The Afterlife

40) We Are Nowhere Near Done Yet

Sihyeon walked home, trembling, per usual, from the events of the night rather than the cold itself. While the whether was hurtful and strong, her eyes that met with those she was yearning for convinced the rest of her body to give up, to sit back and move not a muscle until they got what they longed for.

It was an impossible thing for Sihyeon to fulfil; she could not promise her withering body rest until she could see Namjoon dying at her own hands, and even when she had escaped his husband's attempt at annihilating her, the war Namjoon decided to start was not over. If anything, it was only beginning, and she knew his ire would only be far more vicious now that his husband was defeated and taken away.

Namjoon was not going to settle, and if she knew anything for sure about herself, it was that she, too, was nowhere near done with him.

She could not go back to her family just yet, she could not yield and let go of her anger and hunger for revenge just yet; for once, she wanted her bloldthirst to keep her going even if death waited on the other side. She did not want to give up no matter the cost, and even with seeing her family and friends standing before her eyes to help her under the dim light of the merciful moon, Sihyeon could not bring herself to look at them, and she wanted to curse her life for it.

She wanted to be in their embrace more than anything, and she wanted to rest more than anything, but it was not time yet.

Like the end of every other day, Sihyeon walked home with a pain that shot up her leg every step she took while leaning against the buildings' walls with her good arm; even when they had healed enough for her to move them, she was not exactly the type to keep caring for a broken bone for long, and using them so carelessly just when they had started to improve made them curse back at her at every given chance, deeming her weak and in need of support.

Like every other night, she was worn out and ready to sleep not for she wanted, but for she was tired beyond arguing with her body or fighting back. Sleep was one to attack her first, strangling her and taking her into the strength of its arms when her body refused to make any more sense.

Knowing that, she was ready to give herself to the bed as soon as she had entered the room she was staying in. It was dark and warm and called for her to sleep in any state she liked, but just as soon as she had opened the faint yellow lights that would lead her way without tripping, Sihyeon stopped in her tracks and breathing as one.

She did not walk farther than where the door was and stood there after closing it, looking at the figure that took her bed and sleep and heart from her, keeping her standing where the room began, staring back and fighting every last cell in her body.

Sihyeon did not breathe for what felt like long and agonising minutes, and when she did, the air was heavy and hot against her lungs, which refused it and made breathing such a task for Sihyeon. It was intermittent and slow and excruciating, and Sihyeon could not bear standing and looking at the approaching figure without leaning against the closed door for support.

When he was finally standing before her, all Sihyeon could do was stare up from their closeness and exhale, "Starling-" before he was kissing her.

Yeonjun put his lips against hers like the world asked him to save it and that was all he needed for it to be saved. He kissed her, lips gentle yet yearning against hers like the days between them were ages and ages of harrowing longing and he was making up for all of them.

When Yeonjun parted, he only did so to take his kisses down her cheek and jawline, but Sihyeon's lips still called him, "Starling please-"

He rose up to kiss her again, letting the rest of her words fall in silence in the face of his loving, less verbal acts. He kissed her lips and he pulled her closer to him by the side of her face while his other hand pressed the arm that tried to fight him against the door.