The Way I Loved You

Germany

AN: sry I did not proof read this at all so there might be errors

It was the first time that they'd flown happily together in a long time, Haein realised. The last time she went to Germany, she'd gone alone because they'd fought the day before. And when they came back, it was after she'd found out about the divorce agreement and she'd ignored him the entire flight.

This time, it was different. They packed their luggage together the night before, and he'd kept her together even though she'd nearly had another panic attack at the realisation that whatever clothes she was bringing on this trip might be the last clothes she ever wore. That thought had sent her into a spiral, and it'd taken her over three hours to decide on what to bring, because she didn't want to regret forgetting anything important.

Despite all of that, he'd remained patient, and helped her go through her entire wardrobe to find exactly what she wanted, even though it took the entire afternoon. He sat there and watched as she tried on everything, giving his honest feedback when she was indecisive.

It was jarring to see Haein like this, floundering and unsure of herself. She'd never second-guessed her outfit choices. It was always one look in her closet before she assembled an entire outfit within seconds. But he understood how hard it was for her, to face that immense pressure of deciding what might be her 'lasts'.

At the airport, he took care of all the luggage, helping her drag her suitcases after they entered the departure hall without her bodyguards. Boarding passes, passports, he took care of everything. She didn't even have to lift a finger as he led her through the airport.

Before they boarded the plane, he made sure that she took her medications in case she experienced headaches from the change in atmospheric pressure. As they were settling into their seats, he even revealed the motion sickness and sleeping pills he'd brought just in case she needed them.

She had felt so incredibly grateful at that moment. It felt like her mind had been a complete mess since the day she'd started packing. She couldn't tell if it was another effect of her illness of just the anxiety of receiving surgery. She found herself becoming more distracted and forgetful, and she was certain that she would've forgotten something important had it not been for Hyunwoo double checking and triple checking everything before they left. With him by her side, it felt like everything would be okay somehow.

And as the plane took off, he reached over to hold her hand. He knew that she got a little anxious during take off and landing, and that being stuck in an enclosed space for long periods of time made her uncomfortable, so he made sure to reassure her.

Once the seatbelt lights switched off, it was a matter of seconds before she climbed into his lap, curling up in his warmth even though she had a perfectly comfortable seat in first class. There was nothing more comforting than being in his arms, and the large seat thankfully accommodated the both of them easily.

Of course, Haein wasn't a child, and her weight wasn't as light as Hyunwoo wished, but he didn't care that his legs were going numb. All he cared about was making sure that she could sleep well because it was a long flight, and she would be exhausted when they landed. A hand placed in the small of her back, he rubbed soothing circles continuously as she slept with her head on his chest. It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep like this, feeling the gentle flutter of her heartbeat against his skin.

...

In the car on the way to the hospital, he held her hand too. His grip was firm and soothing, trying to ground her to reality. He could tell that she was much more anxious than she'd led on, if her restless nights for the past few days were anything to go by. Instead, he decided to try and distract her.