"Aimez-vous manger de croissants?" (Do you like to eat croissants?)

"Aimez-cous manque de croissants?" (Lack of love growing necks?)

".... Aimez-vous manger de croissants?"

"Aimez-vous mangue de croissants?!" (Do you like mango growing?!)

No longer able to hold her laughter, she bursts into giggles causing him to glare back at her.

"I'm sorry - " she says, trying to look apologetic but failing miserably, " -  if you knew what you just said..." 

Unconvinced, he crosses his arms and says, "Hmph, what kind of French tutor are you?"

She grins and taps his nose lightly.

"Don't dismay Oppa, we'll try some simpler phrases. You'll be speaking fluently in no time."

Changmin shakes his head, smiling ruefully. "That's what you said 2 hours ago. At this rate, I'll be completely dependent on you Hyunnie."

Uncrossing his arms, he hugs her close and tries to look pitiful.

She teasingly asks, "Aw, silly Oppa, what's wrong with that? Don't you trust me?"

He nods seriously. "Of course. I would be completely lost without you. That's why you have to hold my hand the entire time we're in France."

She raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? Why does this sound like a ploy so you can stick close to me?"

He smirks, "Because it is."

"Oppa!"

"I can't let those foreign men get their hands on you Hyunnie. " He takes her arms and wraps them around his waist. "You're mine."

Leaning over, she snuggles into his side. "Yes, Shim Changmin, I'm yours."

He smiles and leans back with her in his arms. Looking over her head, he can see the sun shining through the clouds as the airplane jets them towards their destination. He's spent far too much time on airplanes these past 3 days, flying from Seoul to Boston to pick her up and then from Boston to Paris together. But in his mind it was all worth it since he finally gets to see her and hold her close after 4 long months. 

They had stayed connected by chatting on skype on the weekends and sending emails when they became too busy with work on the other days. In the beginning, Changmin had been constantly worried about how she was doing alone in a new city on the other side of the world. Luckily, he discovered that his cousin, Sooyoung, was studying in New York City at the Parson's School of Fashion and she was happy to drive up and help Seohyun get settled. By the time he had arrived at Boston, Seohyun seemed completely at ease and was eager to show him around. They spent a day touring her university's campus - she excitedly showed him her favorite coffee house, the library with the best leather armchairs, and the lecture halls her famous professors reigned over. All in all, he is just happy that she is happy and has found her place at this renowned university. 

The two don't realize they've fallen asleep until the announcement from the flight attendant alerts them that they are landing.

He yawns and stretches but she is already awake and peering out the window for the first sights of Paris.

"Do you see anything Hyunnie?"

"No, not yet... wait! I can see the some of the roads, and there's the Eiffel Tower!"

He leans over her shoulder to look for himself and then whispers into her ear, "You wanted to go there first, right?"

She turns her head and is surprised to see him so close. Smiling, she nods shyly. He closes the distance between them and kisses her on the lips once, twice, three times ... 

"Oppa, we should deboard - we're going to be the only ones left on the plane!"

"That's fine with me" he murmurs against her lips.

She pulls away, blushing and giving him a slightly disapproving look. 

"Ok, sorry Seohyun-ah. I guess being in Paris already has an effect on me."

She shakes her head but smiles and grabs his hand, so they can exit the plane and start their Paris adventure.

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

"It's actually taller than I expected."

"Hm, the guide book says it's 1,050 feet tall - about the height of an 81 storey building."

Using his hand to shield his face from the sun, Changmin cranes his neck to get a better view. Impatiently, Seohyun tugs on his jacket saying, "Oppa, come. It's our turn now."

They move forward and hand the attendant their tickets and board the next available elevator. Although there are other tourists in the compartment with them, Changmin notices how Seohyun seems truly excited as they ascend, her eyes sparkling. He squeezes her hand lightly and she turns, giving him a dazzling smile.  

When the elevator arrives at the 58th floor, many of the passengers exit and Changmin almost follows them until Seohyun says, "Wait, Oppa, I think this is just the restaurant. If we keep going we can reach the top floor."

"Ah, I forgot, we have an expert tour guide here with us today." Changmin declares proudly. "Lead the way then, my love."

Seohyun blushes at his praise and hits his arm to cover it up. "You're incorrigible, Oppa."

Soon, they reach the highest observation level and the elevator doors open to a spetacular view of the city. 

"Oh wow, the snow hasn't even melted here."

"Yes, and you can see the beautiful Christmas decorations everywhere."

Hand in hand, the couple walk along the observation deck, taking their time as they soak in the sights. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blows into them and Seohyun shivers. 

"I forgot how high up we are. The winds are really strong," she says.

Wordlessly, Changmin begins to his jacket.

"Oppa, what are you doing? You'll get sick! Put your jacket back on, I'll be fine -"

But he interrupts her because instead of taking it completely off, he's engulfed her into his coat so they are both wearing it at the same time. 

Smirking, he says in a husky voice, "I believe the best way to combat the cold Hyunnie, is through body heat."

She rolls her eyes, trying to hide a smile. 

"Like I said, incorrigible."

"You know you like it."

She doesn't respond except to move herself closer to him, confirming his suspicions.

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

"Ah my feet are sore!" Seohyun exclaims as she plops down on the sofa in their hotel room. 

"How about I draw you a bath then? You can unwind in the tub." Changmin offers.

"Aren't you tired too Oppa?"

"Yes, but my Hyunnie was such a good tour guide today that she deserves a treat. Just wait here." he ruffles her hair affectionately and disappears into the bedroom.

She smiles softly as she watches him. She's tired right now, but in a good way. After leaving the Eiffel Tower, they had taken the metro to see the Arc de Triomphe. They ended up having a late lunch at the lovely Cafe de la Flore, although Seohyun suspects she may have enjoyed dinning there more than her boyfriend. Changmin had insisted that their French waiter, a handsome young man probably in college, was a little too attentive and glared at the poor man the entire time. Their final visit of the day was to a quaint old abbey, where they climbed the oldest clock tower in the city and saw the sun set over Paris together. 

Wandering into the bathroom, Seohyun stands quietly and admires the broad back of her boyfriend as he bends over the bathtub, whistling as he works. 

"There are three bears in a house. Father bear, mommy bear, baby bear! La la la laaa"

She isn't able to surpress her laughter quickly enough and he turns and sees her behind him. 

"Aha, is milady ready for her bath?"

"Changmin Oppa, you like those kinds of songs?" she says as she moves towards him and slips her arms around his waist.

"Yes, you can be the mommy bear and I'll be the father bear."

Seohyun giggles. "What about the baby bear?"

"We'll have to think of something won't we?" he answers, smirking again.

She blushes and starts pushing him towards the door. "Alright, out you go."

"Eh? But why...."

"You're being banished to the bedroom. Now shoo!"

Seohyun pushes him with all her strength, but he has dug his heels in and taunts her, "Hm, it's like there's this little breeze pushing me gently towards bed. I wonder why it's so slow..."

"Oppa!"

Laughing, he surrenders. "Ok, ok Hyunnie, I'll leave you in peace." 

Seohyun shakes her head half in amusement and half in exasperation as the door closes. Seeing the inviting bubble bath, she quickly gets ready and sinks into the the warm water. As she soaks away the day's weariness, she is still is having trouble believing she is here, in Paris, and with him. As a young girl, her dream was to visit the beautiful city to see its amazing historical sights but never did she think she would share the experience with a significant other. She readily admits that she isn't a romantic person - in college, the one boyfriend she did have decided they were better off as friends after being unable to tear her attention away from her studies, so everything with Changmin was new and exciting. These days, she would often catch herself daydreaming about silly little things like ddukkbokki, because it's his favorite food; purple sweaters, because he wore one the last time she saw him; and pink roses, because they were the first flowers he gave her. Perhaps she could be a romantic person after all, she concludes. 

A little bit later, Seohyun emerges from the bathroom feeling refreshed and a little sleepy. She looks around for Changmin, but doesn't see him on the bed. The warm glow of the fireplace draws her to the living room, where she finds her prince charming, sound asleep on the sofa. 

"Poor Oppa, you're tired out aren't you?" she says softly.

Kneeling down, she gently brushes the hair out of his eyes. He stirs slightly and mumbles something unintelligible and Seohyun knows it will be impossible to wake him at this point. Seeing a blanket on a nearby chair, she begins to stand up to retrieve it when a hand snakes around her waist and pulls her down to the sofa.

"Oppa? I thought you were asleep..."

He doesn't respond and she realizes that he is sleeping, but instinctively holding her tightly to him. She tries to manuever out of his hold, but a sleeping Changmin is apparently even harder to budge than an awake one. Sighing, she supposes it is her fate to be his giant stuffed animal for the night. Before she knows it, the warmth of the fire and his body next to hers has lulled her to sleep too. 

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

For their last night in Paris, Changmin wants to take his girl somewhere special, so that afternoon, they spend hours in some of the most fashionable stores the world has to offer looking for the perfect dress.

"Oppa, are you sure about this? The price tag..."

"Seo, we won't get many chances to be here, you might as well let me spoil you a little. Think of it as part of your Christmas present."

Sighing, she decides she's fighting a losing battle and takes the pretty gauzy thing he's holding out to her to try on.

Ten minutes later, she has yet to emerge and Changmin is getting concerned. 

"Seohyun-ah? Everything ok?"

"Oppa... this dress, it's very different."

"Different? Can I see?"

Slowly, the curtains open to reveal a very shy Seohyun with her hands twisting together nervously.

Changmin is momentarily stunned - she's completely gorgeous and he doesn't want to take his eyes off of her. Smiling, he extends his hand to her, so she can step forward and stand in front of the mirror. He gently places her in front of him and together they gaze at their reflection. 

"Vous etes charmante, mademoiselle." (You are enchanting, Miss)  he says, bending his head to kiss her bare shoulder.

She shivers at this intimate contact but seems pleasantly surprised. "I'm impressed, monsieur. Where did you learn that phrase?"

Changmin grins. "Kyuhyun isn't the only one with foreign language skills."

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

Their reservations are for a simple yet elegant little restaurant in one of Paris' most exclusive neighborhoods. The candlelight dinner is private but not too private as there is a small string quartet playing in the background.

"You seem to have a knack for finding hidden gems like this." she comments as he walks in with her on his arm.

"I just follow my stomach," he replies confidently. "It usually doesn't fail me."

She laughs and gives his highly touted organ an approving pat before sitting down in the chair he's pulled out for her. 

Their meal consists of quite honestly some of the most delicious food they've had during their visit, complimented by a crisp and sweet red wine. The two are contemplating what to order for dessert when they hear the soft melody of Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose. 

Changmin gets up suddenly and walks around the table, smiling. He bows, taking her hand in his. "Will you dance with me Seohyun-ah?"

She gives him an unsure look, but he's already pulling her out of her seat and towards the center of the room. Her light, feather-like dress is shown off to its full advantage as he spins her into his arms. They dance slowly, heads looking down and completely engrossed in each other.

Quietly, he begins to hum against her ear.

"Des nuits d’amour à plus finir     (May the nights on which we make love never end)

 Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place    (A great joy which takes its place)

 Les ennuis, les chagrins s’effacent      (The trouble, the grief are removed)

 Heureux, heureux à en mourir"             (Content, content to die of it)

Seohyun feels as if her chest is expanding to accomodate her fast-beating heart. It's a strange sensation, but at the same time, a very good one. She wishes she could express this feeling in words to him.

"Changmin-ah, do you know what you're doing to me?"

"If it's even a tenth of the effect you have on me, then yes, I think I do."

She looks up to find him gazing at her intently. For some reason, he seems a little nervous and although he opens his mouth several times, no sound comes out. 

"Oppa? Are you ok?"

"Seohyun-ah, I surrender."

"Ne? What do you mean-"

"You have me, all of me" he whispers. "Actually, I think you've had me since that first moment I saw you in that elevator."

Her breath hitches and she can feel her knees start to buckle. 

"I love you Seo Joo Hyun. Your beautiful mind, your unfailing kindness, your quiet strength - I've never met anyone like you before and I don't think I will be able to find another you on this Earth. I want us to live and learn together, to have children, and grow old. Marry me Joohyun-ah."

His heartbeat is pounding between his ears as he waits for the answer that could make him the happiest man alive. Mercifully, he sees the corners of turn up and she nods her consent, quietly but joyfully saying "Yes."

Beyond delighted, he gathers her in his arms and twirls her around and around, and their laughter is sweeter than any song. He finally does set her down and presents her with the ring that's been burning a hole in his pocket all night. He carefully slips it on her finger as she whispers to him how beautiful it is. The fact that she has his ring on her finger almost overwhelms him as he holds her close again.

"Oppa," she whispers happily.

"Yes, Hyunnie?"

"How many baby bears should we have?" 

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Author's Note:  This was fluffy to the extreme, I know.  :D    

It's just too easy to write about these two; I already have an idea for another story but I"m going to try to write up a chapter for The Girl on TV first. Happy holidays everyone!