Fatal Trouble | Y.Jw

| 2.19 |

May

The apartment seemed quieter than Jungwon recalled. Even the kettle boiling wasn't as loud as he had sworn it had been. He almost felt like he was the one being loud when he started to make breakfast. Placing the pan on the stove and starting to heat it up.

Every once in a while he would glance down the hallway and towards the bedroom door that was cracked open. Yet, even there it seemed to be completely quiet.

The eggs were almost done when he noticed a tiny whimper, or something that sounded like it. Quickly he turned off the stove and moved the pan to the side. Wiping his hands in the towel he rushed down towards the bedroom.

He quietly snuck into the bedroom and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed beside Jiyeon. Her face scrunched up into a frown as small murmurs escaped her every once in a while.

By the time she sprung up to sit straight Jungwon did what he usually did, almost as if it was a rehearsed choreography he knew all too well. Her eyes were wide and she was breathing quickly, looking like she was on the brink of hysterics. Jungwon quickly grabbed her shoulders, preventing her from falling forward and further down onto the floor.

"I got you," Jungwon murmured and gently squeezed her shoulders once her hands started digging into her hair and she glanced around wildly, "it's just me Jiyeon. Just me."

Gently he pulled her into a hug. Her arms hooked under his armpits and grabbed tightly onto his shoulder blades, but more so balling up his shirt on his back. Her panting continued for a while, while Jungwon hushed her gently - rocking her from side to side in small motions.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Jiyeon breathed out and Jungwon simply hummed, "I'm so sorry. I was in the forest and-"

"I know, Ji," he assured gently and rubbed her back, "you don't have to tell me. I know."

They sat in silence for a while, letting Jiyeon calm down and have her breathing return to normal. Jungwon had the usual rule for himself, he could first let go when he felt her pull away, and first then did he let his arms drop.

"I made breakfast," he whispered and patted down a piece of her hair once she pulled away. Eyes bright red and puffy, shirt all dishevelled and partially pulled up in one side, "Do you want tea?"

"Please," she nodded and glanced around before sighing and leaning her head down into her palm while hugging her knees closer with the other arm, "I thought the sleeping medicine would help," she murmured and rubbed her eyes as Jungwon stood up.

"Don't think too much about it. It's just this place," Jungwon assured and patted her knee gently, "we're going home tomorrow. Come on. We have a wedding to attend today."

Jiyeon hummed and let him pull her up on her feet by both of her hands. Quickly Jungwon grabbed her sweater from the floor and handed it to her, letting her follow him out into the kitchen. 

Jiyeon huffed as she sat down in the chair and glanced around the nearly empty kitchen, biting down on her thumbnail as she glanced around. Jungwon cleared his throat when he placed a cup of tea down in front of her and sent her a small smile.

"I was thinking I might have to skip out on the ceremony," Jungwon admitted and turned back to plate a breakfast for each of them.

"Why?" she questioned quickly and started tying her hair up in a small bun before she started blowing on her tea, "I thought you were my plus one."

"I am," he assured with a small smile once he turned around, "and I will show up for the reception and party and whatnot. But I'll drop you off at the ceremony. Besides, I suppose I trust that police department somewhat enough to leave you with them for the hour it lasts."

"Why?" she repeated when he sat down across from her.

"I'm gonna go to the pharmacy," he excused and glanced up at her before letting out a small sigh, "you're running out of sleep medication. It was the last pill last night, wasn't it? I checked the pharmacy's opening hours and it's either during the ceremony or during the party I have to leave. I suppose the ceremony is the safest."

"I'm not defenceless," Jiyeon reminded and Jungwon nodded.

"I know you're not," he snickered, "but maybe I actually want to be there for the party part. It's been a while since I actually drank alcohol, have you noticed?"

"Yeah, you've been dissecting a lot of weird things in our kitchen recently," Jiyeon hummed, "livers, eyes, a lung. What will the next be?"

"It's experiments," he quickly defended and she nodded in amusement, "but I'll pick up some more for you and then I'll be there at the reception and onward, alright?"

"It's on prescription though," Jiyeon pointed out.

"I have my ways," he snickered and looked up at her in amusement once he started sipping from his coffee.

"You saw just this morning that the pill didn't do much," Jiyeon retorted.

"It didn't? You've been sleeping very peacefully," Jungwon remarked, "almost as if you were at home."

"And I barely take them at home," Jiyeon defended.

"And you don't have nightmares at home. Haven't had one in over a month," Jungwon retorted, "I'll pick them up and you'll tell me how you feel tonight, alright?"

"I can't take them if I drink alcohol."

"I know," Jungwon nodded, "but you weren't planning on drinking today anyway."

"How'd you know?"

"You're too paranoid to do so," he shrugged and looked down at his breakfast, "it doesn't take a genius to figure out this town makes you nervous. That's also why you had a nightmare today."

Jiyeon let out a small huff once Jungwon smiled in satisfaction. He knew all too well it was impossible for her to deny his claim. They both knew it was true. Ever since they had arrived down south in Jungwon's old apartment she had been tense and constantly checking the windows, pulling blinds or hanging up towels in front of them. Last night she had even double-checked if the door was locked after Jungwon had locked it. Before going to bed she had stared at the bed and contemplated if she dared sleep closer to the door or closer to the window. Eventually deciding the door was the safest, as they would have to get through two locked doors to go that way or break a window in another room - giving enough time for a reaction.