radiance | baekhyun

12

if i didn't have to, then why are you here?

she didn't reply to him.

he winced, and her eyes shot up to meet his, searching for the pain and apprehension. searching for anything. baekhyun only looked down, not wanting to meet her in return.

roma continued her task, concealing his wounds in the soft fabric, listening to his unusually unsteady and hard breathing. baekhyun sounded scared, too, the lack of continuity in his intakes of breath implying the heavy and quick rate of his heartbeats.

she finished, still not uttering a word, gathering the things she'd taken out and escaping to the other side of the kitchen to put them back into the cupboard. roma could still hear his breaths, matched with her own.

footsteps echoed. silence surrounded. roma sighed quietly.

scrunched her eyes and bravely turned around, slowly but surely.

"baekhyun?"

clear voice punctured the silenced atmosphere.

roma walked a few steps forward. one foot after the other. keeping her gaze upward.

he stared at her.

she stopped. stood in front of him.

she brought a quivering hand up to remove the stray strands of hair that had fallen over his face, stuck to his forehead, obscuring his vision.

roma gasped again at the parts she'd missed, seeing the large, dark purple bruise puffing the skin around his eye, the painful, scarlet cut still open and sore, a trickle of blood dried down the side of his cheek.

roma acted quickly, forgot what she wanted to say, grabbing the cloth again and letting the cold water drench it, the tap water gushing and hitting the bottom of the metal sink. baekhyun didn't protest, watched her intently as she squeezed some of the water out.

she decided that she hated, more than anything, seeing him like this, so unthreatening and so broken, so that she had to take charge and be the one to take care of him this time.

his strong arms were damaged and scarred, shaking from the impact, unable to hold himself up.

ridding the cloth of its heavy dampness, roma cupped one hand upon the side of his face, keeping him in line with her. she quickly brought the towel up; began to dab at the gushing cut, fading the blood into a paler colour of cerise.

he winced, eyes squeezing shut.

"sorry," roma apologised. she really was.

"it's fine," he mumbled.

she choked back the tears.

roma continued, wiping away the remnants of his mysterious and unknown actions. gentle touches soothed his aching entirety, her caressing hand relieving him of his most recent, dark memories. he tried to focus on her only; observed her fumbling yet sharp and careful movements with an air of curiosity overpowering the pain from his bruises.

emptiness encompassed the small kitchen once again.

don't cry.