SeVen Uncaged :The Second Chapter

Every Winter Has Its Spring

“Thank god you’re awake.” He breathed as though he could finally relax, hands quickly getting to work at brushing up and down your arms and back to create friction under the blanket.

“Y-Yeah..” You shivered relentlessly, the haze in your head beginning to clear as pins and needles stabbed at your limbs and licked at your nerves. “What happened?”

Hoseok stilled, his shaking hands clutching you tighter to him. It wasn’t until you glanced up into his tearful eyes that you realized he was shaking as bad as you were shivering, fear creasing his brow. 

“I was cooling off by the lake,” he swallowed, his voice quivering just enough to be noticeable. “I heard you yelling. At first, I couldn’t tell from where, but then you called again. I looked up and—” He swallowed once more, his pupils tight and small as if reliving a nightmare. “I looked up and you were on the ice. You were yelling but I could hear it, the ice cracking under your feet. I tried to yell to stop you, but you disappeared right in front of me. Fell right through the ice so fast, I thought—”

You reached up to brush away the tears that were beginning to slide down his pinkish cheeks, gently whispering, “shhh, I’m okay, it’s okay.” You could scarcely believe his story at first, but as he continued to talk, the fear crept back into you in waves.

“I broke a new hole to get you out as fast as I could, but you weren’t breathing, and then I could hear your heart slowing down.. I found this cabin, but I kept losing you.. I didn’t know if every time you fell asleep if you were going to wake up.” Hoseok sniffed, burying his face in your neck as tears flowed freely. Tears filled your own eyes while you hugged him as tight as your aching limbs would allow, words failing you as you both laid there in silence, clutching at each other like if either of you let go, the other would disappear.

You weren’t sure how many minutes or hours passed like that with only soft breaths, snapping fire, or distant howling to fill the near catatonic void. You were in your own world, the events of the day replaying and replaying in your mind while your heart raced. 

You had come so close to death, you could feel it looming over you like a shadow. Only Hoseok’s presence reminded you that you were alive; the soft tickle of his tail against your leg, or the warmth burning through his skin to yours. At some point you had become absently aware of the fact that he was also bare beneath the flannel blanket or the fact that your hips were pressed unabashedly against his belly, but you didn’t comment on it, letting the peaceful bubble engulf you instead.

The cabin grew to be uncomfortably warm, sweat beginning to form on both yours and Hoseok’s skin, though you didn’t dare move. Didn’t dare break the safety net he had created. You wondered if he had fallen asleep while you slowly rubbed your hand up and down the length of his spine, feeling the silken smoothness and the bends and curves of his hidden muscles. You shifted your leg to escape the tickle of his tail, accidentally brushing your thigh against his hip. Your breath hitched, startled by the intimate sensation.

When he didn’t move, you swallowed down the lump in your throat and tried to settle your leg back down without disturbing him. 

Hoseok smelled of clove and pine, a scent heady to your senses as you nestled against him, all too aware of his hot breath fanning over your neck in gentle patterns as the smell of embers coated both of your bodies. You hugged him closer, rubbing circles into his back with a small exhale yourself.

“Y/n..” His voice rumbled against your pulse, so quiet, yet so loud in the silence that it sent shivers down your spine. “You smell like..” He didn’t continue his words, letting them fade into a thick silence.