“You... you mean to say... these are hit marks? Someone used to... hit you?” Joshua’s voice is laced with disbelief, wavering with shock. Seokmin shuts his eyes tightly, refusing to look at him, refusing to answer.
What could he possibly say? How could he even begin to explain the cruelty etched into his skin? There were no words that could make sense of the pain, no explanations that would lessen the impact of what Joshua was seeing.
A heavy silence stretches between them, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down like a suffocating blanket. Seokmin’s heart pounds in his chest, each beating a painful reminder of the memories he’s tried so hard to bury.
He can feel Joshua’s gaze on his back, burning into his skin, and it takes everything in him not to crumble under the scrutiny.
“I’ll tell John to apply the ointment on my back—” Seokmin starts, his voice cracking, desperate to change the subject, to put some distance between him and the raw vulnerability of the moment.
“No, wait,” Joshua interrupts, his voice soft but firm. His hand rests on Seokmin’s lower back, a warm, steady presence that makes Seokmin’s breath catch.
The touch lingers, a bridge between past and present, a lifeline that Seokmin didn’t know he needed. For a moment, they just stay like that, connected by the silent understanding that words could never convey.
Then Joshua moves, his touch gentle as he spreads the cool gel ointment across Seokmin’s scars. The chill of the ointment contrasts with the heat of Joshua’s hand, creating a strange, soothing sensation.
Seokmin feels his muscles relax under Joshua’s careful touch, the sting of the ointment mixing with a relief he hadn’t realized he was craving.
The silence is heavy, yet it’s not uncomfortable. It’s filled with something unspoken, a deeper understanding that neither of them can articulate.
Joshua’s hands move with care, and Seokmin feels his heart unclench, just a little. In this moment, with Joshua’s touch grounding him, he doesn’t feel like a broken, scarred version of himself. He feels seen, accepted, and maybe even loved.
Joshua’s fingers pause, resting gently against Seokmin’s skin, and Seokmin knows he doesn’t have to explain. Joshua’s presence says more than words ever could.
“It’s okay,” Joshua whispers softly, sensing the tension in Seokmin’s shoulders, the silent storm of discomfort swirling within him. He slides his arm around Seokmin’s waist, resting his head gently on Seokmin’s shoulder.
Seokmin feels Joshua’s warmth against his back, and he takes a deep, steadying breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. He turns his face away, his own rough, trembling hand reaching out to cover Joshua’s, caressing it with a tenderness he rarely allowed himself to show.
“Wait,” Joshua says suddenly, pulling back. He uncuffs his shirt and rises to his feet, disappearing into the other room. Seokmin’s eyes follow him, a flicker of confusion and vulnerability crossing his face.
Moments later, Joshua returns, something small clasped in his hand, and he sits behind Seokmin on the couch, a look of quiet determination in his eyes.
“Turn around,” Joshua instructs gently. Without hesitation, like a child obeying a trusted friend, Seokmin does as he’s told, exposing his scarred back once more. The trust he places in Joshua is unspoken, yet palpable.
“When I was a kid,” Joshua begins softly, his voice carrying a note of nostalgia, “I used to fall and scrape my knees all the time.” Seokmin feels the light, careful touch of a pen tracing across his skin, as if Joshua is drawing a secret map on his back.
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Arrange Devotion | SS
FanfictionBOOK #2 They say love heals scars, but Seokmin's scars were lessons-bitter reminders that twisted him into a creature of darkness. His life was a series of brutal lessons that shaped him into someone who burns with an unquenchable fire. Protecting...
