Title: five things you know and the one thing you don't Author: s— Pairing: SpartAce Theme: #27 — overflow Disclaimer: This work is purely fictional and does not imply any actual relationship or events of any real life counterparts. Traditional RPG-setting AU. Warrior Jong Kook and former-Assasin Ji Hyo, also featuring the rest of RM cast. See author's note for details.

 

first. he touches you and you light on fire. your wrist blazes where his fingers meet your skin. the burns don’t show, but it’s hard to breathe with ash in your lungs. it’s so hard to breathe. you’re suffocating daily.

 

It’s the most innocent of touches that hurt her the most. She knows he doesn’t, he couldn’t mean anything by it but some part of her blindly grasped onto that what if maybe. She liked to squash those feelings where they stood for her own good. But the way he absentmindedly leans into her when all of them are crowding around the fire, when he gives her hand an extra squeeze when she’s worried, it feels like fire her skin— she lets herself burn.  

He fusses and wraps bandages around her legs with the utmost care, under her stubbornness to not go to a healer for such a minor wound. His fingers brush against her bare skin by accident. She flinches.

“Sorry, did that hurt?” he asks, apologetic.

It’s hard to get the words out when his touch is searing into her skin and she thinks she is swallowing ash the way feels painfully dry. It’s all she could do to nod slowly. His hands are more than capable of ripping more than bandages, she knew. They are the seasoned hands of a warrior, bloodied and hard, but as he ties the bandages in a cute little bow she thinks of how warm and protective he feels against her. Too warm in fact, she is almost surprised there are no red burn marks where his hands had been. She wants to scream because she feels too much and not enough at all, but instead ash and glass run down when Jong Kook gets up and holds her arm so that she may tentatively take a step.

 

 

second. it hurts to watch him. he shines. he’s brighter than the sun, he’s too beautiful for your eyes. it’s hard to look at him. it’s even harder to look away from him. you’re going blind.

 

Ji Hyo isn’t blind. Whenever they passed through the town to stock up on supplies, she was well aware of the stares that Jong Kook received. She too had wondered on a few occasions what he looked like under his leather armor and the tease of skin on his neck and well toned arms certainly did not help at all. (The light practically shining from his pecs on that one hot day really, really did not help.)

How many times had she found her gaze drifting over his form? Sneaking glances at him under her eyelashes? Jong Kook was the kind of person that would waste away if he were pinned down to one moment. One needed to see him there in his essence— the dimples of his cheeks slowly emerging as he grinned, the fire of his eyes alight with anticipation and determination. How fiercely he protected them all, and how gently he treated the people he had met.

He turns to her and laughs. Oh gods when he laughs—mouth open in full, unbridled, joy— Ji Hyo swears she feels the world stop spinning. He is all shaking shoulders and loose limbs, head thrown back to the heavens.  And he is beautiful, absolutely and utterly beautiful; bright as the sun and almost as warm. It hurts, because like a candle she is melting in his radiance. She is going blind. (And even then she still can’t look away.)

 

 

third. your ears are tuned to his voice. you could pick him out in a sea of thousands. his voice makes pretty singers who sing pretty songs sound dull. his voice makes everything else sound ugly.

 

They stop at a local pub for the night. There are enough drinks to go around, and the air is light with laughter. Soon, Suk Jin is bright red in the face and laughing too hard at a stupid joke that someone has made. Ji Hyo idly traces the rim of the glass, not sure if she should ask for more. It’s cheap wine, but it’s good wine all the same and her cheeks are pleasantly warm.

“Jong Kook, Jong Kook. You should sing!” Jae Suk bellows out loudly from their table. While not a drinker, he is intoxicated, high on the atmosphere as it is. She picks out Jong Kook’s voice of protest as easily as she could pick out a white dove amongst crows. Even his not-quite whines have a nice quality to it.

“Come on, it’s been so long. Sing something for us!” Haha jeers. “Oh yeah, sing that song!” His suggestion is met with loud slurring yells of agreement.

The bartender laughs heartily at their antics as he wipes the glasses. The combined efforts of an overexcited Jae Suk, Gary, and Gwang Soo later, Jong Kook finds himself center stage shuffling rather awkwardly. She laughs along when the man shoots a glare at Jae Suk who whispers something to the piano player. A quick nod, and the man runs a hand down the ivory keys, playing to the notes to what is obviously an old favorite. Immediately a few heads turn with mild interest. A tipsy Gwang Soo wraps his hand around her shoulders gently, swaying her along with the music.

And then Jong Kook sings.

Gods, Jong Kook had the voice