“What are you doing?” a sleepy voice asked..

Hyuk glanced up from the small table they were using in the train, fingers pausing in their movement, to stare at his girlfriend who sat opposite. He took in her tousled hair, curious expression, and the simple tee and plain cardigan that she was wearing. His cardigan to be more specific.

“Making a paper crane.” he finally spoke, holding up the miniature, partially finished, bird made out of an old gum wrapper.

Maeri slid into the seat next to him, yawning softly as her dark eyes focused on the small scrap of foil from the piece of gum Hyuk was chewing. Outside their window, the dark sky flew by at record speeds, their trip a blur in the dark to visit Hyuk’s family for the holidays. The other passengers on the train were absorbed in their own conversations or asleep to notice as Hyuk handed Maeri the finished tiny bird and planted a kiss on her lips.

“Happy two year anniversary.” he spoke, smiling at a blushing Maeri.

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Maeri peeked over her shoulder as she pulled a box away from their shared bookshelf, making sure Hyuk wasn’t anywhere nearby to see what she was doing. Opening the box, Maeri smiled as she dropped the tiny foiled cranes Hyuk had made for her over their two week long trip with his family. There were over a hundred of them now, possibly even more than two hundred, she’d lost count, the box nearly half full.

Hyuk had first started making her paper cranes when he’d handed her a note and taped on top was a tiny bird. The note had asked if she’d go out with him and at first she had turned him down. That only resulted in her getting more tiny birds with notes asking the same thing over the next few months. At first she’d found it annoying, and then cute until finally she caved and accepted going on a date with him. She’d never told him she’d secretly kept all the first miniature cranes (and notes, which were safely hidden away in another box in their closet) lost among all the others at the bottom of this box.

Maeri would get a crane on a rainy day (when Hyuk wasn’t able to take her to and from work), her birthday, and if he had to leave before she woke up in the morning (regardless of weather), but other than that there was no real set pattern as to why Hyuk would give her a crane. However, she’d come to cherish them, keeping them hidden in her box over the years. When she’d asked why he’d made them, Hyuk said the first couple were to get her attention, and any after that were whenever Maeri reminded him how he was lucky to have her.

Maeri added six more cranes from their vacation and smiled, enjoying being lost in the memories of when and where she'd recieved some of the small folded birds. Quickly, Maeri closed the box and shoved it back on the shelf as she heard Hyuk’s voice drawing closer, his voice having yanked her from her thoughts.

“Are you ready to go?” Hyuk asked, adjusting his jacket sleeves as he rested against their bedroom door frame.

Maeri turned and nodded to him, stealing a glance back at the bookshelf to see if her box was safely tucked away before she left, Hyuk leading her down the hall and out of their small apartment.

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Hyuk left a crane on the napkin near the small and simple breakfast he'd made for Maeri, enjoying being able to be with her when she woke up.

He set the tray down on her side of the bed before he settled down on his side and crawled over to Maeri, tickling the other who swatted at him playfully. Hyuk hooked an arm around Maeri and pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck as the other rested against his chest. She hummed softly, her fingers linking with his. He gently shook her, smiling as she whined, shifting against him.

"What do you want to do today?" Hyuk murmured against her skin, lightly the others stomach as he fed her some toast.

Maeri chewed lazily before her eyes landed on the tiny paper crane near her glass of orange juice, "Can we go to the beach?" she asked, leaning towards the tray to grab the small crane. She examined the small gift with affection, shifting to press a kiss to Hyuk’s lips.

Hyuk readily agreed and after a lazy morning breakfast in bed, and some fun between the sheets, the two got up to get ready for their trip to the beach. Just before they were going to leave, Maeri snuck back into their room to add the newest crane to her box.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this! I got the idea from the gum commerical on saw on TV the other day, lol.