UNLIKELY MATCH | HEESEUNG

29 - Between Races & Romance

SENA'S POV

Lee Heeseung, Ferrari's racer, is unlikely to participate in the next race due to an injury sustained during an accident. So many posts and articles about Heeseung are trending and everyone is wondering what will happen to Ferrari's performance without their best racer. Reporters are speculating about the impact of Heeseung's absence on Ferrari's chances in the upcoming race. Some are optimistic, suggesting that Ferrari's backup driver may surprise everyone and secure a victory. Others are more skeptical, arguing that Heeseung's skill and experience are irreplaceable.

As I finish making the porridge I've been cooking for Heeseung, I can't help but think about just how frustrated and helpless he must be feeling. I know he's been working hard and practicing relentlessly for this race, and to have it all derailed by an injury must be devastating for him. Placing the bowl of warm porridge on a tray along with a glass of water, I make my way back to Heeseung's room. When I step inside, he's sitting up in bed, Raven curled on his lap. I smile at the sight. 

"I made some porridge for you," I say, making him look my way. His eyes are so full of love and warmth that it makes me feel a flutter in my chest. "It's nothing fancy, but I thought it might help settle your stomach."

Heeseung's lips twitch into a small, appreciative smile as he gazes at me. "Thank you, Sena. You're really taking good care of me."

"Someone has to, right?" I walk over to him, placing the tray on the bedside table before sitting down beside him. Raven lifts her head lazily, giving me a brief glance before settling back into her cozy spot on Heeseung's lap. "How are you feeling?" I ask, reaching out to gently brush a stray strand of hair away from his forehead.

Heeseung lets out a sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Frustrated, but you know what? I think being injured and having you take care of me is not so bad after all." The smile that follows his words makes my eyes soften and I smile, feeling a warmth spreading through me. "I mean it. I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for you. I probably would have driven myself crazy with boredom and frustration."

"Well, consider it payback for all the times you've taken care of me." I chuckle, nudging his shoulder playfully. "You stood up for me so many times when I felt like I was drowning, emotionally. Now it's my turn to be here for you."

"You don't owe me anything, Sena, I'd do it a thousand times over if it meant keeping you safe and happy." He smiles warmly, his fingers reaching to intertwine with mine. "I do it out of love." I'm drowning in his eyes, his words wrapping around me like a warm, comforting blanket in the middle of a rainy night. I'm nothing but a sucker for those words, for the way his touch makes my heart race. It's moments like these that remind me why I fell in love with him in the first place. Because he's the one who makes me feel alive, the one who chose to love me despite all my flaws and insecurities. The one whom my heart beats for in every moment, in every breath.

"I know," I whisper, my voice filling the space between us. "And I love you for it, Heeseung." That's all it takes for Heeseung to put his hand against the back of my neck and pull me closer, his lips finding mine halfway through my sentence. I've never been kissed this way before, never this intimately. Everything is fading away like a distant memory, leaving only the warmth of his touch, the taste of his lips, and the echo of his love reverberating through every fiber of my being.

I want to touch him more, feel his skin against mine and his heartbeat against my fingertips. And I know he wants it too because the next thing I know is his hand sneaking under my shirt, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on the small of my back. I gasp against his lips and I can feel him smiling as he gently makes me lie on his bed, our lips still locked as if we're two stars that cannot escape each other's orbit. My head is so light and I'm falling and falling, only for him to catch me with arms that feel like home. Every caress, every whisper of his breath against my skin ignites a fire within me, a hunger for more of him, for the exquisite intimacy that only he can provide.

I'm almost too overwhelmed by the intensity of it all when he winces against my lips and the two of us pause, pulling away just enough to look into each other's eyes. "I'm sorry," I breathe, wondering if I hurt him somehow. "You're injured, we shouldn't push it."

"It's not your fault, Sena. I'm just... still a little sore from the injury." He leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. "But I'm okay. More than okay, actually. I swear I would have lost my damn mind if I hadn't felt your touch. All night, I've been thinking of nothing but you, Sena. There's no way I can keep lying to myself, saying that this is all just an arrangement. I love you, so much it's making me crazy. And I know it might complicate things and turn our lives upside down, but I can't keep pretending that what I feel for you is anything less than love. I thought my love for racing was the most kind of love I could feel, but being with you, it's opened up a whole new world for me. I feel like I could give up everything for you, Sena."

His words hang in the air, a confession that feels like the unlocking of a long-kept secret. The vulnerability in his eyes, the raw honesty in his voice, it all makes my heart beat faster. This man, who has been through so much, who has faced countless obstacles just to reach his dreams, is willing to lay it all on the line for me and I don't know what to say. My mind is reeling, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to process the weight of his words. Heeseung loves me. It's a simple statement, but it feels like the entire universe has shifted on its axis. The world is smiling at me and I'm the most fortunate person alive in this moment.

"I love you too, and I'm not afraid of what this means," I say, my fingers gently tracing circles on his chest. "It's such a relief, I'm finally going to let myself feel this, to embrace this love fully." That's what I tell him. What I don't tell him is how thankful I am for the fact that he loves me. Growing up being an unloved child makes you hesitant to believe in love, let alone accept it when it's offered to you. But this love feels different, It feels like home, like safety, like everything I've ever wanted but never thought I deserved. And I know deep down that I want to hold onto it with everything I have.