Time always finds a way to begin to heal all wounds. Maybe not completely, maybe the scar will never go away, but the wounds always close and you learn to live with them.
"Digging through the ashes, my boy" smiled the grandfather and his grandson du...
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Namjoon had already lost track of how long they had been in Yoongi's little cottage. Exhausted, he laid down behind Ari, taking advantage of her momentary calmness, wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.
He sighed and buried his face in her neck, entwining his fingers with hers. Ari muttered something, her body shuddered and she drew her knees almost to her chest.
Namjoon immediately tensed. Ari was having a nightmare, one of many. Her breathing began to quicken, her fingers tightened around his and her body tensed.
"Shhh, I'm here, baby, shhh..." he began to whisper in her ear and she leaned into him, following his voice. "Relax, my love, sleep…" Namjoon continued softly and Ari sighed but her body responded, much to his relief.
Namjoon wasn't sure if she even realized what was going on, where she was, or who she was with. When she was awake, she was either screaming hysterically, fighting him, begging him to forgive her, to let her go, then begging Binna for forgiveness, making excuses, that she loved both him and Izeul more than her life, or was just staring blankly into nowhere.
How had the woman who stood against him survived his anger, her ex's harassment, the torture of the people who had kidnapped her and kept her in god knows where for three whole days, how had she reached a state of depressed amnesia?
Namjoon was barely able to hold her back, sometimes having to tie her up again, forced by her purposeful attempts to physically punish herself.
Oh, if he could kill the bastard who had done this to her again, he would do it again and again. If he had known she was going to make it this far, Namjoon would have continued to torture him, keeping him alive as long as possible.
He stood up slightly, brushing her hair back to make sure she was already sleeping peacefully and he could rest as well. She stirred again, her body shuddering at his touch and his name slipping from her lips.
If anyone had ever doubted that Arie loved him, he had to see her now, in her most terrible physical and mental condition, unaware of what was happening to her and yet, even asleep or unconscious, she continued to calls him, to repeat how much she loves him, how much she misses him.
Relaxing again, he closed his eyes. His body screamed for rest, his eyes grew heavy and he surrendered to sleep, wrapping his arms securely around her body.
A soft snap jolted him out of his sleep and he stood up abruptly. His eyes widened in horror and his heart stopped. "Sweetie…" he got up quickly and stood up, holding his arms out in front of him, showing that he wasn't going to hurt her.
Arie sat on the ground, legs tucked under her, her eyes looking guiltily somewhere behind him as she held his gun against her temple.
Namjoon carefully walked towards her and she looked at him, blinking startled, her hand shaking and he held his breath. "Ari, put the gun down, baby…" Namjoon commanded in a low but sure voice, trying not to make any sudden movements.
Her eyes moved behind him again and he looked over his shoulder, even though he knew no one was actually there. Returning his gaze to Ari, he took another step, she looked at him again and blinked in confusion, tilting her head slightly to the side.
Her hand trembled again and he froze in place. "Honey, give me the gun…" Namjoon begged softly, holding out his hand. Ari looked at his hand, her brows furrowed as if she wondered what exactly was being asked of her.
Slowly, she lowered the gun, looking down at him. Namjoon gritted his teeth, taking another step. "Good girl, now give it to me, my love..." she bit her lip and looked around, scanning the small hunting lodge.
"She hates me…" Ari whispered, looking deep into his eyes. Namjoon froze in shock, his arm out to her, his feet in step, slightly bent, he nervously met her gaze. "No one hates you, baby…" he answered and Ari shook her head.
"Binna…she…hates me…" her tears welled up and Ari sobbed, clutching the gun tightly again. “Honey, listen to me, no one knows Binna better than I do…” Namjoon slowly crouched down, meeting their gazes.
"Look at me Ari!" he commanded and she looked up at him. "Binna chose you, my love, you above all others. She entrusted her daughter to you, she sent you to bring me back to life, to awaken what I thought was buried" Ari seemed to be listening intently to his every word, staring in his lips.
"Kim Binna sent you into our lives baby, just her and no one else." he continued, her eyes widening as if she had been told a universal secret and Ari shook her head. "She...she...I...I..." Ari stiffened and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"She doesn't hate me?" Ari asked in a tearful voice and looked at him again. "God, of course not, baby" Namjoon leaked again and gave a small smile. "Now give me the gun, honey" she looked at him and then at the gun, her breathing quickened and she tossed the weapon to the side, jumping with a horrified scream.
Namjoon wasn't fast enough, Ari ran and jumped out the door. "Damn it!" Namjoon growled and ran after her. "Ari..." the words got stuck in his throat.
Only a few steps from the villa, she dropped to her knees and propped herself up on one hand, holding her stomach with the other as her body shook with the strain. Namjoon made it to her in just three steps and knelt down, tucking her hair and stroking her back as she threw up.
Ari wiped her lips with the back of her hand and tried to stand up. Her body swayed and Namjoon caught her before she fell. "It's okay, baby, I'm here" he whispered in her ear and lifted her into his arms, carrying her back to the cottage and to bed.
He laid her gently on the bed, turned and picked up the gun, hiding it above the kitchen cabinets where he was sure she couldn't reach it, and went back to bed with her.
Her eyelids fluttered, but she didn't open her eyes as he laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest.
Namjoon sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head. Thinking that as soon as she woke up again, he had to make sure she had something to eat, his tortured body surrendered to sleep again.
