*a/n Rian leaves South Korea and heads off to American to participate in protest. This story is based off the recent occurances of excessive police brutality raging in America right now. 

"Rian, why are you crying?" Song-Jan had just walked into his apartment and was greeted by the sounds of his wife sniffling. 

"Because I keep seeing what my people are going through and I feel like I have done nothing." Song-Jan didn't notice it before but he finally heard the news from the television. It was more news about the events happening in his wife's home country, America. He had heard about the news over the radio his wife had, which aired news stories form all over the world. He among many others had been taken aback by the rising knowledge of the instances of excessive police brutality, specifically to African-American males. It bothered him a lot but he knew it bothered his wife even more. 

"I know. It's terrible but what could you possibly do when you're half way across the world?" Song-Jan and his wife lived in South Korea and had been for the last 5 years.

Rian suddenly stood up, faced her husband and held him by his shoulders, leaving just enough room for Jesus. "I don't have to be." She boldly stated.

"What?" Song-Jan was unsure of where this conversation was going but he had a feeling it wouldn't be good. His wife said it with that voice. The voice of certainty, assurance, and confidence. He admired it on occasion like when she said "Yes!" in agreement to marrying him, but this...this time he wasn’t so sure he liked the circumstances for which he was hearing this. She had lowered her hands from his shoulders and was now holding each of his hand in hers. Confirming that this would be something his suspicions he wouldn’t like.

"I booked a flight for tomorrow morning and I'm heading to L.A. There is a group of protestors who are traveling the country and protesting in various cities. First we'll be in L.A. then were heading to Missouri, Ohio, Maryland and then New York. By then it will have been a week and if I'm satisfied with the work we’ve done I'll come back and before you say this is something I didn't think through thoroughly, I did. I know all the precautions and I know the rights protesters have, and I know what to-do should the worse case scenario occur."  

"When were you going to tell me this?"

"I'm telling you now."

"Fine."

"Fine what?" His wife inquired, knowing there had to be a catch. Only his wife could speak with hesitation, excitement, and worry in her voice all at once.

"Fine but I'm going with you. “Absolutely not, it’s completely illogical for you to come.”

“Why not. Because I’m not Black I couldn’t possibly care?” He had a quick temper and was becoming extremely angry. Rian could see it in his reddening face and hear it in his voice. 

“You know that’s not the reason. Like I said before, I’ve thought about this carefully, so at least hear me out." 

"..." She took Song-Jan's silence as indication to continue.

"First your English is sketchy at best and I can’t guarantee that I’ll always be there to translate for you. I hate to pull this card, but your disabled and you wouldn’t be familiar with your surroundings. I wouldn’t be able to be there and hold your hand, figuratively and literally. It would be too fast-paced for you and it would be better if you stayed here for my sake and yours."

Song-Jan snatched his hands away from Rians “Are you kidding me? Are deliberately trying to piss me off?” Song-Jan hated being called disabled. He knew it. She knew it. Anyone close to him knew it. He abruptly walked past her and bumped into her shoulder, slamming the door to their bedroom behind him. The average person might’ve figured it was accident considering he was blind but Rian knew better. She suddenly regretted the way she stated what she said but it was the truth whether he wanted it hear it or not.

The next morning Song-Jan woke up with to an aching head. "Ugh" He sat up from his bed and rubbed his temple with his fingers. "Rian" He called out.

"Babe, can you get me the headache medicine?" Again being greeted by silence he reached over to her side of the bed to wake her up, but when he did so, he felt nothing but sheets and pillows. Where is she? He thought to himself, and then he remembered the heated conversation they had had yesterday. Did she seriously ignore everything I said? He went throughout the entire house calling for Rian only to be greeted by more and more silence. Each moment he was becoming more angry and frustrated that she could so easily disregard his wishes, and make a decision like this without even discussing it with him first. They were both stubborn and Song-Jan decided that he would wait for her to call and apologize to him first.

In America...

Rian had been four days into her trip. The group she had been working with consisted of 25 individuals aged 16- 40 from various ethnicities but mostly African-American. First they protested in Ferguson then they travel to Ohio and where currently leaving Baltimore heading to New York. It would be their biggest protest yet and there were estimated to be at least 500 civilians and protesters present. They had long left Baltimore but Rian could still heat the chants in her ear. 

"No Justice! No Peace!" 

"No Justice! No Peace!"

So far she had made several new friends one of which was Kayla who was one year older. Rian highly admired Kayla for her unrelenting hopefulness. The first words the woman said to her following their first protest was just the inspiration she needed. 

---Flashback----

"I'm so happy I can feel the change in my bones and its about to burst like a pipe of flowing water in the dead of winter." Rian gave the woman next to her a questioning look. Based on her use of simile, and heavy accent, Rian figured she was from the south. 

"What's your name? You must be new to the group? We were supposed to meet someone from Korea but I guess they missed their flight. Did you see anyone who was Korean at the airport? My names Kayla and I'm from Houston." This woman was talking a mile a minute but Rian liked that because she had a spunk to her.

"My name is Rian Tan. Yes I'm new to the group. I'm the one from South Korea, and No I didn't see any Koreans at the airport." Kayla's eyes suddenly became large with excitement. "You live in Korea that must be so cool. Tell me everything." Kayla crossed her legs on the bus seat and rested her head on her hands like a kid in kindergarten waiting for snack time. The two talked non-stop until they reached Missouri, usually with Kayla asking and Rian answering. 

---End Flashback----

She had been so busy with the protest activities that they were all she thought about but now that they were on the bus and almost everyone was asleep, even her good friend Kayla. Her mind began to wander to Song-Jan and the last discussion they had. She hated how it ended and she expected him to call and apologize but he didn't. She hated apologizing first but she missed his voice and decided to swallow her pride. She pulled out her phone and called him.

Halfway through the first ring Rian was greeted by her husband. "Hello" Rians heart-raced at the sound of his voice. He sounded groggy like he had just woken up. Then it suddenly dawned on her the time difference. "Song-Jan it’s me Rian. I was calling to check on you. But you’re asleep so I'll call back later."

"No, don't do that. I'm up." Rian heard grunts and grumbles through the phone that sounded like more than just being tired.

"Are you okay? You don't sound to good."

"No I'm fine."

"Please don't lie to me." Song-Jan sighed over the phone. He figured she would know something was up the instant he picked up the phone. 

"I'm just having some pain..."

"And." He chuckled. His wife knew him too well.

"I've been having crazy insane headaches and no kind of aspirin seems to be working and my eyes are crazy sore.'" 

"Now was that so hard to say?"

"No. But is there something else you'd like to say to me?"

"Uhh yeah I also wanted to say that I umm..." Rian scratched her head because she wasn't good at apologizing. It was physically against her anatomy, even if she was wrong. "Cough cough I'm waiting" Song-Jan implied over the phone. 

"I'm sorakfjhfdkjfnry" She quickly mumbled.

"I'm sorry come again" 

"I can hear you smiling through the phone ya know. I said I'm so--cough-rry"

"One more time please?"

"I'm sorry okay. There happy?"

"Being married to you I'm always happy." Song-Jan smoothly stated to sweeten her mood just a little. He suddenly heard a loud booming voice on the other end of the phone that certainly wasn't his wife's. Then it was multiple voices and then...

"Song-Jan I"m sorry I have to go. The bus driver just said we're two hours out from New York and we have to prep for protest so I gotta go. But I'll see you soon okay." 

"Okay Bye."

"Bye." The conversation really went to fast for Song-Jan than he would have liked, but given that time flies when you’re enjoying yourself he figured they talked a good 20 minutes. "Siri what time is it?"  beep beep. "It is 4:44 AM, Song-Jan." At the robotic-sound of that he decided he'd try and go back to sleep and pray that this headache would go away soon. 

---Corny Alarm Music----

Song-Jan reached over and turned of his alarm and began his morning routine first by making himself a gourmet breakfast of whole milk, sliced bananas and processed corn flakes all to create what his specialty dish, cereal. 

He then proceeded over to the T.V. and turned to Mnet to see what was the newest music. 

Biccnaneun geosdeureun manha
Geu ane jinjjareul bwabwa
Call me baby call me baby
Call me baby call me baby
You know my name girl

---News intro music----

We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news from the United States. As tensions rise between civilians and Police officers things show no sign of improving after this morning. At approximately 8:00 AM the biggest protest gathering this year had more than 600 people gathered in protest from across the country and across the world to push for justice in the names of those who have fallen victim to excessive police brutality. However at 8:30 AM following the announcements of the courthouse that trials of Eric Garner, Freddie Gray and Mike Brown were to be re-tried, the happiness was quickly replaced with the opposite. Five bombs of D-3 exploded simultaneously at surrounding locations relative to courthouse. It has been counted that at least 200 people have been killed, more than 300 severely injured and several unaccounted for. We will update you as the story continues to develop and return you back to regularly scheduled program.

---News outro music----

Song-Jan had dropped his cereal to the floor leaving the bowl to shatter. His heart began to hurt at the idea of something happening to Rian. For her being hurt in that way, for something she cared about so much. For her to be...dead. He tasted salt on his lips and realized that his tears began to fall without his consent and they showed no sign of stopping. He unclutched his hand from his chest and searched frantically for his phone and immediately called Rian only to get sent straight to voicemail, every time. All the 73 times he called he kept getting her doggone voicemail. He then called her friends to ask if any of them had heard from her. Each time receiving the same answer that he didn't want. "Nah I haven't talked to her since last week to plan your surprise birthday party...opps sorry. Don't tell her I told you that. But I’ll catch you guys later okay." Song-Jan ended the phone call without a response because he feared the words that would come out of his mouth. 

All day Song-Jan wept and wept for his wife. Could she be buried in rubble. What if she helped some one escape but there wasn't enough time for her to do the same. Did she die fast? Or did she suffer feeling her flesh burn. "Ahhhh!" He reached for the first thing he could get his hands on, which happened to be a glass bowl, and chucked it across the room. He continued to grab for anything. Table edge; he flipped it. Mirror he punched it. Bookshelf; he threw it to the ground. He would’ve continued but another bloody headache was starting to kick it, and the pain was traveling towards his eyes. He cried himself to sleep that night clutching his head between hands

----Several hours later

Rian was glad to finally be on solid land again. After her 18-hour flight from the U.S. to Korea she needed to stretch her bones and move around a bit. She was at least glad to have caught that 6:45 AM flight or else the plane would have been hecka crowded and that would’ve been far worse. But nonetheless she was excited to finally be in her own home, in her own bed, and most importantly see her husband. When she opened the door to her apartment she was taken aback. It looked a mess, like someone had broken in. "Song-Jan! Song-Jan are you in here? Song-Jan where are you?" She went frantically throughout the house searching for any sign of her husband. Living room, Kitchen, Bedroom, all nothing. She then went to the guest room and was finally relieved. Her husband was lying on the floor curled up next to a mess of books.

She knelt beside her husband and noticed the look of worry on his face. His crunched together eyebrows, the cold sweat that decorated his face and neck and but what caught her attention was the fresh tears falling from his eyes. She began to wake her husband but hesitated when she heard the words he spoke in his sleep. 

"Please! Jagiya! Don't go to that place. Please stay with me. I can't lose you." He began to twist and turn in his sleep and Rian was becoming more and more worried and confused. She gently began to wake him shaking him gently by the shoulders. 

"Song-Jan were you having a bad dre---?" Rian saw the looks and emotions that crossed through her husbands mind because each of them showed on his face. Confusion, Happiness, Sadness, Fear, Longing. All of them.

"Ri-ri-rian?"

"Yeah it's me love. Were you expecting someone else?" Rian pushed him playfully on the shoulder. Song-Jan quickly felt for her. He reached out and held her face, then her shoulders, then waist and hips then he pulled her face to his and kissed with so much passion, longing, happiness, relief and even lust. Rian tried to pull away to catch her breathe but Song-Jan continued to capture over and over not giving her even a chance to speak. When he finally let go of her lips he pulled her so close and in the tightest embrace.

"I thought I lost you. What happened are you okay?"

"What are talking about? Why would you lose me?" Song-Jan heard the confusion and concern in her voice and began to share the news of the morning’s broadcast.

"I-I caught a flight this morning because I was worried about you. I wanted to surprise you even. I thought something was wrong and were having symptoms you hadn't described before. I would drop anything if it meant making sure you're okay." She sniffled as the finished. "I just hope I don’t know anyone who died. I made a lot of good friends especially Kayla, she I was closest with her, and would hurt knowing that her or anyone of them was hurt."

Song-Jan continued to hold Rian in his arms and had no intention of letting her go, which was fine because Rian didn't want him to. "I'm going to make some calls and make sure everyone is okay, but not right now." Rian shifted in her husbands’ arms so she could face him. "I understand now, your hesitation to me leaving and I empathize with you so much more now. But...I regret nothing because we made a difference and I'm proud of that and anyone who was hurt or who...became angels they would agree."

"Okay I'm done with my mushy-fluff speech." Rian continued.

"Good because I'd like to talk on happier matter." He let go her body and held her hand.

"I really missed you" He pulled her to her feet.

"and I really needed you" He placed a kiss on her neck.

"I also wanted you" He places his hands on your hips. you towards the bed.

"Did you need me to?" He inquired and waited for your reply. Rian began to guide the both of them towards the bed. “Are you really questioning me right now?" Rian forcefully pushed him onto the bed. Any emotions the couple had been feeling the past week were forgotten...or at least transferred into lust for the next few hours.