O1. rekindle

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"jeongguk?"

"aki, can i stay at yours tonight? there are some people, uh, waiting outside mine."

"you don't need to call, you know. let me know when you're here. i'll ring you in."

//

aki's apartment is perched at the base of a hill, tucked away in a small neighborhood between two buzzing cities. it's a small place she bought with the meager amount of money she earned from her morning teaching job at the local elementary school. she's taught three years there (and counting), all while juggling endless college papers and exams.

somewhere along the way, she met a certain jeon jeongguk, a boy frozen to the touch but fiery with determination. he's the chill of a winter night, the gust of wind that catches you off guard, and catch her off guard he did.

he was someone she thought she'd never meddle with. she was a teacher, god damnit, what kind of a positive influence was she, involving herself with someone who threw himself away to alcohol and came to her laced with bruises? of course she didn't tell her students about him, but it didn't help rid of the guilt she felt every morning in class.

she didn't tell anyone about knowing jeongguk, quite frankly. not her parents, not her friends, not her classmates. maybe he was a scar she hid while she was in public's eye because showing it openly meant disgusted stares and condescending eyes. because they'd look at her and think "but she looks nice! but she teaches little kids! but she's smart! what is she doing with him?"

she keeps this scar tucked under the sweater she dons and the scarf she wraps around her neck until the sky darkens to an uncanny shade of black and the moon is the night's sun. it's at night that jeongguk comes to find her, even when she doesn't go looking for him.

when the cell phone on her desk rings at midnight, aki picks it up swiftly, pressing the phone to her ear.

"i'm outside." jeongguk says, his voice hoarse and more tired than usual.

aki exhales, a slow breath that borders on adoration. "okay. i'm ringing you in now." she says, pausing. "are you in the building now?"

"yeah."

when jeongguk approaches aki's door, it's already wide open. aki peers out, watching with soft eyes as he takes rugged strides towards her. there's no glimmer in his eye tonight, replaced with dull ones that scream for sleep.

at least his cheeks aren't dotted with blue and purple and black. for this, aki is grateful.

"hi." she greets breathily, offering him a smile. he does his best to return one, but it never quite comes out as a smile. he slips in past her without a word, his body immediately finding comfort on her couch. she shuts the door behind her before returning to jeongguk. "want a bite to eat?"

"yeah. yeah, that sounds nice."

aki fixes a bowl of noodles for him as he dozes off to the sounds of the television playing in the background. when she wakes him, he seems even more tired than before he slept.

"i can't believe they found me." jeongguk starts even though aki never asks. "again."

"you should stop creating reasons for them to find you, jeongguk. one of these days, they're actually going to catch you."

he looks up at her in the candlelit room. aki watches the flame dance in his eyes. he smirks at her then, opening his mouth to reply. "they won't."

aki frowns but doesn't reply. it was no use fighting with jeongguk anyway, not when he looked so content slurping spoonfuls of noodles and glancing up at her occasionally. it's nights like this that aki finds the most peaceful - candlelight dinners at the dining table, comfortable silences, and no bruises on jeongguk's face.

its times like this that she most wants to run her fingers against the expanse of his cheeks, his shoulders, his hair, and let him know that she'll always be there even if no one else is.

yet. yet, it's not her territory to touch. those things are left to the girls that warm (her) his bed every week and leave the next morning like they never came. aki hates the nights when she opens the door to find not one, but two people standing at her doorstep.

"what are you thinking about?"

aki's eyes flick up. "nothing."

"you can never look me in the eye when you lie, aki." jeongguk chuckles, and aki feels her heart lurch with affection. "i'll always come back, yeah?"

"yeah." she replies softly. "i know you will."

when jeongguk blows out the last candle and mumbles a quiet "g'night" to aki before shuffling into his room, there's a warmth in aki's heart that rekindles itself and won't go out until well into the morning.

//

i didnt want jeongguk to come off so soft in this chapter but i was feeling mushy and cuddly last night so i made him too soft and now i dont like it :(

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