The Reluctant Manny

Episode Thirty-One

The night before Minji's surgery, she and Jin were nestled together on the sofa, the TV playing something neither of them were watching. The rest of the house was in bed asleep, leaving the couple some much needed alone time.

Minji had done well to hide her nervousness. She kept a brave smile on, but behind that smile a dozen worst case scenarios kept playing out.

What if she suffered nerve damage?

What if the surgery didn't work?

What if the surgery created more problems?

What if she was allergic to the anesthesia?

"Stop," whispered Jin, pressing his lips to her temple.

Minji turned her head and looked at him curiously.

"You're doing that worst case scenario thing again. I know you're doing it when you zone out like that. This is a routine surgery, Minji. It will be okay."

Minji looked down at their intertwined hands. "You know me so well."

"Maybe," he said with a smile. He raised her sore hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

Minji sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Jin."

"I know you do, and I love you too."

"I've never had surgery before. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm scared."

"That's understandable."

"I'm not scared of you know, dying, but I'm scared of not getting to be with you. I'm scared of the twins being alone again."

Jin sighed softly and turned his body to face Minji. "No need to be scared. You will be in wonderful hands. And I will be there when you go to sleep and when you wake up."

Jin raised his hand and cupped her face, his eyes taking in the beauty before him that was lit with the soft light from the table lamp.

"I don't want you to worry. I promise I will take the boys as my own if anything were to happen to you, which it won't." With each phrase, Jin leaned closer.

Minji watched his eyes stare into hers, tenderness filling his gaze. She loved how comforted he made her feel, so at ease and relaxed. Looking into his eyes chased away all of her doubts and scary thoughts.

She met him as he leaned in, pressing her lips to his own. She brought up her free hand and placed it on the side of his face, holding him there as she soaked up his strength.

Their hearts began to race and their breaths came in a more shallow fashion.

Jin put all of the feelings of love, reassurance, and comfort he could summon into his touches and his kisses. He hated to see Minji upset. Hated to see her mind preoccupied with all of her worries and doubts. He wanted his smiling, happy girlfriend back.

He instinctively pressed closer, feeling her lean back under him. Placing a hand behind her head, and not breaking their kiss, he laid her back on the arm of the sofa.

She didn't move to get up or wriggle away from him. There was no effort to stop him. He basked in her submission to him, letting his instinctual cravings take over. Her hands were on his shoulders, her lips on his. He was still on his knees, hovering over her in a precarious position.

As he pulled back to get a breath, he looked down into darker brown eyes and flushed cheeks. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Not yet," he whispered.

Minji deserved the utmost respect he could give her. Not a moment of lustful passion, when she needed him and came to him for comfort, not sex.

Minji looked up at Jin, and as soon as she had pushed the thoughts of having done something wrong away, her heart began beating with gratefulness and major respect for him. There was no denying he was sufficiently aroused and only a breath away from caving in to it, but he had somehow mustered the control to stop.