I suggest listening to Onew's Moonlight while reading.
 

Ji-Na’s head bolted off her pillow, her body dripping in cold sweat. The nightmares, they never seemed to stop, they haunted her nights in the dark, every time she blinked, every time her mind wandered too far away…

She wiped her hand along her hairline, attempting to dry her soaking forehead, and rubbed her eyes harshly. It’s just a dream Ji-Na, it’s okay, it’s okay. She tried to comfort herself. She looked over to the other side of the bed to find it empty. At least I didn’t wake Jinki up this time… She looked down at her hands and see that they wouldn’t stop shaking, as if she had the shivers. She closed her eyes tightly in fear.

The clanking of chains, the smell of burning cigarettes on flesh, that man’s smirk… “URRGGHH!!!” She violently grabbed her hair and pulled harshly, forcing the memories out of her head. She rushed to toilet and hurled into the white basin until all she could do was dry heave. She sat there, collapsed with her head laying on the side rim of the ceramic breathing deeply. It had become very quiet.

But then, her hazel eyes flashed open, she could hear a faint singing from inside the house. Her body immediately relaxed. Jinki… His voice always calmed her down like nothing else would. Not the drugs, not the therapy, only his sweet voice.

She weakly picked her body off the ground, and rinsed with some mouth wash haphazardly, before making her way through the bathroom door followed by exiting the bedroom altogether. Her legs almost giving way to gravity at each step, Ji-Na gripped the wall and headed down the hallway towards his voice and him. Her guardian angel.

She reached the living room and peered around the corner hesitantly. There on the couch was Jinki, singing softly while strumming on his guitar. There were a few papers spread out on the coffee table along with a pencil that he would use to write down the lyrics. Ji-Na watched him singing, eyes closed and eyebrows dancing with each word, she felt the stress leave your body immediately. However, she wasn’t ready to go back into the darkness of their bedroom.

She walked in quietly and Jinki stopped playing and turned his head to look at her. His eyes widened as he met hers. “Ji-Na What happened?!” Her face was tear stricken, her lips chapped and caked with remnants of vomit, and her hair pulled out in different directions from before. She had scratched her arms during her internal battle earlier in the bed, leaving red marks along her tan skin. Jinki jumped up from the coach, placed the guitar on the coffee table, and ran over to her. His strong arms embraced her shapely frame, caressing her back gently while letting her head rest on his shoulder. “Baby what’s wrong?” Suddenly Ji-Na felt the tears streaming down her face once more, this time more out of relief than terror. She brought her arms up, gripped his shirt tightly and began to wail. Her whole body shook as she wasted all her energy into releasing her emotions. Jinki lowered his hands to her thighs and pulled her body up, allowing her legs to wrap around his waist. Supporting her weight with his hands, he carried her over to the couch he was sitting on before. He sat himself down and let her body fall on top of his, her knees straddling his waist. Jinki brought a hand up to her hair and brushed it gently as she continued to cry into his neck. “Shhh, shhhh. Baby I’m here now, it’s okay your safe with me. No one can hurt you here.”  He continued to pet Ji-Na’s head affectionately until she finally calmed down again. He pushed her shoulders back and cupped her face, meeting her eyes: a strong warm brown meeting a weary hazel. He wiped his thumbs lightly over her cheeks to clear any remaining tears. Then they just stayed quiet, looking at each other in the dim lighting of the living room.

“I had the dream again.”

Jinki nodded silently, his assumption was correct. He never broke eye-contact and neither did she. Jinki began to straighten out her hair as he spoke, “Do you want to talk about it?” She shook her head. She never liked talking about it, it made her remember too much. Jinki smiled at her gently, his eyes becoming a little smaller. “You know that I love you right?” He asked. Ji-Na nodded this time, blushing a bit. “You know that no matter our past and what happened that day will never, ever, change that right?” A slow nod again. “Even if that bastard had done what he intended to do I would still feel the same way. But baby, you were saved before any of that could happen. You were saved. You are safe; and that bastard is going to rot in prison for the rest of his life for what he tried to do.” Jinki leaned in a kissed her forehead, his soft lips caressing her skin.  “and you are still and the strongest and the most beautiful  woman I have ever known.” He kissed her eyelids, kissing away the tears, kissing away the pain. He kissed her nose, and then her cheeks, all just as softly as he did he one before.

Ji-Na giggles softly at the touches making him smile a little more. “I love you too,” she whispered to him, her voice still hoarse and heavy with tears. His eye crinkled in delight at the statement as he reached around her and pulled a tissue from the tissue box and wet it in his water glass. He brought it to her lips and tenderly wiped off the remaining contents of her stomach, making sure it was all cleaned up before giving her a soft kiss there, and then again, and then for a final time. He then began to lie down on the couch, dragging her with him. He spooned her, placing his arm underneath her head and reached one last time to kiss her temple. His other arm lay around her curvy waist, and lifted up her shirt just enough to let his hand rub the bare skin on her back for comfort. A strong pale skin against a fatigued tan one.

They stared at each other for a long time until Jinki closed his eyes and began to sing quietly.

Dalalala la lala dalalala la lala
Dalalala la lala dalalala la lala

It feels like my breath will stop
My face blooms in the moonlight

Ji-Na exhaled visibly. Whatever little remains of her fear and stress that had remained immediately fell away. She closed her eyes and snuggled closely to her protection and comfort, Jinki. Jinki’s eyes opened briefly to watch her relax, he grinned lightly as he continued to sing.

At some point, the past is separating us but
In my trembling heart, you sway in my heart like a stream of water

Just like that, just like that, I will stand behind you, for always
Just like that, just like that, I will always be a step behind you, for always

Ji-Na let herself be enveloped in Jinki’s arms and voice. The safest place in the world for her was right here, with him. Jinki continued to rub her back, stopping to remove hair out her face ever so often, as he sang.

Just like that, just like that, I will stand behind you, for always
Just like that, just like that, I will always be a step behind you, for always

Dalalala la lala dalalala la lala
Dalalala la lala dalalala la lala…

Jinki trailed off, his lyrics hanging in the warm air as her breathing evened out. She was finally asleep, happily and peacefully as she cuddled next to her shield and lover. He smiled at her and lowered his body to comfortably situate himself between her and the back of the couch. Kissing her once more on the nose, he whispered “I love you baby.” and closed his eyes and let his conscious fall into dreamland.

Neither of them woke again until the sun shone brightly through the curtains of their home, kissing their skin and radiating warmth that was already present between their bodies. The nightmares did not return again.

~ Fin ~