Royal Flush | pjm; jjk

Epilogue

"Nora, please bring the sign outside!" Jin yelled out from the yard, while Nora was rummaging in the closet. Humming in agreement, she grabbed the sign and walked over all the clutter. Smilingly she ran outside handing the sign to Jin, who was barely holding himself on the ladder. Taking it he swung a bit and Nora quickly grabbed the ladder, helping him steady it. "Careful!" She laughed out loud and Jin responded with a wide smile. He quickly attached the sign to the front of the entrance and climbed down. They both took a few steps back and Jin hugged Nora over the shoulder. They kept looking at the sign, smiles forming on their faces. "Your forever home." Nora read the inscription out loud. "Everyone! Come and see!" Jin yelled out, and almost a dozen of children ran out, clapping their hands at the renovated building. A few women peeked their heads out too, smiling at the couple.

Jin and Nora looked at the beautifully renovated building and smiled. They chose this place as their new home the very moment they stepped a foot into this land. When they left their kingdom almost a year and a half ago, Jin and Nora were completely broken. They both knew that they needed to find some sort of purpose in life, a project that would never end and would keep them busy. When they saw this house being sold they made a decision quickly. Purchasing it and buying furniture, Jin and Nora opened an orphanage.

Jin was quite wealthy himself, and since Jimin took care of Nora's finances for life, the two were left with little worries for finances. Wanting to do better, wanting to be better, Nora suggested to open the orphanage first. Remembering where she came from, Nora made it her purpose to save as many lives as she could, hoping that at some point they will redeem her sins. After finishing with all of the paperwork, Jin and Nora started to take children off the streets and into their new home, hiring some help along the way.

Little by little, their life got better. Days would get brighter, Nora's mind started to get clearer. She was incredibly happy that she took Jin with her, as she realized that without him she probably would have crumbled already. Even if Jin had demons of his own, it seemed like he made sure to redeem his sins by saving her, so he focused all of his time on her well being, and by doing so started to fix his own.

However, even if the life that they had was left far away, the ever creeping nightmares would still haunt Nora. Pushing through the day, she'd smile and keep herself busy. But the moment she'd lay her head on her pillow and be left alone with her thoughts, that's when the true fear would rise. Even if the nightmares came less with every passing month, they still kept their color and verisimilitude. She'd be woken up at the middle of the night by her own screams, and Jin would always bolt into her room to calm her down. The images in her dreams would vary, but they'd keep the same three people in the middle.

Time has passed, and their orphanage started to fill out about half a year ago. The King started to wage war towards other territories, hoping to expand his own. This lead to children becoming homeless, and the space in their little orphanage started to run out. Nora and Jin pushed their shoulders together, and managed to expand and renovate the place in half a year, providing space for twice as many kids. Looking at the newly hung sign, both of them had pride in their hearts.

Nora was planning on going to the town center to shop for their ever growing household and give information to the town gossipers about the orphanage. The more people knew, the quicker the information will be passed around. Nora went to Jin's room and went inside without knocking. She quickly plopped on his bed while he was busy with some liquids. "It's so cold outside.." She nagged a bit and Jin released a laugh. "So ask one of the carers to go instead. You know you don't need to do everything yourself, right?" Jin turned to her and smiled. Nora rolled her eyes a bit. "I know I technically DON'T need to do everything myself, but I also can't just boss them around." She mumbled while hugging Jin's pillow. He laughed at her again. "Nora, you pay them. These women work for you. It's not bossing them around, it's giving them tasks!" Jin spoke laughingly and Nora shook her head, but smiled nevertheless. Moments like this made her the happiest, talking to Jin as if nothing had happened, as if they lived like this forever, it would always make her heart warm.