Abyss

t h i r t y t w o

With a light meal in hand, Jinyoung set out to find Chae in their room. No one had to be smart to know that Chaeyoung was immersed in grief and drowned in her sorrow, wallowing day after day in her sadness. It has only been three days after Wooyoung's death, after all, and the two were inseparable.

But Jinyoung knew that Chae hadn't eaten out of pure melancholy and also knew that she would wither away if she continued to grieve like this.

He swung the door open and found Chaeyoung kneeling on the ground, staring off into space. The black dree she wore billowed on the mat beneath her, sagging in areas around his waist. Chaeyoung had become a fragile, cracked piece of glass.

"Chae," Jinyoung said, close to a whisper. He wasn't really calling to Chaeyoung; it was more like a call to her spirit, a call for the spirit to return to her body and give her life again. When wooyoung died, it was as if Chaeyoung's soul had left her, trying to keep Wooyoung's from leaving his body.

But he had already crossed to the other side.

"Chaeyoung," Jinyoung began again, shutting the door behind him. He kneeled in front of her, who continued to stare right at him as if he wasn't there. She stared through him.

"I understand your pain, love, but you can't torture yourself."

Chaeyoung's red, tear filled eyes were set on Jinyoung's. "What is the torture? I don't feel a thing." She said, her voice cracking.

"Chae," Jinyoung said, setting the plate of food down, taking both Chaeyoung's hands into his. "Look at yourself. you're so weak, your clothes don't even fit you anymore; You haven't eaten in days. You can't keep going like this."

"I have no choice." She said, too weak to hold back tears.

"Chae...do you blame yourself for his death?"

"It should have been me."

"What happened to him was not your fault. We all tried our best to save him. He can rest peacefully in heaven now, instead of the torment here."

Pulling Chaeyoung into his arms, Jinyoung cradled the other like a child, tracing the outline of her ribs that were beginning to show. "Let me take care of you, Chae" he said, planting a small kiss on her forehead.

Chaeyoung closed his eyes and allowed Jinyoung to hold her, feed her and lay her in bed. Jinyoung covered her body with a blanket, slowly running his hands over Chaeyoung's back.

To Jinyoung's surprise and happiness, a tiny smile graced Chaeyoung's lips in gratitude to him. 

- 

"Jinyoung..."

Chaeyoung rolled around in bed, lightly tossing her arm out over the empty space next to her. Jinyoung looked up from the book he was reading, giving the sleeping beauty his full attention.

"I miss...you..." she breathed, exhaling with each syllable.

Jinyoung smiled and blushed at the comment. A feeling of warmth and endearment surrounding his happiness, increasing his happiness tenfold.

What did I do to deserve you...?

At that thought, Jinyoung tiptoed over to the empty side of the bed, sat on the edge carefully and slipped himself into a comfortable position, facing his lover.

"Sleep well."

Pulling himself closer to Chaeyoung, he relaxed his body and fell fast asleep, joining the other in dreamland.