Namjoon's Chance • KNJ

Twenty Eight

Morning came quickly, bright sunlight creeping in. When you slipped from Joon's comforting embrace he protested tugging your body closer once more, but didn't wake. With careful movement you extracted yourself little by little and pulled the curtains closed.

The room darkened once more you looked down at his face, softened with sleep. You wanted to crawl on top of him and kiss his cheeks, lips, chin. His arms looked empty and you wanted to fill them with your body. You decided to continue with your plan to let him sleep, wondering how much rest he'd had getting back to the hotel so late.

You showered quickly and dressed, slipping into sandals you walked down to the beach. Yesterday morning you'd sat here feeling embarrassed and rejected. This morning you watched the weak morning sun peak from behind frothy clouds as it rose in the sky. You felt grateful and loved and you promised yourself to work harder to give that same love back.

You dug your fingers through the cool sand watching as the grains fell back into the tracks as you sat on the edge of a lounge chair. All morning you'd been thinking about Joon's insecurity, his insistence that you remember how you felt in that sweet moment. As you realized why your stomach felt like it was hosting very hungry piranha.

The secret between Jackson and Joon. The twice weekly visitor. The reason Joon punched Jackson a year ago.

Those deception hadn't gone away with Jackson's death, if anything it was a giant mountain waiting to change how you felt about your husband. Change how you felt about Joon, and he knew it because he was protecting himself.

Well he had tried to protect himself, you touched the necklace's locket sighing. Joon couldn't stay away from you and even though he must know he should, he'd taken a leap of faith. Could you do the same when all the truth came out?

"Morning Y/N, I wasn't going to interrupt, but that look on your face convinced me I should." You tilted your head back shielding your eyes and saw a concerned Kyujin.

"Just thinking." You shrugged and brushed the sand from your hand across your shorts.

"You're wearing the same expression Joon had when I chased him all over the resort and got dragged to San Jose in the middle of the night."  He motioned to the the lounge chair next to yours and you nodded.

"What time did you get back to the hotel?"

"About two in the morning, I see you're wearing his gift."

"Yes it's beautiful, thank you for being with him last night." You turned back to the water, foamy waves were rolling against the shore.

"Any nightmares about falling from zip lines?" You knew Kyujin was just distracting you at this point, but somehow it was exactly what you needed.

"No? Did you?" You laughed and gave him a skeptical look.

"No but I woke up in a cold sweat thinking about helicopter rides." He widened his eyes in mock horror and you both giggled.

"Let's head back and wake sleeping beauty, we'll keep the plans to just the morning adventure and hit the beach this afternoon after nap time." Kyujin stood tugging you to your feet, and patted your head.

"Thanks Kyujin." His demeanor and brotherly warmth had to feeling better already.

"Sometimes we shouldn't fall too deeply into our thoughts, sometimes we should live in the moment."

You knew he was right, Joon had already said there was a lot of reality to get back to after Costa Rica. You still had time, you didn't need to let that reality ruin your present.

~

The tour guide handed you a compact blue helmet and helped you strap it on properly. Joon was talking in English with another going over the basics of the operation of the ATV. When they were done Joon put his own helmet on smiling down at you.