Fingertips on her skin, rough and calloused, drag themselves down her cheek as a voice breathes in her ear. A leer that curls into disgust around her spine.

“So soft -” it hums. “Pity, I’d have to cut you up.” The fingers that curl around her chin pulls her face to light - in the streams of dusty sunlight she recognizes the eyes that burn with blackest of flames. Tae - back from the shadows to torment her.

“Let me go!” Pleads her own voice, out of place and context, the ghost of her past laughs at her.

“Pathetic,” he spits, back handing her as he speaks. A blade sears against her skin tearing its way through the soft fabric of her summer dress, and she gasps as the blood trickles along her arm.

“Please - it hurts, please…what are you trying to do?”

He shadows her, overpowers her struggle - in this twisted reality, her arms and legs feel like lead, she screams when he touches her, when his breath - reeking of booze, burns against her throat.

“Don’t act naive,” his voice rasps, his teeth scraps along her throat. “You’ve done a lot more than this with So -” His fingers fist and tug her hair, exposing her throat, fingers brushing against her collarbone. “And when I’m done with you - your little lover would flinch before touching you again -”

She knees him in the loin and he doubles back with pain, groaning, cursing, swinging his knife. Then he turns into Wook, with ice in his glare, softer hands cupping her face.

“Oh sweetheart -” he coos, “You’re all bloody. It doesn’t have to be this way. Don’t make me hurt you.” Each hurt he causes, each jab of pain is followed by an apology, he hums in her ear, breathing her worst fears. “He loves you no more. Look what you’ve done…”

He takes her by elbow, and pushes her to the light. In a cluster of glass, Tae lies dying. “You killed his brother - put blame on him.”

“No!” She mutters to herself, hands clamped against her ears. “No!”

“It’s okay darling -” he stands in front of her, gently prying her hands away, eyes gleaming with malice. “I understand. You’ve been so good to me - I’m here for you. Don’t get any silly ideas now -”

His hands smudge the blood against her skin, looking at her like a predator, too close, too dangerous.

“Red is becoming on you,” he whispers. “And you look best when you are at my mercy...”

“No - don’t touch me. No!”

“Ha Jin - ah?” His voice is as gentle as his lips pressing against her brow, her eyes flutter between sleepy haze and the warmth that beckons her gradually to reality. “It’s a dream - love, wake up now. Wake up.” His nose nudges against the line of her jaw, up her cheek as he speaks softly.

The dusk has deepened to night and in the distance waves crash against the shore. Sheets rustle when So moves to pull her against him, skin to skin, so that she could feel his heart thumping underneath her with a steady supply of life and hope. It’s not Tae - she tells herself, eyes closed and borrowing into his warmth, inhaling the earthy spice that she associates with no one but So. It is not Wook, the hands that run along her spine are not as smooth as a surgeon’s. This is not that house, where her uncle keeps her locked, nor the Hae manor. They had avoided them to come here, partly to keep away from people who would come trying to drag her back when they realize she is gone and partly because Yo had wanted to meet in a less conspicuous place. She recalls So’s words from the evening at the beach, “this is where Aboji meets his acquaintances, no spies, no cameras - you know the drill.” There is no one apart from them.

So picks up her hand, fingers entwined with his and drags his mouth against her knuckles.

“You are cold -” he murmurs, gathering her closer before his fingers slide down to fiddle against the bandage around her wrist. “You need to change this - it’s all wet.”

Of cause they should have been more careful at the pool earlier, she thinks absentmindedly as heated memories of the dancing silver lights that are so similar to those at his house back in the city filter across her sleepy mind. But then, what he had really meant settles on her conscious. Her eyes snap open, just as his fingers starts to roll off the bandage.

“No - So - wait!”

His eyes flicker into hers though his fingers do not stop. Something dark and wolfish shifts in his orbs, reminding her of Gwangjong, daring her to utter another lie.

“I know it’s not a sprain - Ha Jin - ah,” he tells her simply. “I know it when you lie.” She holds her breath as the last flimsy layer of dressing falls away, revealing the jagged line running across the supple skin of her forearm, half healed yet still deep and tender enough for him to imagine its original damage. He presses his lips together, eyes hard and cold and says nothing.  

She reaches out to him with her other hand, fearful of another lie pushing them apart, her throat dry her heart pounding, she lies a palm against his cheek and waits, wishing to go back and undo the moment when she told him she had twisted her wrist. His larger hand covers hers, holding it against his face, as he turns sideways to press a reverent kiss on her palm. Still he says nothing.

“So - yah,” his name is silent on her lips as she moves closer enough to share his breath. “So - yah, look at me.”

“In your dreams - does he do this to you?” His voice is quiet and drowned by her shuddering exhale, he feels the tremor that passes down her spine vibrate along his own body as she presses closer. “And you were going to keep this to yourself? Am I worth it, Ha Jin - ah? Am I worth going through so much?”

Her head is heavy against his shoulder and he feels the trickling moisture of tears escaping her eyes. She makes no sound as she cries, another aspect of Ha Jin that they had stolen from him. The girl he thought was unbreakable - they had broken her, the girl who had laughing eyes - cries, letting her shoulders fall, burying her face in the curve between his neck and shoulder, she gives up trying to fight her demons. He rubs her back in silence, huming in her ear - a tune from their memories - half forgotten. She had done it for him countless times in the past and he wishes she finds it as soothing as he had done then. 

“I couldn’t lose you,” she whispers against his skin, her lips dragging over the flutter of his pulse. “I wouldn’t have survived.”

“Would I?” He asks. “Would I - knowing the price you’ve paid?”

“You don’t know..” she lets her voice trail of, soaked with the memories of her terror. “You were dying in my arms, and I was helpless - as I always was. I couldn’t stop them from hurting you. I couldn’t -” She swallows hard and lifts her head to hold his gaze, passion stirs within her - equal portions of heat and love, in its intensity and potency the emotion scares her no more. “I’d do it again. If the price of another five minutes with you is a lifetime with another I’d -”

He cuts her off with a searing kiss, heated and messy - urgent and full of need. The taste of him overwhelms her and she whimpers into his mouth, a hand at the back of his head, pressing him closer as his tongue swirled in lingering exploration. He thinks back to the near panic attack she had back at the trial room, the fear swimming in the depths of her eyes at the beach, how she had shivered at being exposed to him in the pool - thinks of her thrashing in his arms drowning in her nightmares, calling his name - pleading for help. Yo had simply wanted him to ask her about Tae, he had planned all this to gently remind her of those lost dark hours, close that terrible chapter forever before they could begin anew. However, having her in his arms, clinging as if he was her lifeline, fragile and broken had changed his priorities. He feels guilty for pushing her at the slightest towards the darkness she is so weary of.

He presses his lips to her temple once they break apart, and lowers her gently back to the pillows.

“I was rough on you didn’t I?” He muses, stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers. He wonders if that’s what resurfaced the thoughts of his brothers, if she had felt cornered, compelled. “I wanted you so badly - that I’m afraid I lost control. You must know - surely you must, that you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to. You know that you could stop me - say no, anytime right?” He brushes a strand of hair behind her ear and lets his fingers trail down until her own hand snatches his, dragging it over her throat.

“I wanted it no other way,” she confesses. “I wanted rough, I wanted to lose my mind, forget everything but you. I wanted to make sure this is no dream. That he won’t come again and drag me back to that -” her words die, her hands smoothing over his sculpted chest trembles.”They gave me something So. They forced me to drink it. Chae Ryung mixed it into the water. I knew, I could taste it - everything used to go dark afterwords. I’d be asleep but not asleep, I’d hear things but couldn’t get up. Somebody was pacing in the room - I - I,” the memory chokes her, and she rubs her throat, her breath uneven. “I felt so lonely - there was no one I could trust, I thought I was going crazy. Then Wook would do twisted things - blame them on me.” Her eyes flickered towards the half healed cut. “I didn’t break that glass, he hit me with it.” She presses her eyes together and tears drain away. “If it was me the cut should be on my palm.” When she looks in to his eyes, her gaze is fearful. “I’m not going crazy am I?”

“No love, you are not.”

“How can you be so sure?” She demands in a broken voice. “They say I’m making things up. They’ve been saying it for so long. How did you know where to find me, anyway?”

“Jung called me.”

Her eyebrows rise, eyes wide in surprise. He dips his head to smooth way the creases between her brows with his lips.

“He was there at your house - and he saw Wook threatening you and asked me how further I’m planing to stoop. If I could live knowing what I’ve put you through, by seducing you and jeopardizing your future or whatever the media and Wook say these days. I don’t think he believes I love you as much as you do. Or if I deserve someone as pure as you…after everything I’ve supposedly done.”

She heaves a shuddering breath, eyes peacefully closed.

“You are really here,” She murmurs. I’m not seeing things. We are really going away.” Her eyes snap open. “Why is there no one here apart from us?”

“I’ve sent the staff away,” he cradles her against him and says. “They’ll return in the morning. Do you want me to call them back?”

“They are not here.” She repeats blankly. “It’s not because I’m dreaming it up…”

“Ha Jin - ah!” He cups her face and presses her forehead against his. “Stay with me - please! Please -!”

His own voice shudders when a broken sob escapes her.

“I don’t want to marry him!” She sobs, broken words washing over him. “He reminds me of Tae. I don’t want him touching me - I - don’t want him hurting you. I’ve tried - I’ve tried so hard but I can’t do it anymore. I can’t stop him. He is going to kill me. I thought you’d hate me - he kept saying it. Every day, every night - until I believed it myself. That I killed Tae that you would despise me when you’d know. I felt - I felt alone.” She shivers and his arms tightens around her, she clings to him herself, her fingers clawing at his back. “I thought I could do it. That having you in my heart would be enough - but I can’t. I want you too much. I -”

She reaches up and kisses him, frantic and famished. He pulls away to look at her, entwining their fingers, he brings her hand to rest against his heart.

“I’ve always been yours.” she drops her hand as she reaches in to kiss the base of his throat. “Ha Jin - ah,” he pulls her away with a groan. “Be mine in the same way.”

“Huh?”

His hands slide up her arms, over her shoulders and down her back.

“Show me your scars - tell me about every time I wasn’t there. Let me share your burden like you’ve done with mine. Tell me about Tae. Tell me about Wook. Tell me about ghosts that keep you awake. Tonight tell me everything. Collapse into me, tonight - I promise I’ll never let you fall again.”