Not safe. Safety was an illusion.
Chosen.
Real.
Chapter five
Griffin - Vancouver - May 7
Iarrived at Rogers Arena ninety minutes before doors, still thinking about the sensation of Rune's body against me in the dark. The morning after, we'd been professionals. He woke up before me, dressed, and thanked me with a careful formality that put distance back between us like rebuilding a wall.
That was twelve hours ago. Now, I was backstage watching him move through pre-show routines.
The band prepared through an atmosphere of controlled chaos. Wardrobe racks lined one wall. A portable makeup station occupied the corner.
Taemin sat in the makeup chair, speaking rapid Korean while the artist worked around his gestures. Minjae stretched against the far wall, earbuds in, going through what looked like the same sequence for the third time. Jinwoo stood near the monitor, checking something on his phone, solid posture amid all the noise.
Rune sat apart on an equipment case, notebook open, pen moving across the page. Writing. Always writing.
I stood where I could see all exits and distributed my attention. Professional. Neutral.
Rune looked up. Our eyes met across twenty feet of backstage machinery and personnel. The air between us compressed.
He looked away first, deliberately.
I remembered the warmth of his spine. The weight of him sleeping against my chest, his breathing pace eventually matching mine.
Taemin's gaze tracked from Rune to me and back again. He said something in Korean that made the makeup artist laugh. Rune's pen stopped.
"English, Taemin," Jinwoo requested without looking up from his phone.
"I said Griffin looks very serious." Taemin flashed a mischievous grin. "Does everything in Vancouver require such intense focus?"
"Security does," I said.
"Mm. Security." Taemin's tone suggested he wasn't talking about security at all. "Rune also looks very focused. Maybe Vancouver has that impact."
Rune closed his notebook. "Maybe you should focus on not moving while Noona is working."
"I'm helping her practice patience."
The makeup artist said something in Korean that sounded like agreement, and Taemin laughed.
Minjae pulled out his earbuds. "Taemin, stop bothering Griffin."
"I'm not bothering. I'm observing." Taemin glanced at me in the mirror. "Professional observation."
Kang appeared in the doorway before I could respond. "Griffin. Walk-through." I followed him into the corridor, grateful to exit.
We moved through the venue's security positions. Kang outlined response protocols and pointed out he would station his team.
I had a specific question. "Were the lighting malfunctions from rehearsal resolved?"
"Tech director says yes. New operator tonight. The previous one—" He made a gesture that suggested firing. "Made too many mistakes."
"What mistakes?"
"Missing cues. Wrong timing. Nothing dangerous, merely unprofessional." Kang paused at the stage left entrance. "Are you concerned?"
