BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The sound of the alarm jolts you awake. After a quick shower, you make your way into the kitchen and fix yourself a large breakfast consisting of a three-egg omelet topped with cheese, a few slices of toast, a banana and orange juice. Halfway through, though, you remember what you do for a living, and decide to dump the rest of it into the trash.

Air hostess. How you detest that word. Though the official term is now cabin crew, passengers always address your colleagues and you as air hostesses.

You get onto the weighing scale and check your weight. 42 kilograms. You’ve already lost 3 kilos, but it isn’t enough. You can tell by the way your superiors look at you.

You slide on your stockings, wiggle your way into your uniform and face the mirror. After tying your hair up in the required French twist, you look at your vanity in disgust. The amount of makeup you’ve been through in the past year would be enough to last a normal girl seven times as long. You can tell that the quality of your skin has deteriorated, but you must comply with company rules. Face made up, you grab your suitcase and head out the door.

***

The girls are giggling as you walk into the staff lounge at the airport. Nothing new there, you think. Yet, their laugher seems heightened today.

“What’s going on?” you ask Haneul.

“Oh, you don’t know? Guess who’s one of the pilots for this flight?” she replies.

You stare blankly at her and then raise your eyebrows.

“Lee Jonghyun!” she almost shrieks, then lowers her voice. “You know, the handsome one they all talk about? The tall one with the gorgeous face? The one who everyone is trying to land a date w-.”

“I know very well who he is,” you snap.

Of course you know who he is. He’s only the most talked about, most watched and most sought-after pilot. Everyone knows his story. He finished flying school in a ridiculously short period of time and was a pilot by the time he was 22. He’s only been in the business for just under a year, but all the bigwigs are keeping tabs on him. He’s the dream pilot. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s drop-dead gorgeous.

You shake your head and try to clear your mind. He’s just another pilot. A cold one, at that; always acting so cocky and superior.  It was because of his attitude that you decided to ignore him. You’d only been on two flights together till date, but you’d made it a point not to even look at him, much less make conversation.  The guy needed someone to teach him that just because he’s good-looking, doesn’t mean he’d have people wrapped around his finger. So what if he’s good looking? There are many handsome pilots out there, you tell yourself. Why should he be the only one to act like this?

***

. He looks amazing in his pilot’s uniform. You can’t deny it, it would simply be pointless. You hold your head up high as he walks past your colleagues and you on his way to the cockpit with his co-pilot, Kang Minhyuk. Following him inside, the cabin crew starts preparing the flight for take-off.

Tasked with checking and organizing the pantry, you struggle to place a stack of cups on the highest shelf in the cupboard. Suddenly, an arm takes the stack and places it neatly in its place. You already know it’s him. You compose you features into what you hope is a stern expression.

“I was managing fine by myself.”

He gives a haughty laugh and looks you up and down, scrutinizing you from tip to toe. It’s unnerving. You can feel the hairs on your arms stand on end. You muster up some courage.

“What?” you demand.

“You’ve lost weight. Pity,” he states. His nonchalant manner has already begun to irritate you.

You narrow your eyes. “Who do you think you are to go commenting about my figure?”

“You looked better when you’d just started out,” he continues, completely ignoring your question. He then proceeds to remove his coat.

“What are you doing?!” you exclaim.

“I’m just making myself comfortable. Relax, would you? Are you always so uptight?”

Relax? Would he be able to relax if someone as incredibly attractive as him began to undress in front of him? You stare him down, trying to figure out what he’s up to. No plausible reason comes to mind, so you decide to ignore him and go back to your work. Hopefully, he’ll just get bored and leave.

Problem is, Lee Jonghyun isn’t an easy man to ignore.

There he sits, arms folded across his chest, completely oblivious to the fact that he’s making it hard for you to breathe. You try your hardest to stop yourself from staring at him. You don’t think you’ve ever met anyone who can compare to him, in any way. No. No, you tell yourself. You can’t allow thoughts like that to cloud your mind. You have to get rid of him.

In an attempt to drive him off, you decide to leave the pantry. You manage to while away a half hour, and decide he must have gone back to the cockpit. You sling the curtain to the side and walk into the pantry. He’s still there.

You let out a tiny sigh of frustration. His lips curve up a fraction of an inch. He stares at you, and you stare right back. For a while, neither of you say a word. It’s like you’re having a staring match. He seems to enjoy annoying you, you can tell by the way he’s smirking. You can hear the whoosh of the air-conditioning and the steps of unseen people as they walk by the pantry. As much as you hate to back down, those cold, brown eyes unsettle you terribly. The tension, it’s nerve-wracking. Frustrated, you turn away. “Don’t you have anything else to be doing?”

“Nope.”

“Then why do you have to hang out here of all places?”

No reply. He doesn’t speak much.

“Look, if you don’t mind I’d appreciate it if you could leave. You’re being a hindrance here and it’s really getting ver-.” you’re cut off.

In two strides, he covers the distance between you, forcing you toward the wall. The two of you are a hand’s width apart. His looks are no joke. He’s a like one of those Greek statues. Well defined features, smooth, alabaster skin and eyes that pierce you and hold you captive. This is worlds apart from the staring match. You can feel your heart pounding as if it’s struggling to burst out of your ribcage.

“Why do you keep ignoring me?” he asks. 

“Excuse me?”

Silence.

Flustered, you begin to stutter. “T-the others are pr-probably waiting for me,” you manage to say and try to sidestep him.

He grabs your wrist and holds it tightly. The shock of skin on skin contact drives your breath away. His hands are cool on your warm skin. “Answer me,” he commands and looks you dead in the eyes. You’re struck senseless; you can’t think straight. You can’t win against those smoldering eyes. You can’t escape them.

You feel a blush creeping into your cheeks, but can’t look away. He smirks. Dropping your wrist, he grabs his coat and slings it over his shoulder. And with that, he walks out the doorway.

***

“We will begin our descent shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts.”

At long last the flight has come to an end. Two hours later, you’re in the staff lounge’s washroom changing out of your uniform. Taking out a cleansing wipe, you begin the arduous task of removing your heavy, tacky makeup. How wonderful it is to step out fresh-faced. The weather in London is chilly; it’s a good thing you decided to bring multiple layers of clothing. You dress in a pair of jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt and boots. Then you proceed to pull on another t-shirt. Finally, you slip on a cardigan and wear your coat. After wrapping a scarf around your neck, you zip up your suitcase and walk back into the lounge.

A solitary figure, wearing a leather jacket, stands at the ceiling high windows, his back facing you. Realizing who it is, you scowl and pour yourself a cup of coffee.

You’re beginning to hate this guy. You aren’t quite sure if hate is the word, though. It’s more like you hate the fact that he has such an overwhelming effect on you.  You hate that when he gets close, your mind goes blank and you’re rendered helpless. You’ve got to stop thinking like this. Lee Jonghyun is just an ordinary man, you tell yourself. Just another ordinary man.

“You’re fond of coffee, huh?” he comments.

You glance at him and give him a look. “Not particularly, but I need the caffeine if I’m going to survive the day.”

“Oh, what do you have planned?”

“Well, I’ve never been to England before and I was hoping I could go sightseeing and see… Why am I even telling you this? It’s none of your business. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m leaving,” you say and proceed towards the door, suitcase in tow. You’re almost there when the suitcase is taken from your hand. Turning to the side, you glare at Jonghyun. “What is it with you?!”

“I’m going with you.”

“Excuse me? Who said you could come with me?”

“I did. I don’t know English, but I want to do some sightseeing too. I need a companion.”

“Companion my foot. I am not going to be the one accompanying you. I’m leaving, and don’t even think about following me.”

“Hmm. And how will you prevent me from following you? Do you really think you can stop me? I want to go with you. And what I want, I get,” he smirks. As much as you hate to admit it, you know he’s right. A small girl like you has no way of threatening a guy like him. And you can’t help but think of the different connotations of that last line.

“Fine. But we’re going where I want to go, and you have no say in the matter.” you warn him.

“Uhm, you are aware that you look like you’re about to scale Mt. Everest, right?” he an eyebrow at you.

You glare at him and march out the door.

***

“I’m so full! I’m so glad we chose that place for dinner. You have good choice,” you say. Jonghyun smiles in response. It’s a genuine smile. It’s his nth smile of the day, something you can’t believe.

The two of you have arrived at a pretty garden located somewhere on the outskirts of London, and both of you are taking a walk around its perimeter. High walls block out the rest of the city, making it seem as if you are somewhere in the country. The trees that line the path are old and tall, their branches cast high into the air, blocking out the moon and the stars. It’s nightfall, and, after having spent an entire day getting lost in the streets of London, you don’t know what to make of this man who’s walking beside you.

In a lot of ways, the two of you are so incredibly similar. You’d both decided early on to ditch the clichéd tourist spots, and, instead, go on an adventure of your own. After a quick stop to drop off your luggage at the hotel all the staff are staying at, the two of you had spent the day doing various activities; wandering about narrow, quiet lanes, eating at quaint little cafés, stopping to watch a musician’s street performance. It’d be lying to say that you didn’t enjoy yourself.

Contrary to what you’d believed, Jonghyun turned out to be quite the gentleman. He was easy to get along with, and you felt comfortable in his presence. He’d even gone back to go drop all your extra layers of clothing back at the hotel when you started feeling uncomfortably warm in the middle of the day.

But. There’s always a but.

You don’t trust him. Rather, you don’t trust yourself around him.

You cast a furtive glance at him. He notices. You quickly look away.

“What?” he asks, smiling.

You stop in your tracks. “Why?” you reply with another question. “Why are you always so arrogant and conceited at work? If someone had told me that underneath that hard exterior of yours lies the man I’ve seen today, I’d have said they’re lying. But today, I saw that you’re like a thousand different people in one! Sometimes you’re funny, sometimes you’re moody, sometimes you’re a complete and sometimes you’re genuinely sweet. Who are you, really?” You let all your thoughts tumble out one after another until you’ve no more to say.

He’s not smiling anymore. He’s got the most serious expression on his face right now, staring at the floor, and it’s beginning to scare you a little. You’re regretting having that little outburst.

Jonghyun lifts his eyes to yours. Before you know it, he’s closed the distance between the two of you and driven you toward the garden wall. He places his arms on either side of you, making it impossible for you to escape. Thinking you’ve pissed him off, you prepare yourself for the worst. But, when you finally find the courage to look up into his eyes again, you don’t see them filled with anger. Instead, he’s smirking, and his eyes have a mischievous glint to them.

Your heart begins to race, without quite knowing why, and your palms go slightly sweaty. This man in front of you, this gorgeous hell of a man, is making you have feelings you’ve never had before.

Lifting your chin up with one hand, he leans in so that his lips are near your ear. Your thoughts start becoming a little fuzzy, and you struggle in vain to keep them straight.

“Well, maybe if you weren’t so hell-bent on ignoring me during those first two flights, you’d know why.” he says in a low voice. As he finishes speaking, his lips graze your earlobe, sending shivers down your spine.

You’re helpless. You’re thoroughly, utterly taken in.

He draws back the tiniest bit, just enough to gaze into your eyes once more. And, then, you know what’s going to happen. And you’re not going to resist.

You surrender completely.

Before you can even prepare, you feel Jonghyun’s lips on yours, gentle at first. You throw your arms around him and respond back. His kisses get deeper and more passionate. But just as suddenly it started, it ends.

You look at him impatiently. He chuckles. He throws his head back and laughs some more.

“What?!” you demand.

“Nothing. You look so cute when you’re angry is all.”

You glare at him for getting you started like that, and then leaving you hanging.

“I have one condition,” he says. You raise your eyebrows. “Promise me. Promise me you’ll put on some weight. It’s not healthy being like this. And quit ignoring me. Ignorance isn’t always bliss.” Despite your anger, you can’t help but smile. He takes that as a yes.

And then his lips crash back into yours with force. And it’s a pleasant force, not quite like anything you’ve felt before. You let your fingers entangle themselves in his lush, wavy hair. You’re kissing him back with such enthusiasm, enthusiasm you never knew existed. His fingers trail down your spine, coming to rest on the small of your back. Slowly, Jonghyun pushes you up against the garden wall. There is no space between the two of you now.

Just as you’re about to run out of air, his lips leave yours and burn a trail down your neck to your collar bone. But his embrace is as tight as ever. You pull him back up and press your lips against his once more. You don’t want this to stop.

And as if the world is conspiring against you, the unwanted happens. Hearing footsteps coming closer, the two of you reluctantly pull away from each other and assume a normal position. It’s a security guard.

“Hey, we’re closing up for the night. I need the two of you to leave now,” he commands.

Jonghyun grasps your hand and the two of you get out of the park as quickly as possible. Once you’re outside, you finally dare to look at him.

“So,” you clear your throat. “There’s a hotel just down the road.”

Jonghyun slips his arm around your waist and gives you his infamous smirk. “I’m all yours.”

END

***

A/N: This is my first time writing fanfiction, so I know it's not all that great. ;__; And it’s kind of long. Sorry. I just had to write something with Jonghyun as a pilot after watching Hey You. Burning souls, don't brick me. Haha. >.<