Chapter 23: Midnight

“Are you walking me home? Because I think the guy's suppose to do that.” Myungsoo pointed out as they walked down the street at his neighbourhood.

“I told you, that's a secret.” Naeun smiled secretly. But Myungsoo was curious and restless and very overdressed.

“The studio?”, he asked when they stopped infront of the familiar building.

“Be patient”, she reminded him before opening the door to her studio, it was dark but he could smell the turpentine and oil paints.

“Close your eyes.”

“But it's already dark.”He whined

“Just do as I say!”

“Fine!” They argued childishly and Myungsoo relented to her whims.

“Now keep them closed until I say so. No peeking.” Myungsoo kept them closed even though the temptation was great. He heard a lot of shuffling, a switch being turned off and somewhere in the distance, the thud of a closing refrigerator.

“Now open them slowly.” He followed her instructions and a gasp slip through his lips. Everything was so beautiful but she was still the most mesmerising.The art studio bedecked with fairy lights and candles, giving the room a warm aura. And at the centre of it all was Naeun.

It was always Naeun.

“Wow… I'm speechless.”

“I'm glad you like it, I just-I…”, she sighed before finishing her sentence. “I felt really bad about the other day.I spoke harshly and I was unfair and I'm sorry.” His eyes widened at their own accord.

“Please don't apologise to me.”

“But Myung-”

“Don't. What's important is here and now.”

“I wanted to make it up to you, so…”She popped open a bottle of wine, gingerly collecting the peices of broken cork before pouring him a glass.

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” he asked teasingly.

“I would like to think you'd stay sober to savour the taste of some really old wine.” Naeun shrugged, glancing at the worn our label.

“Wait… what vintage is that?” Myungsoo's curiousity perked up. “This is pre-war! This should be in a museum! How did you acquire such a thing?” His words were fast, like a kid in a candy store.

“One of my ex-students gave it to me as a present. He owns a winery down in Bordeaux.I've been saving it for a special occasion.”

“I'm touched that I'm your 'special occasion'. Thank you.” He smiled genuinely suprised and poured her a glass.

They drank in silence for awhile, just enjoying each others company.

“You know… I've never seen someone so in love with ballet.” He pondered for a moment before turning towards Naeun.

“Oh well… I just really like the arts and Tchaikovsky and Nureyev.”

“It all makes sense now.”The realisation dawned on him.

“What?”

“You're a bunhead! A ballerina!”

Silence, then a fake laugh.

“I was. And why do you make it sound soo bad?”

“It's not! I'm just not surprised. You look like one of them; so untouchable and detached and distant in your own fairytale.”

“I was an apprentice at the Universal ballet company in Seoul. I was offered a contract to be in the corps de ballet. It was the dream. To dance onstage every night. It was gruelling and pure ecstacy.”

“You look happy.”

“I was. But then…I was injured; freak accident. I could'nt go back and that was the beginning of the end sadly.”

“I'm sorry… and to all of the places I took you to a ballet.” He facedpalmed himself cutely, eliciting a giggle from Naeun.

“No. It actually helped. I forgot how beautiful it was. The pain was so exquisite.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. It was healing, it really was. I can still go on pointe you know. It was torture to perfect but it comes naturally after all those years.” Naeun sipped the last of her red wine.

“Enlighten me then mademoiselle, with your moves.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and gestured to her with his glass.

She kicked her shoes off and stretched unceremoniously in the most comical manner before turning to Myungsoo with a determined grin.

And before his eyes she transformed into a graceful swan reminiscent of the ones they had just seen at the ballet. Her toes supported her whole body up and she slowly stooped down into a bow before rising up into an arabesque.

She held the position for a few minutes, but even then it was painful, so painful that when she wobbled and almost fell flat on her face. Fortunately, Myungsoo caught her.

“Careful.”

“I haven't put that much pressure on my feet in awhile. I'm sorry.”

“Don't strain yourself too much, didn't you get injured?”

“I'm fine.”

“I see it now. It was there before but it's more obvious now. You still carry that air with you,of elegance and hardwork and such a burning soul that it is almost impossible to not be attracted to such beauty.”

“Myungsoo.”

They spent a minute just staring into each others eyes. For one luxurious moment she wanted nothing more then to drown in those eyes.

“You're so beautiful that it's almost painful to look away.”

He moved closer towards her and she bumped against the table accidently when he placed his glass on the table. Her breath hitched when she found herself so close to him that it unnerved her.

She felt the electricity sweltering as she felt herself grow immensely fervent.

An accidental brush.
A lingering touch.
A stolen glance.

And when their eyes met again-they simply knew.

She wanted him.
As much as he wanted her.

Myungsoo's hand flitted up to brush a strand behind her ear. She turned away to cast her eyes down to her shoes like they were the most interesting thing in the world. His fingers softly moved to her jaw and titling her head back so he could really see her lovely features.She shivered under his mere touch and he sensed her quite tense under the burden of his presence.

His eyes fell to her delectable lips and he made his intentions clear; he wanted so badly to kiss her. He didn't want to hold back anymore.

Because she was so tempting.
Because she was there and he didn't want to lose the chance.
Because she smelled of honeysuckle and night.

Her eyes closed as if accepting his request and when their lips finally connected in a chaste first kiss, a kiss of longing lips and yearning hearts. For once things went so right for the both of them.

He felt her palms resting on his chest as they kissed and it oddly excited him.
She wasn't pushing him away...

But it hit him that she was trembling, her fingers clenched onto his jacket desperately looking for an anchor, and she was shaking slightly.

Even when they pulled apart, their noses bumped into each other clumsily. Naeun's hands were entangled around Myungsoo's neck. He gripped her waist tightly as if she would dissapear into thin air if he let go.She tiptoed to kiss him again and again and again with such tenderness that it shook him. The feeling of having her so close to him, it was exhilarating.

“Naeun.” Her name tumbled out of his lips like a prayer. But when she looked up to him, something flashed in her eyes - pain. She pulled away aburptly, too fast that Myungsoo missed her presence already.

“I'm sorry-I shouldn't have-I-I-” Her muddled words came out in staccato bursts, her hands shaking.

“Naeun, calm down.” He took her back into her arms, soothing her gently.

“Myungsoo I'm-”

But she didn't get a chance to finish, Myungsoo cut her off when he cupped her face and kissed her again.She melted into his kiss and molded against his strong chest. He wanted her to know everything in one kiss. That he was there and he was real about her. When they pulled away softly, Naeun was breathless and confused, their eyes were still interlocked in an intense gaze.

“I'm giving you so many ways to hurt me right now.” She whispered those melancholic words whilst her hand instinctively went to touch his cheek.

“Naeun,I would never-” He held her hand to his cheek when she tried to slip away between his fingers.

“I know.” A soft smile spread on her lips and she closed her eyes.

“I trust you.”

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluos."

-Ingrid Bergman

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a/n: 

These 2 chapters were a rushed job so Im sorry!!!

But I hope you like it anyway... i tried my best but I have midterms next week so i gotta get studying now!!!

Thank you for reading and do leave me some comments ! ^^