A.N. - I was so happy to receive my first review on this story! Thank-you, candicane26! I know I don't update very often, but I hope you're all still enjoying!
So-ah closed the door to her house quietly, watching as Habaek, who had entered before her, went to stand in the living room by their couch. He appeared to be in deep thought, seemingly staring at the floor but, So-ah knew, not really seeing it.
She wanted to move close to him, to wrap him in her arms and comfort him, but she also felt frozen, not wanting to intrude on his thoughts. This was a deep matter, a war between gods, and she felt she had no place in it.
Eventally, though, she could not stand the silence. Moving away from the door, but stopping in front of her kitchen table, she said, "What happens now? What...will you do?"
Not looking at her, Habaek replied, "I must go back to Water Country. My kingdom, my people, they need me."
"But what about -" So-ah stopped herself. What about me?, she'd been about to say. What about my wish? She knew it was selfish of her to remind Habaek, to want to make him stay, but hadn't they gone through enough for him to be able to? For them to have the comfortable life they enjoyed now?
Perhaps Habaek knew what she wanted to say. Turning, he took a step closer to her, a troubled expression on his face. "I am sorry, So-ah. I cannot even fulfill your wish. I am a poor master, for not being able to give his servant something she so surely deserves, and what we both desire."
So-ah shook her head hard. "No, no! Please don't apologize – it is my own selfishness." She paused, swallowing, as she asked, the fear of his next answer in her throat,
"Will you...come back?"
Habaek closed the distance between them, and placed his hands on her shoulders. Looking into her eyes, he told her, "I swear, So-ah, that I will do everything in my power to return to you. If I can – and I will make sure I can – then I will come back to you."
She felt the sting of tears in her eyes as she nodded, grateful for the certainty in his voice, if not necessarily in his words. "Okay," she whispered.
Carefully, slowly, Habaek lifted her chin up, and brought his lips down on hers. She clutched at him, pulling him into a deeper kiss, more desparate than any kiss they'd shared in a while - they hadn't needed to be desparate, because they were together and were supposed to be like that for the rest of her days -
Eventually they broke for air, and Habaek pulled away slightly, to look at So-ah in the eye.
"If I must go," he began, "then I would like a good memory, something happy, to hold onto, to give me strength in the coming war." He reached a hand up and wiped away her tears. "But only if you are willing to give it to me. Your happiness is my happiness."
His words threatened to bring more tears to her eyes, but kinder ones. Sniffling a little, So-ah said, "Something happy?"
"Yes."
She nodded, then smiled a little. There wasn't anything saying she couldn't turn this bitter parting into something more sweet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him again.
"Then let's get started."
...
The next day they drove out to the gods' gate, on the land So-ah's family had held for generations. It stilled amazed her to think that she had considered this property worthless, ignorant of its true power and significance. How could she ever have thought to sell it?
Well, some days she did wish she could sell it - any money was good money.
Mura and Bi Ryeom were waiting for them, Habaek having spoken to them on the phone on the way here. Mura was dressed in a chic black dress that stopped just above her knees, and gold heels. The ground was muddy from a hard rain a few days ago, so So-ah wasn't sure why Mura had chosen that particular footwear, but a goddess must always be fashionable, she supposed.
Bi Ryeom was dressed more casually, in a white sweater and gray slacks. He had his hands in his pockets, but he wore an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. It unnerved So-ah to see him like that - if even Ahn Bin was taking this threat seriously, then it must be of an even greater magnitude than she thought.
Mura smiled at the two of them, even So-ah. "My lord," she said, with a small bow to Habaek.
"Are you ready?" Habaek asked, with no preamble. Mura nodded.
Bi Ryeom stepped forward, taking his hands out of his pockets. "Are you sure this is the best idea? Shouldn't I be coming with you?" His eyes darted towards Mura before looking at Habaek as he said this.
"We talked about this," Habaek replied. "If the Sky King wants you back in the Realm of the Gods, then obviously the best place for you - if you're on my side - is to be here, away from his influence. And you'll be able to keep tabs on the minor gods, see what their thoughts are. Keep them from defecting."
"They've already defected," Mura pointed out. "They left the Realm of the Gods."
"Even so." Habaek was firm. With a frown, Bi Ryeom eventually nodded, seeing his point.
"Alright," he said. He then turned to Mura and, unexpectedly, from the small gasp she gave, reached towards her and dipped her downwards, placing his lips on hers as he did so. They stood that way for almost a minute, before Bi Ryeom brought them both up and they separated. Mura looked a little embarrased, smacking his arm slightly, but the blush and small smile on her face belied her true feelings.
Habaek turned to So-ah, and offered a small smile. He took her in his arms and gave her her own kiss, sweet and soft but deep at the same time. She remembered the night before, and grew warm, wishing that hadn't been the result of having to part from him today.
Eventually the water god pulled back, glancing backwards at the gate that would take Mura and him home, to Water Country.
"I'll miss you," So-ah said, bringing his attention back on her. She squeezed his hands between hers. "Please, please be careful. And remember what you promised."
Habaek nodded. "Of course. I'll miss you, too. I love you."
"I love you."
He pulled away then, and Mura and he approached the gate. So-ah shivered, sensing the power in the air - ancient, sacred, deep. Her family was tied to this place, to these gods, and she herself was bound to Habaek in so many other ways as well. She could feel the opening of the gate in her bones.
Before the water gods stepped through, however, So-ah dashed forward, grabbing onto Habaek and spinning him around. As he looked at her, amazed, she reached up and kissed him once more.
As if on reflex, he automatically kissed her back. When they parted, he looked at her, a question in his eyes.
"I just wanted one more," she told him, somewhat breathless. "Before you left."
Habaek smiled at that. "I'm glad," he said. He stroked her face, and then turned around again, and this time So-ah let him, moving backwards a few paces.
Taking a deep breath, Habaek stepped through the gate, and was gone. Mura looked over her shoulder for a second, locking eyes with Bi Ryeom, before stepping forward; with a flash of light, she, too, was gone.
The lovers they'd left behind stared at the gate for a while, now nothing more than an arch of stone, ancient looking but not anything special.
Finally, Bi Ryeom turned to So-ah. "Well?" he said. "Shall we get back?"
She turned to him in surprise. "You're not just going to teleport yourself?"
He shrugged. "Well, why would I? This way I get to spend time with my favorite gods' servant." He snapped his fingers, and did teleport then - both So-ah and himself, into So-ah's car.
So-ah, in the driver's seat, sputtered a bit, disliking the feeling of being transfered from one spot suddenly to another. She reached over and smacked Bi Ryeom on the arm.
"Don't do that! At least tell me first!"
Bi Ryeom rubbed his arm and shot her a wounded look. "Ai, woman, you don't have to hit so hard."
"Please," So-ah muttered, buckling her seatbelt and started the car's ignition. "Like I could actually hurt you."
She looked behind her, easing the car into reverse, then making a K-turn to get down the somewhat hill-y area. After a while of driving, she glanced to her right, where Bi Ryeom sat, staring out the windshield. His silence unnerved her.
"You think...you think they'll be alright, don't you?" So-ah asked, in a small voice.
Her question shook the god from his thoughts, and he looked over at her. He simply stared at her for a while, before he flashed her a charming smile.
"Of course!" he exclaimed, in a voice So-ah knew was mostly fake. "Our Habaek and Mura? Strongest gods I know! They'll be fine!" His smile grew wider, stretching the corners of his mouth, as if trying to convince her with its size.
Eventually So-ah nodded, giving into his ruse.
"Right," she said, nodding at him before turning onto the main road. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
...
The first place So-ah went to after the gods' gate was the hospital, where Sang-yoo was still being held. From a text she'd gotten early this morning from Hyung Sik, she knew he was awake at last. She'd forced herself to put her anxiety over her nurse aside last night, trying to make a happy moment for Habaek and give him a proper send-off this morning, but now, Sang-yoo had all of her atttention.
To her continued surprise, Bi Ryeom joined her, following her around the hospital as she looked for Sang-yoo's room, 432; they'd moved him since she last saw him.
The wind god did stay outside in the hall, however, when So-ah finally found the room and entered. Hyung Sik was there, seated on a chair besides the bed, as was another woman, rather on the petite side, standing near the window. She was clearly Korean, but she'd dyed her hair red, as well as shaved one side of her head, letting the hair on the other side grow to about shoulder-length. Both Hyung Sik and the redhaired woman turned to look at So-ah.
"So-ah," Hyung Sik greeted, with a small smile. The other woman's eyes widened a little, and the look of interest on her face turned to wariness. But So-ah didn't want to bother with this stranger right now; she was looking at Sang-yoo, who, to her great relief, was sitting up, on his own power, though he did have an IV hooked into his arm, and was wearing a rather unflattering hospital gown.
"Doctor!" Sang-yoo exclaimed, upon seeing her. He pushed his glasses up further on his nose, as they had slipped down. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Geez, at least you could pretend to be happy to see me," So-ah complained, though with a smile. Sang-yoo looked embarrassed.
"I-I'm sorry, Doctor. I just - oh, are you alright?" The nurse, currently patient, leaned forward, tone urgent. "Hyung Sik told me you had to be checked out at the hospital, too. You weren't hurt badly, were you? I'm sorry I couldn't protect our clinic - can you imagine, thieves trying to steal from a psychiatric clinic? Honestly!"
"I'm alright, Sang-yoo," So-ah replied, shifting a little at her nurse's comment. The story the police and hospital had eventually settled on - since one of the witnesses was unconscious, the other couldn't tell them what happened, and So-ah's office was in such disarray - was that thieves had tried to break in, and had attacked both Sang-yoo and So-ah, and had disappeared before So-ah woke up and her boyfriend, Habaek, had arrived.
"I'm just glad you're alright," So-ah continued, stepping closer to the bed. "You...you really scared me - us. Everyone. Hyung Sik, I mean."
Sang-yoo smiled slightly, seeming to know what she was trying to say. "I'm sorry, Doctor. I'll try to be more vigilant next time."
"You'd better be," she said. "Hurry up and get better, okay? Our practice just isn't the same without you. Don't worry, it'll pay for your bills here, and of course you'll get paid leave until you're ready to come back."
"Thank-you, So-ah," Hyung Sik said, in her quiet voice. She reached over and grabbed Sang-yoo's hand, who began to stroke it. So-ah looked away, suddenly emotional. Turning it into a cough, she looked back at Sang-yoo and told him,
"Well, I wanted to come and check on you, after Hyung Sik told me you'd woken up. But I have to go now, so I guess I'll see you later. Get better soon."
Sang-yoo nodded. "Thank-you, Doctor."
So-ah nodded, then bowed to the three of them - the other woman, who hadn't said a word, seemed very familiar, but So-ah couldn't tell from where - and left the room.
Bi Ryeom had been leaning agains the wall, and pushed off it when she cam out. So-ah eyed him oddly, wondering what he was still doing here, but said nothing.
In fact, she said nothing the whole rest of the day, as she cleaned up the mess her attacker had made; spoke to another police detective about the incident; broke for lunch, did paperwork; ordered dinner which she ate in her office; and sent out emails to her patients assuring them she would be open for business in a couple days at the most.
And Bi Ryeom. Was still. There.
Finally, when she was done with everything for that day, So-ah turned to Bi Ryeom, who at that point was sitting in a swivel chair by the stairs.
"What," she said.
He looked up from his phone. "What?"
"You know what!" So-ah exclaimed, suddenly irritated at his presence. Maybe it was the fact the wind god had acted as if he wasn't here - except to lift pieces of her shrimp out of her shrimp stir-fry dinner - that made her so annoyed, but she found herself snapping, "What are you doing here? Why haven't you left? Why have you been with me all day?"
"What, you didn't enjoy my company?"
"No, actually, I didn't," she said shortly, crossing her arms over her chest. "You didn't say a single word to me after the car this morning. It's really annoying. What are you playing at, Ahn Bin?"
A small smile danced on his lips at the name she still used for him occasionally, but it faded as he put his phone down and stared at her.
"I'm here to keep you safe," he said.
So-ah stared at him, waiting for him to say more. When he didn't, she replied, "What...do you mean?"
Bi Ryeom sighed. "Habaek asked me to look after you while he was gone, alright? He's worried the Sky King might try something with you while he's not here to protect you."
So-ah shifted in her chair, uneasy. The idea of being attacked again did scare her - though she really should be used to it by now, hanging out with gods and half-gods as much as she did - but...
"But isn't the Sky King after Habaek's throne?" she asked. "That's..well, it's in the world of the gods, right? Why would he come here, or send anyone here? Why would, if Habaek isn't even here, why would he go after me?"
"Because you're precious to him," Bi Ryeom replied. "Habaek loves you. He defied his fate for you, he postponed his ascension for you. You think just because you're in the human world that's going to matter? That, in a war - the Sky King has declared war, in case you've forgotten - that boundaries like that matter? You can be used against Habaek, So-ah, and so for your sake, and his, I'm going to protect you."
Bi Ryeom's voice had risen with each word, and deepened; in the most serious voice So-ah had ever heard from him, he said, leveling her with a soul-searching look, "So get used to it."
So-ah sat there, letting his words sink in. She'd felt giddy at being called Habaek's precious, but also guilty, at being the reason the Sky King could attack Water Country and possibly harm Habaek as well. And there was also something that didn't click with Bi Ryeom's words and current actions, and what she knew of him.
"But...I understand why he asked you, but why would you do it?" she asked.
Bi Ryeom seemed surprised by the question, then smirked, shaking his head. "Ah, because you think I hate him? Ha. Well, Yoon So-ah, I like you well enough - no, really, I do." He winked at her then, a little of his mischievious side returning. "And I like having met you before Habaek. And, I also don't like the Sky King, despite where I come from. So, helping you, and hurting the Sky King? A win-win in my book." He shrugged, then added, "And Mura wants me to help Habaek, so I guess it's like a win-win-win."
So-ah nodded, accepting that. "Okay."
She stood up then, and removed her doctor's coat, hanging it on a coat rack. She gathered her things she needed to bring home, logged out of her computer, and placed her dinner containers in the trash. Straightening up, she turned to the wind god, who was watching her, waiting for her next move.
"Well, then," she said. "I guess you're going to follow me home, too?"
Bi Ryeom grinned, earlier cheeky confidence returned. "Yup," he replied. "I told you, Yoon So-ah, you're going to be stuck with me for a while, so you'd better get used to it."
So-ah sighed, and headed towards the door. "As long as you don't give me my own personal raincloud again, I guess it won't be that bad."
"Oh come on, that was one time! And I saved you from that truck the next day, right? That's gotta count for something, right?"
"Yeah, yeah..."
A.N. - So, yay, the end of Chapter 6! It turned out a little bit different than I thought it would, but I like what I have for the most part. What do you all think? Constructive criticism and reviews always welcome!
Also, I just recently finished watching Goblin: The Lonely and Great God. I have a few crossover ideas for that fandom and BotWG, but we'll see if they ever see the light of day.
Anyone enjoying the 2018 Olympics in South Korea? I think that's helped me get back into writing this fanfiction. There's been some really cool events, definitely you should check it out!
