After Nicole's successful fashion show, Gyuri threw a little afterparty for Nicole at her vineyard just for close friends and family.  

The vineyard was lit up with the perfect amount of lights, the band created the perfect atmosphere, and people were chattering happily.  MinHo and Hara sat by the bar, giggling and flirting.  Gyuri was walking around and greeting her guests. 

   
***After party outfits (google images)***

Key and Nicole stood happily next chatting away with his parents and her parents.  Key couldn't help but watch Nicole laugh and smile so happily.  He could stare at her for forever.  As they were chatting, Nicole turned to fix Key's crooked bowtie, causing stares of awes from both their parents.  Key's and Nicole's parents couldn't help but adore how happy they were with each other.  After the mini touch-up, Nicole continued on with her conversation with the parents.  

While the ladies were immerged in their conversation, Key decided that it was the perfect opportunity to have the talk.  He leaned toward his and Nicole's father.

"Excuse me, sir, I would like to ask if I can have a word with you and my father alone?"  Key asked.

Mr. Jung looked at at Key and nodded in agreement.  

"Sorry to interrupt, ladies,"  Mr. Jung apologized.  "but if you'll excuse us, we are going to head over to the bars for a drink and men talk."

The Mrs' laughed.

"Oh, alright.  But you stay away from having one too many of those whiskeys, you hear me?"  Mrs. Jung ordered, fixing her husband's tie.

"Yes, dear."  he obeyed. 

Key leaned to a confused Nicole and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be back."  Key said.

Nicole nodded and watched as her dad, his dad, and Key walk towards the bar.  

After a few minutes, the men returned, chuckling and conversing.  Nicole blew a sigh of relief that Key came back in one piece.  A slow song comes on and the parents went out to the dance floor for a dance.  Mr. Kim nodded at Key.

Key whispered to Nicole.

"Can I have some alone time with you?"

"Of course."  Nicole said.

Key took her glass of champagne and sat it on the table.  Nicole linked her hand around his arm and they headed towards the litted vineyard.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

As the music started to slowly fade to a quiet murmur, Nicole took her heels off.  Key took them in on hand and linked his other hand with Nicole's.  

They walked hand-in-hand throught the litted vineyard, talking and laughing away about their night so far.

"So, what did you and our fathers talk about?"  Nicole asked. 

Key chuckled and rubbed his bottom lips with his thumb.

"Oh, just stuff."  Key said.

"What kind of stuff?"  she asked.

"Interesting stuff."  he answered, turning to see a pouting Nicole.

Key laughed and pinched her nose.  Nicole let out a squeal and pushed him away, but Key pulled her back.  He turned her to face him and kissed the tip of her nose.

"But really, what did you talk about?"  Nicole asked, staring deep into those chocolate eyes.

Key couldn't resist her sweet eyes.

"Come with me."  Key said, taking her hand and walking towards the end of the vineyard.

Nicole was confused at what was going on.  

"Where are we going?"  Nicole asked.

"You'll see."

Nicole was about to question more, but as they reached the end of the vineyard, there was a litted gazebo.  The rose bushes surrounded the outside of the gazebo, and the vines wrapped around the pillars, with peach and white roses popping out.

Nicole gasped in awe, as she let go of Key's hand and walked into the gazebo.  She walked around the border of the it, her hands gentley running along the vines, and examining the delicate roses.  Key stood outside, amazed by how easily amazed she is.  She turned around and caught him staring at her.

"Did you do this?"  she asked.  She couldn't stop smiling at such a beautiful, yet simple thing.

Key chuckled and stepped inside as well.  He plucked a white rose off the vine and smelled it.  He walked up to Nicole and handed it to her.

"Oh, thank you."  she said, getting a nice whiff of the beautiful rose.

Key was drowned by her beauty and he knew it was time.  

"Nicole-ah."

She looked up to Key, who looked down to her with the most gentlest look.  He took her hand and kissed it, oh-so gentley.

"Nicole, you are such an amazing person.  A wonderful person.  A beautiful person.  You've worked so hard for your dream and you've finally reached it.  I couldn't be any happier for you."  he complimetned.

Nicole laughed.

"Thank you, honey."  she said.  "Can I ask where this is coming from?"

Key sighed.

Here goes.

"Cole, anything that could have possibly gone wrong to us, has.  To my unexpected engagement, you being my wedding planner, to me running out of my wedding to finding you here and declaring my love for you, but we've triumphed through it all and look where we are now."

Nicole couldn't stop smiling and blushing at the many flashbacks that were rushing through her mind.  She was still confused, but was getting a good feeling on where this was going.

"The one thing I regret the most was not being there by your side to deal with the hardships and hold you when you cried."  Key said, squeezing her hand.

Nicole placed her hand over her chest, tears filling up in her eyes.

"Never again, will I let that happen."

Key reached into his pocket and pulled out a navy velvet box.  Nicole gasped as Key kneeled down on his right knee.  Tears slowly filled up her eyes, as she covered .

On his knee, Key took a deep breath and looked into the tear-filled eyes of his beautiful girlfriend.

"Nicole, I promise you, with all my love in the world and with this beating heart of mine, that I will always be there for you.  I promise to never let you cry of pain; only tears of joy will be in those beautiful eyes of yours.  I love you for everything that you say and do.  I love you for the happiness I feel when you are beside me.  I love you because when you are near, the whole world is meaningful."  

Key slowly opened the box and the beautiful Tiffany Soleste ring sparkled in the dark.  The tears slowly fell down her cheeks.

***Tiffany Soleste by Tiffany & Co.***

"So, with this ring...Nicole Jung Yong Joo, will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes, of course, yes."  Nicole cried.

Key smiled the biggest smile and slipped the ring onto her finger.  He picked her up and spun her around.  Both of them laughing and happy as can be.

Key propped her back down and gave her a deep kiss, turning into a passionate kiss.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

One of the ushers came to Gyuri, motioning her to the stage.  Gyuri excused herself from her guests.  She headed up to the stage and quieted the band.  She tapped the microphone, receiving the guests' attention.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.  Thank you so much for joining me tonight to celebrate a dream come true of a bright, young lady.  I hope you all enjoyed the fashion as much as I have.  So, without further adieu, please help me welcome, Miss Nicole Jung!"

The crowd whooed and applaud as the spotlight landed onto a shy Nicole.  Key gave Nicole a hug and kiss on the head.  Nicole made her way to the stage, where Gyuri gave her a generous hug and offered her a gorgeous bouquet of lilies and glass of champagne.  Nicole couldn't stop laughing and holding back her tears of joy.

"Oh, my gosh.  First of all, thank you so much, Gyuri-unnie, for hosting this after party.  I'd like to thank my parents and my friends for helping me through these tough times and making me the person I am today.  But I would especially like to thank the one person that never gave up on me, the one who always came back for this stubborn person, the one who believed in me the most...my fiancé, KiBum."

Everybody oohed and awed, as they all turned to happy Key, blowing a kiss to Nicole.  Mr. Jung patted Key on the back of his shoulder.

"Key, along with my parents and best friends, Hara and Gyuri-unnie, and everybody else here, you all gave me so much strength and support to make it through the toughest part of my life and reaching my dream.  Thank you and I love you all very much.  Enjoy this wonderful evening.  Cheers!"

Everybody raised their glass and cheered with Nicole.  Nicole bowed and the band began to play. 

Key met up with Nicole as she came down from the stage and gave her another kiss.  Hara and MinHo caught up to them and gave them their blessings.  Hara and Nicole gushed over the ring, as MinHo and Key took celebration drinks.  The parents came by and congratulate the newly-engaged couple as well.  Nicole found out that Key pulled his and her father aside to talk about the proposal and to ask Mr. Jung for Nicole's hand.

They all continued talking happily, as Nicole's cousin, TaeYeon, made her way to the mic.

"Hello?  Hello?  Hi, everybody.  I hope yall are having a great time.  I could like to send my congratulations to my beautiful cousin, Nicole, and her wonderful fiance, KiBum.  I'm so happy for you, Cori, that you've found your other half.  So, as my "pre-wedding" gift, I would like to dedicate this song for you two lovebirds."

Nicole blew TaeYeon a kiss and TaeYeon started singing her ballad.

Key and Nicole walked to the dance floor and started the slow dance.  Everybody started to come onto the floor and enjoy this moment with them.

Key and Nicole stared into each other's eyes.

"You're so good to me."  Nicole said.  "How'd I get so lucky to find such a perfect man?"

Key chuckled and shook his head.

"No, how did I get so lucky to find a woman like you?"  

Nicole laughed and agreed with him.

He leaned his forehead onto hers and continued to look into her hazel eyes.  He can stare at them forever.

"I love you,"  Key said, leaning in closer to her.

"To the moon and back."  she finished, closing the gap in between them.

This time, those three words had a different feel to them, and Nicole loved that feeling.  

She was on Cloud 9, and so was he.

. T H E   E N D .

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A  U  T  H  O  R  '  S     N  O  T  E  :  :

Chapter 26 and Story: DONE!!!!  

:((( This is offically the end of "Because of You"!  I have completed my very first story!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it!  Thank you for all my subscribers that never left me and encouraged me to continue writing and supporting me throughout my school days!  I love writing my little dreams of these celebs and I love having people who are on the same boat as me!  You guys and gals are amazing and, again, thank you so much for being such a big support!  

I'm sad to be ending this story but there are more ideas to come with these two!  I have another story coming up, so please subscribe to that!

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