A Star That Does Not Leave the Night Sky - Twenty-Eighth Night

Hakyeon blinks, his eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness of their living room as his head throbs painfully in response to the twins' piercing cries and Jaehwan's distress. He holds his sloshing head, praying to God that his brains wouldn't fall out of his ears as he waits for Leona to take care of the kids while he firgured out why he was on the couch, at home, and who put the blanket over him. He was at a company dinner and drinking party just a moment ago . . . then he ordered the strongest shot in the house . . . then a waiter had panicked when he drank it . . . then . . . then? And his head throbs and sloshes around more as the cries don't stop. Staggering to the wall, he braces himself and calls for Leona. 

"Leona?" No answer. 

Damn. His head hurt.

"Leona?" Where the heck is she?

Feeling his stomach flopping like a fish out of water, he gropes the wall for the bathroom door, noticing that the light inside was on while getting annoyed at the doorknob that kept dodging him. "Leona--" he was about to knock, but is surprised as he nearly falls into the bathroom because the door wasn't truly shut. And he almost trips over her as he reached for the faucet to empty his bowels. And his stomach stops flopping, tightening with fear as he immediately sobers up; Leona was collapsed on the floor.

Dropping to his knees, he roughly shakes her shoulder and places a palm on her forehead; she was burning up. Cursing under his breath, he picks her up and sets her on the couch where he had lain just minutes ago. He wraps the blanket around her form before shrugging out of his blazer and wrapping that around her, too. He shakes her again. "Leona!"

"Hak . . . yeon?" she rasps, trying to sit up. The kids . . . Hakyeon, the kids-- "The kids--" And she struggles against his hold as he presses her down with one arm. "The kids--" When did he get so strong?

"They're fine," he says, still pushing her down. "They'll be fine--but what about you?" He uses his free hand to fumble with his bluetooth, but drops it. Biting back a curse, he sets his phone to speaker and dials for someone.

"I'm fine--"

"Hi, Taekwoonie--"

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Her brother's soft growl comes from the device. "I have schedules in a few hours--"

"Leona's sick, can you--" --come watch the kids? 

"I'll be there. Get her to a doctor." Doot. Doot.

"Hakyeon, I'm fine--the kids--" Leona protests as Hakyeon sits on her and looks for the nearest open clinic on his phone. "Hak--"

And he kneels on the floor with his back to her as she finally pushes herself up.

"Hakyeon-ah--"

"Get on, cat."

"I'm fine--put me down!" Feebly, she hits his chest and struggles as he lifts her.

"The kids will be fine. Uncle Leo is on his way." Cracking his neck to one side, he drops her back onto the couch, rearranging the blanket and his blazer before turning and offering his back once more. "Either let me piggy back you like gentleman Cha Hakyeon or get carried like a spoiled princess by daddy Cha Hakyeon. Choose." He turns a bit to look at her, his eyes narrowing. "Choose."

Not much of a choice. Leona sighed. Being stubborn would make things harder for both of them, since you'd have a better chance at winning an argument with a wall than with Hakyeon when his eyes and tone were like that. Sighing again, she climbs on and loosely wraps her arms around his long neck and shoulders as pain attacks her body. Struggling to stay conscious as Hakyeon rises with a grunt, she rests her cheek against his left shoulder; he still reeked of alcohol. Neither of them were heavy drinkers, but lately he'd been coming home later . . . and tonight wasn't the first time that his boss had called her to collect him . . . Maybe it was her fault . . . Hakyeon-ah, I'm sorry--

"Leona, don't you dare even start with that again--"

I'm sorry that you have so much to do because of me-- She shivers as the cold, late-night wind whips at her face.

"Leona, hang on--we're almost there--"

Hakyeon'd gotten a lot more stubborn--physically and mentally . . . But he'd also been growing distant from her, since she'd rarely see or talk to him, even on his days off . . . he was changing, and that something was still eating away at him--

"Leona--"

Leona sits on the edge of their bed, staring off into space while numbly combing through her hair with her fingers as her brother and soulmate tucked the kids in. Why was she so useless now? Was it even just now, or always-- She jumps a little as a pair of tan arms wrap around her waist.

"Don't," he pleads softly, burying his face in her hair. "Don't look at me. And don't you dare think about how useless you are or of apologizing when it's my fault. And don't--"

Eyes stinging now, she reaches behind her to lightly muss his mane; it is still damp with sweat from running to a nearby clinic with her on his back. "Hakyeonie . . ."

"Don't scare me like that ever again," his voice breaks. "And don't--"

Leona hangs her head as he sobs, absent-mindedly patting the trembling arms that tightly held her as her own tears slid down. I guess we were too young . . . I'm sorry, Hakyeon-ah.

"Cat . . . don't wait for me, OK? I . . . I've received my notice of service."

// END - Twenty-Eighth Night

20150330 - moving along to the conclusion~ 2 more chapter, and maybe an epilogue~~ short segway into the closing chapters in this story ^^

Recap - Leona is sick, and Hakyeon is leaving for his military duties.