"Take me away," you whispered to him, hand coming up to cup his cheek gently.
Jeongin's eyes searched yours, seeking out the meaning behind your request. He reached up to grasp your wrist, putting more pressure to your hand on his cheek, leaning into the touch. He couldn't tell what was wrong, but the look behind your gaze made him frown with worry. Still, he agreed with you, moving so he could pull you up from the ground.
In the car, the windows were rolled down, allowing you to lean out with your arms in the wind and move to the flow. You rested your head against your forearm, staring at the dark sky with the street lights glimmering periodically. You hummed to the songs that softly played on the radio, Jeongin's way of distracting you from the thoughts racing through your mind. The peace was only momentary, but you were grateful.
He didn't necessarily have a destination in mind. He only knew to continue to drive, glancing over at you occasionally to view your expression. The relief washed over his face when he saw the pain behind your eyes had lessened, and you were less sorrowful than before. When he first arrived home and came across you lying on the floor in silence, only staring straight ahead with nothing in view, he was worried. You were unwilling to be comforted or even speak about the things on your mind.
Although you were silent about your troubles, your fiancé was the most understanding person during these times. He never pushed for an explanation, never required you to change your mood for him, never needed anything more from you than you were willing to give. While you yearned to release it all to him, your mouth ran dry at the thought. Instead, you could only stay quiet and accept his presence.
"Do you smell that?" You ask suddenly, cocking your head to the side so you could see him better. "The smell after rain? It actually is refreshing."
Jeongin takes in a deep breath, tilting his head slightly out the window to catch the air. "It's nice," he mumbles.
You watch him comb back his black hair as it moved in the wind. His fingers gripped it tightly at the ends as he leaned his elbow on the door. You smile softly, laying your head back down now facing him instead. You couldn't help but admire the way his jaw tightened while he was thinking, the muscles in his neck giving it away. He concentrated on the road, not once noticing your gaze full of love as you attempted to cherish this moment with him.
"You know, the sky is so much prettier when we aren't in the city."
Jeongin nods at your statement. "The city lights drown out the beauty of the night sky. It's the reason I take you out here, to the country that is. I want you to see nature's beauty; an escape from the real world is refreshing that way."
His hand reaches for your lap, resting gently on your thigh. He gave it a small squeeze in reassurance, letting you know he was there for you. Jeongin felt helpless during these moments where he was unsure what you needed, so he often used methods he wanted others to do for him. When you weren't ready to speak about your thoughts, he would give you a light pat to assure you he was still there. Despite all those things troubling you, he was right there for you.
Your hand continues to move with the wind, up and down, steadily. You closed your eyes for a brief moment to engrave this memory into your brain, wanting to use it in the future to escape to when you physically couldn't. When your mind is unsettled and your heart becomes numb, you want to be able to have a safe spot to focus your thoughts to.
There wasn't any energy in you to feel the emotions that have been running through you a lot as of late. You couldn't center your mind long enough to concentrate on the things that have been bothering you. All you could muster yourself to do was lay on the floor, empty. Of course, your loving fiancé was concerned at this relatively abnormal behavior and had rushed to you immediately once he arrived home. You hated worrying him.
"Can we run away?" You ask him softly, opening your eyes again to watch his expression.
"From what?"
You smile and shake your head. You didn't know what you were wanting to run from. You just wanted to run. "Life. Responsibilities?"
Jeongin smirks handsomely. His brows came together in confusion at your words initially, but the smirk came quickly after. Suddenly confidence radiated off of him as he squeezed your thigh again. "Are you wanting us to elope?"
You scoff, rolling your eyes. "That's literally not what I said at all, sir."
"I'm pretty sure that's what you were suggesting. I'll have to let you know, though, I'm an old fashioned man and would prefer a traditional wedding, please."
The laughter you both shared filled the car over the silence from before that drifted in and out. You finally sat upright in your seat, facing the road straight on with a lighter expression. Because of the shift in the mood, Jeongin changed directions in his drive. He felt you unload some of your stress with the laughter and knew exactly where he needed to go to pleasantly seal the night.
When you rolled up to a familiar parking lot, you eyed your fiancé suspiciously. "Ice cream?"
He smiled, leaning over to give you a quick peck on the cheek with a promise to be back quickly. You watched as he left the car, jogging to the window of the small building where a woman stood behind the counter. Just by the way she quickly left the window to the back, you could tell Jeongin knew exactly what to get you. He even turned around to throw a thumb up.
A smile that mirrored his began to grow upon your lips as you watched him carefully. Even under the nights sky and a dim building light, you could see his grin growing while he waited for the sweet treat. It really wasn't the ice cream you were craving in this moment, but the tender caress of his hands on your bare skin when he holds you tightly, embracing you closely to keep you safe from the outside world. As you waited inside the car, you imagined the comfort he has brought you many times before and sighed softly. These little things were what you etched in your memory like a beautiful painting.
