King of the Darkest Stars (EXO Kai ff)

Chapter Twenty Seven

His stance was tense and his clothes were dirty. His eyes were wide and for once free from inhibition, they showed wide, concerned earnestness. He stood still and clasped his hand into a fist, pressing it against his leg. I could tell he was purposely keeping distance but I didn't know why. I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

Every scenario I had rolled for this moment was gone from my mind. It was him. He was right there in front of me and it felt... distant, like if I blinked he was going to disappear. My hands were shaking and my heart was thrumming, travelling up my throat.

"Kai." My voice cracked as I spoke his name aloud. The crack in my voice seemed to break my willpower. A sob wracked through me and I gave in and ran towards him. He stepped forward to meet me and wrapped his arms around me as I threw myself against him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. I felt a tension in me release and I went limp in his arms. I slowly let myself relax.

I was safe.

I was home.

"I'm sorry," I sniffled through my tears. His heartbeat pounded against my ear and created a sense of even serenity that made me feel even more lost in him. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" His voice was soft and he kissed the top of my head, then ran his hand across my head. I remember the state of my hair and felt embarrassed but not enough to let go of him.

"I wasted so much time." I closed my eyes and breathed him. The world could burn for all I cared. The war could continue on through the woods if I could only hold him. I'd let the world fall away for another minute in his arms.

"Our story isn't over yet," he spoke in a soft tone that would have made me want to punch him if used at any other moment. Now I only cared that I was able to hear his voice so close to me. He was here.

"I don't want to die." I had said it a thousand times but I couldn't stop it from escaping from my mouth yet again. Kai rubbed my back and his breath comforted my cold skin. I looked up at him and he put his hand on my face.

"I promise you, I will make sure you survive. We have too much more to do." His face changed as he assessed me and I narrowed my eyes. "The first of which is to bathe you."

I shoved him off of me and glared over at him. A grin broke across his face and he put a hand over his mouth and nose and held out a hand for me to stay away from him.

"I'm going to kill you." I shrugged. "I am actually going to kill you."

"I agree." He made a choking sound and I picked up U-jin's jacket and threw it at him. "Stay back, Demon!"

"You're so dead!" I screamed. He laughed and ran into the woods. My body ached but that didn't stop me from running after him.

I'd forgotten how insufferable he was.

And how much I loved him for it.

...

"How many petals do I need?" Yun-hee threw in another handful of petals into the bathtub. The bathtub was made up of wood and was in a tent near the edge of the camp. There were about fifty baths for two hundred men. This was generous for a camp and was only possible because of the nearby evacuated village and the baths were generously donated by the screaming civilians.

Yun-hee opened a bottle of vanilla bath flavouring and dumped a large amount into the water. I rolled my eyes and she came over and started scrubbing my hair.

"You have new scars and bruises." She spoke softly as if if she spoke too loud they would start to bleed even more and I would die right in front of her.

"I know, I'm such a dish, aren't I?" I looked down at my bruised body and lifted my upper lip in annoyance. "Was Nari taken as well?"

"No," Yun-hee assured me. "She slept in her wardrobe out of caution and they didn't find her. She fought her way out of the castle and well... some of it sounds exaggerated so you'll have to ask her and decide how accurate her numbers really are."

"The numbers aren't that important to me," I laughed and followed Yun-hee's hand signal for me to dunk my head under the water. Under the water Yun-hee scrubbed even more at my scalp. I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't see anything. I felt a rising sense of panic rising in my chest at the thought of being trapped again. I couldn't be trapped again. I pushed to the surface of the water and Yun-hee jumped back in surprise, letting out a sharp shriek.

I put a hand over my throat and sucked in a few breaths. I squeezed my eyes shut. It's not real. I'm not trapped. I'm safe. I'm safe now. I'm with Yun-hee and she's not going to hurt me. I'm safe.

"I'm sorry," I pressed my palms against my eyes and cleared my throat. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Yun-hee swallowed. "I didn't mean to trigger you. You're all done anyways."

She grabbed a towel and held it out for me. I sheepishly nodded and allowed her to wrap it around me as I came out. She dressed me in a brown and pink gown and sprayed more vanilla onto me, masking everything they'd done to me with the scent of desire and pale coloured creams.

When I saw my reflection I looked at the life she had painted onto my face and placed a smile across it. This mask made me feel like I could pretend nothing happened and that there were no scars left to prove they'd had any power over me. I felt whole again. I still look a little gaunt but not enough to weaken my spirit.

I pushed open the tent door and let the sun bathe my skin.

Everything was going to be okay now.