#rvn.

Her own guilt hung around her throat much as a noose would. Her lips buzzed, burned, ached -- everything felt heightened as he stood in front of her, boring into the very soul he held so close to his own heart. He was breathing in and out. As was she. But the silence was there. Her heart was beating against her rib cage, desperate for her to speak her mind, yet it was thoughts frozen in this moment that held her back.

"I'm sorry."

"No... don't be."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Revi..."

"Do you regret it?"

His lips pursed at the question, he wasn't going to answer her -- and that alone made her feel pain, the kind of pain that sat in the bottom of your stomach and shot up like an arrow into an apple, deadly accurate. Her breath was held -- .... seconds ticked by. Minutes. Then he spoke.

"I don't know."

Her fingers were resting against her bottom lip, the warmth of his kiss had left it's mark permanently -- ripped away at the indifference in his words. She knew that deep down ... this was her other half. Her soul mate that knew her better than herself, that gave support and watched her fly to others only to come crashing back down to him, to the level earth which he provided her with. He didn't make her feel like a Princess, not a Queen, not anything more or less than exactly what she meant to him... Everything.

Kale raised his hands to her face, cupping the cheeks, his thumbs capturing her tears as they spilled out purely on accident, with no intent to stop. In the next instant he was gathering her up, her legs wrapped around his waist, carrying her with her arms looped, locked about his neck, face hidden away in the junction of his neck and shoulder. He could feel the fingers that gripped onto the fabric of his tank top, he felt every single piece of her, knew each dip and curve and scar and fall and rise of her body.

He knew the way she breathed -- when angry or scared or even sleeping -- he could tell when she faked her rest, when she cried and pouted for something she knew she really didn't need. He had protected her all his life, he had seen her come from his Mother and placed into his hands immediately after, his brothers and sisters around him, cooing over her, but she only opened her lids slightly for him, grasped at his finger and gripped it just as tightly as fingers now gripped to that clothing on his body. It was then he felt himself complete... when he saw those eyes -- the way they held him still, captured a wild animal with ease and curled him about her tiny fingers. Tiny fingers that grew to fit the spaces between his own, the empty places in his soul always filled at the sight of her smile, his muscles twitching in happiness when she called out his name, begging him to come play with her.

Adoration grew... so steadily, as she had -- into something full and beautiful, something that he passed off as simple feelings until that kiss -- until he first saw a boy kiss her, and saw that boy later break her heart. So he broke that boy's neck. His hands could hurt. They could heal. But only healing came to her, to Revi. No other would receive such emotion and notice.

To every song they danced to, every laugh he pulled from those lips -- he saw hope and life and reason to exist. Eventually these things hit a breaking point, the flood starting from the kiss. He could feel her fear, he couldn't bare himself to let her lay down even as they reached the apartment's bedroom, sitting down -- laying back, settling just so on the bed in the middle with her form clinging to his own... and eventually she fell asleep and eased into her rest, trembling once in a while, fingers resuming a grip upon fabric of his clothes every so often.

He was already formulating the plan... in his mind and to his disdain he was already sure the pain he would cause her would hopefully break her of the madness on them both.

Days passed -- only 7 and she lay on the floor, reading from that college textbook, something about birds. Something that recognized her love for the flying they did together at times. Her nose scrunched, he'd appeased her, settled her, calmed her, abated all fears.

"I'll be back. Keep studying. I need to go get some milk." She waved her hand, the kiss wasn't forgotten and she smiled at him, that saccharine smile he would surely miss seeing so close up. He stepped outside, the cool air hitting him, door shut behind him, and he started walking down the street, past their window, hands in his pockets, not noticing that Revi was getting up to look out at him, that she had a letter clutched to her chest.

"I'll just show him when he gets back..."

She nodded confidently and sat down on the floor, the letter at the side of the book, she kept reading ... and reading ..... and reading .... and reading ..... and --

"Something's not right." She stood up, closing the book and putting the letter away safely in their room. She walked outside, it was past midnight and he'd left at 7 PM. The store was around the corner. She'd let the time get away from her and in the process it seemed he'd decided to play hide and seek. Her mind refused to accept or even acknowledge that he might've abandoned her as a possibility.

Her whole body was buzzing at the thought of midnight hide and seek -- she wasn't naive, she was in pure denial as she took off to the skies, flying around in that hawk form, careful to stay out of the sight of anyone that might take notice of a black hawk. The sun pulled into the sky and she returned home, every day -- for the next week -- she searched, doing what was necessary to get ready for the exams... until it dawned upon her.

He wasn't coming back. She shoved the thought aside and hid in the apartment, no exams taken, calls made to ensure her identity was erased and some false death was posted, she vacated the apartment in the night, taking everything home to their Seoul home. Leaving behind America and New York just because it felt stale. She spent the next year, searching every place they'd lived, that year turned into 10. Eventually she would settle -- settle back at home and take on a new identity and assume a new role and try to forget, yet the feathers started to be left and the sensation of his existence and the fact he wasn't actually dead became more and more apparent.

But for so many years -- she felt dead inside and the spaces she felt were whole when he was involved in her life, there with her and not letting her move on and pretend .... were wide. And it hurt to think. So she tried not to. But everything reminded her of him. And he watched over her -- easily and in so much pain himself that he sometimes wished he had died.

And for the longest time.... the only thing she could do was blame herself.

The one sentence playing in her head on loop.

Dear Revi,

I want you to know how much I and your father love you and Kale. Over the years — your sisters and brothers, the few you’ve had between you and him … Have all perished. Gone away to heaven to wait for their souls to be one day possibly reincarnated — maybe. We’ve no real idea except for one reality… One that we believe in as Wakį́yą. That is that we have soul mates — one true soul that is in tune with our own. Your Father is of course mine….

But that’s not all he is. Revi — I don’t know why we’ve really hidden so much from you and Kale. Nor why we wanted you to never know what you were — like it would’ve made any difference whatsoever. But know that it was out of love…

What I’m going to tell you may sound extreme but it might be beneficial … Your Father is my soul mate and my best friend. He’s also my brother. Just as you and Kale are blood. Our blood is much like those of the Gods and Goddesses .. We are exempt from having deformed and less than intelligent offspring.

I know this must seem so terrible and out of place in a world that already says being anything but human is wrong. Should you find your soulmate is in Kale… Don’t deny your heart. Don’t. You will regret nothing greater than this.

Kale doesn’t need to know this not yet… But you should show him — should he feel the same and deny it. He’s always been head strong but he will listen to reason such as this. It never was a matter to bring up what your Father and I were other than husband and wife and your parents… We just wanted you all safe but the thought has occurred now that you could fall and he as well.

You two have been so close and his attachment to you — is normal but your father … He was as protective of me from the time I was born. He was so sweet…

One day we may not be here to tell you both that you are justified and safe to love one another… As deeply and as intimately as anyone else. So if you must — keep this letter close and give it to you brother.

Kale — we love you dearly. Forgive us — we weren’t the best at parenting it seems. But you two have survived and love will conquer all and break all walls down… Do not hesitate to claim Revi. For she is not just your sister — she could also be your soul mate. Don’t deny your heart. And do not let her be with another if you know it’s not right… Give to her your heart and be proud of whatever you may share.

Love,