*Carolyn’s POV*

“I’m getting curious,” I smiled, eyeing my boyfriend sitting next to me in the back seat of the rental car.

“You’re going to love it,” Rebecca smiled back at me from the passenger seat.

“Why do you get to know where we’re going and I don’t?” I pouted.

“Because they’re not staying,” Taemin slipped an arm around my shoulders. “They’re only dropping us off. It’s going to be just you and me.”

“Oh, well maybe the suspense is worth it then.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that,” he smiled and pecked me on the cheek.

“Now I’m curious on where you’re taking me,” Rebecca poked Onew’s arm.

“Yah, don’t distract the driver!” he scolded with a smile.

“Poke, poke, poke!” Rebecca laughed as she did just that. “But seriously though, where are we going?”

“My lips are sealed,” Onew smirked.

Rebecca leaned over to whisper in his ear, but I could still make out her breathy voice, “And as soon as we drop those two off, those lips better be on mine.”

“Rebecca, you’re such a bad whisperer,” I giggled along with Taemin.

She scrunched up her nose at us and sat back in her seat again, obviously embarrassed.

“Here we are!” Onew said in an “Onew-Condition-Voice” as we pulled into a dirt driveway in the middle of no where. “Will you two be getting off here?”

“Yep! Thank you hyung!” Taemin opened his door to get out, and I followed in confusion. We waved goodbye and started down the dusty road.

“What are we doing out here?” I prodded my boyfriend.

“Just be patient. The surprise is around the bend behind these trees.”

“What’s that sound?”

He only bit his bottom lip in an attempt to hide his smile. Aigoo, that always drove me crazy. I slipped my hand into his and he swung our arms.

“Omo…” my eyes widened when I saw a giant shape emerging from behind the trees as we neared it.

“Surprise,” Taemin smiled, quickening our pace to get there faster.

“Are we really going in one of them?!”

“Of course!”

“I’ve always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride!” I clapped excitedly.

“Well now you get to go with your favorite guy!” he smirked.

I smiled unbelievably at him. “You’re just too much.”

“I try, I try. Now let’s go!”

--------------------------------

“Meep! It’s so high!” I exclaimed as we soared higher into the air.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere. It’s tied down,” Taemin slipped an arm comfortingly around my shoulders. We weren’t going on a full out ride, and I was kind of glad. Being that high in the air was a little nerve racking. The view was beautiful though; especially the red haired boy standing next to me.

“Taemin,” I turned into his arms and played with the collar of his shirt.

“Yes?” he asked softly, staring into my shiny eyes.

“Why do you love me?”

“Yebo, why do birds fly?”

I thought for a second, “I don’t know; they just do.”

“Exactly,” he leaned his forehead against mine. “I just do. It’s how it’s supposed to be.”

“Please don’t ever leave me.” I glanced up at his eyes.

“Never. I want to take care of you for the rest of my life. You’re mine now.”

He slowly brought his lips to mine. The wind whipped our hair around as his lips enveloped me in a blanket of happiness. My arms slithered around his neck and I tilted my head to the side. The last thing I saw before we’d come together in our kiss was the beautiful sunrise. So this is why Taemin wanted to come out so early.

We pulled away at the feeling of someone looking at us. Our heads slowly turned to see the old pilot man staring at us with a creepy smile. He was missing two teeth and his hair was tangled and grey. My boyfriend and I looked away in awkward embarrassment.