(no subject)

[annapeace.livejournal.com]

Title: Go Nowhere
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Infinite
Summary: Sometimes, bad guys are the only good guys.

--

For someone who spent most of his time cloistered in shadows, Dongwoo hadn’t expected to fall in love with someone who spent most of her time in the spotlight. And yet.

Dongwoo was in the hospital pretending to be a nurse while actually guarding the client. Amy was sharing the client’s room while she recovered from surgery. She was an idol singer, one that Dongoo casually followed because he liked her voice and her style, and that was why he’d recognized her. But he wasn’t about to blow his cover so he could meet her. Contrary to what some people thought, Dongwoo was a professional. (It was his smile, people just never seemed to be able to take seriously a hitter who smiled so brightly.)

So he made no effort to approach her, didn’t even look in her direction -- although he had glimpsed at her chart to make sure she was recovering well -- and that would have been the end of that. Except she called out to him.

“Can I please, please borrow your phone so I can order some chicken? My manager took mine because he’s a jerk who thinks I’m just going to order lots of food and get fat, but honestly, I don’t know how I’m supposed to heal if I can’t have delicious food. No offense to your hospital, but...you know.” Amy smiled and batted her lashes winsomely over her bowl of bland porridge.

Dongwoo glanced at the client. Reassured the man was still safely asleep in his bed, he turned to Amy and crossed his arms.

“You really shouldn’t have anything spicy or fried right after surgery, you’re still coming off the anesthesia so your stomach might be a little sensitive.” He was speaking from personal experience. The last time he’d gobbled down kimchi stew after getting patched up, he’d had to pay for Hoya’s dry cleaning.

“It’s been hours already and I feel fine,” Amy argued. “And I’m seriously craving garlic fried chicken. If you order it, I’ll share with you?”

Dongwoo chucked. In his ear, Myungsoo murmured, “Hyung, do you want me to place an order? I can have chicken to you in less than fifteen minutes. Nothing’s happening right now, I don’t think Sunggyu-hyung will mind.”

“I don’t think I can order food while I’m on the clock,” Dongwoo said apologetically, “but I’ll see what I can do later.”

“I’m gonna order the chicken,” Myungsoo said decisively.

Dongwoo ducked his head slightly and rumbled under his breath,“L. No.”

“The chicken is on its way,” Myungsoo replied. Dongwoo huffed, but with Amy in the room he couldn’t protest further.

Amy sighed and leaned back into the pillows. “Okay. It seems like you’ve been on the clock for a really long time though. You’ve been sitting by that guy since I woke up...is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine. I’m just here to make sure nothing happens to him while he’s asleep.”

There was a knock at the door just then and Dongwoo tensed. Amy sat up slightly and glanced at Dongwoo.

“No way, did you actually order chicken?”

The door pushed open, revealing a man in a doctor’s coat with one hand in his pocket. But the sleeves were a little bit short, the coat a little too tight across the shoulders. He wore boots, the type that laced up high, and his stance was a little too loose, like someone who wasn’t exactly expecting a fight but was prepared for one anyway. It was a very distinctive stance.

“I’m just here to check on Mr. Chan.”

Dongwoo grabbed the fake doctor by his free arm as he stepped inside, forcing him to pull his other hand from his coat pocket to reveal a syringe. The would-be assassin snarled and stabbed the needle at Dongwoo’s eyes. Dongwoo ducked and jabbed sharply, landing a solid thumping punch on the assassin’s chest. The man staggered back, clattering into a tray table and dropping his weapon. He reared back then rushed at Dongwoo.

Dongwoo swung around and caught him in a headlock. For a few seconds, the assassin scrabbled at Dongwoo’s arms. Then Dongwoo tightened his hold and the assassin’s eyes fluttered shut. He held on a little longer, just to be sure the man was out completely, before lowering him to the floor.

Dongwoo looked back up to find Amy staring at him, eyes round in shock. The whole thing had taken less than ten seconds; she hadn’t even had time to gasp for help.

Amy asked shakily, “Is he...dead?”

“No,” Dongwoo rushed to reassure her. “No, definitely not dead. I just knocked him out.”

“Hyung, what’s happening?” L must have switched to the camera feeds in the hospital because he continued without waiting for Dongwoo to answer. “Never mind. I’ll get Sungjong over to you to help you move the body.”

Meanwhile, Amy was saying, “So uh, they teach you those moves in nursing school?”

Dongwoo pulled the earbud from his ear to cut the distracting chatter, just for a bit. “I can explain.”

--

It took five minutes for Sungjong to drop in and wheel the unconscious assassin elsewhere. Knowing Sungjong, he probably left him in the morgue just for the hell of it. Ten minutes later the chicken arrived, and true to her word, Amy shared.

“So basically,” she said, gesturing with a fried drumstick, “You and your team are like, Robin Hoods.”

Dongwoo wiped his hands and nodded. “Sometimes, bad guys are the only good guys you get.”

“You don’t seem all that bad,” Amy said lightly. “I’m not saying the ends always justify the means, but I’m also not naive enough to think the world’s a perfect place. I guess if it comes down to it, I’m kind of glad there are people like you around, Jang Dongwoo.”

She smiled at him then, a warm smile full of promise, and Dongwoo’s breath hitched. His mind started racing, coming up with all sorts of reasons why it would never work out, why he was an idiot for even considering some sort of relationship at all. She was a star, talented and beautiful and beloved by millions, and he didn’t legally exist. And yet.