Third Person's Point of View
"Got hungry, huh?" Eight jumped in shock when she heard Jeno's voice in the living room. He was sitting on a couch with his hands in his pockets.
She had only gotten home.
"I got you a beer. A peace offering if you're going to scold me for wanting fresh air." Eight deadpanned and showed Jeno the white plastic bag she was holding. It was filled with snacks and 2 bottles of beer.
"You should've told me that you were going out. I could have come with you." Jeno changed the topic and pulled his hands away from his pocket. He started to move towards Eight.
"No need. I can handle myse—"
"You're my responsibility." Jeno interrupted.
"I know, but I wanted to be alone." Eight replied.
Jeno's eyes narrowed as Eight's explanation seemed vague, her demeanor slightly evasive. "Is there something you're not telling me, Eight?" he questioned, his voice low and steady, but tinged with an edge of suspicion.
Eight hesitated, feeling the weight of Jeno's penetrating gaze. "Nothing worth mentioning," she replied, trying to maintain her composure while concealing the truth.
But Jeno, with his years of experience in interrogating, could discern the subtle signs of deceit. He leaned in closer, his demeanor turning more intense. "I've known you enough to know when something's off," he stated firmly. "What aren't you telling me?"
Caught off guard, Eight's mind raced for an explanation that wouldn't reveal too much. "It's just... personal matters," she responded, her voice tinged with unease. "Nothing related to our business."
Business? So, everything's just business for her?
Jeno thought.
His suspicions only grew stronger. "Personal matters?" he echoed, his tone skeptical. "At a time like this?"
Eight swallowed hard, struggling to maintain her facade. "Yes, Jeno. Just some things I needed to sort out on my own," she insisted, her words sounding hollow even to her own ears.
Jeno's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing further. "You know secrecy doesn't bode well in our line of work, Eight," he remarked, his voice carrying a note of warning. "If there's something you're not telling me, it's best you come clean now."
"I'll keep that in mind." Eight turned her heel away from Jeno, attempting to escape the conversation. She had only stepped once when she was pulled back by Jeno.
"I'm starting to get scared for you." Jeno confessed as he pressed on Eight's arm.
Eight was confused. "What?"
Jeno's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, a flicker of doubt and worry crossing his features before he spoke again. "I don't understand anymore, Eight. One second, I feel like I know you. The other, it's like you're playing with me. Are you sure you're not hiding something?" He bit his lip trying to contain all the other words he wanted to say. "You know you can trust me, right?"
Eight was hesitant at first but nodded anyways. Yes. She could trust Jeno. She just couldn't bring herself to do it because she's the one that could not be trusted.
"I'm sorry for making you feel that way." Eight paused, examining Jeno's face. Worry and suspicion in his eyes. "But, I swear, I only came out to go to the convenience store. Nothing more."
Lies. Lies again, Haera. You're such a fucking liar.
Eight angrily thought to herself. She was starting to hate herself for lying to an important person in her life.
She couldn't admit it at first, but now she knew how much Jeno meant to her, now that she could feel humanly guilt when lying to him.
Jeno's features softened slightly at Eight's assurance, though the doubt still lingered in his eyes. "I want to believe you, Eight," he admitted, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "But I don't know why you're making it so hard for me to believe you."
Eight nodded, understanding the weight of their shared secrets and the delicate balance they danced upon in their dangerous world. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again." She apologized, her voice tinged with regret.
For a moment, silence hung heavy between them, the unspoken tension casting a shadow over their shared space. But then, as if breaking through the barriers of doubt and mistrust, Jeno reached out, gently cupping Eight's face in his hands.
"I don't want things to be complicated between us." He confessed, his voice earnest.
Eight met his gaze, her heart aching with the weight of their unspoken truths. "I don't want that either, Jeno," she whispered, her voice full of vulnerability.
In that moment, all the walls they had built around themselves seemed to crumble away, leaving only the raw honesty of their connection. And as their eyes locked in silent understanding, a surge of longing and yearning swept over them, drawing them closer together until their lips met in a tender kiss.
For a heartbeat, time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in the warmth of each other's embrace, the doubts and suspicions melting away in the heat of their passion.
But then, with a reluctant sigh, they pulled apart, their hearts heavy with the weight of their situation. "We should get some rest," Jeno murmured.
Eight nodded, the bittersweet reality of their situation settling over them like a heavy shroud. "We have an early flight tomorrow," she reminded him, her voice tinged with guilt.
And so the two parted ways.
