SEVENTEEN STORIES (ONE SHOTS / IMAGINES / SHORT STORIES)

Choi Seungcheol: Fight and Heal

A long-exasperated sigh left my dry lips, my back muscles hurt temporarily from sleeping in the wrong position the other night. Typing in diagnoses with all those white-lettered black computer keys, the unpaid back-office work for which I volunteered genuinely wanted to make me quit my beloved job at this point. 

As I walked out of the bedroom door with one hand occupied by an opened-up laptop, my eyes met the game-playing man on an army-green beanbag. The frown on his forehead spilled the tea that I should not interfere with whatever was going on the phone screen, hiding myself quickly back behind the wall. 

However, as soon as I had stepped out from the barrier separating us, the smile suiting his rosy lips betrayed the fact that he noticed my busy demeanor. 'Are you done changing your clothes? And why are you standing behind there? I will not chew you up.'

Biting my lips instead, I made the worst excuse that could ever been made up while walking towards where the man was sitting down. 'I am working on the patient files. What are you doing?'

As upon hearing my rational yet redundant question, Seungcheol immediately met eye as he smiled even more brightly. 'Me? I am playing games.'

This is the usual routine in our newly established relationship. While I am working my ass off everyday, this man got enough leisure time to waste. I will not blame him for that though, being a professional kickboxer is painful enough. These are probably the only moments that he got for his own hobbies, and I am not the one who wanted to stop him from enjoying it while it lasts. 

Reminiscing about the first time I met Seungcheol, a curly haired male appeared with pretty eyes but displaying a blueish eyelid, bruised lips and a broken arm. Yes, I met this man in the infirmary where I work as an ED attending physician. 

Sparks hit the highest point when Seungcheol insisted on dating after coming to the hospital for the umpteenth time, just to meet the doctor that stole his stone-cold heart. 'Haeun-ah, let me tell you something. I beat up people and you heal them, a match made in heaven.'

The cotton wool with normal saline was dabbed onto the wound that fitted right onto his eyebrow, flinching as the solution might have irritated a bit. 'Ouch! You did that on purpose, didn't you?'

I chuckled mockingly while dressing the wound, avoiding his contagious stares at all costs. 'My bet is that you told this to all the nurses in the ER. I have heard them talking Seungcheol.'

The kickboxer let a snicker roll of his bruised lips while he explained the highly visible behavior. 'No, that was just to pursue them to give your number.'

My eyeballs made a tumble while I moved the sliding door open after being done with what actually would be the work of a nurse, murmuring a slight discomfort. 'Wow, lame.'

Footsteps were created behind me, shoving me to the left side while Seungcheol glanced back at me. 'I can scream it to anyone here.'

And just before he even produced that alleged noise, my left hand slapped on his mouth as I prevented Seungcheol from doing on what he was scheming. The kickboxer removed my hand from his lips, holding it like a gentleman while he gazed carefully into my eyes. 'So, will you go out with me or not?'

In that singular moment, both of us perceived our written destiny and we decided to walk on that flowery road together. The newly-wed phase was still on sight, taking the six months that we have been getting to know one another into consideration. 

My bashful smile beamed towards the guy wearing a black dress shirt plus black slacks as he came to my place from a press conference an hour ago. 'Is that the game you were playing before?'