Till The End Of The Moon [SEASON- 2]

24. Her father in him.

Afternoon, Miang Tao's house.

The scent of breakfast still lingered in the air. Tantai Jiang had dozed off with her head resting on Miang Tao's lap. He stroked her hair gently, his gaze soft with a kind of protectiveness he hadn't realized he was capable of.

Li Susu, standing in the kitchen, wiped her wet hands on her robe, though her thoughts weren't on the dishes she had just cleaned. Her gaze drifted to them-Jiang curled up so trustingly against him, and Miang Tao cradling her as if she were his own. The sight twisted something deep in her chest. A joy... and a growing fear.

Li Susu (in her mind):
I have to stay. I have to make him remember everything. But how do I ask? How do I tell him I want to stay without sounding desperate? If I say it too soon, will he turn me away? But if I don't... if I leave... how do I leave him again? I can't. Not this time. Fate gave us one more chance. I won't waste it.

She stepped closer. Her eyes softened at the sight of Jiang's peaceful face. But that peace only sharpened her dread. Slowly, gently, she lifted Jiang from Miang Tao's lap and laid her on the bed. Jiang whimpered, half-awake, but settled quickly again.

Miang Tao looked up at Li Susu, puzzled. "Why...?" his eyes asked, but she didn't answer. Instead, she gripped his wrist.

Li Susu: "Get up."

Before he could question it, she pulled him up and out of the house, her pace hurried, almost frantic. Down the path, past the trees, until they stood once again by the riverside-where it had all begun. She released his hand sharply and turned on him, her chest rising and falling with unsaid words.

Miang Tao (confused): "Li Susu... What's going on? Why are you acting like-?"

Li Susu (her voice shaking):
"Why are you doing this?"
Tears were already brimming in her eyes. "You know I'll have to leave soon. So why are you making it harder?"

Miang Tao: "What? What am I doing?"

Li Susu: "Jiang... she's getting close to you. You know she is. And I... I don't know what to do about it."

Her voice cracked.

Li Susu (through tears):
"She's never had a father. Never even asked for one. But now... she looks at you like you're everything she's ever missed. And the worst part is, she's happy. She's happier than I've ever seen her."

She looked away, her shoulders trembling.

Li Susu:
"She's bonding with you. She's trusting you. And when we go-when I take her away from you-how do I explain to her why the man she looks at like a father is gone? How do I make her understand that not everyone stays?"

Her breath hitched as she lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes.

Li Susu (whispering):
"She's looking for her father in you... and I'm terrified she's going to lose you too."

Miang Tao's chest ached at her words. Slowly, gently, he stepped forward. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her face so she would look at him. Her tears clung to her lashes, shimmering in the light.

Miang Tao (softly):
"And you? Are you ready to leave me, Li Susu?"

She blinked at him, stunned by the question.

Miang Tao:
"You talk about Jiang's bond with me... but what about yours? You came to me a stranger. And in days-just days-you turned my house into something it's never been before. You cooked in my kitchen, you laughed in my silence, you made me feel like I wasn't alone anymore."

His voice cracked, low and rough now.

Miang Tao:
"I've lived in this silence for years. No one to talk to. No one to wait for. No one who cared if I came home or didn't. And then... you showed up. With Jiang. And suddenly this place felt like a home."

He took another step closer, his voice gentler now.

Miang Tao:
"You think Jiang got attached to me fast? She's not the only one. I don't want either of you to go."

Li Susu stared at him, her lips parting as though to speak, but nothing came out.

Miang Tao (his voice low):
"You told me I reminded you of someone. Maybe your first love, maybe someone you lost. But... what if I told you that I've been losing people my whole life? And I'm tired. Tired of letting go. Tired of pushing people away before they can hurt me."

He paused. She was trembling now, not from the cold but from the weight of everything between them.

Miang Tao:
"If friendship is all you can give me right now, I'll take it. If being Jiang's friend is all I'm allowed to be, I'll take that too. Just... don't walk away. Don't take this from me."

For a long moment, they stood in silence. The breeze whispered through the leaves. Somewhere in the distance, the river gurgled as if echoing their hearts.

Then, as if moved by some invisible force, Li Susu stepped closer. She looked up at him-her eyes wet, her lips parted, her voice barely above a breath.

Li Susu:
"I don't want to go either..."

She reached up and slowly rested her forehead against his chest. Miang Tao froze for a second, then exhaled, closing his eyes as his arms came around her.

And just like that, in the still hush of afternoon light, they stood there-two broken people trying to stitch themselves whole in the warmth of each other's closeness.

_____________________

Chapter ended.
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