Alignment

Wang So put both hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling and deep in thought, even as he settled in for the night. He sighed softly, wishing he was looking at the stars that could only be seen in Goryeo, but it was too cold for that right now.

"Soo-ya," he suddenly said, his deep yet gentle voice piercing through the comfortable silence.

Almost immediately, he heard the soft rustles of the blanket beside him and felt the slight shift of the firm bed as Hae Soo turned her entire body to face him.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

Her voice was soft, warm, and slightly husky from sleepiness. For a few heartbeats, he didn't respond with the uncertainty of how to proceed. Still, Hae Soo was patient, silently waiting for him to speak his mind.

"Tell me something," he finally said. "Back then… when you took off my mask and saw my scar up close for the first time, what were you thinking?"

Wang So didn't have to look at Hae Soo to know she was smiling as she responded. He could hear it in her voice. "Your Highness, I was not lying when I told you that it was more important to me that you are a good person. Whether or not you have a scar and regardless of how other people saw you, it made and still makes no difference to me."

"Do you really… not mind this face of mine?" He finally turned to look at her, but then promptly lost his breath. The soft embers of the candles in the room illuminated her face, casting her in an ethereal glow. With his heart beating all too fast in his chest, he continued, voice slightly strangled, "When we lie together like this, without your make-up concealing my flaws, with my scar so prominent on my face, do you really not regret it? Not regret me?"

Hae Soo's smile widened with tenderness as she laid there, beside him, with one hand beneath her head on her pillow and the other gripped the top of their shared blanket. Her eyes slowly roved over his face, taking in his scar, his eyes, his nose, his lips. Taking in all of him. "Tell me something first," she countered softly. "Back then… when I took off your mask, what were you thinking?"

Wang So slowly grasped her hand, pulled it away from the covers she held, and firmly placed it square over his heart. "Just like now, I was thinking that my heart couldn't beat any faster for you."

Eyes sparkling with emotion, Hae Soo moved closer to him, until she could feel the faintest brush of his breath upon her face. Wordlessly, with her other hand, she moved his free hand over to her own heart. "And here is the proof, Your Highness, that my heart beats equally as fast for you."

She squeezed his hand lightly with reassurance. "Believe me, not once have I regretted being with you and loving you. The scar is a part of you, which means I love it… as much as I love you."

He stared at her, his intense eyes searching hers. Searching for truth, for love, for everything he had never dared dream of, and he found it all within her eyes. Wang So had been steadfast and determined in winning her love all those years ago, but he wanted to keep it too, for all eternity. His doubts weren't aimed at Hae Soo, but at himself, because, in his eyes, she was too good for him. And yet, she was also perfect for him. It was the most beautiful of contradictions.

Sometimes, he could still hear the lingering shouts and screams that had called him a monster, a misfortune, a disgrace. He could still remember the scorn and fear and hatred. He could remember the abuse, the neglect, and how powerless he felt, even as a strong, grown man.

But unlike before, the memories were now a dull thrum instead of an ear-shattering echo, and Hae Soo was the cause of that. Without her, he deemed, Wang So was nothing.

Sensing his inner turmoil and trepidation, she moved closer still, soaking in the heat radiating off his body. With their hand still placed over each other's heart, Hae Soo surveyed his scar with her eyes, taking in all the details of it again. Her fingers twitched and ached to touch it and so she did, tracing over his flesh in the same pattern as she had the first time.

Her gaze slid over to meet and lock with his. Her heart somersaulted, charged with the electric current flowing through them. The intensity of his eyes made her shiver, but in a delightful, addicting way. Wang So's lips tilted slightly in a smirk as he tossed his insecurities away with the knowledge of what he was doing to her with just their close proximity.

Hae Soo inhaled sharply and the hand over his heart curled, fisting the fabric of his white sleepwear tightly. "I…" she whispered, but she never finished her thought. Almost as if by the magnetic force of their unwavering gaze, she pulled herself closer and closer to Wang So. The hand that had traced his face moved to gently cup his cheek.

Then, for the first time, she placed a tender kiss, the slightest butterfly brush of her lips, on the bridge of his nose, right on top of his scar. Wang So sucked in a surprised breath before his eyes slowly fluttered shut, soaking in her love and affection. Beneath her palm, his heart skipped a beat, then quickened.

Leisurely, she repeated the earlier path her fingers had taken. With shallow breaths and a heartbeat rhythm that matched his, Hae Soo lightly kissed the scar line down to the "V' beneath his eyes. Then she trailed her lips back up to his forehead and softly brushed downwards back to her starting point. Wang So swallowed hard, but didn't move.

Over and over, Hae Soo loved his scar with her lips and her touch, erasing each painful memory of his past with every graze of her lips. He shuddered, overwhelmed with his love for her and with her display of love for him. Against his will, a lone tear slid down his cheek. Not of sadness or pain, but of healing.

Without a word, she kissed it away too. Moving to cradle his face with both hands, Hae Soo placed a kiss on each eyelid. Then, finally – finally – her lips caressed his with a soft yet firm sweep.

Wang So's reaction was immediate. His eyes snapped open as he simultaneously pulled her flush against his body. Cupping her face with his warm, large hands, he pressed his lips firmer against hers, dominating the kiss. Hae Soo fervently responded, hands sliding down to clutch at his collar. They sighed into each other as their lips moved in unison, growing bolder and heated and eager.

In one quick movement, Wang So rolled them both, without parting for even a mere second, so he was on top because, right now, he truly felt like he was on top of the world.

Finally, his mind and his heart were aligned. All of his self-doubt could be safely cast aside. He was not a disgrace. A flaw. A misfortune. Or a shame.

No, he was Hae Soo's person… just as she was Wang So's.

Cover photo credit goes entirely to the amazing asong1101.
You can now follow her on Instagram under the same username.

Thanks for reading!

- Theia

(a.k.a. akinahana89 in the K-entertainment world)