What inspires me? That question came up yesterday, and I would just like to answer it through here—there are many things that inspire me. Music, life, the problems of a teenager or the problems of an adult, anything and everything. That's the writing spirit; I never stop. And you guys. You lovely, lovely readers are one of the reason why I continue. Have I mentioned that you're completely beautiful? ;)

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukkah, everything. :)

je t'aime
and people like to call us crazy
but we like to call it perfect

Go Mi Nyu wasn't one to be scared. When she was little, even though her brother was the one that beat up all the bullies and snarled at anyone that came by, he was also the one with the most fears. Bugs, the dark, spiders, shallow water, deepwater, diving, heights, if you named it—he had it. Not that Mi Nyu minded. It was the most she could do for Mi Nam; comfort him in his times of need. Because of that...she had grown to not really be afraid of anything.

Except God. But that was another matter.

She wasn't proud of that fact, really. It was just that—fact. Nothing to get worked up over. She and her brother balanced each other out. They worked like that; just in odd, almost comforting ways. She knew that he still looked after her anyway that he could. But one thing that she had never, ever told Mi Nam, the one thing that he really wasn't scared of...

Crash.

As another blast of thunder hit the sky and shook the very ground Mi Nyu was on, she shuddered. Ever since they were kids, Mi Nyu was afraid of one thing and one thing only; thunderstorms. She hated everything about it; the way that the loud, clashing sounds would grate against her ears, the way that the rain would pound down mercilessly on the earth and caused the hairs on the back of her neck to raise. The flashes of lightning, that would never cease to cause her heart to skip a beat. She hated it. She feared it.

Mi Nyu shuffled back even further in the closet, the one place that had always been her sanctuary from the rain. There wasn't many storms in Seoul, but when it came, she hated it more than anything. It was God's creation, she knew, something to help the earth grow and weed, but she still despised it. Another crash of thunder.

She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a shaking breath. She knew that it was stupid; who was afraid of a simple storm? Especially since there were worse things in the world...but she couldn't help it. Breathing in, she tried to calm herself with the familiar and soothing smell of cologne, placed on almost every single article of clothing in the closet.

Tae Kyung riled her up, yes, but he also calmed her down in a way. His blunt, fore-front attitude had rubbed off somewhat, and his presence calmed her. But he wasn't here right now, and she couldn't wish for him. She was already being greedy enough, in her opinion.

Even louder this time, and the sound vibrated in her ears. Mi Nyu whimpered and leaned against the side of a shoebox, wishing that she could fall asleep and that she would have such a childish fear.

"Go Mi Nyu?"

Tae Kyung's authorative voice shocked her out of her small reverie. With a small jump, Mi Nyu straightened, before realizing that she was in his closet. Her face burned, and she leaned back again. Tae Kyung said again, this time more frustrated, "I know you're here, Go Mi Nyu. There's no one else in the house and your room is all clean." What Tae Kyung had not said was that he had searched throughout the whole house for her as soon as he got home, but couldn't find her—not even in her room.

Not a sound. Carefully, he looked around his neat, precise room, then continued: "Mi Nyu...are you hiding from me?" He rarely called her by her first name. But he liked the way that it sounded on his lips; easy, and so, so still didn't use it often. He feared that he would get caught on it.

Thereit was—a small, soft sort of whimpering sigh. A woman's voice, it was as well, that muttered, "I'm not hiding from you, oppa."

"Then where are you?" he asked, frustrated. Tae Kyung got his answer a second later, when he caught a small flash in the crack of his closet. Movement. Something shuffled. An eyebrow raising, he walked over to the closet in long strides and opened the door.

And Tae Kyung didn't know what to expect—but it wasn't his girlfriend in her over-sized pyjamas, tear tracks running down her pallid face. Any retort, any reprimanding that was about to pass died on his lips. Mi Nyu squeaked and hid her face in her knees, which were brought up to her chest.

Tae Kyung knelt down just as fast and held on to her wrists, holding them away from her face. Seeing those tears down her face made his chest painfully constrict. He didn't like to see her cry. He had been the reason why so many times before. "What's wrong?" he asked urgently. "Wh-why are you crying? Go Mi Nyu?"

"It's stupid," she muttered, pulling at her arms incessantly. "It's nothing, oppa. Please, just...just give me a few minutes, and I'll be fine..."

"You're not fine, obviously," he sniped back, frowning deeply. "Come here. Why are you in my closet?"

Mi Nyu looked up at him, brown eyes filled with hesitance and fear. She opened her mouth to say something, but Tae Kyung could never hear the rest of it; the both of them, crouched down on the mouth of the closet door, were shaken by the sound of crashing thunder. Louder than it ever had before. While Tae Kyung only jumped a little, Mi Nyu let out a little shriek—for the sounds had been muted in the closet—and clung to the nearest thing, burying her face in Tae Kyung's shoulder.

Tae Kyung caught her weight with surprising ease, blinking in stupidity before realizing that Mi Nyu had literally jumped into his arms. Fighting down the dryness in his throat (she rarely did something so...bold), he noticed that she was starting to shake uncontrollably.

He pieced the parts together quickly. "Go Mi Nyu..." he started slowly, unsure, "...are you afraid of the storm?"

Mi Nyu didn't say anything in response, letting her quick breathing do the job for her.

Tae Kyung leaned against the side of his desk, which was placed near his closet door. He patted her on the back awkwardly, remembering how she had done the same on his birthday. Tae Kyung honestly didn't know what to do; Mi Nyu rarely cried any more. He didn't know how to comfort her.

Another crash. Another jerk. Tae Kyung sighed.

"Its...Its not going to hurt you," he said, feeling stupid and dumb and like a teenager. "Just...calm down. Mi Nyu? Calm...calm down." Slowly, his pats became reassuring rubs on the bath, smoothing out the grey of her cloth. Even if he was dealing with a hyperventilating female, Tae Kyung kind of liked the quiet. It was lulling and the pitter patter of the rain was somewhat soothing.

He didn't stop or make a move when Mi Nyu's shuddering sighs became soft, even breaths, or when her eyes clothes. He didn't comment on how he could hear his own heartbeat, slow and thumping, or how her warmth was slowly seeping on him as well. In fact, all he did was let a brief smile cross his lips before leaning back and closing his eyes just the same.

Jeremy would find them tomorrow, leaning heavily against each other, sleeping soundly on the floor as morning dew started to form on the windowsill.

.:.

fin.
12.23.11