celestial strings | h.js

six.

"What were you thinking?" he asked shakily, still pressing you close to him despite his arms aching from the overuse of muscles. "Wha–what the hell were you doing? You–you can't do that."

Your brows furrowed because you were unsure as to why he acted this way. But then it hit you that he probably wasn't able to see the string across your fingers so his mind just aimed for the worst. You tried to pull away then, to give him an explanation that you knew how to fly, but Jisung refused to let you go as he whined out a panicked sob.

"No, don't! Don–don't," he stuttered, burying his face to your shoulder as he so desperately needed to feel you with him. Starting from your body to your scent, he had to latch onto you to calm himself down. "Please."

You licked our lower lip in a troubled manner. Jisung was really agitated and it was not in his usual energetic way. You found it harder to deal with him when he was like this since it was an unfamiliar sight to you. You never counted on him to be at loss for words, or to be on the verge of breaking down. therefore you opted for best thing you could do for him—you let him hold you until he feels better.

"Jisung, I'm not..." You exhaled carefully. "I'm not trying to do that."

The calming process was slow. You could feel his shoulders heaving slower now, but even then, it seemed like Jisung has no plan of letting you go anytime sooner. And you felt okay with that. You could stay where you were for a while longer.

"You don't have to worry. I promise I am not trying to jump off," you said with your hand on his head, patting him gently to ease him down further.

"Why... why aren't you sleeping? It's so late," he asked with a muffled voice, seeming to slowly relax into your caressing touch.

"I felt a little overwhelmed, Jisung. A lot of things happened recently and my life-style completely changed," you replied. "I just came out to have a breath of fresh air... and to think about things, that is all."

He sniffed, turning his face to press his cheek against your shoulder. You smiled at the softness of it, feeling wet tears staining your skin that made your own rush up to your eyes. You were sure Jisung was the first person to ever cry for you, and that thought touched you more than it baffled you.

"I'm sorry I acted all weird when I found out you are my soulmate, it was not my intention," you confessed to him, feeling the impulsive rush that you needed to do it now when the timing felt right. "I thought the universe made an incompetent choice and I just got a little mad. You have such a good heart, Jisung, and I think you deserve so much better than having me."

Jisung narrowed his eyes, his breathing hitching in his throat. Disbelief riddled his senses—how dare you say that about yourself? You were such a strong individual to have continued even after what has happened to your family and yourself, and you have been so endearing to him with your hidden smiles and playful bickers. If the roles were reversed, Jisung doubted he would survive it.

You don't even know how much he adores you, from your spirit to your presence.

"I'm so sorry," you apologized. "This is all my fault."

"No, it isn't. Nothing is," he mumbled slowly, shaking his head and finally deciding to pull away to look into your eyes. "You just had to find a way to release yourself. I'm not going to blame you for doing that."

Neither was anything that happened to your family. You never chose to be born into that position, neither did you choose that people possess such cruelty against each other. This was all the universe's doing. This was all God's doing, if he even existed. Everything that has happened to you was all just an unfortunate tragedy that he—a cruel man—could have let happen to anyone else or just not happen at all.

"But please give me a heads up next time you do something like that. I love you and seeing that just then scared the hell out of me," Jisung blurted out. And even when he saw how you reacted to his confession, which was to freeze on the spot and stare at him judgementally, he made no attempt to back down.

It was true, he was only being honest. Was it a little too early for him to say that? Perhaps, but what are standards when it comes to human affection, anyway? There is none. There is never any standard. Love is blind and ignorant in the face of time, it has always been. Sometimes you just have to shoot your shot and believe in yourself. Sometimes you just have to trust that you are in love with someone and you will be for eternity.

"Yeah, I said it. I love you! There, I said it again! I love you, and... uhh, yeah! I love you!" Jisung declared, his eyes glimmering with affection when you begin to soften at his antics.

A smile slowly moved up his lips as well, the force he had always felt in his chest magnifying as he looked at you fondly. He wondered what the string looked like now. Would it be vivid with redness? Would it be rich and overflowing with love? Would it become so powerful that it could save a city of people if a hazard occurs?

Jisung has quieted down now. The calmness solidified when he faced you with care. He leaned his torso forward tentatively, hesitation riddled in his movements as he inched closer and closer to you. For a moment, he thought if he didn't change his mind, your lips would touch. But he altered his course of action and bumped his forehead against yours instead. You nudged at him with a hearted huff, smiling.

He closed his eyes to feel your presence. When he spoke again, his voice came out as a whisper.

"I don't want any other soulmate but you."

You didn't know what to say. Words have never been your strong suit, especially when it was a reply to a confession, the sort that Jisung just made so shamelessly. Or screw that, receiving love has never been your strong suit! It was a habit you have unlearnt after the death of your family. How were you supposed to react to someone who throws verbal affection at you? Laugh? Accept it with the same amount of love? You have not a single idea.

But his lashes were wet and there were faint trails of tears down his chubby cheeks. It warmed up a smile on your face. Your heart feeling more cradled than ever at the sight of his vulnerability. Perhaps you were never too good with words, but Jisung would understand, and you felt it was okay to resort to the second best thing you could do.

The second best thing to show that your heart was filled and your loyalty was now tied not only to you but to him as well. Your hand moved up to his face and you stroked the dry line on his soft skin, causing Jisung to glance up at you in surprise. Innocence filled the glimmer of his eyes while his mouth went agape at the unexpected action. He has only seen your gaze so celestial like this when you thought no one was looking; bright, loving, filled with the tender light of each star visible in the sky.

He squeezed his eyes tightly in one bashful swift when you leaned forward to plant a featherlight kiss on his brow, somewhere close to his temple and the corner of his eyes.

"Thank you," you said as you pulled away.

Jisung's eyes flickered around his surroundings, his cheeks fluttering with a nice pinkness your friendly kiss sent him. He hadn't got the time to think properly. He could only remember how soft your lips felt and how, surely, the spikes in his chest has pierced through his heart happily from that brief moment.

His heart will bleed for you, he just knows it. He could suffer for you, but the suffering would be kind and gentle, because he had done it for you.

"Of–of course..." He lowered his head, a wide smile hidden.

If it wasn't for Jisung, you would probably be laying on a rooftop somewhere, stargazing freely and flying without a care in the world. It was good back then, you enjoyed the freedom. Now, you could almost safely say you have a place to go back to. You have someone who would look out for you, someone who would cry for you, someone who sits under the night sky and hold your hand until you both get too tired.

Now, you have Jisung.

It was good back then, and it was much better now.