Chapter Text
The highway seemed to stretch endlessly in front of them, two pale lines glowing under the soft hum of the car’s headlights. Night had fallen a while ago, and with it came a darkness he was not unused to, as well as the quiet snores of the young boy in the back seat. He was curled up under his blanket, his small head leaning against the window and out cold, the way only kids could sleep.
Jinwoo kept his eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel while the other rested on the gear shift. Beside him, Haein sat curled up slightly in the passenger seat, her cheek pressed to her knuckles as she watched the scenery blur by. Neither had spoken in a while in consideration of Suho’s sleeping figure, but the silence between them was familiar. Comfortable.
Still, Haein noticed the way his shoulders had started to tense. The way his eyes blinked a little slower at each sign they passed. They’d been driving for hours, yet Jinwoo had insisted he’d be fine. Typical.
Shadow Monarch or not, he still needed to rest. She could tell that he was unused to driving long hours when Kaisel and Shadow Exchange was at his disposal, but with Suho no longer aware of his true identity, they needed to take the more ‘human’ route of travelling. She had initially offered to share the driving anyway, but the man had been incredibly stubborn on that front.
Not anymore, though.
Haein shifted in her seat, reaching over to place a hand on his bicep. “Pull over.”
Jinwoo blinked. “Hmm?”
“Let me drive for a while.”
He glanced at her, brow raised in surprise. “You sure? It’s late.”
“You’ve been driving since Seoul. That was five hours ago,” she pointed out, shaking her head. “You’re tired. I can see it on your face.”
Jinwoo gave a tired chuckle. “Is my exhaustion that obvious?”
“I know you,” Haein hummed, “And when you start leaning to the left every few minutes like you’re trying to drift off in your seat, I’d say it’s pretty obvious.”
His lips twitched as he exhaled. “I’m fine, Haein. Really.”
“Pull over,” she said again, firmer this time. “I’ll drive.”
He finally looked at her again this time, but Haein was certain that he could now sense her determination. She wasn’t asking.
“You sure?”
Haein crossed her arms. “Do I look unsure?”
Jinwoo chuckled before looking back at the road, quiet for a second. It was dark, but she knew that he was seriously contemplating her offer. There was no reason he couldn’t refuse. He was obviously exhausted and needed to close his eyes for a bit. Meanwhile, she’d taken a nap almost an hour ago and had been wide awake since then.
Plus, she was getting a bit antsy, just sitting around and doing nothing. At least driving would give her something to do.
Jinwoo finally sighed, flicking the turn signal as he eased the car onto a quiet shoulder, gravel crunching beneath the tyres. As the engine idled, he leaned back into his seat to stretch slightly before unbuckling his seatbelt.
“Alright, you win,” he conceded, voice low with a smile. “I forgot how persistent you are when you’re right.”
“I’m always right,” she replied, already opening her door.
They switched places in silence, the chilly night air slipping briefly into the car as they passed each other. Haein slipped into the driver’s seat with ease, turning to check if Suho had been affected. His eyes were still tightly screwed shut, unaware of the world around him.
She smiled to herself, satisfied. At least one of her boys was asleep, she just had to work on the other one. Jinwoo, meanwhile, sank into the passenger seat with a soft grunt, resting his head back.
“You can sleep, you know,” she said, pulling the car back onto the road in one swift motion.
“Give me a few minutes.”
Haein raised a brow. “For what?”
“Just… admiring the view,” he replied, glancing at her.
She could feel his gaze on her, and she shook her head lightly, lips twitching. She knew what he was doing.
“Okay, I think you’re more tired than I thought.”
“Can’t I admire my wife?” he asked innocently, but she could hear the exhaustion in the undertones of his voice.
“You can, but later, when you’re rested.”
Jinwoo sighed. “Are you that eager for me to sleep?”
Haein glanced at him. “Because you don’t need to do everything yourself, you know? I can drive too,” she reminded him gently.
Perhaps one of the things that had always weighed on the back of her mind was how alone he must have been when he took on the world’s battle by himself. He may still have had his Shadows to keep him company, but he was isolated from everyone he’d ever known and loved for a significant period.
She could still see the effects of those years on him, especially when Suho was born. But she would always be there to remind him that he wasn’t alone anymore; he had her. He would always have her.
And this time was no different.
He gave her a long look, eyes dark and thoughtful, before he finally nodded slowly.
Jinwoo closed his eyes, but not before speaking. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For reminding me I’m not alone anymore.”
Haein smiled, reaching over to squeeze his hand resting on the center console. “You never were.”
He held her hand for a moment longer before letting it go, settling into the seat with a deep, contented sigh.
“Wake me up when we’re close?”
“Only if you snore loud enough to scare the birds.”
His lips twitch, and he decided not to say anything further. But a glance at him a few minutes later had her smiling widely.
He was fast asleep.