seokrona oneshots ♡

let me take your hand // i'll make it right [unfinished]

It was early morning when they finally reached Donghae in secret and had checked into the hotel they were staying in. It was probably a fools' mission but Rona couldn't let go of this intuition that her mother was alive. Her search had led her to Donghae and she would stay here until she was completely sure that her mother wasn't here. And of course, Seokhoon had accompanied her too, keeping his promise of never staying apart from each other.

Only Suryeon knew they were here and was worried but allowed them to go as long as they texted her constant updates. They had left for the airport late night so no Hera Palace residents could have seen them leaving and arrived in the early morning. They went straight to their hotel, checked in, and were now in their shared room.

Rona sat on the bed in her sleepwear as Seokhoon was showering, feeling numb despite succeeding in their escape. She was so scared that after everything and all their efforts, they would meet a dead end. She was so scared that her mother might truly be...

A tear trickled down her cheek, feeling that hollow and empty feeling again. How could she exist in this world when her mother didn't? She had to be alive. Not just for her own sake, but Rona's too.

Before she sensed him, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Seokhoon, who was in his sleepwear - a tank top and drawstring pants - and had a towel around his neck. She hadn't realized he left the bathroom. Rona quickly wiped her tears and smiled at him which always came naturally.

"Are you okay?" He asked, running his thumb over her cheek, looking at her with the deep and concerned expression he always wore these days.

"I'm fine," she lied, turning away so he couldn't call her bluff. "We should sleep, tomorrow will be a long day." She laid down, pretending to be sleepy even though she knew they were both jetlagged.

Seokhoon frowned but didn't argue, getting in the bed with her. They had booked a room with only one bed and while Rona would have been anxious over this any other day, she was too stressed to think about that right now and knew Seokhoon felt the same. They'd cross that bridge another day, but for now, she felt comfortable just sleeping beside him.

Somehow she ended up falling asleep, only for her to end up immensely regretting it. Her dreams had drifted back to that day when her mother was stuck on the cliff, trapped by that horrible monster Dantae while trying to save Eunbyeol. She thrashed around, trying to wake up before it happened, but saw the scene she was trying to avoid anyways: her mother being struck and falling into the lake below her. Rona's arms reached out but there was nothing she could do; it was too late.

Yoonhee was gone.

Rona woke up with a start, gasping. Seokhoon was already awake; her thrashing must have woken him up. "Rona-ya! Rona-ya!" He was shaking her. "It was just a dream!"

Rona was hyperventilating and crying, unable to hold it back this time. She hugged Seokhoon tight, burying her face into his chest as his arms came up around her in a tight embrace. "Seokhoon-a...," she sobbed.

"It's all right," he whispered in his strong, comforting voice. "I'm here. Nothing bad happened."

"I saw her," Rona said between the sobs in a shaky voice which didn't sound her at all. Her voice sounded so small and pitiful. "I saw her fall, Seokhoon. She's gone. She's gone forever. She left me-"

"She didn't leave you," Seokhoon said urgently but firm. He rubbed small circles on her back. "Rona, your mother is alive and safe. I promise we'll find her and we won't stop until we do."

But Rona wasn't listening, her nightmares getting the better of her. "You're the only one I have left..." she clutched his shirt hard, holding him as close as she could. God, if she ever lost him...

Seokhoon sucked in a breath, the words causing a pang in his heart/ "Rona, I promise I will always be here. I'll never leave your side."

"If I ever lost you," Rona sobbed. "I can't-"

Seokhoon pulled back and looked into her eyes, wiping her tears with his thumbs. "Hey. I'll never leave you, okay? Don't worry about me, I'll always be with you." He was well aware he was crying too now but didn't care. "I love you, Rona. I love you too much to ever be separated from you. I'm never going anywhere and I'd never even think about leaving you. I'll take care of you from now on, so don't worry."

"Seokhoon-ah," Rona whispered, unable to respond to his confession as she was so over-wrought with emotion.

"We will find your mother tomorrow and I'll be damned if we leave this city without scouring every single corner," Seokhoon continued. "Just trust me. Everything is all right."