Chapter 61 - Hurt And Concern

"Hey, I saw your message late. Sorry, I couldn't reply," Zeng said, removing his shoes. He was in the middle of a surgery at that time when Yul texted him and was able to check the missed call and messages only after he was done and by that time his shift was over.

Like no other time, Yul was tending to the flower pot.

"How did it go?" Zeng asked coming in and found it strange when the other was not hyped up enough for telling the details of his first mission. The boy was practically a chatterbox when it came to discussing cases and assignments. Did his mission not go well?

"It went well," Yul said without looking at him. Zeng was relieved to hear it but still found it odd as it looked like Yul was avoiding him. "If it went well then why are you not looking at me?"

There was silence on the other side and Zeng got even more suspicious.

"Yul?" He called, dropped his bag and went to him. The said man faced away.

Something was definitely fishy. Now Zeng crossed his arms, his demeanour changing to a serious one. "Wang Yul," he said sternly, "Look. At. Me." He pronounced each word with enough stress to convey his intentions and Yul knew he could not avoid it any longer.

He sighed, removing the hood and faced Zeng whose eyes immediately widened seeing the coloured bruise on Yul's left cheek.

"Yul! What happened?" He reached out to hold his boyfriend's face. "Oh no!" He started panicking. "How? Why-... Just how? Who did it? What happened?"

"Zeng ge calm down," Yul said, holding him by the shoulders. "I am fine."

Zeng did not believe it in the slightest. His boyfriend had come home with a big dark bruise on his face. It was not what any sane person could call fine.

Looking at Zeng's concerned face, Yul took his hands in his larger ones, "I can handle this, Zeng ge. My senior said it was the minimum damage we could get on such a mission."

That managed to snap something in Zeng and he swatted Yul's hands away, "I don't care what your senior says! I don't even care what you say. You are hurt, Yul!"

How could Yul take this so lightly? Something worse could have happened. The injury was so close to the eyes. If it was even a mere inch to the right, a possibly permanent damage could have been done.

If it didn't happen this time, what guarantee was there that it wouldn't happen the next time? The possibility frightened Zeng. He slumped down on the chair, gulping hard as the thought went through his worrying head.

"Are you upset?" Yul asked timidly, grabbing a chair and moving it closer to Zeng.

"Zeng ge," he whined when he did not receive an immediate answer, "Are you mad at me?"

Zeng responded with an unimpressed glare. "You can't tell? Yes, I am upset and yes, I am angry. You are putting your life in danger and you are being so carefree about it like it wouldn't affect the people you love if something bad were to happen to you." He winced while saying the last line.

Yul held his head low, feeling guilty for making his lover worry. "I am sorry," he whispered.

Zeng continued glaring but he knew it wasn't Yul's fault. It was not like Yul enjoyed people beating him. It was the nature of his job. Violence would be there. Even if it didn't bother Yul, it bothered Zeng but what could he even do?

"Does it hurt?" He asked, letting go of the anger and moving closer to face him. He treaded a light finger over the contusion.

"Not that much. Just a little," Yul answered honestly.

Zeng sighed in defeat, "I wish I could do something but I can't even apply anything there since it's near your eye."

"Yeah, the medics said so too," Yul said, thinking over something. An idea occurred to him and his stoic face turned into a mischievous one. Zeng saw it and raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Kiss it better," he said smiling.

Zeng looked at him for the longest time just thinking how he could take everything so lightly and had the nerve to act cute. Yul shook him out of his thoughts, "Zeng ge, it hurts. Kiss it better." He was now shamelessly whining.

Zeng rolled his eyes. He held the whining police officer by the chin and ever so softly placed the light kiss over the discoloured skin. Yul smiled as Zeng looked at him kissing his lips shortly after.

"Is it better now?" He asked.

Yul nodded, smiling, "It doesn't hurt anymore." He said nuzzling against Zeng and the doctor just shook his head as Yul was once again trying to make his way out of it by being cute. But Zeng wasn't giving up without trying.

"On a serious note, can't you do some work that is not so life-threatening?" He questioned, making Yul frown.

"Like?"

"Like… desk work, I guess?" Zeng saw Yul's expressions change from a frown to the cold one. He gave Zeng a bored look, "Oh come on, Zeng ge. I am not a desk job person."

Zeng defended himself, "But why not? Protecting people can also be done by keeping yourself safe. You don't necessarily have to put yourself in danger for that."

Yul scoffed, then looked at Zeng in all seriousness, "You know how much I had wanted to be a field agent."

That thing alone made Zeng slump in defeat. He had no comeback for this. How would he feel if someone were to tell him to stop being a doctor, a surgeon for whatever reasons? He would fight tooth and nail but would never quit. Yul was the same. His career, his passion was as important.

"I am sorry," Zeng mumbled, looking down at his trembling hands, "I am just worried about you."

Yul understood his point. "I know. But trust me, Zeng ge. Nothing will happen to me.." That still did not appease Zeng but he could settle for believing in Yul, for now at least.