black shield * jeonghan x seungcheol

2

Choi Seungcheol used to be a mess.

Used to be.

His apartment was still messy, his hair was usually messy, but his life was far from messy. He rolled over and kicked the blankets off his body letting the cold air hit his bare skin. He never wore pyjamas to bed, preferring to sleep naked no matter how cold it was, and living alone meant he could do what he wanted.

He used to be chubby and lazy but that all changed when he decided he wanted to pursue a career in the police force. When he latched onto his dream in his second year of college he switched majors, hired a personal trainer, and changed who he was. Now he was dedicated to a life of health and fitness but while his body was tidy and his career was in order in all other aspects he was still messy.

He rolled over and felt around on the ground for yesterday's sweat pants before sitting up and pulling them on. His phone was lit up with a notification and his stomach leaped with a mix of anxiety and excitement when he saw the email requesting an interview. He'd loved the police force but after being hit in the chest by a ricochet bullet during a drug bust he'd had to take a payout. He used the money to start up his own security company and so far he was the only employee. But he was also the boss and made his own rules and it suited him just fine. He'd started out doing crappy supermarket security but this interview might mean he could quit that.

He breathed in and out slowly as he read the email. Working for a superstar like Yoon Jeonghan? That would really be hitting the big time. And the guy seemed like such a sweetheart. Every interview he'd seen had Jeonghan smiling sweetly, singing beautifully with his strong but delicate and distinct voice, laughing politely and showing his charismatic charms. He could only hope this might be the job for him to really make something of his business.

He found a tank top in the dirty wash basket before pulling it on, adding some clean socks he found in the other basket, and pulling his sneakers on near the front door. He zipped his keys into his pocket and used the stairs to warm himself up before setting out at a brisk pace for his regular early morning jog.

By the time he returned his head was clear and his body felt great. He stripped and showered and searched his closet for something suitable for a job interview. The only problem was he didn't have a suit, or even a button down shirt, the last time he wore a tie he was much less muscular. "Well it's not an office job," he told himself aloud as he grabbed a tight fitting black tshirt from his clean clothes and added black jeans and his favorite Magnum work boots. They were a remnant from his days in the police force. Seungcheol couldn't imagine doing a days work in anything else.

He sprayed himself with his favorite cologne, added a nice belt, and grabbed his folder with his licence and resume and all the proper documentation. His apartment might be messy but his paperwork was not.

When he walked in he tried not to be taken aback. The man he was hoping to work for was even more perfect in real life than through a camera lens. And when they shook hands, and that smile broke across his angelic features, Seuncheol wanted to swoon. Yoon Jeonghan really was beautiful. To his surprise and quiet joy he was successful and offered the job on the spot.

He watched Jeonghan exit the room and stayed behind with the HR rep and Jeonghan's manager. "Ah... so do you guys want to see my licence and my experience?" the hr rep took the folder to photocopy his docuemtns and Jeonghan's manager introduced himself. "I'm Hong Jisoo and welcome to working for Jeonghan. It might seem easy from the outside but, trust me, this isn't going to be easy. What he says goes." Seungcheol nodded. Seemed fine so far. Anyway he really needed this job so he would do whatever he had to do.

"Jeonghan has a stalker." Jisoo was very open and frank. Jeonghan wouldn't refer to it as that but that's what it was. Seuncheol's eyes opened wide but he wasn't afraid. He was good at his job and he would protect Jeonghan as long as he worked for him. "Okay... no wonder he needs a bodyguard." Seungcheol looked at the letters Jisoo showed him, nodding a little as he looked over them carefully, inspecting the envelopes and the postmarks and the stamps. "And this one was sent to his house?" he said at last and Jisoo nodded. "Yes. His building is secure. So I need someone with him every time he steps foot out of his building. You'll be paid well and have a company allowance for whatever you need."

Seungcheol accepted instantly and took the address of Jeonghan's building, promising to be there at 8am sharp, before collecting his documents and leaving. He almost skipped as he strode confidently out of the building having just scored the biggest job of his fledgeling career. And Jisoo seemed switched on, Jeonghan was just delightful, and the pay and allowance was more than he expected. It was going to be a lot of work, long days, night work and travel. But the money would be worth it and he knew that his police experience was going to be useful and maybe he could even investigate and catch this stalker for Jeonghan.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he smiled at the text message.

"How did the interview go?"

"Got the job. Lets celebrate. Meet me at our favorite café in an hour."

Seungcheol smiled widely as he walked into the café. He looked around, thinking he might be the first to arrive, but then he saw her long dark hair and waved as she turned around. "Hi!" he said as he walked towards her. "Oh baby!" she jumped up into his arms and he swung her a little as her legs dangled and he pulled her higher into his embrace. "I'm so proud of you!" she squealed into his chest as he finally put her down and they took their seats. Seungcheol ordered for them both, tea and cake for her and coffee and pastry for him, and as she smiled at him he felt like everything was right in the world. He'd been so low since he was shot, slowly building himself back up, and this was the best he'd felt in a year.