A Forgiving Heart - 6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hyun nursed his mug of coffee, his gaze fixed on Raphael who stood leaning against the counter in the kitchen. Dimitri sat next to him, sipping his coffee in lazy motions. Mina touched his left elbow, and he turned to give her a reassuring smile, though his anxiety levels were climbing.

Talin and Raphael were at a standoff.

Talin picked an orange from a bowl on the kitchen table and dropped it at Raphael’s feet.

“Pick it up,” Talin challenged. “If you’re so well, pick up the orange.”

“Throwing fruits on the floor won’t change my mind,” Raphael said, not making a move to pick up the orange.

Hyun adjusted that, in truth, Raphael couldn’t. Even sitting was a problem, which was why he was leaning on the counter. Hyun had helped him into the kitchen despite his need to escape the insane kiss in the sunroom. His breath hitched as the feel of Raphael’s tongue stroking his filled his thoughts. He shook his head, hoping to physically dispel those thoughts, and stared into his coffee.

“What’s going on?” Talin asked Raphael.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” Raphael said with a scowl. “I’ve asked Christina to pick us up. We should be out of here in the next hour.”

“Us?” Talin asked. “You’re not taking the kids you just rescued, are you?”

“We’re not kids,” Hyun felt compelled to protest.

“Hush,” Talin snapped. “Rafa—

“No,” Raphael pointed his right index finger at Talin. “Don’t ask me questions, Talin. I don’t want to lie to you.”

“You show up here with a bullet wound, and two frightened kids. You look like you haven’t slept in weeks. Not to mention you dragged Dimitri into your problems, and you don’t want me to ask questions. It’s like you don’t know me at all.”

“I need you to stay out of this one,” Raphael said, his tone exasperated. “You are important to me, Talin. Your safety is important, can’t you understand that? If I ask you not to push for answers, you should trust me.”

“Trust—,” Talin scoffed and ran a hand through his messy hair. “Gods, I’m doing what I can to trust you, Rafa. You know that more than anyone. But this,” Talin indicated Hyun and Mina with a wave of his hand. “You’ve brought whatever this is to our home. I need to understand what we’re dealing with—

“We’re not dealing with anything,” Raphael cut in. “I’m dealing with it. If you let me leave, it will be as if it never happened. You two will go back to your happy life.”

Talin gaped, staring at Raphael, hurt in his eyes. He turned to Dimitri, who placed his mug on the coffee table and got up.

“Raphael, I think you need to understand Talin,” Dimitri said.

“I wouldn’t need to if you had listened to me to begin with,” Raphael said. “Going back to New York was the best choice. You decided on your own to bring us here to Colston.”

Talin wiped a hand down his face and turned to Hyun and Mina.

“Do you have somewhere safe to take them?” Talin asked. “In New York, do you have some place Lucian won’t get to them again?”

Hyun met Raphael’s gaze and the uncertainty he read made him shiver. He’d been in Lucian’s presence before and understood that Lucian wouldn’t hesitate to kidnap Mina again if he wanted.

“After what Mina’s been through, she needs a safe place. I doubt your house in New York is safe,” Dimitri said.

“Yes.” Talin latched on to that. “Let her stay here. Hyun too, we’ll make sure they stay safe.”

Hyun glanced at Mina.

Now that he thought about it, where was his little sister going to stay? His apartment was no longer viable. She’d been taken from there. Lucian’s men knew where he was staying, and after the cryptic message Mina had given Raphael—Talin’s offer seemed the best. The lake house was secluded. Dimitri looked capable enough to fight dragons, Hyun smiled as the man moved to push a pacing Talin into a chair. His sister would be safe here.

Hyun took Mina’s right hand, tangling her fingers with his, and looked into her eyes.

‘Will you stay?’

She squeezed his fingers and gave him a small nod.

“I agree with Talin,” Hyun said, looking at Raphael. “Mina should stay.”

“The offer is for both of you,” Talin stated.

“I’m the reason Mina is in danger so I can’t stay,” Hyun said, feeling the need to vindicate Raphael. “This all started because of me. Raphael was helping rescue her when he got shot. If you need to blame someone, blame me.”

Talin frowned. His gaze returned to Raphael who was staring at the floor.

“I’ll be in your debt,” Hyun said to Talin and Dimitri. “I’m sorry to place this burden on you, but I really don’t have anywhere else to turn. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Stop apologizing,” Raphael said, his tone rebellious. “If anyone needs to I will—

“Shut up, Rafa,” Talin slammed his palm on the kitchen table. He glared at Raphael, forcing him into silence. Talin turned to Hyun.

“Your sister is welcome here, Hyun. Dimitri and I, we promise to keep her safe, for as long as you need,” Talin said. “Mina, you don’t mind living here, do you? I run a club downtown, and Dimitri works at a marina. You are welcome to spend time with either of us if you want. Or, you can visit with Katerina, my sister in-law. She runs a nice restaurant not too far from here. I promise you won’t be bored.”

“Thank you for letting me stay,” Mina said, giving Talin a nervous smile.

Hyun wrapped an arm around Mina’s shoulders and gave her a small hug.

“Great, its settled then,” Dimitri said. “Hyun, can you give us a few minutes with Raphael?”

Hyun glanced at Raphael, before he pushed his chair back and stood up. Helping Mina up, they left the kitchen, going out to the living room, and beyond that to the front door. They stepped out on to the porch and Hyun closed the door carefully.

“Do you have to go?” Mina asked, moving to lean on the railing, her gaze on the trees growing around the property.

“I need to make sure no one comes after you,” Hyun said. “To do that, I have to finish what I started—and I also owe Raphael.”

“What do they want?” Mina asked looking at him.

“I am not sure yet,” Hyun said. “Remember when I told you I had finished my project?”

“Yeah,” Mina said. “Right before those men barged into your apartment.”

“I developed a program that can be used to…,” Hyun trailed off staring at Mina. ‘Steal from banks’ sounded so diabolical. He’d not intended to rob banks with his work, he’d hoped to improve security, rise up the ranks at Arocom Industries. Maybe offer Mina a better life. Instead—

“Oppa,” Mina said as though reading his thoughts. “This is not your fault.”

“I promised to keep you safe when I brought you to the States, but look what has happened.”

“Then help Raphael catch whoever is responsible.”

“I’m not sure they can be caught,” Hyun murmured, lifting his hand to his neck, remembering Lucian’s anger.

“Raphael can do it,” Mina said, her tone so sure, he wondered at her confidence. “He’s strong.”

“Huh?”

Mina smiled at him.

“It’s in the way he looks at Talin and Dimitri. He won’t let anything happen to them, so he will catch the bad guys.”

Hyun leaned on the rail beside her.

Yeah, he had noticed Raphael’s inability to fight with Talin. He was curious about their relationship. The loyalty Raphael seemed to have for Talin stemmed from somewhere deep. That Dimitri didn’t mind it was intriguing.

If it were him, and he loved a man like Talin, he’d have more than objections if Raphael stayed so close, cared so much.

Then again, maybe he was jealous of Raphael’s closeness with Talin.

His blood heated at the memory of Raphael’s kiss. So utterly intoxicating, he’d wanted to wrap himself around an injured man. Raphael had the ability to render him useless with need. It frightened him. How far could they take it, he wondered. Glancing at Mina, Hyun worried for his state of mind.

Raphael was trouble, he should think of ways to escape him and run with Mina. Maybe head back to Seoul…

***

Raphael glanced up from the floor when Hyun left with his sister. Glancing at Talin, he fought a sigh.

“You’re lying to Hyun in some way,” Talin stated. “This is not his fault. There is no way Lucian and Ilia would be after him without reason.”

“I won’t let anything happen to him.” Raphael pressed his hand into his left side and reached for the bottle of painkillers Christine had given him. “How many do I take?”

“Two,” Dimitri said, going to fill a glass with water at the sink. “You look like you might care about Hyun. I’d advise you extricate him from this plot and save him.”

“He is right in the middle,” Raphael said taking the glass from Dimitri, and swallowed the painkillers. “Hyun is the catalyst to a hidden agenda I can’t figure out. Yes, I have lied to him about why we met, but it is because I don’t even know why I needed to meet him.”

“Then don’t lie to him,” Talin said, his tone too quiet. “Tell him the truth before it is too late.”

“Talin,” Raphael placed his water glass on the counter behind him.

“I don’t need to tell you the damage lies can do,” Talin said.

Raphael winced when he met pained brown eyes. Talin’s past, their shared past, so present and real he could barely breathe at the memory of it.

“You don’t need to worry about Hyun, no harm will come to him.” Raphael promised.

“Can’t say that I won’t worry.” Talin sighed. “Me and Dimitri will watch over Mina. Finish it quickly, Rafa, and then send them both to a safe place.”

“I hate it when you call me Rafa. Makes me feel as though Gabriel is censuring me.” Raphael shook his head.

“I only do it when I need to chastise you,” Talin said. “Remind you what Gabriel would have wanted for you ‘coz you seem to have forgotten.”

“Talin,” Raphael said, thinking about the endless dream conversations with Gabriel that were torturing him lately.

“You’re ruining this happy life you want me to live with Dimitri when you get yourself in trouble.” Talin got up from the table, taking the empty coffee mugs. “If you manage to survive Lucian’s agenda, consider retiring, Raphael. Try being happy too for once.”

“Enough,” Raphael said, his tone begging. “Feel free to stop him, Dimitri, I’m thoroughly guilt-ridden. I don’t think I can take the scolding anymore.”

Dimitri chuckled, stealing a kiss from Talin when he passed him.

“Where to next?” Dimitri asked.

“Best not to say,” Raphael said.

“Then call everyday,” Talin said rinsing the cups at the sink. “Or send a text to check in, for Mina’s sake. It will be good for her to know her brother is alright.”

Raphael nodded, watching Talin plunge into arranging for Mina’s stay. Dimitri leaned on the counter next to Raphael watching Talin check the refrigerator, then the cupboards.

“We need to go grocery shopping, and include Mina’s favorites. I’ll talk to Hyun before he leaves,” Talin said, reaching for a notepad and pen. “Dimitri, call Lukas and Kat, we’ll have dinner here most nights. It will be nice for Mina. Mm….we need to make her room her own, so…”

Raphael smiled as Talin continued making a list.

He’d missed seeing this side of Talin. In their happy Manhattan days, Gabriel would complain when Talin wrote him lists of stuff that needed doing, but the complaints were full of air. Gabriel would end up doing everything on the list, no matter how long it took. After Gabriel’s death, Talin had stopped making lists, had stopped worrying about others, had stopped living…to see him laugh when Dimitri teased him now…

“Raphael?” Talin called.

He blinked.

“Yes, Talin?”

“Christina’s here,” Talin said. “Come on, I’ll help you walk to the living room. She might need to give you a pain shot if you insist on staying on your feet.”

Talin took Raphael’s right arm placing it over his shoulders. Raphael leaned into Talin’s warmth and buried his face into Talin’s shoulder.

“Mmm…you smell good, Talin. Thanks for letting me see this list-manic side of you again,” Raphael said with a happy laugh.

Raphael glanced up when he heard a gasp to see Hyun staring at them. He frowned when Hyun ran out of the kitchen.

***

Hyun sat in Raphael’s plane staring out the windows at the dark. Leaving Mina behind was harder than he’d imagined. His heart ached every time he remembered Mina holding on to him, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She’d tried to look brave as she said goodbye. But, he’d seen her hug Talin tight as their car pulled out of the driveway.

He let out a sigh. The darkness beyond didn’t make him feel better. It felt as though his life lately was filled with plane rides in the dark, and enigmatic men.

Speaking of enigmatic men.

Raphael was settled on the couch, looking healthy, one could hardly believe the man had a gunshot wound. Christina was truly a miracle worker. Raphael looked handsome in a pristine white shirt, the collar unbuttoned, a heavy black sweater over the shirt, and matching black trousers. The long hair was in a ponytail. Hyun wished he could remove the silver clip holding the long strands, and comb his fingers through the silky mass. Hyun scowled, remembering Raphael taking in Talin’s scent, and smiling at him as though he lighted the earth. Jealousy had raged through him at the sight, he’d felt compelled to run out of the house.

Hyun watched Raphael work on the two laptops set on the table before the couch. Raphael’s phone was on speaker, Himura was at the other end. They were talking boring shipping business, so he’d tuned out, but looking at Raphael rubbing his forehead now, Hyun tuned in to the conversation.

“Your father has his men looking for you,” Himura was saying. “We are keeping a tight lid on your exact whereabouts, creating illusions, but he’ll figure that out soon. It will be a relief when you get back, Sir.”

“Hyun is moving in to the house,” Raphael said. “Make arrangements.”

“Yes.”

Himura didn’t ask for clarification.

Hyun wondered why Himura was so eager to do as Raphael asked. And what sort of arrangements needed to be made for Hyun to move in. He didn’t have any belongings to pack up. He’d long abandoned the ratty motel room, and his laptop was confiscated by Lucian Pajari. What a pitiful state.

“Call my father and tell him I’m ready to meet. I will fly out—

“No need,” Himura said. “He’s in New York. The protocol to contact him now includes a U.S. number.”

“Whatever, make the appointment for Thursday night. That gives me two days to rest.” Raphael glanced up, and caught Hyun watching him. “Until then, no one knows Hyun is in my house.”

“As you wish,” Himura ended the call.

Raphael sat back on the couch, holding Hyun’s gaze.

“I have completed my part of the deal,” Raphael stated. “Your sister is safe. Are you ready to fulfill your part?”

Hyun felt a tinge of fear race through him. Raphael’s world frightened him, and now that Mina was free, he had no choice but to plunge into it. He nodded yes to Raphael’s question.

“Use your words, Hyun. It makes me feel less of a demon corrupting your innocent soul if I hear your consent.”

“Yes.” Hyun scowled at the innocence label. “I’m not naive.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” Hyun shifted in his seat so that he faced Raphael. “I’ll help you figure out this Lucian anyway I can. I won’t let you down.”

Raphael chuckled, though the sound was far from amused.

“The way you talk is part of the reason why you seem like an innocent child to me. Three rules to remember. First, the less people who know about your staying at my house the better. Do not tell anyone where you are staying. That includes your friend on the darknet. Second rule, do what I tell you, Hyun, no matter how crazy it seems. Do it without asking questions.”

Hyun nodded, then when Raphael arched his right brow up, he smiled.

“Yes, understood.”

When Raphael turned his attention back to his laptops, Hyun cleared his throat.

“What’s the third one?”

“Huh?” Raphael glanced at him.

“The third rule,” Hyun prompted.

Raphael smirked.

“Always follow rule one and two at all times.”

Hyun scoffed.

“Who is childish now?”

“Who are you calling childish?”

“Certainly not the great Raphael Yun.” Hyun glanced at his watch and got up. “Time for your meds, oh Mighty One.”

“You’ve turned into Christine’s little helper.”

“All for the sake of your good health,” Hyun said hurrying to the kitchen to find Christine.

He needed Raphael healthy to face Lucian. At least, that’s what he told himself to explain the pang of worry that swept through him at the thought of Raphael in danger.

***

“Raphael has Lee Mina,” Ilia Pajari said. “Which means, the brother is indebted to Raphael, just as you wanted.”

“Yes.”

Lucian sliced pieces of grilled chicken breast on the chopping board, sprinkled black pepper and salt on them before he tossed the slices into salad. Grabbing a bottle of Caesar’s dressing, he poured it generously over the mixture. Using a wooden spoon, he served the salad into three plates.

“You’re playing house,” Ilia noted.

Ilia sat at the island table, and watched Lucian pass the third plate to a young woman in a heavy brown jacket. Her brown hair short, her eyes too big for her face. Ilia was sure a good strong wind would blow her away.

“This is the only chance I’ll get.” Lucian handed each of them a bowl of beef stew, and a slice of garlic bread, before he sat down to eat too. “Raphael is going to take my interference to heart. He will be like a dog digging for a bone. There will be no time to rest in the next few weeks.”

“He might get you killed.” Ilia tasted the soup and nodded in approval. His gaze slid to the skinny girl at the end of the table. She was eating like she’d been starved for years. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

“Dangerous games seem to be part of my life,” Lucian said, giving him a dry smile. “Ilia—

“I know,” Ilia raised his spoon to stop him. “You need to find a safe place for her. I will take care of it.”

“I want Nicolae’s empire.” Lucian stated. “I helped Vlad build it, so why shouldn’t I take my reward? I can’t do that, unless someone weakens him.”

“So, you steal away his precious possession, and set the Yun Family on a quest to bankrupt him. You don’t value your life, brother.”

“And you joke about everything,” Lucian said.

“Will you be alright going up against Raphael Yun?”

“It’s time to figure out which one of us is stronger.” Lucian smiled. “I’ve always wanted to give him a good thrashing. He is a spoiled brat.”

“Don’t underestimate Raphael Yun,” Ilia warned, remembering a crazed Raphael when Talin’s life was in endangered by Vlad. Being Himura’s captive had given him first class tickets to the show at Raphael’s Colston home.

Raphael had turned facilities upside down trying to get a cure when Talin was poisoned by Vlad. When the cure couldn’t be made on time, Raphael lost his mind, almost murdering the doctors who had failed him. An angry Raphael was terrifying.

Raphael’s love for Talin made him capable of absolutely anything. After Talin was saved, Raphael had pulled major rocks and boulders to get any cases built against Dimitri dropped, to the point of selling Pajari Industries back to him and Lucian to get them out of Talin’s life.

The Pajari brothers couldn’t enter Colston now without risking their lives. Raphael had the town locked down.

Raphael’s playboy status was a front, Ilia knew that, more than anyone. The man had major clout, and when he focused his attention on using it, life got dangerous.

“The next three Petrov accounts are in Belize. Lee’s program will work on the security protocol, but we’re going to need men to carry out the contents in two safes.”

“If we can do this without a shootout, it will be better,” Ilia advised.

“First, we need Lee to agree to help of his own free will.”

“Easy,” Ilia smiled. “Raphael can’t keep Hyun hidden from his father too long. Once he is discovered, Baek Yun will force Lee to Belize for us. I’ll tip him off.”

Lucian smiled and bit into his garlic bread.

“Mmm…this is delicious.” Lucian glanced at the woman at the head of the table. “Isn’t it, Calina?”

She glanced at him, and graced him with a messy smile. He smiled back and watched Calina Petrova dig into her beef stew. Blissfully oblivious that he waged a war against her father.

***

“We found an extra crate on the Helena. It has no paperwork, and no addresses.” Getti reported to Raphael on Tuesday afternoon. “The crate is sealed, do you want me to open it?”

“Yes.”

Raphael paced the length of his office in the control room he used to run the Yun shipping business. Every step painful, though he ignored it, because it was harder to sit still. The rest of his shipments were on time, no hitches or troubles with engines, except for the bloody Helena. It had taken Getti three days and nights to sort through the cargo.

“I want to see this, Getti,” Raphael said.

Himura tapped on his keyboard and the windows showing off the busy main floor of the control room glazed over. The screen on the opposite wall came alive, with live footage coming from the Helena, at the Kilindini Harbor in Mombasa. Getti’s private security guarded the ship. Helena’s crew plus the captain had disembarked two days ago.

The crate in question stood on the main deck. Raphael watched Getti break the seals with pliers, then lifted the lid with the help of two of his men.

Raphael stopped pacing, staring at the white freezer in the wooden crate. A knot of anger fisted his heart, already knowing what was in the freezer. He sucked in a deep breath as Getti cut off the padlock on the freezer lock and opened the lid. Inside, were two bundles of plastic tarp. Raphael closed his eyes not needing to confirm that the tarp hid two bodies.

“Can you tell who they are?” Himura asked.

“No,” Getti said. “We need to get this off the Helena. Raphael—

Raphael cleared his throat, nausea rising.

“Seal the crate as it is and send it to the closest FBI office. The Helena is clean.”

“What about ownership?” Getti asked.

“The Helena is owned under a legitimate business name. Himura will send you the details. Tell me who they are when you know.”

“Yes Sir,” Getti said.

“Control your men, Getti, no one else can know what was found on The Helena today.”

“Don’t worry,” Getti said, then ended the connection.

Raphael swallowed hard as a wave of nausea slammed him hard, he rushed to the private bathroom in his office and fell on his knees. Every heave was agony, the pain racing through from his side was unimaginable. Tears filled his eyes and he cursed under his breath as he flushed the toilet. Clinging to the sink, he pulled himself up to his feet, and concentrated on washing his mouth and his face. Once he was done, he stared into the mirror taking deep breaths.

His day was not getting better. With each hour, more shit happened to piss him off. He cursed and frowned into the mirror when he saw Himura standing behind him holding an elegant black walking cane. The handle was silver with a snarling dragon head.

“This should make it easier to walk,” Himura said with a smile. “It’s stylish and everyone will think you’re accessorizing.”

“I can walk fine on my own,” Raphael said.

Himura lifted his brow, his gaze dropping to where Raphael clung to the sink, his knuckles white.

“You can’t make yourself move from there, can you?” Himura asked.

Raphael closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. His side was killing him. The heaving of contents in his stomach into the toilet hadn’t helped. He held out his right hand to Himura for the cane.

The support was welcome, feeling like an old man, was not.

Raphael wiped his face with a towel and left the bathroom.

“The chest full of dead bodies is unwelcome, especially on your first clean venture. Who would do this?” Himura asked.

“Lucian Pajari.” Raphael said, remembering the message Mina had given him. “No one else would dare touch The Helena, apart from my father. Lucian is the only one I know working to pull me into a net he’s cast wide. He’s giving me no choice but to jump in. Have you reached my father?”

“Yes, he’s agreed to meet on Thursday. I have to warn you, he’s anticipating meeting Hyun.”

“I know,” Raphael said, suddenly curious about Hyun. He hadn’t seen the younger man since they’d landed. “I’m going upstairs for now. Call me when Getti has more news.”

“Yes Sir,” Himura said. “Master Hyun is in the lounge on the second floor.”

“Master Hyun?” Raphael asked with a raised brow.

Himura smiled which was disturbing on a level he couldn’t quite define.

“You’ve been working for the last twelve hours, Raphael. Master Hyun got bored. He wanted a tour of the house so I gave him one.”

“You did what?” Raphael asked, his eyes wide.

“He’s an interesting lad. Very impressionable,”

“I’m not sure what to say to that. You let a stranger roam around my house?”

“He’s not a stranger. I think you two will get along well.” Himura gave him an approving nod. “Go on, I will call you the moment Getti has more information.”

“Who do you work for again?”

“You, Sir,” Himura said with a small wave.

Raphael made his way out of his office and the control room. Taking the elevator to the ground floor, he paused in the corridor to the living room when he heard loud rock music. Hadn’t Himura said Hyun was in the lounge upstairs?

Raphael scowled and changed direction heading to the living room. He stopped at the entrance when he found Hyun sitting on the green carpet, legs crossed. Hyun was playing a video game on a huge screen Raphael hadn’t known he owned. That, or Himura had bought it in the last twelve hours to accommodate Hyun.

A bowl of popcorn sat on the coffee table, and several cans of soda.

“Hey,” Hyun said when he glanced up and saw him.

“You look comfortable.”

“Do I?” Hyun paused the game and dropped the console on the coffee table. He looked at Raphael. “What kind of person are you? I’m a guest in your house, and you disappeared on me for thirteen hours and thirty minutes.”

Raphael smiled, enjoying Hyun’s irritation. He moved to sit on the couch.

“Himura seems to have given you a warm welcome.”

“You’re mad if you can associate the word warm with Himura.” Hyun got up and came to sit next to Raphael.

He froze when Hyun moved his arm away and started tugging on his shirt. Grabbing Hyun’s fast fingers, he stared into brown eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking your wound,” Hyun said, extricating his hand from Raphael’s hold. He tugged Raphael’s shirt up, and proceeded to check the bandage covering Raphael’s wound. “I haven’t seen you in hours, who knows what you’ve done to it. I need you healthy, and the fact that you’re using a cane to walk—

Raphael grabbed Hyun’s t-shirt and pulled him closer, so that they were staring into each other’s eyes. Hyun’s gaze was so clear and brown. His lips so soft, enticing. Raphael wanted a taste, that sweet taste he’d had at the lake house…closing his eyes, he forced himself to remember the life hidden in the basement. The one where Hyun would never fit if he was to stay alive and happy.

“Stop.” Raphael wasn’t proud of how soft his voice sounded. He certainly didn’t welcome the pang of regret sweeping through him. “Hyun, stop.”

“What should I stop?” Hyun asked in a whisper.

“Caring,” Raphael said, opening his eyes to meet Hyun’s hurt gaze. “I’m not someone you should care about, Lee Hyun. I’m someone you should run from. Don’t ever forget it.”

Hyun stared into his eyes for a full minute, before he jerked back.

“Hyun,” Raphael started to reach for him again but Hyun stood up and ran a shaking hand down his face.

“You’re right,” Hyun said, looking away from him. “I’m the idiot who keeps forgetting why I’m here. Thanks for reminding me. I’ll be upstairs in my room if you need me.”

“Hyun—,” Raphael sighed as Hyun hurried to the stairs, his steps fast. Raphael sighed, and lay his head back on the couch. “Shit.”

***