NIGHTS → KWON HYUK #Wattys2017

EIGHTEEN

WHEN Kwon Hyuk awakes later that night, its to empty bed sheets and a dull, light rain from the open window.

The clock on the night stand reads just past midnight when he squints at it. There was something about waking up alone that sent his mind into overdrive. Pure panic fills him then, making him jump from the bed and throw on his clothes in a clumsy rush.

When he pulls open the bedroom door, the silence that greets him makes him swallow thickly.

She wouldn't do that to him, would she? She wouldn't take his heart and leave like that, right?

Still, when he hurries into the living room, only to find it just as empty as the bedroom, he already begins to prepare himself for the inevitable heartbreak he felt was headed his way. Loud mewing catches his attention and he looks down to find Luna staring at him after he's finished checking the deck for any signs of Krystal.

"She left, didn't she?" He asks the kitten quietly, smiling bitterly as he reaches out to pet her tenderly.

Or maybe he was just overreacting? Still, what was stopping her from leaving? Surely he wasn't enough to make her want to stay? Maybe what had happened earlier was her way of saying goodbye?

Shaking his head to rid himself of his panic fueled thoughts, Hyuk picks Luna up gently and places her in the top of his zipped coat. She doesn't waste any time in nuzzling his neck and it eases his nerves slightly as he heads out of the apartment.

He almost runs into their landlord who offers him a small smile.

"She left not too long ago." The man informs him before moving along.

And Hyuk is left to get into the elevator with a kitten nuzzling into his chest and heartbreak on his mind. The chill of the lobby is nothing compared to that of the night when he hurries out into the darkness.

He looks around at the slow traffic and the dull lights that make up Seoul's night life, wondering where he should start. The light rain from the open window has transitioned to a complete downpour now, and he does his best to protect Luna from the rain. He flips his hood on as he wonders the streets, looking around desperately for any sign of the woman who made his nights bearable.

The more he searches, the further he can feel his heart collapse. And it hurts, the pain making him go from a hurried jog to a slow, defeated walk. He looks in shop windows and even down alleyways. But -

"This is useless, isn't?" He asks Luna in a mere whisper, "Everything is useless."

The kitten is too busy clinging to the warmth his chest provides to answer. And Hyuk doesn't want her to suffer anymore in the cold (or get sick) so he prepares to turn around and head back to the apartment when he almost runs into someone.

"Sorry-" He starts almost immediately only to fall silent when he takes in tired, dark eyes, and damp, brunet strands framing her face.

"Hyuk" Krystal says, adjusting the plastic bags in her hands to level him with a glare, "Why the fuck do you have my baby out here in the cold? If she catches a cold, I'm going to-"

But whatever she's about to say next is cut off when he pulls her close and quickly presses his lips to hers gently. He could feel the tension leave him then in waves, because she was there, he was holding her, and now, everything was okay again.

"You thought I was going to leave, didn't you?" She asks when he pulls back. But Hyuk avoids her gaze to stare at the damp sidewalk guiltily. Krystal rolls her eyes before tapping his cheek gently, "Idiot. How could I leave when I've waited so long for you to come back?"

A shy smile finds its way to his lips then before he leans down to kiss her once more. He uses the opportunity when they pull away to simply rest his forehead against hers then. And even in the downpour and freezing cold, everything felt perfect.

There were bags lining Krystal's eyes and an aura of exhaustion about her, but she still smiled so happily as she looked up at him. And then there was Hyuk with hickies on his neck and the gleam of someone falling in love all over again in his eyes as he stared down at her.

"I think I can spend all of my nights with you." He tells her quietly then, watching her eyes crinkle as she smiles even wider.

"Well, that's good because I bought us enough frozen pizzas to last us several nights." She replies, holding up the plastic bags in her hands with a grin.

Now, it's Hyuk's turn to roll his eyes as he takes them from her. Krystal doesn't wasn't any time in pulling Luna from his jacket then to put into her own. The kitten mewls loudly at this.

"Daddy brought you out into the freezing cold, didn't he? Shame on him." Krystal coos to the kitten who's purring happily against her chest.

"Sorry Luna." Hyuk tells the kitten, reaching over to pet her gently.

Silence envelopes the couple then as they make their way back to the apartment. It's when they make it to the front entrance that Krystal strays from the path. She simply stands on the edge of the curb as she watches the slow traffic and dim lights, much like Hyuk had done earlier.

"I'm starting to think everything happens for us in these hours." She says, Luna nuzzling into her neck as she turns back to glance at him, "At night."

Hyuk shifts the groceries to one hand as he approaches her. He grabs her hand gently, interlocking their fingers shortly after. And it's like that, that they just quietly take in the night.

They don't need words anymore, their hearts so all of the talking for them.

Krystal's tells her that this is what happiness truly looks like.

Hyuk's says that there's no need to be afraid anymore, of love or falling for the woman beside him.

But together, they say the same thing. That it wasn't just another night - but their first night in love.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

thank u so much for reading "nights" ❤️

it took me forever to finish this and the ending sucks i'm -

anyway, here's the happy ending that everyone wanted. i hope its not too bad. thank u for all the reads, votes, and support!