Jay ended up driving her home. He carried her from the car to her front door while she opened and closed her eyes. The earlier emotional outburst had exhausted her. When he stopped in front of her apartment, he stared at the password panel for a moment, realizing that he didn't know the code to unlock the door.
"Sunshine," He gently spoke and she shifted in his arms. "I need the code to get you inside."
Y/N, still somewhat disoriented, mumbled, "2-0-0-4." The numbers made his heart drop and he stared at her with slightly furrowed eyebrows and soft eyes. It was his birthday and the fact that she remembered it and even used it touched him deeply. He entered the code, and the door swung open.
Stepping inside the dimly lit apartment, his heart sank further. The place looked just like his. The furniture, the arrangement of items, even the faint scent that lingered in the air reminded him of his own place. And that's when he realized that Y/N never truly moved on. She recreated his place because that's where she felt at home. In Busan. With him.
He swallowed a lump before gently laying her down on the couch. She stirred slightly, her eyelids heavy from the alcohol while he found a blanket draped over a nearby chair and covered her, tucking her in as if she were a fragile treasure. He stood there for a moment, watching her peaceful face in slumber.
But when he turned around to leave, he felt her hold his hand, her fingers warm and delicate, wrapping around his like a lifeline. He paused, his heart pounding, and looked back at Y/N, who had managed to open her eyes just enough to see him. "Please stay." She was still drunk, but her eyes held a genuine plea that tugged at Jay's heartstrings. He couldn't refuse, not when he saw the pain and vulnerability in her eyes. Not when he still loved her like he always had.
Jay settled down on the couch beside her, his arm gently wrapping around her when she nestled closer to him. They sat there in the quiet of the night, her head resting against his chest, their fingers intertwined. It seemed like she needed him more than she had ever let on, and he couldn't deny that he needed her too.
The room was filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the soft hum of the city outside. And It was as if time had frozen, and they were back in Busan, where their love had blossomed.
"Jay..." She whispered, still intoxicated while shifting slightly, looking up at him with hazy eyes.
Jay brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. "I miss you." She was clearly in no condition to have a deep conversation, but her words were enough to melt the ice that had formed around his heart.
"I'm here." He whispered as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and gently rested his hand against her cheek.
Y/N's eyes closed again, and she sighed while shaking her head. "No... I miss the old Jay... the one who made me laugh even when I wanted to cry, the one who held me close when I was scared, the one who loved me with all his heart." Tears welled up in her eyes while she looked into his. "The one whose dimples used to light up my world... where are those dimples now?"
Jay felt a lump forming in his throat as he gazed into her tear-filled eyes. Her words were like a dagger to his heart, a painful reminder of what they had lost. And that's when he realized how much he missed the person he used to be when he was with her. He had missed the old Y/N too, the one who used to light up his world with her laughter, the one who had made him feel alive.
They had both changed and grown apart, but at that moment, it felt like they were back in Busan. Back in his room, wrapped in the warmth of their love, with the world outside seemingly nonexistent.
"They're still here," He said softly, a small, sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He leaned in closer, his thumb gently tracing the curve of her cheek, his face inches away from hers. "Right here." And with that, he leaned in and kissed her, his lips meeting hers in a tender and bittersweet kiss. Y/N reached out, gripping the collar of his shirt while her lips moved against his in a way that felt so familiar, yet so new. The taste of her, the feel of her in his arms, it all flooded back, and for a moment, they were lost in each other.
She lay against the couch while he continued to kiss her, each tender press of their lips rekindling a fire that had never truly gone out. It was a kiss that spoke of forgiveness and longing, of the time they had spent apart. When they broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, and their breaths blended in the intimate space between them, warm and comforting.
"I never stopped loving you," he confessed, his voice a mere whisper against her lips. "No matter how far apart we were, you were always in my heart."
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and she gently held his face. "I tried making this place feel like home, just like back in Busan. But something was always missing."
Jay kissed her forehead, his lips lingering on her skin. "What is it?"
"You." The word made his heart ache. But she was drunk and perhaps speaking from a place of vulnerability. But he didn't want to take advantage of her fragile state, so he pulled back slightly, his hands still cradling her face.
"You should rest now. We'll figure out everything when you feel better." He said softly, concern lacing his words. He wanted to hear those words from her when she was fully aware, not under the influence of alcohol.
Y/N nodded, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. She trusted him, and at that moment, she knew she was safe in his care. With a faint smile, she closed her eyes and let herself drift into a peaceful slumber, wrapped in the warmth of his presence. But when she woke up the next morning, she found herself alone on the couch, the faint rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains. Her head ached and she sat up, rubbing her eyes while trying to remember what happened.
She could still remember her dream vividly. The way Jay was there, holding her, comforting her, and the way she had fallen asleep in his arms.
Her heart sank as she realized that it had all been a dream, a product of her intoxicated mind. She scanned the room, half-hoping to find some evidence that Jay had actually been there, but it seemed like any other morning in her apartment.
She was still alone, and the place was still missing that warmth she longed for.
