Third person's view

This is how his mother looked before his father, her husband. She looked vulnerable and afraid, the same way Andrea looks.

"Tae.." her voice in a low whisper. She slowly steps back as Taehyung approaches her carefully. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and make her feel better. The sight hurt him but he could only imagine how much pain she's in.

She wanted his touch around her but at the same time she didn't. The way he looked at her, broke her heart all over again. She realises that the man that beat her up and the one standing infront of her were complete opposites. The one that beat her had no emotion in his eyes or anything remotely controlled to feelings but the one infront of her was her Taehyung, the one with love in his eyes. Her brain tells her to run away yet her heart controls her and tells her to stay.

Taehyung takes light steps with his arms slightly forward as a sign that he won't hurt her. Andrea stops moving and watches him. His fingers slowly coming up to her face.

She flinches back looking away from him. How could he possibly still touch her when she looked like this?

The trust is there, the love is there but there is no strength. Strength to be with him, strength to carry on, strength to look him in the eyes and the strength to forgive. Her feelings are a confusing whereas on one hand she wants to hug him an the other she wants him out.

She's been feeling so confused.

Delicately his fingers lay on her cheek and right there and then her heart calms down. His touch...how could the same touch that brought her pain also be the same touch to make her at peace.

They weren't going to separate, after the connection and feeling they both felt it was impossible to ignore the signs.

He rests his forehead against hers, lightly caressing her cheek. "I'm sorry.." he whispers, sincerely apologize. 

She sniffs and steps back her eyes bulging in tears. She removes his hands away from her face crying.

"No.." She shakes her head. "You can't always say sorry! You can't always- always! God! Taehyung..." Her voice cracking mid sentence. The air is silent and thick. "You did this to me and all you can say is sorry? I don't want that. I don't–"

"Andrea." Namjoon calls.

"Just leave." She turns around. Her face hot and red. The anger evident in her rising voice . "I can't–"

"Andrea—"

"I don't even want to hear your voice right now Taehyung," she whispers shaking her head. 

Namjoon clears his throat and his wheels move next to her revealing the boxing gloves. He shifts the gloves and hands it to her. She looks at the gloves confused.

"Hit him." Is all Namjoon says moving backwards.

Andrea shakes her head turning to Taehyung. "I can't hit him. Even if I'm that mad. I can't—"

"You can." Taehyung steps up to her. He takes the gloves and puts each glove on her hand adjusting the straps. Andrea watches him only now realising that she's missed his smell and presence. "I know hitting me will not make the pain I've caused you to go away...but it will make you feel lighter,"

She gulps shaking her head. "Tae..."

"Hit me." He stands straight peering into her eyes. A little smile lingers on his lips. "Do it baby,"

"No."

"Then I'll make you hit me,' he says standing back. "Andrea I'm sorry. I shouldn't have–"

"You shouldn't have but you did–"

He talks over her thinking of all the negative emotions and letting them out. "I always let out my frustration on you and it's unfair."

"It is but you don't even–" she gets interrupted.

"I always believe that you'll leave me when I see you with another man." He carries on waiting and seeing what will make her hit him.

She puts the gloves to her ears shaking her head. "I'm never gonna leave you for–"

Taehyung quickly speaks. "But I did this to you? You'll leave me once you–"

"I.." she starts loudly but keeps quiet immediately not knowing the true answer to that. Taehyung senses the hesitation and as much as it hurts him he continues.

"I regretted the day I hit you. I hate myself for doing it. But I did it because I was angry."

"Angry with what?"

"I accuse you of sleeping with everyone–"

She warns. "Don't even go there Tae,"

"—especially with Hoseok-oph!"

Andrea punches him in the lower abdomen finally getting mad. "Yes! I get it!" She punches him against his chest. Out of all things she hated being accused of sleeping with another man. Her breathing turning heavy.

Taehyung feels the impact as his arms are spread out, but he doesn't hunch over or bend instead he takes all the punches she's giving. "I feel like you might cheat–"

"I wouldn't dare to think about cheating!" She punches him. "I wouldn't give you up because, I love you!" 

With every punch her tears blur her eyes causing them to be mercilessly painful. The pain is worth it. She takes all the anger, sadness and pain away from her body by hitting him.

"I feel hurt when you don't believe in me! When you don't see how much I love you or how much it hurts! You know how I feel– but you don't want to look at me. You don't want to look at me and just own it. I feed you and cloth you because you are all for me! I cherish you! But you just think that I'd give all this up for some new guy that comes around with what? A bucket hat?!"

Andrea can't control her fists as they swing. Right hand. Left hand. Right hand. Left hand. Right hand. Left hand. Every hit on Taehyung's abdomen and chest makes him listens attentively to what she says. Her pain.

"For heaven's sake I am your wife! Your fucking wife who has eyes for you. You are my husband Tae!" Punch. In between her beatings a few tears stimmer down her face. "I wanna hate you because you're an asshole but I can't.. I can't hate you even when you hurt me. I can't ever hate you even when I'm in so much pain and can't breathe. I can't hate you! And I hate when I think of hating you! Because I gave my heart to you. I gave it all to you. I trust in what you do with it. It hurts what you've done... But I'll try and be a better wife and honour your name more if you just.. if you just.."

Taehyung can't help but feel a swirl of emotions going through his body at her words. Her frame becomes weak almost falling. To her rescue, Taehyung embraces her and they both sit on the bed as she cries into his chest. "Just hold me and open your heart to me. Your real heart, not this new heart you want to impress me with. But the one I fell in love with, the one I wanted to heal. Open that heart to me. You closed it ever since the last time Namjoon tried to kill me. Please just, hold me,"

Her sob sogs his shirt but he doesn't mind, also crying with her. He holds her tightly still making sure not to touch her sores. He nuzzles his forehead in her hair rubbing her back.

"I will hold you and let you in my heart. I won't hurt like I did," he puts his lips on her soft ones and grasps on to her.

She removes the gloves from her hands and tangles her arms around his neck. Her fingers gliding smoothly over his hair, she missed him and having him in her arms again 'causes feelings of bliss. The kiss is light and binds their lips beautifully. 

Namjoon smiles with a bitter pain. He leaves a little gift box on the bed and rolls out the room. All Namjoon sees is his happy brother and beautiful wife - it makes him happy that they wouldn't go through what his parents had gone through but it's a bittersweet feeling because he realises that he has no one but himself now. His brother has moved and seems happier.

He closes the door to the room and heads to his room. Getting off his wheelchair and resting on his bed.

Back in the room Andrea and Taehyung end the kiss. He notices the box on the bed and picks it up.

He cautiously opens the box revealing a cream of his childhood. The same cream his mother used. Taehyung would rub the cream on his mother's back after his father beat her.

Gentle Magic

He sniffs and opens the cream. Just like the way he did it. He peers into her eyes but she avoids his eyes.

"Please don't be afraid of me,"

She slowly looks up to his eyes again and takes a deep breath nodding her head. "I trust you,"

He dips his fingers in the cream and lightly applies it on her cheek, she flinches but he holds onto her shoulder kissing her shoulder. Her heart beats slowly watching the sight before her eyes. 

Before applying the healing cream he kisses every mark, every spot and blotch.

He helps her to remove her blouse and gently applies it on her back lightly massaging it. They stay silent both enjoying their companies. She enjoys the light kisses down her back as she lays on the bed. He enjoys touching her body and how warm she feels.

The silence isn't a barrier but instead a comforter.

Andrea scoots Taedae lightly to the side and Taehyung lays with her on the bed keeping a firm grip on her for both assurance and protection. Her heart beating in sync with his.

"Guess who's getting married?" He breaks the silence smirking.

Andrea giggles on his chest a soft vibration that melts his pain away. 

_________________________
Chapter 12