Eyes Full Of Stars || Park Sunghoon

63 ¦ HOME

"Lola," Sunghoon's voice snaps me out of the thoughts circling in my head. Only now do I realize I'm lying there transfixed. I return his worried look and press my lips tightly together. "I'm sorry, I was just- my mind wandered," I whisper, looking at the scarring.

He could have been dead if the bullet had penetrated him. All of this would never have existed, and it's all because my father is a selfish, aggressive monster.

Sunghoon sinks into the mattress beside me and wraps his arm around my body, pulling me against his warm chest. "Let's stay like this for a while, okay?" he murmurs, placing a kiss on my temple. He runs his fingers tenderly up and down my arm to soothe me. I nod in agreement and rest my head on his steadily rising and falling chest.

With my eyes closed, I listen to the heartbeat of the man I married today and will love for the rest of my life. "What were you thinking about just now?", Sunghoon wants to know, gently stroking my head.

I swallow hard, because the answer is probably about the most unromantic thing I could have thought of. "The day you got that scar," I confess to him anyway, again grabbing at the scarring on his skin from the graze. "I don't think I've ever felt as helpless and scared as I did that day. You shouldn't have gotten in the way, then this wouldn't have happened. I thought you were dying, Hoon..."

"Lola," he murmurs, wrapping his arm around me a little tighter so that I'm pressed closer to his chest. "It's all good... We survived that day. Your father is in prison; he no longer has the power to bully or hurt you or Teresa and your mother. I wouldn't let that happen." Sunghoon is right, as he often is. My father is in prison to pay for all that he did to us.

My mother has already filed for divorce and will take back her maiden name to remove any possible trace of my father from her life. I'm really proud of her.

"I love you, Lola," Sunghoon murmurs, kissing my lips. "Let's go to sleep, we have a long car ride tomorrow," Sunghoon murmurs as he disengages from me again. Tomorrow we're going to Santiago de Compostela where Sunghoon and I will spend our honeymoon in a chalet.

Then we both get ready for bed and when we are finally both back in bed not twenty minutes later, I snuggle back against his chest. I breathe in his pleasant, familiar scent and close my eyes with a smile on my lips as Sunghoon gently strokes my brown hair. Slowly, I drift off further and further until I eventually sink into a deep, restful sleep.

TimeSkip:

The following morning we are up early again. While Sunghoon heaves our last suitcases into the trunk, I have already sat down in the car and fastened my seat belt. "Are you excited?" he asks as he starts the engine and glances over his shoulder as we pull out of the garage, occasionally squinting at me.

Originally, Sunghoon and I didn't plan to go on our honeymoon, but Eun-Ji and Leela got together and booked us a chalet anyway. And although the long car ride will certainly be exhausting and we will have to take several breaks due to my pregnancy, I am still looking forward to it. After all, this is our first vacation together as a couple.

"Yes," I answer thus and nod affirmatively. "And you?" "I'm happy too," he replies with a satisfied smile on his lips. Since it's so early in the morning, there's not a lot of traffic, so we make good time and, after barely twenty minutes, we leave Madrid behind and find ourselves on the highway.

Every now and then, some sports cars overtake us, whereupon Sunghoon merely shakes his head, snorting softly. "Why are you driving so slowly?", I ask jokingly. The highway is absolutely empty and yet, even though I know full well that this car can go faster, Sunghoon maintains a leisurely pace.

"We're in no hurry," he replies with a shrug, not taking his eyes off the endless stretch of road ahead. "Besides, I want to get my wife and unborn child to our destination accident-free," Sunghoon adds.

"That was sweet," I confess, leaning my head back and fixing my green eyes straight ahead as well. After a nearly six-hour car ride with several breaks and minor traffic jams, we finally arrive at our destination.

"I can get the suitcases later," Sunghoon says, tired from the long car ride. "There's no hurry," I agree and wrap my arms around his neck, standing on tiptoe and stretching my neck to place my lips on his. Smiling, he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him to return the kiss.

"Let's go inside for now," I finally add, breaking away from him again. The chalet looks exactly like in the pictures; she is in a very rural style. Both the floor and the walls are made of wood. There is large fireplace in the living room, but the sofa is facing out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that stretch across the entire back wall, offering a beautiful view of the city and the mountains.

"This is where I would love to live," I gush, standing in front of the window. I gaze in wonder at the view. The air is very different from Madrid and the view is simply breathtaking. Sure, they are not high mountains like in Switzerland, but they are still mountains.

Next week is Christmas. In Madrid, it will hardly snow until then. The last time I had snow at Christmas was ages ago. Still, I'd be happy to finally see some snow again. If not in Madrid, then maybe here.

"We should go shopping tomorrow morning," Sunghoon announces from the open kitchen adjoining the living room, glancing into the empty refrigerator. At least we have some sandwiches from the trip for tonight. That should be enough.

Sunghoon slips his shoes off his feet and puts his hand to the back of his neck, contorting his face in pain and circling his head a little. He then sits down on the sofa, interlacing his fingers behind his head and closing his tired eyes. A relieved sigh escapes his lips. "Long car rides are not for me," Sunghoon says more to himself than to me.

Anyway, he doesn't seem to expect an answer from me, because he changes the subject directly. "Let's have breakfast tomorrow morning in the town we passed through on the way here."

Also exhausted, I sit down next to Sunghoon and lean my head against his shoulder. Normally, I really don't mind long car rides, but since my pregnancy, it's been different. I would love to go for a walk for a few more laps, but at the same time I feel way too exhausted.

Hardly noticeably Sunghoon places his hand on my belly. Gently, he strokes my little baby ball while breathing a kiss on my cheek. "I felt him again earlier," I tell him, smiling and turning my face in his direction.

Sunghoon lifts his head and looks at me. His brown eyes sparkle and his lips form into a smile before he approaches my stomach. "And when does Appa get to feel you, you little midget?" asks Sunghoon of our unborn child.

Concentrating, he lets his flat hand wander over my belly, tapping it lightly here and there with his fingertips, but nothing happens. "He's probably tired for once," I suspect, and I'm about to rise again when I notice a kick that's a little stronger than usual. I immediately look at Sunghoon, who returns my gaze with widened eyes.

"Did you feel it?", I ask him excitedly. He nods hastily and spreads little kisses on my belly. "I love you, little dwarf," he says, addressing our unborn child, before sitting up and looking deep into my eyes. "And I love you," he adds, kissing my lips softly.

Smiling, I pull him closer to me so that his body touches mine. Since we're both pretty exhausted, though, not much else happens that night, and after Sunghoon gets a blanket from the bedroom, we snuggle close and pull the blanket over our bodies. It doesn't take long for both of us to fall asleep.