lights out, jake sim.

26.

Seeing Lily and Heeseung heartily interact with each other, a twinge of discomfort crossed Jake's face. A sense of loss loomed in his heart as he tried to push away the feeling. After all, it was his actions that led to this situation. 

Before Jake could leave the field, a snide remark about Lily caught his ears, and anger surged within him. Driven by a surge of protectiveness, Jake lunged at the player, his fists clenched in anger and their heated exchange quickly escalated into a physical altercation. The two of them exchanged blows while other teammates rushed to separate them.

Jake's voice boomed across the field as he vehemently warned, "Don't you dare fucking talk about her in that way!" 

Heeseung quick on his feet, made his way toward the chaos to try and pacify the situation, managing to pull Jake away from the altercation. 

"Enough! Stop this!" Heeseung shouted, his voice firm.

Lily's eyes widened as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes. Her heart raced, concern etched on her face. She didn't know if she should run to the field or stay in her place. She didn't want to make things worse.

Heeseung managed to calm Jake down, urging him to let go of his anger by the time he took Jake to the bleachers. However, Jake persisted in venting his frustration, hurling profanities and exclaiming, "The fuck is wrong with their twisted minds!" 

Lily assessed the situation and noticed the scrapes and bruises on Jake's face.

Without hesitation, Lily reached into her bag and pulled out a small ointment, "Let me help," Lily spoke softly, her voice filled with concern.

Jake's eyes met hers, his anger slowly dissipating, "Lily," he murmured, his voice tinged with surprise and gratitude.

Lily gently applied the ointment to Jake's wounds, her touch delicate and tender. There was a brief moment where vulnerability and intimacy intertwined as their eyes locked, a solitary tear escaped down Jake's eyes, conveying his innermost emotions. 

Lily's thumb instinctively caught the tear, and a profound silence enveloped them. The calamitous flow of time that sustained their connection traversed the ramparts of empathy and compassion, where the pain from the burns of their vicious past and the vulnerability they felt were acknowledged.

"You need to stop acting rashly," Lily spoke as her gaze shifted to the corner of his lips that bore a scrape.

"I can't help it when it comes to you." Lily's hand paused before she continued to apply ointment to the corner of his bleeding lip.

Lily remained silent, tending to Jake's injury as she cleaned the blood near his lip that had been slightly gashed during the brawl.

Jake flinched, his face contorting in discomfort from the stinging sensation.

"Sorry, I will be gentle," Lily said, her voice filled with a mixture of concern and caution as she examined the scrape that marked his temple.

Love, indeed, can be amusing at times, but of all, it's quite the strangest sensation. It starts with spring, warm and radiant, blossoming into a fuzzy feeling that lingers in the chest. Then with the scorching of summer and brisk solitary of winters, it transitions into autumn, where love takes chances amidst the enchanting hues of falling leaves, weaving a tapestry of once-profound love, salving the remnants of the heart's tender scars, and whispering promises of healing and growth. 

Jake, who had been intently watching Lily tend to his injuries. The sardonic irony baffled him as his mere superficial nicks were being treated with utter delicacy by the one, he had caused the most pain.

Flinching at his deleterious thoughts, Jake reached out to gently touch her wrist before taking both her hands in his, "We need to talk, Lily," Jake uttered, laced with soft apprehension.

"Talk about what, Jake?" Lily questioned, gazing down at his hands that were holding hers in gentle security as if afraid she might slip away.

He hesitated for a moment, gathering his thoughts before he responded, "About us."