My Greatest Award (나의 제일 좋은 상)

Trust (L)

As I tilt my head up to press my lips against his, I let out a deep sigh through my nose. My arms pull him deeper into the kiss as they wrap around the back of his neck, holding on for fear of him slipping away. Feeling exhausted after the outburst of so many different emotions all at once, I let myself sink into the kiss, spacing out until I feel nothing but his lips against mine, one of his hands supporting me on my waist.

After a long moment of bliss, I begrudgingly break the kiss, but barely increase the distance between us at all. Still holding each other, I catch my breath as I stare into his eyes, a little wet from tears that almost match mine as he stares back at me. I stay like that, wordless in a bubble of time that feels as if the past five years had never happened, and he was just an amazing, cute trainee, and I was only his mentor who'd unintentionally fallen hard for him.

"I'm sorry, Lisa," Y/N speaks up, breaking the bubble of silence and snapping me back to reality. "For hurting you like that. I promise I won't do something that stupid again."

"I've heard that before," I pout at him before mocking his tone the morning after he'd gotten drunk at dinner years ago. "I'm so sorry, Lisa. I won't do it again."

"I did not say it like that," Y/N says, his effortless, alluring smile breaking through his expression. Having no energy to continue messing with him, I give my own weak, almost giddy smile, nodding before I sink my head back over his shoulder, my arms moving down around his back. I close my eyes and take a sharp breath as a few tears of relief start to roll down.

A small clenching hits my stomach as I think back at how much I'd missed the man who's now in my arms. After he'd abruptly left, I had to quickly get used to the fact that he was gone. By the time I'd left YGE and started living my life and pursuing the things I wanted, I'd gotten better at dealing with all of it. Even so, he was always in the back of my mind, resurfacing whenever I closed the door of my home after a long day. I don't even want to count the times I've cried myself to sleep when every emotion and memory overwhelmed me at the end of the day. And now, he's right here.

"Can you forgive me?" Y/N's gentle voice asks from behind my ear.

"I'm still mad at you," I mumble half-heartedly, barely having the energy to commit to my claim. He raises his hand to my face, cupping it. My eyes still closed, I melt into his touch as his thumb caresses my cheek.

"Is there any way I can make it up to you?" That voice. God, I missed that voice.

I mumble something incoherent, even to me, barely being able to think of a response to continue.

"Maybe a new cat?"

I whine weakly. "I already have too many pets."

"Worth a shot," Y/N says to himself out loud.

"I just want you, that's enough."

"Then you have me. Always." He moves back a little, which makes me whine again, opening my eyes. His hand still supporting my face, he pecks my forehead, eliciting a smile on my face. See, much better than another cat...

"My cats!" I yell suddenly, causing Y/N to flinch back. Having magically come back to my senses, I walk towards the kitchen counter and pick up the can of tuna I'd gotten for my cats and examine it.

"I just left it out like that. Do you think it's still okay?" I frantically twirl the can, looking for an expiry date before Y/N comes up next to me and picks it from my hand.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Canned food tends to last pretty long." He turns the can around and brings it up to my eye level, showing me the expiry date. Some time in 2030. That's about 3 years from now.