The air was clogged thick with smoke and fog as Vivi and Haseul entered the neighborhood. What had once been a beautiful place to live was now left desolate and crumbling, bombed until only rubble remained. As they stopped on the road, taking in the situation, Haseul’s heart dropped. She had a feeling this would be another dead-end run. The only buildings still recognizable were the church and one crumbling apartment building, and that wasn’t a good sign. Still, they had a job to do, so she took a deep breath and turned to her girlfriend.

“I’m going to check over here in the church for any survivors, you take the apartment building. Sooyoung, can you hear us?” She touched at her temple, just like the other woman had taught her.

“Loud and clear.” Sooyoung’s voice rang through her head. “I’ll be listening, keep us updated.”

“Will do,” Vivi said aloud, touching her temple as well. “Things aren’t looking good, but we’ll do our best.”

Haseul reached over and squeezed Vivi’s hand, giving her a grim smile. “Good luck.”

“Same to you.”

The church was leaning on it’s side, and as Haseul approached, it teetered slightly, rubble falling from the sides. Swallowing, she took her steps carefully, trying not to disturb the crumbling remains around her. Any wrong step and she could be buried in rubble. It wouldn’t hurt her if she could put up a shield in time, but it would be a pain for Vivi to dig her back out and she didn’t want that.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” She stepped into the building, glancing around, only for her stomach to turn again. No one would be answering her call. Still, she searched, hoping for at least one pulse or one gasp of breath. Hopefully, Vivi was having more luck. Her x-ray vision kept her from having to search closely like everyone else. “Rest peacefully,” Haseul said quietly as she stood from the last body, shaking her head. “I wish I could give you all a proper burial.”

“Any luck? Vivi said hers was bust.” Sooyoung echoed in her head again and she sighed.

“No luck over here, I think-.” She never saw it coming. As she stepped out of the church, a clatter of rubble made her turn, only for her to come face-to-face with four men in black and white masks. The terrorists. Her stomach dropped and she raised her hand, but even as she moved, she knew she was too late. Their guns were already firing, she wouldn’t be able to throw up a shield in time.

Something stepped in front of her, and her eyes widened, her heart stopping as she stumbled forward. “Vivi!” The world went red, and as Haseul’s shield blinked to life, Vivi fell to the ground, body limp. Haseul ran towards her, fear coursing through every vein in her body as she fell to her knees beside her girlfriend and cradled the older woman’s head in her arms, taking in the damage. There was so much blood, too much to even see where the wounds were, and Vivi wasn’t responding. “Vivi!” Haseul screamed it this time, tears beginning to stream down her face a she held her closer, panic setting in. “Please, I can’t lose you too, I can’t live without you.”

“Haseul! What the hell is happening! Are you okay?” It was Sooyoung. Haseul only then realized that she hadn’t taken her hand away from her temple when she first screamed Vivi’s name. Quickly, she lifted her bloodied hand to her temple.

“We were ambushed. Vivi’s down, I-I don’t know if she’s going to make it, I don’t know what to do, I can’t-.”

“I have Yerim on her way to get you right now! Do you have a shield up?”

“Y-yes. Please tell her to hurry, Vivi needs help.” Haseul hadn’t felt this helpless in years, but now, as she sobbed and held Vivi in her arms, she was wrapped in a familiar guilt. A familiar panic. How could this happen again?

Rubble scattered behind her and she jerked her head, only to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw Yerim running towards the two of them, her eyes wide.

“Oh my god,” the younger girl said, voice tight, and Haseul reached up, grabbing her and holding her tight.

“Teleport us back now! I’m holding Vivi, she’ll come too!”

“R-right! Jiwoo is waiting for us!”

Teleportation always made Haseul sick to her stomach, but she hardly even noticed it this time as she clutched Vivi closer and pressed her forehead to hers, willing Vivi to hold on just a little while longer.

Sure enough, Jiwoo was there when they landed back in the hideout, and she immediately ran forward, biting her lip and narrowing her eyes with concentration. Her hands glowed as she brought them to Vivi’s body, and a bead of sweat rolled down her temple.

“This… This is really bad,” she said softly, not looking away as she slowly moved her hands over the wounds, her fingers twitching and moving in a skilled, practiced fashion. “She’s lost a lot of blood. I can heal the wounds but I can’t restore her blood count.”

“Please, you can’t let her die.” Haseul’s voice broke as she spoke and Jiwoo bowed her head, eyes welling up with tears. Haseul was the leader of the group. She was level-headed, experienced, and mature. No one had ever seen her like this, because she’d never let them see her emotional side. But now that it was on display for everyone to see, the situation was heightened. The Haseul that was usually so level-headed, keeping the group’s spirits high, was terrified. And that made everyone else scared too.

“I’ll do everything I can to save her,” Jiwoo said, closing her eyes and channeling all of her healing power to her fingertips. Now was not the time to panic. She had a job to do. “I promise.”

-

“Mom! Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom!” Yeojin’s voice echoed through the house as she ran down the stairs and barreled into the kitchen, face flushed pink with excitement. Haseul laughed, throwing up a quick force-field shield against the ground as the little girl slipped on the tile floor before regaining her balance and running over to her side. She’d already grown so much since Haseul had promised her cousin, Yeojin’s biological mom, that she would raise her as her own.

“What did I tell you about running on the tile with your socks on?”

“You said I’ll get hurt. But Mom! I made something cool with Momma for you!” Yeojin grinned, wide-eyed and innocent with her hands behind her back, and Haseul smiled affectionately, turning down the stove and wiping her hands on her apron as she turned to her adopted daughter.

“And what’s that, Yeojin?”

“Look!” The six-year-old a little decorated frame forward. Inside was a drawing of Haseul in her apron and Vivi with her signature pink glasses, with Yeojin in the middle, wearing her favorite pink dress and holding both their hands. In neat lettering, she’d written “my family” at the top of the drawing, then again in glitter gel on the padded frame. “Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Haseul beamed and took the frame, touching her heart. “Did you do this all by yourself?”

“Yes!” Yeojin turned to see Vivi walked into the room, then looked back up at Haseul sheepishly. “Well, Momma helped a little. But mostly by myself!”

Laughing, Haseul gave the girl a hug, sending a wink to Vivi over her shoulder. “I like it either way. Great job, I’m impressed!” As she stood up, she smiled at her girlfriend. “Great job to you too.”

“I was just a helper,” Vivi said, smiling as she walked over to the pair. “Yeojin did all the hard work.”

“See?”

“I see!” The timer went off and Haseul gently put the frame down on the counter. “Are my hard workers ready for dinner? It’s Yeojin’s favorite!”

“Yay! Spicy rice cake!” Yeojin let out a yell of happiness, making both her mothers laugh.

“Go wash your hands and sit down then, Bean,” Vivi said, and Yeojin pouted.

“I’m not a bean!”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Go wash up then, Jinnie.”

“Okay!” Yeojin ran out of the room and Haseul turned to give Vivi a kiss on the cheek. Vivi raised her eyebrows, grinning.

“What was that for?”

“Can I not kiss the woman I love?”

“You’re a sap, Love.” Vivi gave her a quick kiss. “Thanks for making dinner while I played with Yeojin.”

“Anything for the ones I love!”

“Are you in a sappy mood today?”

Haseul shook her head and smiled. “No, I’m just feeling happy and affectionate today. It’s nice to spend time together as a family. All we need now is to get married, you know.”

“Are you proposing to me, Haseul?”

“Maybe. Want to marry me, Kahei?”

“Sure, why not?”

-

Haseul blinked awake to the sound of a closing door somewhere. Her arms were folded under her head, resting on the bed, and her neck was bent in a weird position that left it cramping as she sat up, groaning at the pain. When had she fallen asleep?

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Jiwoo said, giving Haseul a small smile as she walked over to the bed.

“When did I fall asleep?”

“About an hour ago. I didn’t want to wake you up because you looked like you needed the sleep.”

Haseul looked at Vivi, who was still pale and breathing slowly. She hadn’t moved at all since they cleaned her off and put her in her bed. “Is she doing okay?”

“She’s stabilized and I’m making sure she stays that way. It’s up to her to survive now.” Jiwoo watched as Haseul gently took Vivi’s hand. “What were you dreaming about?”

Jumping a bit, the older girl glanced back at Jiwoo. “Why?”

“You were crying and smiling in your sleep. I was just curious.”

“Oh.” Haseul swallowed and looked back down at Vivi’s limp hand in her own. Her heart hurt more than anything else as the memories came flooding back, leaving a heavy burden on her shoulders. “I was just dreaming of a time before…. The law.”

-

Hours later, when the room was dark and most of the other women had been sent out to try and keep the terrorist group from striking again, Haseul held Vivi’s limp, cold hand in her own and cried. Everything that she’d bottled up over the course of the year came flooding out as she sobbed, hunched over the bed.

“Kahei,” she whispered, even though no one else was there to hear. It was a name she hadn’t used since that fateful day, but it tumbled out naturally now. Vivi’s real name. “I had a dream about Yeojin again.” At the mention of their daughter, there was a twitch, and Haseul’s heart surged with hope. “Kahei, please. You have to wake up. For me and for Yeojin. I can’t live in this world without you.”

There was no response, and Haseul’s heart fell into her stomach as she rested her head against Vivi’s shoulder. “It’s okay, take your time. I’ll stay here until you wake up.”

-

“Mom! Mom, Momma, what’s happening?” Yeojin’s voice was high and full of fear as she held tightly to her parent’s hands, shivering between them. All three of them were hidden inside a small closet in the bedroom, listening as the sound of gunfire echoed through the neighborhood and someone slammed against the door. It had only been days since the announcement of the ban on superheros and superpowers came over the TV, shattering their normal life. Vivi had been hopeful that, since they weren’t technically heroes anymore, they’d be left alone. But that was not the case.

“Open up, you hero scum!”

“I’m scared.”

“Shh.” Haseul had long since put up a shield around them in the closet, and now she wrapped her arms around Yeojin tighter. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Haseul,” Vivi whispered, “they’re gathering at the door.” She had taken off her glasses and was now looking through the house, out into the neighborhood. Her eyes glowed pink as she used her powers. “Some of them are our neighbors.”

“Our neighbors? Why?” Haseul shook her head, incredulous. “We’ve never been anything but nice!”

“I don’t know, but they’re there. I think the government has been spreading some sort of anti-hero propaganda. They also announced all the secret identities of known heroes today-.” The door slammed open and Yeojin began to cry. Quickly, Haseul put her hand over the girl’s mouth and strengthened her shield around them.

“Pink Watcher, Miss Shield, we know you’re here!”

Heart pounding, Haseul turned to look at her fiancee. Vivi’s eyes were wide and panicked. Those were their old hero names, from before they’d settled down to raise Yeojin. “What should we do,” Haseul mouthed, and Vivi shook her head, out of ideas. They couldn’t hide forever, and from the sound of it, they wouldn’t be able to talk their way out of this one. They would probably have to fight their way out.

Crashing came from the hallway and the sound of destruction filled the house, adding to the loud yelling that seemed to surround the closet. Haseul knew they only had one choice, even if she didn’t like it. “We’re going to have to run. You hold Yeojin, she’s still small enough to carry on your back. We’ll go to my parent’s farm. We should be safe for at least a little while there.”

“Okay.” Vivi stood up and Haseul followed suit, helping her pick up Yeojin and put her on her back. After Yeojin was secure and holding on tight, her eyes wide and scared, Haseul strengthened her shield one last time and the three burst from the room. Immediately, bullets began to fly, but they bounced off the shield as Haseul led them down the stairs and out the back door. The house had been ransacked and destroyed, all the family photos littering the ground and graffiti on the walls. Haseul was able to look over her shoulder at the lettering on the side of the house as they ran, and her stomach turned.

Die Hero Scum.

This was it. The world had changed, and there would be no going back now. Now, they had to learn how to survive.

-

“Kahei, do you remember when we were going to get married? Why didn’t we do that?” Haseul brushed Vivi’s hair back from her face and shook her head. “I don’t want you to die yet. I wanted to marry you, and raise a family with you. The law got in the way, but… I still want to marry you. I can’t imagine my life without you. I regret not marrying you sooner. I’m sorry, for everything.”

-

They saw the smoke before they saw the barn. For weeks they’d traveled, avoiding well-known areas and covering their faces, only to find the farm destroyed. The barn was on fire, billowing smoke up into the sky, and the rest of the place had been ransacked and covered in anti-hero graffiti. Shaking, Haseul made her way into the main house, only for her heart to break immediately, sending her running back outside. Her parents had been surprised in their bed. They never stood a chance.

“Why?” She turned to look at Vivi, tears flowing down her cheeks. Vivi and Yeojin were also crying, Yeojin sobbing into Vivi’s shoulder as she held the little girl tight. “Why would they do this? They weren’t doing anything wrong! They were retired! Why are they chasing us? We’ve never hurt or killed anyone! We worked for the government! We never did anything wrong.”

“The world has gone mad,” Vivi said slowly, pulling Haseul into a hug. For a while, they all stood there, crying and holding each other tight. They were tired, hungry, and now, hopeless. How could they survive in a world like this?

Finally, Haseul took a deep breath and pulled away. “I’ll see if they left any food in the cabinets. If so, we can stay here for the night. I doubt they’ll hit the same place twice.”

“How about you let me check the cabinets,” Vivi said, putting a hand on Haseul’s shoulder. “I know you want to give your parents a proper burial.”

Swallowing, Haseul looked back at the house where her parents lay. A weight settled heavily on her shoulders as she wiped her face, willing herself not to cry again. “Okay. Keep Yeojin close. I won’t be long.”

Haseul chose a spot near the pastures, where she knew her parents liked to sit and watch the sun rise. There, she used her shield as a shovel, melding the force-field into a curved, sharp surface. She had never thought she’d use her powers for something other than fighting or protecting, and yet she had no choice. So she got to work, not wanting to be out past dark.

She was filling in the last of the dirt when she heard it. Gunfire. Her heart stopped as she spun around and ran, melting her shields into armor just as she’d done as a hero. Screams reached her ears and she rounded the house just in time to see five armed men busting through the door, their guns blazing.

“Stop!”

“Yeojin!”

Haseul’s blood ran cold. Then she boiled over and her shields changed into sharp knives for the first time, plunging their way through the bodies of the men as she ran past them inside. Five bodies dropped behind her as she stopped, staring in horror at the sight in front of her. Yeojin was limp and covered in blood, cradled in Vivi’s arms. She was desperately trying to cover the wounds with her hand, screaming for Yeojin to wake up and apologizing to her over and over for not being able to protect her. The world came crashing down as Haseul fell to her knees beside her daughter and checked her pulse.

Nothing. Yeojin was gone. Slumping over, she began to sob, clutching her daughter’s body even though she knew she couldn’t bring her back. Vivi was sobbing now too, loud and heartbroken, like nothing Haseul had ever heard as she leaned against Haseul, her entire body going shuddering with the force of her cries. She’d been shot too, and she was losing blood, but she didn’t even seem to notice as she held Yeojin.

“It should have been me,” she wailed, “She reached out for me but I couldn’t get there in time. I couldn’t do anything!”

Haseul sat back and touched her daughter’s face, gently running her fingers over her soft cheeks and closing the little girl’s eyes despite her blood-covered hands. Seven was too young to die. Too young to see the horrible reality of the world. Her tears landed on Yeojin’s face as she unfastened the girl’s favorite necklace, a silver chain with three charms: a deer, a bird, and a frog. One for each of them. As, she held Yeojin’s tiny body in her arms, she whispered her own apologies into the girl’s ear, hoping that she heard them somehow. Just one more time, she wanted Yeojin to hear her say that she loved her, and that she was sorry.

If only she hadn’t been out in the field. If only she hadn’t left them alone. If only they hadn’t adopted Yeojin. She had just been a normal human. She could have survived if it wasn’t for them. “It’s not your fault,” she said as she wrapped her arm around Vivi, the weight on her shoulders growing heavier as she cried. “I should have never left the two of you unprotected.”

-

“Haseul?” Jungeun’s voice rang in the quiet room as she stepped inside, her wings tucked tightly down behind her as she gave the older girl a little smile. “Sorry if I startled you. I wanted to come check on you and Vivi.”

Haseul sighed and sat up, her hand still in Vivi’s. It was now the morning of the second day, and she was exhausted. “She’s stable and she’s gotten warmer. But she’s still not waking up. I’m worried.” Worried was an understatement. She was terrified, but she couldn’t admit it. Jungeun pressed her lips together as she walked over to the bed, her wings drooping like they only did when she was upset.

“We’re all really worried. But we’re worried about you too. Have you gotten any sleep?”

“A little.”

Jungeun didn’t seem to believe her. “Really? You look exhausted.”

“I’ve been having nightmares,” Haseul said truthfully, looking back down at Vivi. “It’s hard to sleep.”

“I see.”

The door opened, and Haseul looked up to see Heejin and Hyunjin walk in. Immediately, they came over to the bed and Heejin wrapped her in a tight hug as Hyunjin took Vivi’s other hand. It was relieving, if only a little, to see the girls Haseul had started this whole journey with. They’d found Haseul and Vivi after their tragedy, bloody and broken, and had taken them into their little group, becoming their new family. It was because of them that they’d started living again, devoting their life to saving the lives of others. Only Heejin and Hyunjin knew the truth about Haseul and Vivi’s background, so they would understand how devastated Haseul felt.

“I’m so sorry we’re only just now getting here,” Heejin said, still holding her tight. She seemed on the verge of crying, but she was holding it in. “We were out on an assignment with Hyejoo and Jinsoul when everything happened, and they immediately sent us with Chaewon to go find the terrorists. We only just got back.”

“Did you get them?” Haseul knew her voice was more weak and hoarse than usual, and Hyunjin sent her a worried glance when she heard it, but neither of them commented on it.

“We got them. They wont be hurting anyone else. At least, not that faction,” Hyunjin said, her eyes darkening. “It feels like there’s more of those s every day.”

“It’s because the world’s gone to hell,” Jungeun commented, shaking her head. “We’re doing all we can.”

“Is there anything you need from us, Haseul?” Heejin asked, concern laced in her voice. “Anything at all? We’re worried about you, really. You need to get some rest. We can get Jiwoo to take care of the nightmares for you.”

Haseul shook her head, tightening her grip on Vivi’s hand. “No. I can’t leave until she wakes up.”

The three women exchanged glances, but Haseul ignored them, focused on Vivi. Had she just moved?

“Okay, then,” Hyunjin said slowly, patting Vivi’s shoulder gently before backing away. “We’ll leave you alone. But please take care of yourself, Haseul. Everything is going to be okay.”

She didn’t really believe that, but Haseul nodded anyway.

“And stay strong,” Heejin added, giving Haseul one last hug before she joined the other girls at the end of the bed. “We’re rooting for you, Vivi. And we love you. Both.”

Haseul smiled a bit at this. “Thank you. I appreciate your support.”

“Of course.”

When the door shut behind them, Haseul slowly pulled the silver chain necklace out from under her shirt and rubbed her thumb over the bird charm. Half of the frog charm gleamed in the rising sun, and she reached up to pull Vivi’s necklace from under her shirt, revealing the other half of the frog and the deer.

“This way, Yeojin will always be with both of us,” Vivi had said as she cut the charm in half. Since then, neither of them had taken off the charms, despite the fact that they’d rusted and faded slightly over time. It was hard to take good care of something when you were constantly on the run, but they tried their best.

The charms were all they had left of their daughter.

“When you wake up,” Haseul said quietly, leaning in to kiss Vivi’s forehead. She felt warmer, and that was a good sign. She just had to hope. “Let’s get married. Just like we said we would.”

-

When they’d first joined Hyunjin and Heejin on the road, Vivi and Haseul had both been aloof, scared to get close or trust anyone. But slowly, as the other women began to join, they started to open themselves up again. They weren’t the only ones with tragedy in the background.

Heejin had been living her life as a successful vet, using her powers to speak to the animals and figure out their illnesses or issues. She’d never even been a hero, yet when the government propaganda started, the town and her own family had turned against her and she’d only escaped because Hyunjin showed up and saved her just in time. Hyunjin had been on the run herself, but when she saw Heejin cowering beside her overturned car with three people looming over her, she’d decided to help. Her poison claws had left them paralyzed, and ever since then, Hyunjin and Heejin had been on the run together.

Jiwoo had been a nurse who saved lives, only to have hers threatened. Sooyoung only survived because she could manipulate her townspeople in their minds long enough to get away, but her sister wasn’t so lucky. Jungeun never had a chance to hide her wings, making her an outcast since birth. Jinsoul had been forced to hide in a lake for days on end to escape, only surviving because she could make an air bubble around her head. Chaewon and Hyejoo had been current heroes, only to be accused of espionage by the government and forced to go into hiding. They were lucky they even got out, as other official heroes were turning up dead every day. Yerim, the last to join the group, had lost her entire family after being outed as a hero.

Everyone had scars and pain in their past, and when Haseul saw that, she couldn’t push them away. Instead, she became their leader, forcing herself to push her own grief aside so that she could take care of the group. Her decision added more weight to her shoulders, but she dealt with it, because she didn’t want any of the others to have to do it. She didn’t want anyone else to have to suffer.

-

On the morning of the third day, Vivi finally woke up. As soon as she shifted in the bed, letting out a small groan, Haseul jumped to her feet, leaning over the bed with wide, hopeful eyes. She watched with bated breath as the older woman blinked and moved, stretching out her legs and letting out a little whine before her eyes opened all the way. Relief washed over Haseul’s shoulders as she let out the breath she’d been holding and began to cry, wrapping her arms around Vivi’s shoulders.

“Your awake! Oh my god, you’re awake. I was so scared, you have no idea how scared I was.”

Slowly, Vivi reached up, hugging Haseul in return with weak limbs. “What happened?” Her voice was hoarse and Haseul moved away, touching her face gently. She could hardly believe this was happening.

“You were hurt really bad. Jiwoo was able to heal you but you’d lost a lot of blood. You’ve been out for three days.”

“Three?” Vivi blinked as she took Haseul’s hand. “Oh, that’s right. We were ambushed.” She swallowed, shivering slightly, and it suddenly struck home just how weak she looked. “I’m cold, Haseul.”

Immediately, Haseul jumped up, her heart pounding. She knew she probably looked a little crazy with the dark circles under her eyes and her hair and clothes mussed and askew, but she didn’t care. “Let me get some more blankets and grab Jiwoo. I can also get you some water and food. Would you like that?” At Vivi’s nod, she turned and jogged out of the room, running into the kitchen. There, the rest of the girls were eating breakfast, and they all turned to look at her with wide eyes when she burst into the room. “Vivi’s awake!”

“Vivi’s awake?”

“Oh, thank goodness, I was so scared!”

“That’s great!”

Jiwoo stood up, rolling up her sleeves. “I’ll go make sure she’s doing okay and that her vitals are stable. Sooyoung, can you come help me?”

“And she’s cold,” Haseul blurted, and Heejin jumped from her seat.

“I’ll grab blankets!”

“Let me get her some food, I bet she’s hungry.”

“Oh, and water! I bet she needs water!”

Haseul watched as the girls jumped up, all ready to help and all just as relieved as she was that Vivi was alive. Then, once again, tears began to roll down her face as she realized that she and Vivi were no longer alone in the world. They had a new family and wonderful friends who loved them and supported them. As she cried, tears a mix of relief and sadness, Hyunjin pulled her into a tight hug.

“Everything is going to be okay,” she said, and this tie, Haseul believed her.

-

Even with the help of Jiwoo’s healing powers, recovery was a long process. Some damage could not be undone, and Vivi was still very weak. She slept long hours and needed help doing even the smallest of things. But she was alive, and Haseul was happy to stay by her side through the process, there for whatever Vivi or Jiwoo needed from her.

One night, as they got into bed, Vivi turned to her with a serious face. “Haseul, there’s something I’ve been meaning to bring up to you.”

Blinking, Haseul sat up and propped herself up on her elbow. “What’s that?”

“When I was… asleep. For those three days. I had dreams, where I heard you talking to me. Were you really talking to me?”

“I did talk to you. Quite a lot, actually.”

Biting her lip, Vivi picked at her blanket. “So, um. Did you happen to tell me that you were going to marry me when I woke up?”

As she remembered everything she’d said, Haseul’s face flushed. “I-I did.”

“Did you mean it?”

Her heart skipped a beat as Vivi looked at her, dark eyes earnest. This was the first time they’d talked about marriage in over a year. For so long, they’d been scared. Scared of the future, scared to love, and scared to go forward. They’d been attached to the past, the perfect life that they had before all this happened. Talking about marriage had felt… wrong, without Yeojin there. But now, Haseul swallowed and squared her shoulders, reaching over to take her girlfriend’s hand. She was finally ready to move forward.

“I did. I meant every word I said. When I thought I might lose you…. I was so scared, but I also regretted never marrying you. All I want is to be with you for the rest of my life. I want you to be my wife, because I love you and I believe in us. No matter what the future has in store, I’m ready to face it as long as I’m with you. I’m ready to face this world if you’re beside me. I don’t have a ring or anything to make this official, but will you marry me, Kahei?”

A smile spread over Vivi’s face and she threw her arms around Haseul, knocking her back against the bed. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” As she pulled away, tears glistened in her eyes. “You know, as my life flashed before my eyes, when I almost died…. My main regret was not marrying you. We should have gotten married so long ago.” The silver chain fell out from her shirt and she smiled, affectionately touching her half of the frog chain. “I used to think that it would be… disrespectful if we got married after everything. To Yeojin, I mean. I used to think that I didn’t deserve to be happy anymore, because Yeojin didn’t get to live a full life because of me. But now that I’ve had time to think about it…. I think this is what she would have wanted. She was such a sweet girl, she would never have wanted us to be unhappy. I don’t know if I can go back to being Kahei. I’ve gotten so used to being Vivi. But I think I can finally move on.” The tears spilled over as she spoke, and Haseul pulled her back into a hug, holding her tight.

As they cried, holding each other, Haseul felt a small hand touch her face. It was brief and when she opened her eyes, nothing as there. But she’d felt it, and as Vivi locked eyes with her, she knew that she’d felt it too.

“Was that…?”

There was no real explanation for it. But Haseul felt herself smile as a weight lifted off her shoulders. “I think Yeojin just gave us her permission to be happy again.”

-

When Haseul had first imagined her wedding, she’d had a lot of dreams. She’d wanted a beautiful venue, expensive decorations, and a huge party. She’d never imagined that she would end up getting married in the back of a hideout, with makeshift decorations made out of rubble and whatever flowers the girls would find. She’d never imagined that she’d have to hand-sew her dress and scrounge for the wedding food.

But when she stood at the end of the makeshift aisle in her plain white dress, freshly healed flowers wrapped in plastic in her hand with the women that had become her new family grinning happily at her, she realized that she didn’t care if it wasn’t the wedding of her dreams. She was happy anyway.

Jungeun stood at the end of the aisle, dressed in a suit that was too big for her with her wings perked up and unfurled, and as Haseul approached her, she gave her a huge smile. “You look great.”

“Thanks, so do you.”

Heejin strummed her guitar and Hyunjin beside her started to sing a traditional wedding song, and Vivi stepped out from behind the white sheet Jiwoo and Sooyoung had hung up the day before. Haseul’s breath escaped her as she watched Vivi smile and move to the aisle, tucking her hair behind her ear. She was wearing a long lace veil, and her dress was longer than Haseul’s, touching the ground as she walked. Somehow, Chaewon had gotten her hands on some pearls and gems, apparently, because the white dress glittered and shined even without any light to reflect. She was beautiful, and Haseul was the most lucky woman in the world.

As Vivi moved into position in front of her, Haseul grinned, her heart pounding. “Wow,” she said, because she couldn’t get anything else out, and Vivi giggled, taking both of Haseul’s hands after handing off their flowers to Jiwoo.

“Wow to you too.”

Jungeun cleared , interrupting them. “Friends, family. We are gathered here together today to celebrate the wedding of our dear Vivi and Haseul.” Her voice wavered a little bit as she tried to remember the rest of her speech. “Um, we before god….”

“You know, you can just skip that part,” Hyunjin hissed, making everyone laugh. Blushing, Jungeun shrugged.

“Okay. Our brides have prepared their own vows. Haseul, would you like to start?”

Taking a deep breath, Haseul nodded. “Yes. Vivi, we’ve been through a lot together. This year marks the tenth year since we shared our first kiss together. Back then, we were young heroes without a care in the world. A lot has happened since then, both good and bad, but because of you, I’ve continued to live and look towards the future. As long as I have you, I have hope. Vivi, I promise to always take care of you and stay by your side. I promise to always have your back. I promise to always look out for you. I promise to love you in sickness and in health. No matter what happens to us, I promise that I will always be your loyal wife, and that nothing will ever tear us apart. I love you. Always.”

Smiling, Vivi squeezed her hands. “Haseul, you said most of the things I wanted to say already, so you kind of stole my speech.” She giggled as everyone laughed before continuing. “But I want you to know that I love you. Even after everything we’ve had to go through, I love you with my entire being. I’ve never lost my faith in you, and even if you think you did, you’ve never let me down. I’ve always been able to depend on you, ever since our hero days. I want you to know that you can depend on me too. I promise that I’ll always take care of you, and that I’ll always stay by your side. I promise that I’ll love you despite everything that comes our way. I promise to continue living by your side. And I promise to stay your loyal, loving wife until I draw my last breath. I love you, Haseul. And I always will.”

Tears pricked at the back of Haseul’s eyes, but she pushed them away. She’d already cried enough tears.

“Haseul, do you take Vivi to be your kinda lawfully wedded wife, for now and forever?”

“I do.”

“And Vivi, do you take Haseul to be your kinda lawfully wedded wife, for now and forever?”

“I do!”

“Great!” Jungeun clapped her hands. “By the power that was bestowed on me by the online class I took two days ago, I now pronounce you wife and wife! You both may now kiss the bride!”

Haseul didn’t have to be told twice. She cupped Vivi’s head in her hands and leaned in, kissing her passionately as Vivi pulled her in closer with her arms wrapped around her shoulders. All around them, the girls began to cheer and Heejin strummed her guitar loudly as Chaewon turned the light into glitter, making it fall down gently around them as they kissed. As Haseul pulled away, she laughed, her heart truly full and happy for the first time in what felt like forever.

“I love you,” she said, and then she turned to the others. The girls, the women, her family. “I love you all too,” she said, and she meant it.

“We love you both! Congratulations!”

“Kiss again, I didn’t get a good photo!”

“Chaewon, I’m gonna kill you, I have glitter in my mouth!”

“Who’s problem is that, Hyunjin? Not mine!”

“Throw the bouquets, let’s see who gets married next!”

“Hey, Jinsoul we aren’t ready for that yet!”

The room exploded into lively, loud conversation, and Vivi moved closer, taking Haseul’s hand into her own and leaning her head on her shoulder. “I’m so glad we made it this far,” she said quietly, a smile on her lips. “I have hope for this world again.”

With light shoulders and bright eyes, Haseul looked up at the light coming in from the window. Perhaps it was her imagination, but there she saw the shadows of her past all smiling down at her, mixed in with the whispers of the future. And she smiled.

“So do I.”