introducing my love - skz af

twenty-one

Felix had Shinhye's face cupped in her hands, his thumbs steadily wiping the tears off of her face while she started her story.

"You remember how I told you," she had to pause mid sentence to take a breath, the air wavering as she tried to keep her voice steady, "i left America because my parents didn't want to stay anymore?"

"Mhm" Felix hummed in response, dropping his hands to her forearms now that the tears had ceased.

"That was only partly true, they didn't want me to stay there anymore because being there triggered the trauma"

Her boyfriend felt his heart clench at the word trauma, so incredibly sad that the love of his life went through something traumatic and he couldn't protect her.

"When I was-" her face scrunched for a moment as she strained to remember the details, and the tears welling back up in her eyes told Felix that she was getting to the important part.

He pulled her closer as he prepared, whispering quiet words about taking all the time she needed.

"I was 17" she nodded, confident in her memory.

"It was my junior year, and the fire alarm went off while I was in Anatomy class. We all evacuated,  because it wasn't uncommon to have drills in the spring like that"

He rubbed soft circles on her skin while took a breath to continue.

"The classroom was kinda in the middle of the school so it took us longer to get out, and I-" her words started wavering again, but she kept pushing, "I felt the heat as we got out and i think that's when i realized it wasn't a drill"

He nodded along as she spoke, silently encouraging her and giving her as much time as she needed.

"So we got out and our class was gathered right next to Jewel's class, you know my best friend, the one who's baby we took care of"

Felix nodded, letting her know he understood who she was talking about, and he felt nervous even though he obviously knew nothing too bad happened to Jewel since she was still alive and had a kid.

"Um that was actually the only class we didn't have together, and I tried to find her after the teacher called role, but she wasn't there. Everyone else in her class was accounted for, but nobody knew where she was"

Felix tensed slightly, knowing that whatever came next wasn't going to be good.

"I- I knew it wasn't a good idea, she was probably just with another class or in the wrong spot but I just panicked and I- I couldnt lose her"

Her words started running together, coming out fast as if she were trying to justify her actions, although to her boyfriend or herself, neither knew.

"I- I went back in"

He almost gasped at the sentence, not expecting her to say something so dramatic. Running in to burning buildings to save someone was something Felix was sure only happened in movies or dramas.

"I don't regret it, she was there. She was still in there, and she was unconscious by the time I found her. Felix she could have-"

A choked sob left her mouth and she couldn't force herself to say the word.

"If i didn't go back in-"

She stopped herself again and she sat in silence for a while, calming herself down again before she could wrap up her story.

"We both had to stay in the hospital for a while because of the smoke we took in and some second degree burns, her longer than me, honestly I don't even remember what happened in the building, just the before and the after, but the nightmares try and fill in the gaps for me"

He pulled her in to a tight hug as she let out a bitter chuckle at her brain. He was squeezing her so tight its a miracle she could even breathe still, but it was exactly what she needed at the moment, and they stayed like that for longer than either realized, only pulling apart at the sound of someone calling them down for dinner.

They ignored the call, sending a quick 'we'll be down in a little bit, start without us' text as they stayed wrapped up in each other.

"Thank you for telling me" he whispered softly in her ear while she layed against his chest.

"Thank you for listening and giving me time"

They ended up falling asleep like that, both needing the comfort after the serious topic.

Jisung found them like that an hour later when he brought some porridge for Shinhye, smiling to himself before taking the blanket off of their bed and covering them in it, propping a pillow under their head in attempts to make the uncomfortable floor a little more comfortable for the two.

He turned their light off as he left, going back to His room to coo about how cute they were to Yeona.

Zie laughed at his antics before pulling him down onto their own bed to cuddle zir.

"Okay I love that you love them, and I know they were adorable, but im cute too. And im still sick so I expect you to make over me now"

He laughed at zir neediness, but happily obliged.

By the next morning some of the girls were feeling a little better, and Shinhye and Felix had woken up earlier than the others , thanks to their early bed time the night before, and had made some light breakfast for the girl's sensitive stomachs.

Thankfully the producers had cancelled the challenge for that day because of their health, and they had figured they would be able to make an episode out of the content of the boys taking care of their sick significant others.

So they all spent the day lounging around the house, the boys getting some much needed rest after their busy schedules, and the girl's getting rest they needed to further expel the food poisoning out of their system.

YOOOOO IM SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED IN A WHILE BUT WE HIT 2K VIEWS LIKE ??? HOW BUT UM YAYYYY WE FINALLY GOT THE ANSWER TO THE CLIFFHANGER !!!