Mending the Broken (3)

K-POP Imagines

JaeBeom

Though I was reluctant to teach her, Evie had done much better than I had expected. People always assumed that learning martial arts was all about moves, punches and kicks, the fancier the better. But just starting out as Evie was, we had to go to the very beginning. In order to increase her stamina, her first three weeks of classes had mostly consisted of high intensity workouts designed to improve her overall balance and comfortability with her body. The running and jumping had been supplemented with the basics of Taekwondo, the movements easy to learn for the most part. Evie hadn’t complained even once and every day she seemed to open up just a bit more.

When we’d first begun, she would keep her distance as I worked out next to her, reluctant to even let our toes touch on the mat. But now she would approach me after training was over, a half-smile just barely there on her lips as she would remark on her progress and wait for me to confirm that she had in fact done well. It was cute…she was cute.

Each morning her hair was tied up into two buns, the large puffs allowing the sharp angles of her face to appear in high definition. She was beautiful with her skin the color of hickory wood, wide eyes, pert nose and small mouth. Everything about her screamed innocence and more and more I wondered what had put those shadows in her gaze. Though she had opened up to me, we never spoke for long or about anything personal. Evie was as much a mystery to me as she had always been. But now when I saw her walk in through the doors of the dojo with the early morning light barely peeking over the horizon behind her, my heart would beat a fierce tattoo in my chest.  

 

Hot pants filled my ears as I held the woman tightly in my grip, my arms wrapped around her waist. She struggled but wasn’t using any of the tactics we’d discussed over the last two weeks. This was the first time we’d done a practical application of the self-defense moves and Evie was frozen.

“Get away from me. I know you can do it Evie.” I held her shivering frame and her attempts to resist were weak, foiled by limbs that wouldn’t listen. Her already feeble attempts slowed down and my own teeth clenched in response.

“I-I can’t,” she gasped through chattering teeth and her body swayed into mine. I wondered if she would have fallen if I wasn’t holding her steady, but I couldn’t allow her to give up.

“Resist Evie; you said you wanted to learn control, you said you wanted to fight back. Is this all the fight you have?” I demanded, my voice harsh because I knew what she could do, what I had taught her. In a real situation I had to know that she would she survive. I don’t know when it had happened, but I needed her to be safe.

I was reluctant to hurt her but this was necessary; she needed to overcome not only her fear of being touched, but also to recognize that she could get away, escape this way because the thought of her being hurt sent sharp pains through my chest. I was thinking of what I could say to her next that would incite a response from her, anything would be better than her experiencing defeat so early on. But before I’d registered her movements, my legs were being swept out from underneath me and I felt my back hit the mat below us with a loud thud.

The force of it sent a light groan through my sealed lips, but while it hurt, I was delighted.

“Great job,” I managed to whisper as enthusiastically as I could.

“Oh JaeBeom, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do it hard enough to hurt you.”

Evie’s furrowed brows and concerned eyes filled my vision as she helped me up. This was the closest I had ever been to her and this new position afforded me ample time to see the remnants of tears on her lashes.

“Are you alright?” she questioned me again and I nodded.

“Don’t worry, Jackson does much worse to me when we spar. You did amazing for today, let’s wrap it up.”

She nodded and walked to the changing rooms while I followed behind after wiping down the practice mats. Each of our locker rooms had a shower area and I took around ten minutes to get the sweat off of my body and hair, using a cheap all-in-one soap to clean everything. It wasn’t the best but it did the job and I toweled off quickly once I was done. I dressed casually in dark blue jeans, sneakers and a black tee, the oversized leather jacket I added next hanging off of my frame somewhat. I hastily fixed the shirt collar that had exposed more skin then I’d intended and then grabbed the jewelry that I’d placed in my pockets back into the many holes around my ears and face.

Piercings and tattoos had become a habit of mine when I’d turned eighteen, much to the dismay of my parents. Soon I had around seven in my ears, one under my cheek bone and hopefully another would join the rest soon. Most of the hardware I had was black or silver and I felt more like myself once it all was back in place. Pushing my hair away from my face, the still damp strands clung together behind one ear and exposed the undercut I had been sporting since last week. All done, I hastily made may way outside.

“Can I walk you home?” I asked Evie when I saw her still standing outside the changing rooms. She glanced at me quickly and nodded in acceptance when I raised a brow at her blank stare.

“You-You didn’t have that before,” she remarked hesitantly while lightly tapping her lips. As we walked out of the dojo I stuffed my hands in my pockets once I’d locked the door and ran my tongue over the lip ring I wore. Glad that she’d noticed, I gave her a quick grin.

“It’s a fake but I’m thinking about getting a real one.”

“I think it looks good on you,” she murmured, her bright eyes skating across my face quickly and then away again. Warmth spread through my chest at her affirmation and I wondered if the flush had made it’s way to my cheeks as well. Coughing lightly, I toned down the smile threatening to break my face in two and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. I wanted to know more about this girl who was wearing grey clothes under a sky blue jacket, the two colors so juxtaposed as if she’d bought the pieces at separate times in her life. The only way I could think of getting her to open up to me was to give more of myself.

 

“Do you remember the day you asked me to teach you?” I waited for her ‘yes’ before I continued. “You said you could tell I didn’t like to fight and that was true.” Evie looked up at me, her face holding interest and I went on to explain.

“I had never been a fighter, but my father was adamant that my brother and I take over the dojo, expand it. He wanted us to be his legacy and he worked us mercilessly. Jackson took the brunt of his ambitions pretty happily, but he was dead set on me partaking as well. Early mornings before the sun rose, we were awake and practicing. Night would fall and we would be exhausted but unable to go to bed yet because we still had to do our homework. For a long while I resented my dad; he didn’t care what I wanted. He thought my own hobbies and the things I took pleasure in were unimportant.”

“What did you like?” Evie asked, her words light but full of curiosity.

“Birds. I’m an ornithologist. Their songs always spoke to me, whispered their secrets. I wanted to know how they flew, how they found their way back home.” The smile she sent me punched me in the gut, the radiance of it overpowering. Evie had always been pretty but with a look of joy on her face, she turned into a knockout. Sweat coated my palms as we continued to walk side by side and speaking of inconsequential things until she finally stopped.

“This is me,” she said while gesturing with a tilt of her head. “Have a good day JaeBeom.” Before she could turn away, I grabbed her hand in mine. Evie flinched slightly in surprise but she didn’t move away and I let the breath I had been holding free out in a rush.

“JB. Please, call me JB,” I begged and again she graced me with a wide smile. Encouraged and emboldened by that look in her eyes, I stepped closer to her, shortening the gap between us until I could have kissed her forehead with just the slightest tilt of my head. Startled again but still not moving away, the girl that I had fallen for tore her eyes from mine.

“Evie look at me, just look,” I coaxed her until she peered at me from underneath her lashes. My right hand rose up to touch her face, gently lifting her chin until her gaze met mine head on. Slowly I bent down close and I waited, counting out the breaths that mingled between us so that she would have ample time to move away. But when she didn’t, elation speared through me and I pressed my lips to hers, barely skimming over her soft mouth.

Evie let out a quiet sigh when I moved away so I kissed her once again and felt the touch of her tongue on mine, felt euphoria rip through me as she bit at the ring in my lower lip. Each time she closed her eyes I would stop the kiss until she opened them again. She understood quickly and soon enough Evie stared as our mouths touched again and again, as our inhalations mingled together in short gasps. Unconsciously I had pulled her to me, and her waist felt small in my hands. I wanted to deepen the kiss even further, but she grabbed my hand and her eyes suddenly squeezed shut.

“JB wait, I have to tell you something.”

 

 

 

A/N: So we're back once again and there's one more chapter left to go! It took me a while to figure out whose pov I wanted the remaining chapters to be in, but I couldn't resist getting JB's side of the story. I hope you guys enjoyed this and the kiss scene *I squealed a bit* lol. Anyways  remember to COMMENT, UPVOTE and SUBSCRIBE for more content! Much love, <3!

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Andreacnushin
My newest book is currently free on Amazon starting tmrw, just search Keys to Happiness or make your way to my blog for the link!

Comments

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xxlovemejsyo
#1
Chapter 5: WOW
PuffTedEBear
#2
Chapter 8: There is no stopping JB. Really good read. <3
PuffTedEBear
#3
Chapter 7: I squealed over the kiss scene too. So we'll done!!
DolphinWorld
1977 streak #4
Chapter 4: Hi there ^^ I just read the Monsta X Story. So both Part 1 and 2 are of the same gangster au, aren't they? And it's not the end right? Like Xael and Shownu have just met. I'd love to read more. It's pretty interesting so far.
AkMu00 #5
Chapter 4: More pls
oceansofxo
#6
Chapter 2: Well, that was easy. Dongwoo gets a legit AMBW story that is sweet. Next whole story must have CNU in a sweet or naughty love affair. Good update Authornim.