Destiny

Chapter 34

Mina remembers their love, she remembers every single one of their timeline, but what if Nayeon doesn't?

What if this Nayeon doesn't ever confess her love? What if this Nayeon thinks her near death is a sign to stay away from her, thinks of her as a bad omen?

Her throat goes dry imagining the endless possibilities. They don't matter, she knows, what matters is that Nayeon is alive.

She sits on the bed, stares at the wall blankly. Kookeu nuzzles her feet and barks at something under the bed. She crouches on the floor to retrieve whatever toy he is asking for, but her eyes find a shiny metallic box instead.

Nayeon has a secret box everyone. A loud voice rings in her mind.

Her hands shake as she caresses the smooth metallic surface. She doesn't have the keys and the only way to open it is through a six digit number code.

Her mind plays a random incident in her head.

"That's stupid." Jihyo says about a guy in the film who sets his girlfriend's name as his email password.

"I think it's sweet." Nayeon replies.

She doesn't know for sure if this is going to work. She still gives it a try and enters 13 9 14 1.

The lock clicks open. Inside the box are hundreds of letters, some from as far back as 2014, but they all have one theme in common. It starts with Dear Mina and confesses her love for her in her adorable-rambling-endearing Nayeon way.

Any lingering doubts that her brain has made up an elaborate vivid dream gets wiped out. Streams of tears faster than her heartbeat flows unchecked from her eyes.

"They called from the hospital." Jeongyeon running into the living room where the girls are gathered grabs her attention. She pushes the box to its place and listens with bated breath, "She's conscious. They're running some tests. We can see her in an hour."

Mina takes a deep breath, collects herself. She has never been more afraid to do something in her life.

"Come on." Sana nudges her.

Her heart thunders in her chest as she follows the girls into the intensive care ward.

Mina feels her breath lodge at the front of her throat. She looks at Nayeon for what feels like forever as the other girls gather around her, few smothering her in kisses, few hugging her tightly until she winces and says 'take it easy.'

She closes her eyes. The way her heart squeezes with relief and love, it becomes too much to bear.

When she opens them back again, Nayeon gives her the most breath taking smile she has ever seen.

She signals with her eyes to come closer.

"Nayeon-chan." She sits by her side on the bed, keeps her distance. She doesn't want to confuse the Nayeon in this timeline.

"Mina." The older girl's lips crack with a smile.

Mina's hearts break inside her chest. Nayeon doesn't remember. Nayeon doesn't know. She stares at the floor, wills the tears in her eyes to not fall.

She feels fingers intertwining with hers and lips ghosting her ear, and a thick voice whispers, "We need to work on getting you that mark again."

Her head snaps up. Eyes twinkling with mirth and amusement, travels from her face down to the valley of her breast.

A choked sob leaves her lips.

"You remember."

Strong hands grip her waist tenderly and pulls her closer to a warm chest. "Every single thing." She says, unaware of the tornado the words creates in her chest.

Mina lets more tears fall from her eyes while loving arms holds her tight. She doesn't know when the girls filter from the room, but when she finally looks up at Nayeon, they're the only ones in the ward.

"I thought I lost you forever." She's crying and smiling at the same time, and she's sure she looks like a right mess.

Nayeon sits upright a little, wipes the tears with the brush of her fingers. "I was lost for a while." She admits, "I was scared. It was dark, I was alone. But you know what helped me through that?"

Mina caresses her cheek gently in her palm.

Nayeon's face becomes serious as she pulls away a little to look straight into her eyes. "Your voice. I listened to your voice."

Mina holds down a sob as she brings their foreheads to rest together.

"I remember everything Mina. I remember the set light crashing, I remember feeling helpless, I remember using all my strength to pick up a bunny toy to throw on stage. I remember the shadows. I remember the darkness. I remember being terrified. How can I not remember anything that has do with you? Your face is the only one I remembered as I took my last breath."

A stabbing pain shoots through her heart and Mina squeezes her eyes shut.

"I saw you. I saw you making a deal with destiny, I saw you give up your life to give me mine." Nayeon brings her lips down to her forehead and lays a tender kiss on it. "I saw everything Minayah. And I remember everything."

Mina feels her bottom lip quiver as she gazes at the older girl. Nayeon remembers the past. The future. The present. Nayeon remembers their love.

"But do you know what I remember the most?" Nayeon whispers, as if she's too scared to speak louder than hushed voices and break the moment.

Mina inhales her scent she loves so much, cradles her jaw in her palm and looks into her eyes waiting for her to continue.

Nayeon leans in, lips gracing the shell of her ear, "The way you said, 'I need you to fuck me Nayeon-chan.'"

"Asshole." She shoves at her shoulder playfully, her face heating up at the words, tries to pull away mimicking annoyance, but stumbles and falls into Nayeon's lap when she tugs her back into her.

"You still love me." Eyes that burn with love and life shines at her.

She cups her face, her own eyes fills to the brim with tears. "I love you." She says the words out aloud for the first time.

"How lucky for you." Nayeon grins, and then her eyes soften, voice mellows, and she whispers back, "Because I love you too."

They lean in at the same time, lips pressing together tightly, everything slowing down and speeding up at the same time. The world, the universe comes down to just two people. Nayeon and Mina. Mina and Nayeon. And that's how it's always going to be, for now and for eternity.

For, this is the love that has rewritten destiny.