Nepenthe: Kim Hyojong/E'Dawn

White

The moon crept through the shudders, lines of light from above painted his back. The cigarette smoke would be illuminated once it hit the rays of light, swirling into beautiful temporary art. White sheets lazily draped over his lap, the rest of his body exposed; his muscles seemed more prominent. His eyes focused out the window, mindlessly smoking.

Jihye held the sheet to her chest with one hand, and reached out to him with the other. Her fingers gently ran over the tattoo on the inside of his arm, tracing the cherries. His skin was warm and soft; she always enjoyed that about him. Her eyes were trained on him, examining all his tattoos and how his lips wrapped around his cigarette. He always smoked after they had sex, it was almost a tradition.

He looked down, holding out his arm to her and let her play around a bit longer. Taking one last drag from his cigarette, he leaned over and pressed the lit end into the porcelain tray by his bed, breathing out a large cloud of smoke. Somehow he made getting cancer look entirely too good.

Hyojong turned a bit, tugging his portion of the sheet as he went to look at her. His eyes scanned her, how she laid on her side, how her hair scattered across the pillow, how her fingers looked wrapped around white cotton, how delicate her skin looked, how gorgeous she was. His hand went to her cheek, cupping it gently as his thumb brushed across her lips. His head tilted just slightly, biting the inside of his cheek.

“I’m in love with you.”

Jihye’s cheeks burned under the soft light that complimented her face. Her lips only barely parted before he went on.

“I’m so in love with you, and I’m so fucking sorry if I’ve never been enough,” Hyojong dropped his volume tremendously as he spoke to her, resting his forehead against hers at this point. “That day I didn’t expect to find something I could put my heart into. I want to give you my everything but I don’t have anything left to give.” He swallowed as if a stone was caught in his throat, a shuddered breath leaving him. “You are so much more than I could ever be..”

A gentle smile formed on her lips as she grabbed onto his other hand, giving his knuckles a kiss. “You’re everything,” Jihye whispered to him, making sure he could look into her eyes. “I love you too.”

His lips gracefully pressed upon hers, giving her a different kind of kiss than she was used to. It was so gentle, she could barely tell his lips were there. He simply kissed her and squeezed her hand, she was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. “You make the void seem.. Less empty.”

Jihye laid back as she raised both of her hands to cup both of his cheeks, a warm smile on he lips. “I’ll never leave you.” She said gently, pushing his hair back.

“What if I hurt you one day?”

“Then I’ll cry and hold your hand.”