds, living in the city, but these sounds are different. Jungsu whines a little louder as the men approach where we are. His arms stretch for me weakly. I hold his little hand, whispering, “Umma’s right here, Su… Umma’s right here.” Simultaneously, I stretch my being far enough to grasp the door handle of the restroom. I pray that it doesn’t creak or bring attention. My prayers are answered again. At a pace comfortable enough for the kids, I scoop all three of them into a single embrace and rush into the restroom. I slowly close the door. I then gather all three of them with me in the corner adjacent to the door. I have them face me, but one refuses to keep still: Jungwha squirms. He upsets the other boys; they cry louder.
“Shh… shhhhh… boys… don’t cry…” I plead lowly. I plead and I plead, but I can tell that our cramped quarters and the sudden noises have them antsy and painfully alert. I clear my throat, swallow, and I gently hum to them the melody I sing to them on their restless nights, commanding the attention of six brown eyes. They hush and watch me carefully, first in bemusement, and finally, in gratification. I watch the confusion melt from their little faces. It relaxes me all the way to the end of the song. I smile to them; I kiss their little cheeks.
“It’s okay… Umma’s staying right here… right here with you. You’re going to be alright. We’re going to b-”
The restroom door is kicked in with a startling force. My heart dared to split my chest open and hop about on the cold tile. The door bouncing off of me gave way of my position. The boys wail. A masked man throws himself to look behind the door. We finally see one another. He points a gun to me.
“Don’t move,” he says, an English command. The gun enforces it.
Fright consumes me. I bend over my babies, my eyes down the barrel.
“Please…!”
“Yong-ssi,” shouts the man with the gun in my face. By the honorific, I can tell that the gunman’s Korean, and so must Yong-ssi. But… Who is Yong-ssi?
“Found him?” a gentle voice replies from within the main part of the store. I pull the boys closer to me, doing all that I can to calm them, but my shushing and cooing seems meaningless. Junghee and Jungsu are crying angrily. Jungwha observes silently, but I sense his mounting fear. He tries to turn into me. They are so scared…
Shortly, a small man appears from around the aisle. His hair is unnaturally golden. It frames his round, childish face. He has small eyes. His clothes give me the impression that he is very wealthy. Even if he wasn’t wearing a mask, he didn’t give off as being friendlier than those with them on. He loudly ground his teeth into this wad of gum.
This Yong-ssi bends his legs and kneels in front of me and the boys. He snatches my chin into his hand. I snatch it away. He grimaces, then snatches it right back, something popping painfully within my neck. His nails gripped me by the skin.
“Don’t start, bitch,” Yong-ssi growls with a curled lip, “don’t fucking start with me.”
“Wh… Who are you? What do you want!?”
Yong-ssi ignores my question. It is as if I haven’t said a thing. His eyes may be small, but they look at me with so much weight… and so much hatred. I don’t understand why he would feel so strongly about me. I’ve never seen him in my life…
And out of the air, a very large, uninformative grin manifests on his mouth.
“Yep. This is hiiiim~” Yong-ssi squeezes my cheeks to make my lips pout and shakes my head from side to side, “I’ve finally found yooooou~ I’ve been looking allll over for your sweet ass.”
His eyes trickle down onto Junghwa first. Then Junghee and Jungsu. I cradle them closer, bouncing them some.
“And it looks like I get the babies, too~” he looks behind him, to the masked men, “You knuckle fucks finally got something right.”
“You’re not touching my children,” I spit offensively.
With a slow twist of his neck, Yong-ssi redistributes his attention to me. He leans closer; I can taste the mint from his gum on the back of my tongue.
“I’m gonna do whatever the fuck I feel like. Nobody tells me what I can and can’t fuckin’ do. Here, let me demonstrate,” Yong-ssi turned around, “Someone come and get these little shits.”
My eyes grow bigger, as in less than a second, three men swarm into the restroom and surround me. I feel them sucking the power right out of me.
“No.” I squeeze my babies closer to my center and fold over, but it’s hopeless. One man swoops down like a bird of prey, screwing his fingers into my hair and pulling tightly to strip me off the boys. A second man works at prying my arms off of their little bodies, but I keep them fastened around my boys. I can’t let them go; I can’t fail them. I am the only protector they have.
I fight for as long as I physically can, but inevitably, I become weak and overwhelmed. And outnumbered. It’s hard to defend three babies all at once, and it’s definitely harder when the three men turn into five. The boys shrill at the piling chaos, but one’s crying louder than the rest: gentle Junghwa.
Junghwa is in the middle of my lap, but as the men successfully strip my arms apart, he is left exposed and unprotected. He’s easily plucked from my crumbling cocoon; my heart aches once I realize his absence. The middle of my lap turns cold. I look up and witness the black-dressed figure carry my pink-faced baby out of the restroom, and out of the shop. A third of my heart withers itself out of existence. I release the most strident cry of defeat.
I’ve failed.
Two men-one for each of my arms-hold my limbs straight out, pulling them off of my remaining two children. Junghee and Jungsu tumble out of my embrace. I scrap and scramble for them with every ounce of energy I have. I plead to the men not to take them away; my pleas fall on deaf ears. My babies are taken and carried off, their cries fading away.
I fall limp, but my voice is as strong as ever…
“Where are you taking them!?” I scream.
“Don’t worry about that. I call the shots around here, okay? Now get up. You are coming with me.”
“……..I’m not going anywhere with y-”
Yong-ssi’s palm whipped across my cheek with a distinct, echoing “clack.” It stings. I feel water leak from my eyes.
“You want to try that again?”
I hang my head. I… I don’t know what to do. I don’t necessarily care what he does to me, what any of them do…
“Just… J-Just… please… D-Don’t hurt them… Just don’t hurt them.”
“Then you’ll do everything that I tell you to do. Get up.”
(Yoon Apartment, 12:19 A.M.… Doojoon’s POV)
…The lights are off. Usually, the stove light is left on, ‘cause that’s where Dongwoon leaves my dinner plate. But it’s not on. In fact, there is no light illuminating the whole apartment.
I call out for Dongwoon. I call for the boys. I receive nothing from either. I try Dongwoon’s cell. Straight to voicemail.
…It’s midnight, and my husband and our three kids aren’t home.
Something isn’t right.
The house phone rings. I launch my body halfway across the room just to answer it.
“Hello?”
“DOOJOON?”
I blink; my eyebrows snap into slants.
“Dongwoon?”
“D-DOOJOON? DOOJOON HELLO? HELLO?”
It is Dongwoon…
“Yes, babe. It’s me. What’s going on?”
He sounds very panicked. He’s sobbing and hiccupping and speaking in worded slush. My worry escalates, but being a police officer, I specialize in blanketing my irrational human emotions to get the information that I need.
“Baby… calm down, talk to me… Where are you?”
“I DON’T KNOW!!”
“Okay, okay. Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“NO!!”
“Are the kids with you?”
“NO!!”
My heart folds and folds and folds. This is a whole different ball game now.
“Where are the kids, Dongwoon?” I sound more urgent.
“I DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE THEY TOOK THEM I DON’T KNOW I DON’T KNOW WHERE I AM DOOJOON THEY TOOK THEM I DON’T KNOW-”
“-Someone has the kids?”
“YES THEY TOOK THEM FROM ME THEY TOOK THEM AND THEY WON’T TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!!”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
“I DON’T KNOW.”
“And you don’t know where you are?”
“NO I DON’T I DON’T KNOW JOON I DON’T I’M SO SCARED JOON I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING-”
“-Dongwoon, Dongwoon listen. Listen to me, sweetheart. Don’t panic. I’m going to find you. Okay? You hear me? I’m going to find you, and our children. Don’t worry. Don’t worry.”
Dongwoon sounds like he’s trying to catch his breath but is denied at every attempt, but hearing his sobs and his fear became ever the more clear to me. I am unspeakably worried; fear threatens to throw me into hysterics.
“I’m so scared… I don’t know where my babies are. They took our babies Doo… I tried but I couldn’t… there was too many of… I c-cou… I let them take our babies…”
“Baby don’t say that-”
“-I tried Doojoon-”
“-I know you did, Woon, it’s okay. But listen to me for a second. Calm down. Calm down, breathe. Do it for the baby. You have to stay calm for the baby, alright?”
I can hear him breathing in the air.
“Ok… okay…”
“I’m comin’ for you, Woonie. Don’t you wo-”
“-Hello Yoon Doojoon.”
A new voice asks this question… a smooth, ominously sweet voice.
“Who is this?” I demand.
“You don’t know me~?” the other pouts playfully. I haven’t the time nor patience for games right now. The rage that I kept at bay, the rage that I feel for someone having the audacity to abduct my family brims to the forefront of my emotions.
“You listen to me you sick fuck. When I find out just who you are, I’m going to-”
“Blow my head off? Like you did my Junnie?”
I stop my threat.
“You remember now, don’t you? Does Yong Junhyung ring a bell? My husband of ten years? A fucking decade?”
“……Yong?”
“You’re gonna kill me just like you killed him? You’re gonna blow my fucking head off just like you did his!? Or did you forget? Did you forget about him!?!”
I realize who he is referring to: Yong Junhyung, the drug kingpin on the corner in the southern, shady parts of Brooklyn. He’d recently moved some of his business further into New York City, and since then we’d been trying to find him for the entire summer. Upon getting a promising lead, my team was the one who busted him. His cronies attempted to disperse, but failed and were killed as they dared to retaliate. Junhyung himself tried to escape, but I chased him down several blocks. I planned to turn him in to the department, but he pulled a gun on me. So I had no choice but to protect myself first and shoot him lethally. I didn’t want to kill him, but I had to. There were too many civilians, so I had to cut the battle short and end it with a headshot. I never knew he was married…
“Listen, I didn’t mean for it to end that way. I didn’t want to kill him. I aimed to turn him in to-”
“-That wishing shit doesn’t change the fact that Junhyung is dead. He’s dead. You killed him. I will never get him back. I will never get to see him… or touch… or kiss him… ever…” I can hear his voice breaking, but it vastly recovers, “You don’t know my pain, but you will soon. I want you to feel what it’s been like to be me for the past two months, to have everything that you’ve loved taken from you. Taken from this world. I want you to suffer, Doojoon. I want you to feel what I feel. So I’m gonna start with your noisy bitch here. I’ll think of something to do with your brats.”
I hear Dongwoon sob in ache in the background. That sob terrorizes my heart, but not nearly enough as thinking what this person might do to our boys, Dongwoon, and, consequently, the baby.
“………Please. You don’t have to do this… I’ll come to you personally, I’ll do whatever it is that you want. Leave my family out of this. They didn’t do anything.”
“Precisely. They did nothing. It was you. That’s what makes this so much sweeter. They will pay for something you did, and you will pay in return. Officer Doojoon, my ultimate and only goal is to mentally fuck you and break you. You will suffer, and they will suffer. Just like me.”
……I hear a sharp cut of the telephone line.
Everyone knows it’s Seob, right? Doojoon killed Jun, Yoseob’s hubby, and understandably, Seobie is very much pissed about this. So, for some sick revenge, Yoseob kidnaps Dongwoon and his babies, hoping that Doojoon will completely fucking lose it. Seob is the bad guy here. I still call him Yong-ssi ‘cause even though Jun’s dead, I mean... you know?
There, that’s the basic story line or whatever. Inspired by Runiiiiii (3star4life) and our relentless doowoon tweets ;;;;;;;; my doowoon muse, my queen. <33333 IMADEYOUNOONAINHEREWASTHATOKAYHUHIMSORRYILOVEYOUBBBBBBBB.
Some of this is still up in the air, but I’ve set the groundwork. I know I have other stuff to finish, so I will work on that, too. I think I’ll update this again sometime in May. u_u I know I’m slooow but this semester is nearly over. bbs you are so understanding so thank you………
Thanks for reading u//////u
Next: Château de Versailles (2/?)
Pairing(s): DooWoon
Rating: PG-13+
Word Count: 6,189
Summary: Yoon Doojoon is a decorated police officer of New York City. Away from work, he is also the spouse of a sweetheart and a doting father of their triplets. He has brought countless criminals to justice, but one will bring him to his knees.
A/N: First chaptered DooWoon… Either I spent too much time on this for nothing, or I spent too much time on this for nothing.
“X. The light has gone out of my life.” - Theodore Roosevelt, February 14, 1884
(Doojoon’s POV…)
I yawn and sweep the corners of my eyes clean with the sides of my index fingers. Another full, fall day. Sitting up in bed, I find my uniform-ironed and pressed-laid out beside me, where my beloved rested hours before. My hat’s there, my silver shield badge, shirt… everything. I’m not surprised to see them all present. It’s all Dongwoon’s doing; this is our morning ritual. Babe’s always up before I am. He wakes up with the sun, I tell ya.
Staying faithful to the ritual, I peel out of bed and make for the shower. I practically saturate myself with the body wash Dongwoon bought for me. He said he liked the scent on my skin, and I aim to please.
I dress myself in uniform-save the hat-and head for the lively kitchen.
All four of my babies are accounted for: Dongwoon is sitting in one of the dining table chairs, one which he turned and planted in front of three, separate highchairs. In each one of the yellow chairs sits one of our three, pant-less, beautiful baby boys: Junghwa, Junghee, and Jungsu.
Eight identical orbs of brown attack me all at once upon my emergence.
“Oh. Appa’s up, guys,” announces Dongwoon.
I walk over to them, standing beside Dongwoon. I bend over forward in front of the little audience. The babies, habitually, start to kick about and babble with restlessness the closer I become to them.
“And how’re my men this morning?”
I tickle the soft, coral soles of their six little feet; I kiss each of their noggins twice, their dark hairs tickling my lips in return. They respond happily, turning their attention away from their morning meal and onto me. I take a step back to gaze individually at these three round, beaming faces, not finding a physical trace of myself. Dongwoon marked all three of them, but of course, they’re identical: Their subtle, yet unique noses, their eyes as brown and big as coconuts, their smiles… it’s all Dongwoon. I’m looking at my husband all the time; he’s unavoidable.
“It’s like peering into a mirror every day,” Dongwoon whispers to me, “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
He begins kissing my neck-which is nearby. I feel him inhale my scent. He ghosts the tips of his front teeth against my skin first before those forever moist cushions touch down. I feel my heart skip. I hone in on my lover. Dongwoon takes this advantage. His divine lips swipe mine into very deep morning kisses.
“That right there is why there may be another one of these on the way,” I mumble, looking to the children, slowly curling my fingers in my lover’s hair. Dongwoon’s hot mouth strikes mine again, chuckling between our lips.
“There just may be~” he sings.
Yes, it’s very, very possible that Dongwoon may be pregnant again. He broke the news to me a week ago, jittered with nervous excitement, and penciled himself in to see the OBGYN to confirm his suspicions. (He doesn’t trust the at-home tests.) His appointment’s this afternoon; unfortunately, I can’t go with him, being on duty and all. I told him not to call me when he found out. I like surprises; I’ll know when I get home in the evening.
“I’m gonna drop the boys off at daycare before I go…” Dongwoon informs me. He returns his attention onto feeding the babies. He has three little spoons-one for each of the triplets-sticking out of the single, small yet deep bowl of lukewarm, sweet, creamed wheat. There is a red, yellow, and blue spoon, Junghwa’s, Junghee’s, and Jungsu’s respectively. He gathers some of the soup onto the yellow spoon and levels it before Junghee’s mouth, the greediest one, and the most outspoken. Junghee helps his umma, tentatively clutching Dongwoon’s wrist with little, impatient fingers as the latter hurries the utensil to the top of his tongue.
“I’m pretty sure I am pregnant. I feel different… just like I did when I was carrying the boys. After a while, I could tell. I felt something was there; I feel the same way now. It’s hard to explain.”
…I hover behind Dongwoon, fully applying my smiling lips upon the soft crown of his head of dark locks. And then, my arms come lacing around his torso, finishing with a gentle, great tie. I embrace my baby and deliver a following kiss to his cheek. Dongwoon turns his head to peek at me. There are sparkles glinting in my husband’s wide irises… happiness. This sudden pregnancy is definitely a surprise for us both. We just welcomed a bundle of three into the world a little over a year ago in September! But, if there indeed is this little life growing inside of Dongwoon’s belly, of course, the child will definitely be a delightful, welcomed, and loved surprise. Me being an only child, I’ve always wanted a big family…
“I just hope you’re right,” I utter.
Dongwoon kisses me confidently, “I know I’m right.”
“Maybe this time I’ll get one that looks like me, huh?”
Dongwoon’s head falls back as a laugh sprouts from his throat.
“They laugh at everything I do, they love to roughhouse, and they smack my ass whenever I crouch to play,” he stresses, whispering the curse, “They take after you. So it’s even.”
I smile, pleased with my boys. They certainly inherited my energy.
“Well they all are beautiful, and I have you to credit for that.” I peck his fleshy pillows. Dongwoon then directs me to the coffee and the breakfast he set aside for me. He takes his own seat-my lap-once he gets the boys cleaned and occupied. He sits sideways, his arm snaking along my shoulders.
“I made pancakes this time,” says my lover.
“Blueberry ones.” My favorite.
“Mhm. Sorry if they’re a little burnt... the boys didn’t let me do very much this morning.”
“S’fine, baby. They’re fine… Did you eat yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“No? Well then let’s eat these together.”
Dongwoon refutes, “I don’t want to eat your food, Doo. I made those for you.”
“You made me five. I can’t eat five pancakes, baby. I love ‘em, but not that much. We’ll share. We’re gonna share these.”
And we share them fairly. Dongwoon smiles as I feed him every bite.
…It reminds me of our first date. I had to get him to shimmy out of his shell a little bit. He warmed up to me, though.
We met at this corner bagel shop he was working about five years ago. He was wearing his adorable bagel get up, but his little hat did not catch my eye first. When he greeted me the first time I came through those doors, when that voice carried over to me, I was taken from the start. And then our eyes swapped ganders and I tell you since I have not been able to keep my eyes away.
I left him my number on that first day; we went on our first date that weekend. Dongwoon was his name. We got to know each other: He left for America in hopes of better financially supporting his parents back in Korea. He was working two jobs, low-end jobs, but that reality couldn’t wipe away his sweet smile. He was doing something lovely; this hardworking boy was warming my heart. He stayed on my mind daily: during the academy, in my dreams, my daydreams. I wanted this boy.
So I did something about it. After a month of seeing one another, I cooked for him one night, and I never cook. Over that dinner, I told him how I felt about him with a knotted tongue and throat. Dongwoon laughed at me the whole time. He took my hand, and wrapped our fingers around one another, and he told me he liked me, too… I could finally breathe.
Our connection is a deep one. He seems to know what’s on my mind, and he’s always been at my side. He encouraged me through the academy when I felt like I would fail the examinations, when I felt like giving up. Dongwoon always made me feel good… I wanted to him to forever be a part of my life, and so, being selfish, I asked him to marry me. In our second year of togetherness, he became Yoon Dongwoon. And in our fourth year, he became the mother of my children. Finding out that I would be a father to three was definitely a shock. But Dongwoon handled it with grace from the beginning to the end. The boys were born a month early, but they were still healthy. It was the happiest day of my life.
Dongwoon has made me the happiest man.
Breakfast is done, and it’s about time for me to head out. I clap my hands, “Alright guys, Appa’s gotta go noooow.”
Dongwoon takes the dishes into the kitchen. The boys are all huddled together around their sea of toys and other playthings. Jungsu and Junghee heed my announcement first; I painlessly pick them both off the ground and carry them in the hooks of my arms. They giggle and shriek. I kiss each of their flush faces before pulling away, taking the time to remember how it feels to have their skin upon mine… and to see their toothy smiles, and their twinkling eyes. It’s important that I savor every second.
“Be good for Umma, ‘kay?”
“Kiss kiss,” Dongwoon chimes to the babies, returning. Understanding the command, the boys paste their dribbling lips at different points on my face. They suck rather than kiss. I kiss them back, “I love you…”
They return the love, babbling, “labyu.”
Jungwha starts to whine for me, circling my right leg.
“Appa didn’t forget about you,” Dongwoon scoops him up. Jungwha complains more. He wants to be in my embrace just like his brothers.
“Yeah?” Dongwoon turns from Jungwha and looks me straight in my eyes, “Umma doesn’t want Appa to go, either.”
As always, I spy that smudge of fear and uncertainty dulling his glassy, brown spheres. His eyes start to round. That’s always been an indication of anxiety. This is, unfailingly, the hardest part of our day. I have to leave Dongwoon to care for our three boys alone. He has them to worry about, and he has me to worry about. It’s a lot for his shoulders every day. Neither of us knows if this will be the final time we see one another. It’s something we consistently think about… I wish it wasn’t this way, but in my profession, it’s inevitable.
I set the boys down so my arms are free to receive Jungwha. He has his turn to suck my face; I kiss him, tell him that I love him, and watch him smile at me. He reaches for the black brim of my hat.
“Yaah, you can’t have that…!” I tell him. He still tries stubbornly, until Umma grasps him and puts him on his hip, “Trouble maker.”
“He’s perseverant, too.”
“Who do you think he gets that from?” Dongwoon asks rhetorically. I take his hips into my hands, and then his entire body into my mold. We hold one another. His eyes get around again; he pins me down with them.
“Be careful,” he says softly to me.
“I will.”
“…Love you,” Dongwoon murmurs to my bones.
“I love you.”
Our lips meet four separate times, each union heavier than the last. His lips are lovely things.
We depart… I look behind me and smile before I walk out of the door.
(NYPD Parking Complex…)
It’s not easy getting into a department, especially NYPD’s. Sure, you can have all of the credentials, have all of the required degrees, but if you don’t make it past initiation, forget about it. An added bonus is having connections, but I had none of that when I first joined. I was one of the lucky ones.
I knew I always wanted to be a police officer. It’s one of those jobs that children fickly choose in kindergarten or elementary school; I stuck with my goal, in the end. Back in the day, this place was pretty unforgiving. I’ve seen someone die a few blocks down from where I stayed when I was young. I wanted to do something about this problem. I felt like I had to.
My parents supported my career decision, though they’d always envisioned me doing something else with my life, like being a… a tycoon of some sort. They emigrated to the states in the mid-eighties, and naturally, they wanted me to be very successful and happy with whatever I chose to do and be. So, I studied up, graduated from the rigorous NYC Police Academy, and now, I’m an NYC cop. I’ve been one for five years. I love every bit of it. Any chance that I’m given that’ll help me defend this city, I’ll take it.
I walk to the lot of patrol cars, finding my partner leaned against the driver’s side of our vehicle.
“Sup, Guk.”
“Sup, Joon.”
Guk-Seo In Guk-is my partner, and he has been a close friend of mine since our academy days. We carried one another through. It was fate that paired us together. I could’ve easily been picked with someone else.
“What’s up for today? More babysitting?” I ask.
“Nah. We’re free!” he exclaims happily. He hasn’t had the best of luck with the fledglings. “You wanna drive today, Joon?”
“Sure.”
We hop inside, and I start the engine. I hear the hum of the radio.
“Coffee first? Bagels?” Guk inquires, wetting his lips, “I think I want some espresso. I’m feelin’ an onion bagel with pineapple spread today.”
“That sounds disgusting. And I’m stuffed. Woon cooked this morning.”
“Oh he did? And how is wifey? Has he gone to see the doctor yet?”
I put the car in reverse, then shift gears and cruise out of the parking complex, “He goes today, though he probably doesn’t need to. He seems sure that he is, you know, pregnant. So I take his word.”
Guk nudges me, “Ready for another one?”
“Three was a… delightful surprise. But I’m ready. Woon seems ready, too. We really weren’t expecting this one. We used condoms. I guess one just broke. Either way, we’re both happy about this baby.”
“And I’m happy for you, man. I should’ve foreseen you with four kids. Since day one you haven’t given this boy a break.”
I swerve around the corner, merging with the early morning traffic, “Nope. And as long as he’s with me, he won’t ever get a break.”
If only Guk knew. If only he knew Dongwoon’s undeniable mystique. And his eyes and their depth. And the way his hips move around me behind closed doors. And when he calls for me with chords stricken with pleasure. It is a crime not to touch him twenty-four seven. He’s always on my mind. I always have him in my heart.
I have a picture of my Woonie in our car. I take it with me wherever I go.
Wherever.
(Yoon Apartment, 12:22 A.M.…)
I’m glad to finally be home. I push the key into the keyhole and twist the knob. I find Dongwoon folding clothes on the couch, upon opening the door. It’s almost midnight… why is this man not in bed?
“Hey, Doo,” he greets as I lock the door behind me.
“Hey.” I maneuver past the blue laundry basket to get to my lover’s side. I delicately put my hand upon his left shoulder. He looks up; I look down. We sow a kiss.
“How was work?” he asks.
“Good, quiet. Not too much trouble. Guk and I patrolled.”
“Ah, so a lax day?”
“Pretty much. We were still called, yeah, but nothing dire. How long have the boys been asleep?”
Dongwoon blew air, folding one of the triplets’ many blankets, “For a while. For hours. They’ve been playing with the kids at daycare, and we played for a while before bed, so they’re worn out.”
I start for the boys’ room, light on my feet. I enter without taking a breath. My ears are tickled by their little snores… They’re knocked out, curled up in their individual cribs. Once we tried putting them in one massive crib to save money. It worked when they were smaller. But the bigger they got, they all seemed to find a way to annoy one another in the middle of the night. They are starfish sleepers like Appa, so they need all the sleeping space they can get.
I hover over the babies’ cribs, stroking their small backs and petting their heads for an equal amount of time. Well, they’re certainly asleep. They must’ve really had an eventful day…
And speaking of eventful… Dongwoon envelops me from behind as I look over Junghee. “They’re getting so big,” he utters wispily, and into my right ear.
“Next we’ll be putting them in actual beds.”
“Yup. They won’t be babies anymore.”
Speaking of babies… I turn my entire body around to face Dongwoon’s. I snatch him into my arms, and I add a raise or two to my eyebrows, “…………..So?”
His lips purse into a teasing grin. His eyelashes flutter. He brings his hands up, gliding across the front of my uniform dress shirt, until they clamp onto my shoulders. He giggles a telltale giggle, a giggle that gives me my answer. I open my eyes further. I smile.
Dongwoon smiles wider. I smile wider.
He brings our brows together softly, “……Five weeks.”
Dongwoon’s lips-as if seemingly pulled by silver hooks at the corners of his mouth-rise, making a grand, deep smile. My pupils descend to his stomach, and soon, we join one another in quietly laughing in joy, incredulousness, and togetherness. My lips retain that smile of proudness… and of love. His eyes are warm with emotion. I feel honored to be revered in such a way by this man I call my husband. Dongwoon carries his lips to mine.
“I told you~” he breathes between us.
“I never doubted you…” we kiss again, “…so we’ve got four now?”
“Yep... There’s only one this time. Happy?”
I dip my tone considerably… “Of course. I think we should celebrate.”
“How~?”
He winks those eyes at me. He knows how. We both know how.
I don’t think I can ever keep my hands off this man.
(Next Day, Dongwoon’s POV, 12:35 P.M.…)
I like to take the boys out of the city every once in a while. It’s good for them. More spacious, quiet grounds are my favorite areas to bring them. I decide to go to a pharmacy out of town in southern New Jersey, but just a somewhat lengthy taxi ride away. It’s easier and safer to travel with three babies in a capacious setting rather than in the hurried city. We would get trampled if I tried to push them along in their stroller at five in the afternoon. I promised them ice cream once I finish shopping, so they will surely enjoy that.
Doojoon had to leave early this morning. He kissed me and told me they needed him in earlier than usual. I wished him a good day-or, I think I did, I was so worn out I can’t even remember correctly-and he was on his way. He called me on the way to the pharmacy, just to check on me and the boys since he was not there to formally do so in the latter part of the morning. I told him what we were doing for the day, and he spoke to the babies on speakerphone briefly before returning to his patrol work. They fought for the phone.
We’ve arrived at the steps of the store. I exit the vehicle; the driver is so nice as to retrieve my triplet-friendly stroller from the trunk. I settle Jungwha, Jungsu and Junghee into their places. It doesn’t take very long; they’re rather docile today… I pay the driver and mutter a kind thank you. He drives away as I enter the shop.
Runi noona greets me from behind the counter. She knows me well. I came here often to get prenatal pills for when I was pregnant with the boys. That’s what I’m here for today.
“Hi, Dongwooooon~”
“Hello Runi~ I brought the babies this time today.”
“I see!! Ohhh, look at theeeeem-” she stops to bend over the counter, peering down onto the boys, “Goodness, Woon. They’re so… plump now… and they look just like you~ Hi babies~”
The boys look up to her curiously.
“Jungwha, Junghee, Jungsu,” I say, pointing to each one.
“Beautiful… How do you tell them apart?” Noona asks. I somewhat understand this expression…
“Hm?”
“How can you tell who is who? They’re all the same~”
“Oh!! I know. Umma knows always.”
Noona grins, “Can Doo tell who’s who?”
“Sometimes. I tell him who is who when he forgets.”
“He’s got four Woonies to keep up with. He’s at work now?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, so you’ve got your hands full today. What brings you back here? The boys aren’t sick, are they?”
“Ah, no, no. The boys are not sick. I… I am pregnant again…~”
Noona’s eyes get really big. She’s smiling, too.
“Really!?!”
I nod, trying to put my smile away, but I can’t~ I can’t believe it, either.
“Oh my goodness, Woonie, you’re going to have another baby!?”
“Yes. Doctor told me yesterday. Five weeks. It is a surprise.”
“I bet it is. Congratulations either way! Wooow... You and Doojoon don’t rest, do you~?”
I blush and smile bigger, thinking of last night, “…No.”
“It’s great that you two love each other so much~ I’m guessing you’re here for some vitamins, then? They’ve moved them to aisle twelve.”
“Oh okay. Thank you. I will be right back.”
I start on my way to the twelfth aisle, passing my other shoppers. The boys start talking to one another. It makes me wonder how they will react to another person being in the house, another boy in particular. I wouldn’t mind a girl this time… Doojoon said it doesn’t matter to him, but I know he wants another boy. I wonder what the boys think.
“What do you want guys? Hm? Yeodongsaeng-?”
Two gunshots punctures the peace in the store.
I crouch to the floor instinctively. There’s instant pandemonium within the store. I hear Runi noona and other women shriek, and then, very masculine voices add to the mix, shouting commands very fast in English. “Don’t move.” “Don’t touch the phone.” “Shut up.”
I crawl in front of the stroller. Jungsu begins to gently cry automatically at the noisy disruption. The other two look perplexed and worried. I’m shaking. I worry first for my children. I have to protect them.
There’s a restroom a few aisles down. The shelves are actually very tall, but I can still see the darkly-dressed men. They’re starting to rustle through the store, terrorizing whoever is in their paths, spouting other unclear demands. The last thing I need is one of my kids hurt, and some man yelling at me in a language that I partially understand. I slowly move the stroller a few feet down to reach the front of the restroom door, praying that I am not caught. My prayers are answered.
As quietly as I can, I start to unbuckle the kids from the stroller. I smile to all three of their blank faces, hoping to calm them. I hear their soft grunts of confusion, grunts that threaten to morph into sobs. They’re used to various sounds, living in the city, but these sounds are different. Jungsu whines a little louder as the men approach where we are. His arms stretch for me weakly. I hold his little hand, whispering, “Umma’s right here, Su… Umma’s right here.” Simultaneously, I stretch my being far enough to grasp the door handle of the restroom. I pray that it doesn’t creak or bring attention. My prayers are answered again. At a pace comfortable enough for the kids, I scoop all three of them into a single embrace and rush into the restroom. I slowly close the door. I then gather all three of them with me in the corner adjacent to the door. I have them face me, but one refuses to keep still: Jungwha squirms. He upsets the other boys; they cry louder.
“Shh… shhhhh… boys… don’t cry…” I plead lowly. I plead and I plead, but I can tell that our cramped quarters and the sudden noises have them antsy and painfully alert. I clear my throat, swallow, and I gently hum to them the melody I sing to them on their restless nights, commanding the attention of six brown eyes. They hush and watch me carefully, first in bemusement, and finally, in gratification. I watch the confusion melt from their little faces. It relaxes me all the way to the end of the song. I smile to them; I kiss their little cheeks.
“It’s okay… Umma’s staying right here… right here with you. You’re going to be alright. We’re going to b-”
The restroom door is kicked in with a startling force. My heart dared to split my chest open and hop about on the cold tile. The door bouncing off of me gave way of my position. The boys wail. A masked man throws himself to look behind the door. We finally see one another. He points a gun to me.
“Don’t move,” he says, an English command. The gun enforces it.
Fright consumes me. I bend over my babies, my eyes down the barrel.
“Please…!”
“Yong-ssi,” shouts the man with the gun in my face. By the honorific, I can tell that the gunman’s Korean, and so must Yong-ssi. But… Who is Yong-ssi?
“Found him?” a gentle voice replies from within the main part of the store. I pull the boys closer to me, doing all that I can to calm them, but my shushing and cooing seems meaningless. Junghee and Jungsu are crying angrily. Jungwha observes silently, but I sense his mounting fear. He tries to turn into me. They are so scared…
Shortly, a small man appears from around the aisle. His hair is unnaturally golden. It frames his round, childish face. He has small eyes. His clothes give me the impression that he is very wealthy. Even if he wasn’t wearing a mask, he didn’t give off as being friendlier than those with them on. He loudly ground his teeth into this wad of gum.
This Yong-ssi bends his legs and kneels in front of me and the boys. He snatches my chin into his hand. I snatch it away. He grimaces, then snatches it right back, something popping painfully within my neck. His nails gripped me by the skin.
“Don’t start, bitch,” Yong-ssi growls with a curled lip, “don’t fucking start with me.”
“Wh… Who are you? What do you want!?”
Yong-ssi ignores my question. It is as if I haven’t said a thing. His eyes may be small, but they look at me with so much weight… and so much hatred. I don’t understand why he would feel so strongly about me. I’ve never seen him in my life…
And out of the air, a very large, uninformative grin manifests on his mouth.
“Yep. This is hiiiim~” Yong-ssi squeezes my cheeks to make my lips pout and shakes my head from side to side, “I’ve finally found yooooou~ I’ve been looking allll over for your sweet ass.”
His eyes trickle down onto Junghwa first. Then Junghee and Jungsu. I cradle them closer, bouncing them some.
“And it looks like I get the babies, too~” he looks behind him, to the masked men, “You knuckle fucks finally got something right.”
“You’re not touching my children,” I spit offensively.
With a slow twist of his neck, Yong-ssi redistributes his attention to me. He leans closer; I can taste the mint from his gum on the back of my tongue.
“I’m gonna do whatever the fuck I feel like. Nobody tells me what I can and can’t fuckin’ do. Here, let me demonstrate,” Yong-ssi turned around, “Someone come and get these little shits.”
My eyes grow bigger, as in less than a second, three men swarm into the restroom and surround me. I feel them sucking the power right out of me.
“No.” I squeeze my babies closer to my center and fold over, but it’s hopeless. One man swoops down like a bird of prey, screwing his fingers into my hair and pulling tightly to strip me off the boys. A second man works at prying my arms off of their little bodies, but I keep them fastened around my boys. I can’t let them go; I can’t fail them. I am the only protector they have.
I fight for as long as I physically can, but inevitably, I become weak and overwhelmed. And outnumbered. It’s hard to defend three babies all at once, and it’s definitely harder when the three men turn into five. The boys shrill at the piling chaos, but one’s crying louder than the rest: gentle Junghwa.
Junghwa is in the middle of my lap, but as the men successfully strip my arms apart, he is left exposed and unprotected. He’s easily plucked from my crumbling cocoon; my heart aches once I realize his absence. The middle of my lap turns cold. I look up and witness the black-dressed figure carry my pink-faced baby out of the restroom, and out of the shop. A third of my heart withers itself out of existence. I release the most strident cry of defeat.
I’ve failed.
Two men-one for each of my arms-hold my limbs straight out, pulling them off of my remaining two children. Junghee and Jungsu tumble out of my embrace. I scrap and scramble for them with every ounce of energy I have. I plead to the men not to take them away; my pleas fall on deaf ears. My babies are taken and carried off, their cries fading away.
I fall limp, but my voice is as strong as ever…
“Where are you taking them!?” I scream.
“Don’t worry about that. I call the shots around here, okay? Now get up. You are coming with me.”
“……..I’m not going anywhere with y-”
Yong-ssi’s palm whipped across my cheek with a distinct, echoing “clack.” It stings. I feel water leak from my eyes.
“You want to try that again?”
I hang my head. I… I don’t know what to do. I don’t necessarily care what he does to me, what any of them do…
“Just… J-Just… please… D-Don’t hurt them… Just don’t hurt them.”
“Then you’ll do everything that I tell you to do. Get up.”
(Yoon Apartment, 12:19 A.M.… Doojoon’s POV)
…The lights are off. Usually, the stove light is left on, ‘cause that’s where Dongwoon leaves my dinner plate. But it’s not on. In fact, there is no light illuminating the whole apartment.
I call out for Dongwoon. I call for the boys. I receive nothing from either. I try Dongwoon’s cell. Straight to voicemail.
…It’s midnight, and my husband and our three kids aren’t home.
Something isn’t right.
The house phone rings. I launch my body halfway across the room just to answer it.
“Hello?”
“DOOJOON?”
I blink; my eyebrows snap into slants.
“Dongwoon?”
“D-DOOJOON? DOOJOON HELLO? HELLO?”
It is Dongwoon…
“Yes, babe. It’s me. What’s going on?”
He sounds very panicked. He’s sobbing and hiccupping and speaking in worded slush. My worry escalates, but being a police officer, I specialize in blanketing my irrational human emotions to get the information that I need.
“Baby… calm down, talk to me… Where are you?”
“I DON’T KNOW!!”
“Okay, okay. Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“NO!!”
“Are the kids with you?”
“NO!!”
My heart folds and folds and folds. This is a whole different ball game now.
“Where are the kids, Dongwoon?” I sound more urgent.
“I DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE THEY TOOK THEM I DON’T KNOW I DON’T KNOW WHERE I AM DOOJOON THEY TOOK THEM I DON’T KNOW-”
“-Someone has the kids?”
“YES THEY TOOK THEM FROM ME THEY TOOK THEM AND THEY WON’T TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!!”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
“I DON’T KNOW.”
“And you don’t know where you are?”
“NO I DON’T I DON’T KNOW JOON I DON’T I’M SO SCARED JOON I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING-”
“-Dongwoon, Dongwoon listen. Listen to me, sweetheart. Don’t panic. I’m going to find you. Okay? You hear me? I’m going to find you, and our children. Don’t worry. Don’t worry.”
Dongwoon sounds like he’s trying to catch his breath but is denied at every attempt, but hearing his sobs and his fear became ever the more clear to me. I am unspeakably worried; fear threatens to throw me into hysterics.
“I’m so scared… I don’t know where my babies are. They took our babies Doo… I tried but I couldn’t… there was too many of… I c-cou… I let them take our babies…”
“Baby don’t say that-”
“-I tried Doojoon-”
“-I know you did, Woon, it’s okay. But listen to me for a second. Calm down. Calm down, breathe. Do it for the baby. You have to stay calm for the baby, alright?”
I can hear him breathing in the air.
“Ok… okay…”
“I’m comin’ for you, Woonie. Don’t you wo-”
“-Hello Yoon Doojoon.”
A new voice asks this question… a smooth, ominously sweet voice.
“Who is this?” I demand.
“You don’t know me~?” the other pouts playfully. I haven’t the time nor patience for games right now. The rage that I kept at bay, the rage that I feel for someone having the audacity to abduct my family brims to the forefront of my emotions.
“You listen to me you sick fuck. When I find out just who you are, I’m going to-”
“Blow my head off? Like you did my Junnie?”
I stop my threat.
“You remember now, don’t you? Does Yong Junhyung ring a bell? My husband of ten years? A fucking decade?”
“……Yong?”
“You’re gonna kill me just like you killed him? You’re gonna blow my fucking head off just like you did his!? Or did you forget? Did you forget about him!?!”
I realize who he is referring to: Yong Junhyung, the drug kingpin on the corner in the southern, shady parts of Brooklyn. He’d recently moved some of his business further into New York City, and since then we’d been trying to find him for the entire summer. Upon getting a promising lead, my team was the one who busted him. His cronies attempted to disperse, but failed and were killed as they dared to retaliate. Junhyung himself tried to escape, but I chased him down several blocks. I planned to turn him in to the department, but he pulled a gun on me. So I had no choice but to protect myself first and shoot him lethally. I didn’t want to kill him, but I had to. There were too many civilians, so I had to cut the battle short and end it with a headshot. I never knew he was married…
“Listen, I didn’t mean for it to end that way. I didn’t want to kill him. I aimed to turn him in to-”
“-That wishing shit doesn’t change the fact that Junhyung is dead. He’s dead. You killed him. I will never get him back. I will never get to see him… or touch… or kiss him… ever…” I can hear his voice breaking, but it vastly recovers, “You don’t know my pain, but you will soon. I want you to feel what it’s been like to be me for the past two months, to have everything that you’ve loved taken from you. Taken from this world. I want you to suffer, Doojoon. I want you to feel what I feel. So I’m gonna start with your noisy bitch here. I’ll think of something to do with your brats.”
I hear Dongwoon sob in ache in the background. That sob terrorizes my heart, but not nearly enough as thinking what this person might do to our boys, Dongwoon, and, consequently, the baby.
“………Please. You don’t have to do this… I’ll come to you personally, I’ll do whatever it is that you want. Leave my family out of this. They didn’t do anything.”
“Precisely. They did nothing. It was you. That’s what makes this so much sweeter. They will pay for something you did, and you will pay in return. Officer Doojoon, my ultimate and only goal is to mentally fuck you and break you. You will suffer, and they will suffer. Just like me.”
……I hear a sharp cut of the telephone line.
Everyone knows it’s Seob, right? Doojoon killed Jun, Yoseob’s hubby, and understandably, Seobie is very much pissed about this. So, for some sick revenge, Yoseob kidnaps Dongwoon and his babies, hoping that Doojoon will completely fucking lose it. Seob is the bad guy here. I still call him Yong-ssi ‘cause even though Jun’s dead, I mean... you know?
There, that’s the basic story line or whatever. Inspired by Runiiiiii (3star4life) and our relentless doowoon tweets ;;;;;;;; my doowoon muse, my queen. <33333 IMADEYOUNOONAINHEREWASTHATOKAYHUHIMSORRYILOVEYOUBBBBBBBB.
Some of this is still up in the air, but I’ve set the groundwork. I know I have other stuff to finish, so I will work on that, too. I think I’ll update this again sometime in May. u_u I know I’m slooow but this semester is nearly over. bbs you are so understanding so thank you………
Thanks for reading u//////u
Next: Château de Versailles (2/?)