She burst through the door, furiously kicking off her shoes and stumbling into the apartment. She didn't pay any attention to the fact that her clothes were drenched and dripping all over the hardwood floor, or the fact that her lungs and feet felt like they were on fire from running so far. She just wanted to get away. All she felt was pain - raw, physical and emotional pain - and it was exhausting. She shuffled around the kitchen, biting her nails down to uneven stubs. Eventually, she seemed to notice the fact that her clothes were still soaked.

She carelessly slipped on sweatpants and one of her boyfriend's shirts, pausing to take in his scent. It only seemed to increase the ache. Maybe that's what she needed; him. She shuffled back out of the bedroom. She stood in the center of the apartment for a minute, staring at her feet. They still hurt from running, and she was pretty sure a few blisters were forming on her heels. She suddenly felt like she was carrying the world on her shoulders. In a haze she stumbled over to the couch, but ended up curling up in front of it instead.

Who knows how long she stayed there for. She barely registered the blazing red and pink lights projected on her wall from the sunset. It wasn't completely dark, but the place could use a few lit lamps. She stood up to go turn on a light, but her knees refused her and she collapsed back onto the hard floor. It was enough to jar the first tear out of her, and once that one had fallen, many more followed. She grasped her knees and buried her head between them, furiously trying to control her sobs. I can't take this. I just can't take this.

"I'm home!" A familiar voice sang as the door opened then closed. "You'll never believe what - oof. Why is it so dark in here? Jagi?" He dropped his apartment keys on the table by the door and fumbled around before finally finding the light switch. Click. The sound echoed throughout the eerily silent house, and the light filled the place, causing her to shut her eyes tighter and tighten her grasp on her legs.

"Jagi?" He peeked into the kitchen and the bathroom before coming around the corner. It was still a bit dark where she was, but light enough for him to see her. He breathed a sigh of relief before taking note of her position.

"Is it too bright? One second, I'll fix that." He quickly a couple table lamps before flicking the main light switch again. He went back to where she was with a bright smile on his face. Oh god. She didn't want him to see her like this. He paused, hesitating. Is she asleep? She didn't say anything, and she didn't move to try and wipe away her tears. She could only hope that her tears dried soon. But as a few minutes pass she became aware of the fact that he was just standing there, a few feet away from her, and her heart seemed to clench. She couldn't stop the sob from escaping her lips.

The smile immediately left his face and rushed to her side, practically tripping over himself and sliding across the floor to get there. "What's wrong?" She stayed silent except for her sobbing. She felt so conflicted. Did she want to hide? Or did she want him?

"Hey, look at me." His voice was barely above a whisper, but it was so full of concern. Her choice became pretty clear at that moment. Hesitantly, she lifted her head slightly.

He could see her bloodshot eyes and the path her tears had left on her cheeks. Her chest was still being wracked with sobs, but they had calmed down some. His heart practically broke at the sight. He scooted closer to her and gently held her chin, turning her to face him. He wiped away the last few tears gathering at the corners of her eyes with his thumb and kissed her nose. Her lip quivered as if she was trying to say something, but she couldn't get it past the lump in . "Shh."  He pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder and rubbed comforting circles into her back.

"You don't have to tell me what happened right now." She nodded. He moved his hand up to run his fingers through her hair, occasionally planting a kiss on the top of her head. She closed her eyes and sighed. She was so grateful for him. She looked up and found him staring at her, a concerned expression on his face.

She couldn't help but get lost in his eyes. They were always so bright and lively. On days like these, the light in his eyes was the one she followed to get out of the darkness she felt like she was drowning in.

"Kevin..."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. His hand slowly ran from her hair down to her neck, his palm brushing against her collarbone. She hummed into the kiss. He knew all of her sweet spots, meaning he knew very well how to cheer her up. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her again, his arms tightly wrapping around her waist and hers around his neck. He pulled away only to hug her close again. She breathed deeply into his chest, inhaling everything about him. He was perfect to her.

He smiled mischieviously and, without changing the postion they were in, hobbled into the kitchen. He quickly grasped her legs and lifted her onto the counter with surprising ease for someone of his stature. He happily began rummaging around in the cabinets, pulling out a baking pan and a bunch of ingredients.

"Kevin, are you making brownies?"

"Maybe..." He glanced at her and smiled again.

"The last time you tried that you set off the smoke alarm."

"So? I've learned from my mistakes, I swear! These will be the best brownies you've ever had." She shook her head. He never failed to thoroughly amuse her with his antics. She tried to hop off the counter and join him but he stopped her. "Nuh-uh. You stay put and watch the master." She laughed.

"If you insist."

He whistled happily while mixing the ingredients together. Once in a while he would pick up the box that held the brownie mix, squinting at the instructions in confusion and making faces, causing her to laugh. Eventually, he managed to get it all in the pan and put it in the oven. He turned to face her with a triumphant grin on his face, and she broke into a hysterical-giggle fit.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" She nodded. His face had chocolate frosting all over it.

"It looks like war paint." He smiled and struck a "warrior pose," causing her to laugh even harder. He quickly swiped two fingers across his face, collecting some of the frosting and streaking it on her cheek.

"Hey!" She scooted to the edge of the counter, and he opened his arms expectantly. She hopped into them, all thoughts of her revenge forgotten as he spun her around. Their laughter mixed together and filled the room like music. He dabbed more frosting on her nose before kissing her. He grasped both sides of her face with his hands and ran his thumbs over her cheeks, searching her eyes for any signs of pain. There might have been a few traces, but he could see the light was back. He smiled again, and kissed her nose.

"Even if the world turns its back on you, remember that you have me, okay?