City Undertaker || Bang Chan Mafia AU

22: Climbing the Walls

Lex woke up early the next morning. It was around 9am which wasn't really early. But if she could slip out the front door without anyone noticing then it was early. She didn't want to overstay. With her dirty clothes gripped in her hand, she hastily shoved on her boots without socks and left through the front door. 

Her journey home wasn't as relieving as she expected. The house she had just left was living in her mind. It felt like home to her. It was a comfortable sleep, something she didn't often get. It was a real bed too. She returned home rather smoothly.

Lex trudged up to her door. She was hungry too so she definitely was going to raid her fridge. Thank god she hadn't lost her keys somehow. As she went to unlock her door, she noticed something odd. 

There was blue chalked smeared her door. It was marked with a flower. A quick scan of the neighbouring motel rooms told her it was only her door. Probably just kids- little shits. Lex wiped it off with her forearm and entered her home. 

The first thing she did was chuck her dirty clothes into the wash. She continued wearing the temporary clothes Chan gave her since it was comfortable. The sweatpants were probably Chan's considering they fit her properly and he wasn't that much taller than her. 

Lex's phone buzzed. After glancing at it and seeing it was Chaeyoung, she ignored it and carried on with her day. She figured she was going to make a trip back to HQ soon once Minho returned. Perhaps he would come here instead or he even may show her where his private flat with Jisung was.

While scarfing down rice crackers, her mind wandered back to Chan. Why did she pull that stunt with the bandages? What was she thinking? Thankfully Chan hadn't rejected it, otherwise, she would've been embarrassed. She brushed the crumbs off her jam t-shirt.

Well, it's never happening again, that's for sure. 

~

HQ was buzzing with anticipation when each member stopped by. Minho wanted to ask Lex first but waited until he could talk to her in person. Everyone wanted Chan's point of view. After all, it was meant to influence his final verdict. 

Chan announced that they had failed their mission, but the fact that they both survived was a success. Without their cooperation, neither would've gotten out alive. The reaction varied from each member. Jeongin was impressed, Changbin was starting to accept it, Seungmin didn't want to fight it. Chan went on to how he offered her the spare room to sleep in. 

"Wait, you let her stay here for the night?" Hyunjin interjected. That was beyond what he expected. He was surprised Chan showed that type of kindness, and also not. He supposed his leader was caring when it came to his fellow members. Was Lex now being treated as such? 

"Hear me out, if you were there too you would do the same. If I had gone alone I would've been killed." Chan said in an attempt to appeal to him. It was the genuine truth from him. He almost felt in debt. Between Chan and Lex, it was starting to seem like an endless cycle of debts.

Hyunjin frowned at him, but he wasn't mad. He was starting to think his prejudice against her wasn't going to be shared by the others any longer. With one glance at Chan's black eye, he decided not to fight it. She was starting to make a permanent impression whether he liked it or not. 

"I owe her one. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but she proved herself that night." Chan responded almost apologetically. It felt like he was going back on his word. He had promised too much to two different people, Hyunjin and Minho. 

Hyunjin shrugged and slinked back to his room. If Chan approved of her, there was no way he could convince anyone else otherwise. When Chan was still wary of her, he had a chance. But now, he might just have to accept the change.