It was you (Completed)

Chapter 13

Sang POV, earlier

I wake up when I feel the air stir but keep myself still. A moment later, the scent of spring soap reaches me and I relax. Not long after, I hear the front door close and then the sound of his car starting and pulling away. I sit up and stretch before looking at the clock on my bedside table. It is still early, just after seven. I think back to last night. It had been so shocking to see him again, talk to him. When he pulled me close, first in the car and then later on the couch, it had felt like coming home.

I had gone from a complete vacuum of love in my household growing up to being showered with affection from the boys. When I left, I had abstained from becoming intimate with anyone. I had been asked out by a few people that I met on various missions and I went on a few dates. I couldn't take that step though. I saw how the girls in the Academy would make their rounds with the men on other teams. I couldn't bring myself to sleep with someone that I didn't care about. I had been so busy that the lack of affection never really bothered me, but I couldn't deny the pleasure I felt at being held last night.

I get up and use the bathroom before taking a shower. Throwing on some yoga pants with a tank top, I make my way out to the living room. I can tell Owen had used the couch rather than the spare bedroom, the throw blanket that I had used last night is neatly folded and placed on the nearby chair. My file folder for the Ouroboros case is open on the coffee table. Picking it up, I notice his neat script in the margins on some of the pages.

I settle back on the couch to read through his notes. His insight is amazing. He had picked up on things that had eluded me for months of research and investigation. His role, aside from being their leader, had always been solving problems and he was exceptional at it. I reread through the Metcalfe and Bennett bios to make sure I'm fully familiar with all of it. Then I take my laptop from the desk to see if my bug from Metcalfe had caught anything. I run the transmitted recording through a program to pick up any audio but after a brief review it seemed to only be background noise before dropping off into silence for the remainder of the evening. Nothing new this morning either. He must have hung up the jacket in his closet.

Stretching in my seat, I hear my stomach growling. I look over at the clock and am surprised to see that it's almost 12:30. I go into the kitchen to make a sandwich and notice a note laying on the counter. Reading through it, I smile. He had been so sweet last night! He had never looked so relaxed when he was younger, at least not around me. I suppress a small shiver remembering him holding me. I pick up the phone and dial, settling it between my ear and shoulder so I could open the fridge to get some turkey and cheese out for a sandwich.

On the sixth ring it is picked up. "Sean?" I hear a quiet voice ask.

"Um, it's Sang actually. Owen? Is that you?"

"Oh. Yes, it's me. My apologies," he says, sounding subdued. I'd never heard his voice without that touch of authority running through it, but it is absent now.

There are a few moments of silence. "Are you...I mean, is everything alright?" I ask.

"Yes, it's fine, thank you," and I could almost hear him straightening himself up. "Actually I'm glad you called. Regarding tonight, if you have no objections, I'd like to take point on this with you. I've called a meeting with my fam...uh, the team, this afternoon. They can act as backup. Would this be acceptable to you?"

Now it is my turn to be silent. Seeing all of them again? It had been so long. I had almost passed out seeing him at my doorway last night, let alone all of them together. Can I handle that? And then can I stay focused tonight?