"You are water. Powerful enough to drown me. Soft enough to cleanse me. Deep enough to save me."

They woke up with their arms and legs tangled with one another. From an outsider's perspective, their positions looked uncomfortable as heck but they made it work. The two seem to always make the intangible look like a breeze. But they knew the truth behind that. As soon as they're eyes met, they shared a pained groan from the ache of a new morning yet they still held on to each other like they were each other's life lines. 

"You alright?" The crusty-eyed Dara yawned.

Jiyong rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before looking at her like it was the first time he saw her. "Hi." he said instead, falling in love like he always did every time he looked at her. 

Dara scrunched her nose at his expression and shyly buried her face on his neck. The man laughed and ran a languid caress over her back. They shared a shudder as the chill of the morning wind surrounded their room. Dara snuggled closer to his warmth and Jiyong took all of her with a boyish grin. A giggle escaped her lips when he hooked his leg with hers, tickling her with the fine hair on his legs.

"You hungry?"

At that, her stomach growled in response, making her groan in embarrassment.

"Guess that's my cue to cook?" He chuckled, kissing her head.

She was sneering at Jiyong while she pushed herself up and hovered over him. There was a mystified glint on his eyes as he stared up at her. Carefully, he brushed away the locks of hair that fell on her face. Jiyong smiled, hands creeping in on her cheeks before they traveled towards her nape where he brought her lips down to meet his.

Their breaths mixed and their hearts synced. It was as if they existed as one yet they were different in their own ways. 

Dara let herself fall on top of him when his fingers started to clump against her hair. They momentarily broke away to catch their breaths but the flare in their eyes attached them back like two magnets. 

"Jiyong..." she moaned. 

His curios hands feathered a trailing touch to her spine that made her press herself more to him and bite her lip. Smirking, Jiyong moved to her ear to whisper the things where he wanted those plump lips on when his stomach made it's own needy growl. They both stopped, only to have Dara's own hungry tummy filling the silence. 

Dara laughed and resigned herself to the crook of his neck. "Good morning." She said.

Jiyong smiled and playfully patted her . "It definitely is."

She rose up to glare at him and finally pushed herself from the bed, leading him to whine in protest. But when he saw her in his clothes, his whining mewls turned into smug chuckles.

There was something absolutely satisfying in seeing his girl parading in his clothes. It always stirred something primal in him that made him feel like a caveman. He'd mark her everywhere if he could but he knew that she'd shave off all his hair if he did and Jiyong liked his hair on him.

Dara was already out of the room and whistling in the kitchen so he forced himself up and padded towards her like a pouting child. It only took one look at him before Jiyong found her with a brilliant smile on her face. The sulky air around him completely vanished right then and he sauntered to her, letting her brightness sink into him. 

"Get to it, Yong-ah. I'm hungry." she said, sitting up on the kitchen counter. 

Jiyong snorted but still quietly obeyed. He took out some eggs to scramble and some kimchi so that he could prep it for a pancake. He was about to start when he suddenly froze, making Dara raise a brow. She reached his face to tip his chin up to her, only to find him blinking in surprise. 

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, amused. 

A familiar smirk crept on a side of his mouth and suddenly, he was trapping her up in the counter with his hands on his hips. 

"You're supposed to practice cooking," he remarked, patting her lightly. "Get to it." 

She glowered but didn't protest when he lifted her off the counter and placed her behind the chopping board. A wince escaped her lips when he lightly nudged her to get a move on. It's not like she hasn't cut or prepared food before. Having a mom who made food for a living meant that she was practically her slave to the craft. It's just... wouldn't you feel intimidated when a stupidly handsome guy's watching you like a hawk? Dara gulped and willed herself to just begin. 

What could go wrong?

Dara shot him a glance, earning her a questioning held tilt. She smiled to herself when her eyes trailed down to his clothe chest before she returned to doing her 'wifely duties'. She could feel his presence behind her which only made her smile wider. 

"What's with that smile, crazy?" His breath tickled her ear. 

"Crazy?" She laughed softly. "I was just thinking... I'm relieved that you have a shirt on unlike yesterday because I'd completely—"

At that, Jiyong took a step back and dutifully took off his shirt and shoved it somewhere on the ground. He waited for her to turn to him and when she did, his face was blank and so was hers. But after a few seconds, Dara gave him a pointed look while twisted into a sneer. Jiyong stepped closer but she remained in place. He let his hand intentionally brush hers before he held it up to kiss her palm.

Jiyong soon removed his hold on her but Dara's hand didn't leave his jaw where it hung there loosely. They were still both staring each other when her hand slowly traveled down to feather her warmth on his neck and the ridge of his collar bones. She took a quick peruse down his torso before meeting his unreadable eyes again. 

"Why do you have abs?" She sounded suspicious. They weren't very definite and Jiyong most certainly didn't have a body close to a body builder's but there were lines and muscles there that... intrigued her. Of course she's seen him half- before but she'd always seem to forget what he was hiding since he always had clothes on. 

He contained his laughter. "I work out." 

She snorted. "No you don't."

"How would you know?" He couldn't help the curl in his lip. 

"Because you're one of the first ones who greet me in the morning and the very last one who I see at night." She explained, adding, "And you never leave me alone." 

"I guess so, huh?" Now her hand was on top of his fast-beating heart. "I used to work out regularly before your accident and I haven't gotten back to it ever since." He moved her hand to his abs with an expectant look on his face. "Look how fat I am now because of you." 

She rolled her eyes and swiftly pinched his , earning her a manly shriek and a harsh glare. Dara laughed and shook her head as she focused back on preparing their breakfast while Jiyong completely avoided wearing a shirt altogether. He just watched her from the side. Sometimes he'd catch her stealing glances of him. Most of the time, she didn't even look at his face. The woman seemed to be too distracted by his body and he was milking it to the very last drop. Sometimes, she'd bite her lip when his muscles flexed a little. Sometimes, her breath would hitch when he merely touched her arm or brush her hair away. 

They knew that there was a strong and lingering air of between them. It all started yesterday when the sudden urging need struck them both that night but there were still some boundaries that stopped them—scared them from each other. But desire was still one of the strongest feelings people can have. Desire can lead them to forget but sometimes, their mind just couldn't let go. 

And they really just wanted to let go. 

"Hey." Dara nudged him with her hip and smiled a little. "Can you help me a little?" 

"The answer will always be yes, babe."

She suddenly stilled and punched his chest. "Buy me a car then." she muttered seriously. 

He gave her the same serious expression. "What brand and what color?" 

She punched his chest again but it hurt this time and it made him flick her head. Now both of them were wincing. 

"You know I'm joking, right?" she said. 

His eyes twinkled with mirth. "And you know I'm not, right?" 

"Jiyong." she whined. 

He shrugged. "Where else am I gonna use my money?" 

She glared. "You make it sound like I'm some sort of a gold-digger." 

His eyes suddenly flashed with anger that she didn't expect and it actually surprised her. Jiyong didn't say anything but his expression said thousands already but she just didn't understand. Dara turned off the stove to focus on his change of mood. "What's wrong?" she cooed. 

"You're not a gold digger." He held her wrist but made sure his grip was gentle but firm. "You never were and never will be. I know you, Dara. I know you better than yourself. And that's the farthest thing I could ever think of you."

The confused woman blinked. "What was that all about?" she muttered. 

Jiyong's gaze softened at her bemusement and he caught her in an embrace, sighing, "Sorry, it's just... before the accident, people in the company kept calling you that because they thought I was giving you special treatment." he explained. "You never let me handle it because you said that it'll only get worse and I felt," He paused, his expression turning vulnerable. "I felt weak because I can see you hurting but you're not letting me protect you." 

"Hey now." Dara sighed, smoothening his tensed arms. "I don't know exactly what happened but it's all in the past now. You're strong, Jiyong." She kissed his cheek. "We both are." 

He put his head on her shoulder and crooned, "I don't know why I'm so dramatic first thing in the morning."

"I'm telling you... You half- always causes trouble." And then Dara pinched his , earning her an accusatory look. She laughed and shook her head. "Put on a shirt, stud." 

Finally, they eat their breakfast. They've been eating their meals together for years and both of them grew nostalgic just thinking about it. Jiyong recalled a time when Dara wouldn't stop giving the toots because her mother practically forced her to eat all her greens while Dara remembered a whiny Jiyong when her mother had cooked something that the picky-eater didn't like. 

And despite the mundaneness of their day, it felt like everything was going into place. They had more time to focus on themselves and fix whatever it is that needed fixing. Of course, some problems take longer than others but it doesn't rid the fact that they were both noticeably healing. Dara had become more open while Jiyong had become more understanding.

It was as if they lived in a world where everything just revolved around Dara and Jiyong. It was refreshing and it made them feel each other's importance even more. 

They decided to just relax at home when the afternoon sun came. Again, they lounged in the bedroom since it was the only room that felt like home seeing that it was fully-furnished. They talked about everything that came up in their minds—the way Dara loved that the river was just outside, Jiyong's glaring mannerism, and the general feel of the house. 

Dara looked up at him to ask a question but then he suddenly leaned down and kissed her. She giggled against his mouth while he smiled against hers. Their legs crossed one another in a tangled perfection. Their bodies pressed against each other, feeling each other's warmth as well as their racing hearts. 

Her hand lightly gripped the back of his hair and pulled his head back, chuckling, "Just can't keep your hands off me, huh?" she breathed, eyes glinting with mischief. "So why'd you buy the house?" 

"Do you want the honest one or the answer I always give?"

"Both, please."

"Well, since you're so polite about it." He chuckled before relaxing beside her. "The generic answer is that because the house makes me feel... peaceful. Like there's no problems, no worries. It's just me, myself and my thoughts."

"I knew it." She murmured. "This really is a good place to just relax and be with yourself. That was the same thing I thought of when I saw this house too."

Jiyong looked at her thoughtfully as she continued to explain why the house made her feel a nice feeling inside her. Amidst her talk, he kissed her on the head, making her turn to him curiously.

"What is it?" She couldn't help but notice his melancholic expression. 

He offered her a ghost of a smile and looked up. "The honest answer why I brought this house was because of you." He brushed a strand of her hair, smiling sadly.

When Jiyong saw the confused look on her face, he continued, "After that day when I confronted you about sleeping together... I was a complete mess. I got depressed. Tried to drown myself in stupid and always regretted it so I never bothered again. But then I tried to date again, hoping that I could get you out of my mind."

"But I just couldn't." He said with a soft laugh. "No matter how I tried to put you off, I couldn't stop thinking about you and wondering if you were okay."

Jiyong didn't know how many times he lied awake just staring at nothing because his thoughts would always wander to