A/N: The sequel to Choice & Consequence nobody wants ~~
Chapter 1 No One
She silently watched the woman sitting at the foot of the bed as she repeatedly folds and unfolds the clothes in front of her. She was very pale and looked tired, noticeably from the dark circles under her eyes, a few strands of her hair had slipped off from her bun and her clothes are slightly wrinkled, probably from sitting for a long time.
She seemed so deep in her thoughts with her eyes focused on the sole picture hanging on the wall of the room, the woman adorned in white is sitting where the man behind her had his head over her shoulder, both were wearing a smile, happy.
She had been standing at the doorway for almost an hour now but the woman still hasn’t notice her.
You changed a lot. Chaeyoung realizes.
Since she arrived last night, she never saw her smile, not really, there’s no crinkling at the corner of her eyes, gone the sparkle from her liquid brown irises. She greeted the guests with respect but her smile was strained, listlessness found in her movements She used to walk with a bounce in her steps, as though she’s floating in air, playing with the wind, dancing. But that’s gone, too.
I can see you smile even when my eyes are close.
Something unpleasant must have crossed the woman’s mind for she starts balling her fists, knuckles turn white as her tight grip is almost choking the helpless piece of clothing.
“How many more times are you planning to fold his clothes?” Chaeyoung decides to get her attention. The woman stiffens, startled at the sudden intrusion; a gasp escapes her mouth as she slowly turns her body towards her direction.
A pair of sad eyes found her leaning back from the bedroom door, she stared long and hard at her, as if reassuring herself that this is not an illusion, that she is real. The woman unclenches her fists.
You’re here. Mina concludes.
She is partly touched that Chaeyoung stayed behind and partly terrified since there’s no avoiding her now. When she arrived last night, Mina felt her resolve crumbling down. Although she has expected their reunion happening all week long, she realizes she is not yet ready to see her again face-to-face.
Air is knocked out from her lungs when the woman greeted with a kiss on her cheek, the gesture typically reserved for family members and seemingly normal to the public’s eyes, her lips lingered a second longer than necessary. Chaeyoung pulls her into a warm embrace.
I’ve been hurt, but you’re here now.
Mina didn’t return the hug, her arms remained stiff on her sides for she doesn’t know how to hold Chaeyoung. Before she could make up her mind on what to do, scolding herself for hesitating, she had moved her body away from hers.
She gave Mina’s arms a light and comforting squeeze, trying to catch her eyes all at the same time. But Mina has already lost her nerve so she purposely evades her gaze. Chaeyoung concedes and went forward to pay her respect to the deceased.
Her perfume stayed though, laced with a mix of strawberry and mint assaulted Mina’s nostrils, went to latch onto her skin and seeps into her bones.
It didn’t make her rest easy, her sleep lost completely.
They never had the chance to be alone, she kept herself busy attending to the guests, and she silently thanked the woman for letting her be. Besides she doesn’t know what to say to her.
I still don’t. Mina surmises.
“Everyone’s gone. I told them you’re already resting when they asked for you.” Chaeyoung shifts her weight and hands her the glass of milk, Mina declines. “How are you holding up?” It was a dumb question Chaeyoung regrets asking the second it slip past her lips.
“To be honest, I don’t know.” Mina’s hands are moving aimlessly over her husband’s suit, palms splayed wide smoothing the fabric over and over, she wishes she could do the same to her scattered feelings. “I’m just tired.” Mina says as an afterthought.
“Do you want me to go?” Chaeyoung doesn’t like the idea of leaving Mina like this but she will understand and respect if she wants her space.
She always respects Mina’s decision.
“How are you?” Mina attempts to lighten the atmosphere and asks, “Married?” Chaeyoung’s mouth curls in sweet amusement.
“I’m not interested in men.” She mentally grades Mina A for her efforts, her poor choice of topic though and timing needs a little more polishing. “You of all people should know this by now.”
Time apparently stood still; the low and steady purr of the air conditioner resounds across the room, there’s a sudden change in the air while the two breathe in unison, charged and somewhat electrified; their own hearts thundering inside their chests brought by the flashes of their night together burning behind their eyelids, unexpected yet welcomed.
Mina is first to break the spell by feigning a coughing fit.
“It’s been what, two years since we last saw each other?” Mina continues. (A/N: She took her sweet time fake recovering)
“Yup.” A beat then Chaeyoung adds, “Well, you’ve been married to Taehyung for two years, three months and six days,” she lifts her shoulders and shrug, “not that I’m counting.”
Mina’s back became rigid at the mention of her husband’s name. Her hand unconsciously rubs over her ring finger. Chaeyoung didn’t dare to ask why she’s not wearing it.
Taehyung. Mina’s already gone, as though time and space has collapsed, pulling her in …
—-
“It’s a no brainer, and why are you acting stupid?! I don’t want you to go out with Sana because I want you home when I get back from work.” Phone disconnects, a made-up excuse, another sorry, a deafening silence spent home alone.
“This soup tastes bland! Can’t you do anything?” Spoon clatters, chair dragged forcefully over the marbled floor, door slams.
“Selfish!” Anger; Pity.
“Cold!” Disgust; Self-loathing.
—
“You know I ruined my marriage?” Mina states a matter-of-factly. She looks at Chaeyoung with wretchedness that pulled at the other woman’s heartstrings, stretches it even more when tears started to pool from Mina’s eyes.
“I couldn’t give him what he wants so he looked for it from somebody else.” Mina rubs the base of her palms to her eyes to keep the tears from spilling. Her face taut, her lips quivering.
Taehyung never failed to express his disappointment on how unresponsive Mina is every time he touches her. His disappointment became disgust over time that he couldn’t even bear to look at her anymore.
A degrading memory of finding her husband in bed with another woman engulfs her afresh, reliving the last fight she had with him, the contempt in his eyes and the spiteful words he had said to her echoes inside Mina’s head.
Her husband never laid a hand on her. But she would have preferred physical pain over everything, for any kind of wound will have a chance to heal, whereas verbal abuse wouldn’t. His words cut deeper, cruel and more painful.
He shattered her confidence into pieces. He made her feel undesirable and worthless. He broke her spirit so much so that Mina believes nothing can ever fix her. Not even time.
Living everyday with him is a nightmare that Mina can’t wake up from, a 24/7 ordeal that’s filled of misery and sorrow. And the only way to endure this torture is for her to learn to numb herself from all the insults and the hatred Taehyung hurls at her. In time, she felt nothing. But she survived.
Then the accident happened. Waves of cold shivers began to roll and ripple through Mina’s body.
“He couldn’t love me.” She hugged herself and begins to rock her body back and forth. “Ours is a loveless marriage.”
An array of emotions rush over her: shame, loss, regret, pain. “H-he couldn’t love me and I stayed.”
She’s feeling so much, so hard and too fast, overwhelming her completely. “W-why did I even stay?”
Mina finally surrenders to her tears.
Chaeyoung rush forward and crouch down before Mina, encasing both of her hands within hers.
“Don’t you ever blame yourself for this. It’s never your fault.” Mina recognized anger from the rough edge in the other woman’s voice and the dark eyes looking straight back at her. “He’s my brother but he’s an asshole.”
“He called me ice princess.” Mina says ruefully. “He said sex with me –.” Chaeyoung cuts her off by pulling her into a tight hug, crashing their bodies together rather harshly.
Her face is buried into the crook of Chaeyoung’s shoulders the latter rests her chin on top of Mina’s head.
“He said I’m frigid.” Mina mutters weakly, her lips tickling the skin on Chaeyoung’s collarbone.
“Stop, Mina.” She shushed and kisses the top of her head. “That’s not true.” Chaeyoung’s fingers stroked softly through Mina’s silky hair, plants one more tender kiss before burrowing her cheeks in them.
——
“This feels good …” Mina hums as she revels in the warmth of Chaeyoung’s body provides. She snuggled closer, her arms on her middle pulls tighter, pressing their bodies even further.
Emboldened by Mina’s reaction, she moves to place a gentle kiss on Mina’s forehead.
“You are beautiful.” Chaeyoung kisses her eyelids, giving both equal adorations.
“You are kind.” Chaeyoung kisses the mole right on the bridge of her nose.
“You are fire.” Chaeyoung kisses the tip of her nose.
You enter a room and it goes up in flames. This Chaeyoung knows is true.
“I can still stop,” She manages to utter in a raspy voice, “… if that’s what you want.”
Hot breaths fan their faces as she kept their noses touching, her eyes are closed shut, afraid to see Mina’s, scared of her possible rejection.
It will kill her to stop, but she values Mina’s consent now more than ever.
But God, don’t tell me to stop.
“Kiss me.” Mina retorts tenderly.
——
Chaeyoung’s mouth descends in slow motion and Mina trembles from anticipation. Once their lips meet in a featherlight touch, she moved her hands that are resting on Mina’s upper arms to her face, her slender fingers thrum carefully along the taller woman’s jawline, its pads tracing circles on her skin, leaving goosebumps on its wake.
Chaeyoung’s lips brushing against her own stirs a host of electric tingles that starts from her mouth and ends on her toes, crawling sweetly, through and through, over her entire body.
Chaeyoung teases her plump lips in a series of sensual little nips and bites, maneuvering their heads with ease for better access.
At this instant, Mina’s rioting hormones are doing all the thinking for her. She impatiently shifts from her seat when desperation and shameless craving enslave her wholly. Deep frustrated moans emerge from her throat when Chaeyoung’s teasing built to an unbearable degree.
Mina wants Chaeyoung’s full sensual mouth on hers right now.
Chaeyoung lifts her head and saw Mina mirrors her desire. She’s breathing ruggedly through her nose, her eyebrows furrowed deep it’s creasing her forehead, her cheeks flushed, skin feverish to touch.
Pleased that this is all her doing, she dives back in and gave Mina what she wants.
A cry escaped Mina’s when Chaeyoung drove her lips apart in a devastating assault of erotic intensity; long, ravishing, drugging kiss that rocked her whole being. Hot tears stung her eyes as she clasps onto Chaeyoung’s shirt tightly, hanging onto her as she feels her heart being wrenched in half.
No one kissed her like this, so hot, so fierce, her lungs are empty she can’t breathe.
No one ever made her feel like this.
Only Chaeyoung.
a t h e n a r e i 