ONE HEART 4 STRINGS || Joshua ||SVT ff ||18+

42

"WE LEAVE in an hour. . . . flight's in 3 hours." SeungCheol declares, slipping into active leader mode as we all shuffle into the dorm. Some members collapse on the living room couch, while others rush to the kitchen for a quick bite before our departure.

I trudge into my room, exhaustion clings to every fiber of my being, my steps heavy and sluggish. The morning interview had drained me, leaving me fatigued and yearning for a moment of solace. I peels off my jacket, my movements lethargic, and toss it carelessly onto a nearby chair. Droplets of sweat glisten on my forehead, evidence of the rigorous schedule we endured - everything was going well until the interviewer had to bring up Celine and Jeonghan's kiss. She riled me up in more ways than she would ever know and I sat there, my insides imploding. Thankfully Jeonghan sat beside me, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze and Scoups  gestered for her to move along with her questions. She understood his eyes enough to never cross boundaries again.

With a weary sigh, I unbutton my shirt, the fabric clinging to my skin from the perspiration of the day. I peel it off slowly, muscles protesting the day's exertion, the shirt joins the jacket on the chair, discarded in a crumpled heap.

I shuffle towards my neatly packed luggage, fingers deftly unzipping the bag. Clothing articles meticulously folded within- always wanting every of my thing organized. I quickly grab a fresh set of clothes, fingers grazing the fabric as I prepare for the much-needed shower.

Stepping into the bathroom, a wave of nostalgia washes over me, the faint scent of Celine's peach and coconut body wash lingering in the air. She's only been gone for four hours, yet it feels like an eternity. How am I supposed to survive her a absence till she returns from visiting home? 

Celine Edwards - the thought of her brings a bittersweet smile to my lips. Even if I'm reborn a million times and on a different planet or maybe universe, I'd still want Celine - an undeniable truth I cannot escape.
It sure took us a while to figure out what we wanted from each other, but those moments were pure turture for me. Walking in on Park Chanyeol seated so closely with her that day, something snapped inside of me. Every streak of patience and restraint I had left was shed the moment I walked out the door, knuckles turning white as I gripped the steering wheel while speaking to Jeonghan over the phone.

I needed to mark her, claim her. My blood boiled like it'd never boiled at the sight. And a part of me sensed she knew whom she belonged with - me. She was and is all for me, sitting across the table from her later that evening for the group dinner, it was like rolling a dice. She was avoiding my gaze, she didn't expect I'd speak with her or even serve her a plate. And when our eyes met across the table, I saw guilt flicker within her, igniting the pages of our lives that we had kept closed for too long.

And  finally, after a drive filled with turturous silence, I asked her and she said she wasn't with Chanyeol, not with anyone. That's all I needed, - her words, her eyes and the sincerity in them. The moment my lips touched her soft and innocent lips, I knew I was signing up for death's game - there was no going back.

All I need,
All I feel,
All I am,
Celine..... Celine Aurora Edwards.

And eight months after meeting her physically for the very first time, I'm still falling for her. Falling for this woman that shines brighter than gold, my calm in every storm, she who fits more perfectly than any puzzle - my forever and my ending.

The water cascades over my fatigued body, a soothing embrace to my weary muscles, there's a heavy feeling inside of me. I've tried shaking it off from the moment Celine bid me goodbye before her plane took off. I wish I could be there, but we had to be at the interview.  My shoulders sag, the tension growing with each passing second - eleven more hours before I'd be hearing from her again. I tilt my head back,  rivulets of water trickle down my skin, tracing the contours of my body in an attempt to carry away the residue of the day's fatigue and the eerie feeling.