#008 - remember
Title: remember
Author:douxsoleil
Fandom/Characters/Pairing: NCT & Red Velvet, Ten/Joy
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Challenge # & Prompt: #008 - letting go
Word Count: 799w
She found him, covered in snow and bruises, terribly frail and a heartbreaking sight to watch. The first person she ever took care as careful as she could.
Sooyoung had never been careful with things - stumbling over her father's pack of cigarette on the dining table and slipping one or two into her pocket of jeans, coughing down nicotine down her lungs with a dented cigar stick. She is safe from addiction as she gets tired of liveless objects easily.
Ten is her first life creation. She adresses him in such sentence as her habits are what mold him into a person.
He used to look at things in such wonder and confusion. Now, he seems to know so much more things around them more than she ever can.
In the past, Sooyoung was the one who held into his hand first so he would never get lost. Now, their hands will automatically meet and Ten will smile in the process at her, his daring yet contented smile. She doesn't know where he learnt that.
Ten is a pretty laid back and quiet boy. When he's not talking, he sits back and watches the world goes around. Sooyoung wishes she can have a state of mind as peaceful as his.
He has her first kiss. In the forrest, where they travel to the place her mother forbids her to be.
It is all because of her timid question.
"I wonder how does a kiss feels like," she trails on after blurting it out of the blue, flute-like sounds of nature accompanying the tranquility of this forrest with skyscraper trees. Ten's right hand is interlaced with hers.
"Do you want to know?" Ten grins, a wide smile paints wildly on his lips.
"You kissed a lot of girls already, Ten?"
"No, but it doesn't look difficult. You just have to do it."
He stops and turns to her. "What about it?"
"I guess I can do it with you."
Ten smiles at her simple answer, pulling her closer with their interlaced hands. "Come here."
Sooyoung nears closer, black Converse shuffling below groaning grass.
"I'm sorry if I'm bad at it," he apologizes nervously, another hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"I'm the inexperienced one here. I can't judge," Ten's lithe fingers tuck her hair behind her ears wordlessly as she said this.
"Me too," he mumbles while looking earnestly at her, and she only shrugs her shoulders. Swept bangs with bumpy pointy nose, Ten stares into her eyes intently.
It grows and softens Sooyoung feels like turning and melting into liquid of melted chocolate. "Why are you looking at me l-"
The last thing she sees is his long eyelashes as he presses his lips to her, holding hands and nervous sweats on the nape of his neck.
His lips move against hers and she can only catch up as her knees get heavier. She is not running, but here she is feeling out of breath and wanting to collapse.
Ten pulls back as her hand clutches on to him. Her face is a bright shade of warm fire. He smiles to himself and pulls on her hand to walk deeper into the mythical forrest, as Sooyoung doesn't wipe her lips from disgust.
On one fine day when Ten is walking ahead of her, sunrays hitting his hair, his head moves to look and smile at her. That's when she realizes that he has the most blinding smile she has ever seen. More than the sun, more than anything that is bright in this world.
And all things instantly turn black after that.
"I have to leave," Ten already have his clothes and life packed into a bagpack, hurriedly running into her room. "Sooyoung, I have to leave now."
She is just studying in her room when he barged in. Her heart is on her throat. "Why? What happened? Why do you look so scared? Where? I don't understand anything."
"It's not safe if I am here with all of you. I have to leave," he hugs her for the last time, tight so tight Sooyoung refuses to let go.
"I might never come back. We might never meet again," tears are falling down his cheeks. Ten looks so afraid and fearful. Sooyoung has to stay strong, wiping his tears away while holding hers back.
"I love you, please don't forget that even if you'll fall for someone new."
Before Sooyoung can say anything, Ten is already gone from her arms. She is stunned for a few minutes until her legs try to catch up.
But Ten is nowhere in sight. Sooyoung can only wave goodbye and hold her fingers to the falling sun, asking for mercy to be freed from the forceful and sudden pain of letting go.