These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends

Chapter 16: Less Than Zero

A few hours later, you awoke to In-ho still asleep in your arms. You were aching all over, the lack of proper rest catching up with your body. Despite your exhaustion, you forced yourself to get up and check on In-ho's wounds. You replaced some bandages and applied more burn cream. After doing so, you decided to clean him as best as possible around his wounds.

You exited your room to find Jun-ho and Gi-hun asleep on separate couches. You sighed as you thought about everything the four of you had gone through, and you were unsure where you would all go from here. Either way, you all needed to catch up on rest.

You wet a small towel with warm water and began to clean In-ho's unharmed skin, wiping away any visible dirt and avoiding his wounds as best as possible. You wondered what he went through when you were looking for him, remembering him briefly saying, "Don't come here." He seemed on the brink of death when you found him... it was a miracle you arrived when you did.

After cleaning In-ho up you decided to do the same for yourself, taking a shower. The warm water stung where you were cut and burned but it was tolerable. It had to be. Everything you'd gone through was worth it to find In-ho alive, and the possibility of you two escaping and being together despite it all was still a reality.

Once you were finished you climbed back in bed with In-ho. He lightly stirred in his sleep and reached for you. You curled up next to him, holding as much of him as you could, vowing to never separate from him ever again.

~~~

When you awoke again you felt In-ho moving next to you, groaning in pain. It took you a few moments but you sat up, quickly checking on him to make sure nothing was happening. He was grimacing and slowly opening his eyes as you observed him.

He began to say something but immediately started coughing. You jumped out of bed and brought him water, helping him drink it. He laid back down, letting out a deep sigh with his eyes closed. As you stood next to him, you lightly brushed the hair out of the way and held his face. You gave him light kisses on his forehead. He attempted to speak again but you shushed him.

"In-ho, it's okay, just rest."

He opened his eyes fully to look at you, his face full of anguish. It broke your heart so much you almost broke down right then. You went to get some painkillers, but In-ho lightly grabbed your arm, looking worried.

You turned to him. "I'm going to get you some medicine, okay?" You kissed him again gently and quickly grabbed the medicine he needed. As you helped him take it, he shifted slightly in the bed to sit up higher.

You took some medicine yourself and climbed back into bed with him. The two of you barely did anything but were incredibly exhausted. He opened his arm towards you, wrapping it around you as you laid on your side next to him. He sighed and cleared his throat.

"How long has it been?"

"I found you this morning. It's been just a couple days."

"What happened? Where did you go?"

"I... I don't remember much after the bombs went off. I just woke up in the hospital and then came to find you."

"How did you get there?"

You sighed and sat up on your arm, looking down towards him. Through his tired eyes, In-ho could tell that you'd been through a lot since you'd been separated.

"Someone found me and brought me to the hospital."

In-ho was confused. Who could have possibly been there that would've helped you? "Who found you?"

You looked down, unsure of how to explain it all. "In-ho... your brother found me. He's alive."

He stared at you blankly, not seeming to fully process what you just said. He looked at you incredulously. "What?"