1) things you said at 1 am
MEME. | Prompts.Status: Accepting !
He’s squeezing her—it’s an action that’s normally commonplace, right there with the brushing as frequent as his lips brushing against her neck, or better yet—covering her own. A sense of longing washes over her, her mind drifting back to lazy days, filled with soft touches and whispers, their days boundless and full of potential, just like them.
She tries to relax in his restrictive embrace, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, evenly, as if she’s asleep.
She nudges him, an involuntary smile appearing on her lips as he grunts in response, loosening his the hold just enough so that she can turn and face him, the bright blue of his eyes immediately taking her in, temporarily halting her breath.
He’s just so damn beautiful.
“Qīn’ài de,” she begins, pushing on, a skill learned gradually with time. She touches his cheek, thumb brushing carefully over the apple. For a moment, she delights in the softness of his skin, eyes staring deeply into his, her words momentarily halted. “You need to sleep.” She barely gives him enough time to protest. She’s not in the mood to fight—she just wants to be heard. It’s too early to push for more, her constant craving for it aside.
“I’m not going anywhere, okay? Not again.” She holds her gaze despite herself, the emotions that come with her sacrifice too much for her to bear, intuition screaming at her to advert her gaze, to take another breath, to push it down—anything to temper the intensity of her words.
She no longer likes to hide anything from the man she loves, the man she died for five years ago, an action she’s happy to repeat over and over. Death didn’t belong to Kai—it belonged to her and her alone, grabbing her by the throat since childhood. Although she regrets nothing about her actions, she knows that he does—the guilt he carries that renders him loose skin, soggy bones, and chapped lips—ones that silently mouth spell after spell in an effort to protect her, to do what he couldn’t, not in that moment.
It happened too damn fast.
“There’s no need for you to constantly watch over me.” She leaves the sentiment there, deciding it best to leave out how weak she feels, how much his babying annoys her. She finds it insulting. She didn’t die foolishly, she made a choice, held true to both her nature and her word.
Their children couldn’t lose both parents.
It’s a conversation they’ll have to have another time. Tonight is about comfort, reassurance. They can go to war another day.
When Kai opens his mouth to protest once again, she gently silences him, moving up to kiss his forehead before resuming their gaze, his baby blues stealing her oxygen for a second time.
“I’m okay, my love. I promise,” she says, kissing him softly—not to censor him, but because she needs this, they both do. Five years apart felt like centuries—they’re desperate to make up the loss.
“So please, get some sleep?” she begs, once their lips part. She knows there will be pushback on this, and she’s ready for it.
She’ll endure anything as long as he closes his eyes.
“Just try, baby,” she breathes.