The next four weeks are busy with wedding stuff and work, but I still manage to find time to miss Leo. 

"Since you saw him shouldn't it be better?" Sun asks me as we're still registering stuff for her and In Guk. 

"It's kind of like running," I explain as I mark off a shiny set of silverware. "You can run and feel tired, but still keep running. It's when you stop to catch your breath, that you finally feel how exhausted you are. Your heart is beating so fast you feel it in your throat, you're dehyrdated, gasping for air, your muscles are cramping up. You try and take a few more steps, but you can't carry on anymore and you want to just...give up." I don't notice how quiet Sun is until I feel her arm loop tightly through mine. 

"Do you feel like giving up?" she asks me. 

"I really don't want to," I sigh. "But I don't know how many more steps I can take before I collapse." 

"Hey," Leo greets when we're on Skype later that night. 

"Hey," I greet with a weak smile. We're quiet, he looks tired and I probably do too. I've been busy with wedding stuff lately and he's been super busy getting his students ready for the showcase. This is actually the first time we've Skyped since he fly back to Seoul.

"It's harder, isn't it?" I don't know why I laugh, but it's nice to hear him laugh too because at least he feels the same way. "I thought it'd be better once we actually saw each other, but..." 

"I know." I give him a weak smile and he returns it. "How's the showcase coming along?"

"Great!" he perks up, eyes shining with excitement. "The kids are really working hard and the guys have been helping out too-" There's rapid knocking on my door which scares the crap out of me and even Leo. "Who's that?" 

Sun. 

"What's wrong?" I ask her as she's bawling her eyes out and I'm basically pulling her through the front door. I've never seen her cry this hard before and whatever she's saying isn't coherent. 

"We have to postpone the wedding," she states in between hiccups. "In Guk's father just had a heart attack and now he has to get open heart surgery and then he's on best rest for six weeks. Why is this happening the week before the wedding? Of all weeks?! And I told that man to ease up on the fried foods otherwise he'll get sick and now look at him!" 

"I'll let you go," Leo tells me giving Sun a sad look. "Sorry about the wedding, Sun." She waves it off with a faint smile. "I'll call you later okay?" I nod and for once he blows me a kiss first before ending the call. 

"I can't believe he did that first," Sun states with widened eyes. I nod along with her. "And he still hasn't said 'I love you'?"

"Don't remind me," I grumble.

The wedding has been postponed until the second week of December. Even though I told Sun that it just gives us time to get everything more organized, she wants to add more stuff. Fish in the flower vases, a photo booth, a disco ball-

"Why the hell do you want a disco ball?" I ask her when we're out for a run. "That's so 70's. You were born in 1990." 

"They're cool!" she exclaims excitedly. "They give off all these colors when the light hits them. I've always liked them, but they're so expensive." 

"How's In Guk's dad?" 

"Recovering. He should be able to go to the wedding, so that makes us happy." 

After our run, I have lunch with my parents. This is the first time we've had it since they found out that I was dating Leo and the fact that they asked me is highly nervewracking. Leo and I have still been Skyping, calling, texting and even mailing letters. He thought it was dorky and incredibly sappy, but since it was for me, he said he'd do it. The only thing about that is that he always ends the letters with 'I miss you'. Not exactly the three words I'm looking for but sweet nevertheless. Leo's birthday is coming up and I decided to buy him that keyboard he was eyeing that day in the antique shop. I told him wheI have a surprise for him when we were on the phone once and he sounds excited to find out what it is.The lunch with my parents starts off in an awkward, tense silence which I saw coming from a mile off. They probably want an apology from me for lying to them for so long. I can give them that. However, I can't give them what they really want, which is to stop seeing Leo. After ordering our food, we sit in silence and sip our coffee. We're at a nice restaurant downtown that has the lights dimmed even though it's mid-day and soft jazz playing in the background. 

"How's the wedding planning?" my mom asks, finally breaking our twenty minute silence. 

"Good," I answer with a nod. "Did you know it was postponed?" They both shake their heads. "In Guk's dad had a heart attack and needed surgery. He's recovering now, but hey had to push it back until mid-December." 

"Oh that's horrible," my mom gasps. "Is Sun okay?" Sun is basically my mom's second daughter since she's known her so long. I nod. 

"Alright," my dad sighs, putting down his coffee. "Enough of the small talk." It's gets quiet once again. "What do you have to say for yourself for lying to us for two years?"

"I'm sorry for lying to both of you," I apologize sincerely. "I really didn't want to hurt you. Leo had been insisting from the start that we tell you but I told him we should wait a while after things cooled off. " They're quiet. "While I am sorry for lying and keeping secrets from you, I'm not sorry for doing it." They both look at me with raised eyebrows. "I love him. Leo's probably the best thing that's happened to me and I love having him in my life. He makes me happy and for you two to ask me to give that up just because he's not up to your standards isn't fair. And you know that." They're quiet and our waiter brings us our food. We eat in silence, which doesn't really surprise me. They're either letting it all sink in or fuming on the inside and resisting yelling at me while we're in public. It's when we get the checks, paying and leaving the restaurant that I begin to wonder how long they're going to give me the silent treatment. 

"Do you really love him?" my mom blurts our when I'm about to hail down a cab. 

"I really do," I answer with a nod. They're quiet and suddenly my mom is hugging me. "Is this an okay to see him?" 

"A continent can't even keep you two apart," my dad sighs. "How can we?" He hails down a cab for me and kisses me on the forehead as it comes to a screeching stop. "Go tell him. We know you're dying to." I squeeze both of them in a tight hug before getting into the cab. 

"You're not messing with me are you?" Leo asks me on Facetime as Sun and I are out doing more wedding stuff a couple days later. I can't surpress my smile as I shake my head. He beams, sitting back in his seat in what I assume is relief. "So, the fight is finally over." He chuckles. "I thought it'd never end."

"You and me both," I agree with a laugh. "And it's your birthday." 

"That's probably the best present I could've asked for."

The gloominess that had loomed since Leo left subsides a little with my parents finally giving us the rubber stamp of approval on our relationship. Even though we talk about all the things we can do when he visits or when I visit, it always reminds us how far away we are from each other. My parents ask about Leo now and how he's doing whenever we have lunch. He even Skyped with them once and they seem to really like him. It's like a surreal reality that I never thought would happen. 

"I think they actually like me," Leo says as we have a Skpye date. He's eating breakfast as I'm eating dinner, this time difference is still bizarre after two years of dealing with it. 

"Did you think they wouldn't?" I question as I pour myself a glass of wine. He shurgs.

"I always thought they hated me." I see how he could come to that conclusion because they hardly showed any kindness towards him. 

"But that's all over. Now we can talk about when I get to see you this week." It's finally the second week of December which means that he'll be flying in any day now. The other guys will be flying in to, but they're staying at a hotel nearby. 

"Thursday, Hyuk has class until two on Wednesday so we're leaving after that." I nod. "But...I didin't tell them that they're staying in a hotel yet."

"Leo!" 

"I'm sorry! They seemed really excited to see you when I told them I was staying there and they just assumed they were too. And I didn't have the heart to correct them on it." I sigh, taking a sip of my wine. How am I going to fit six guys in this apartment? "I mean, you have that guest room, right? Can't they just stay in there? And on the couch?" I roll my eyes but he has this cute, hopeful look on his face-

"Fine." 

"You've gotten prettier!" Ken exclaims, swinging me around in the air. The guys,all of them, finally arrived at my apartment Thursday evening and squeeze the crap out of me in a hug just like Ken does. They're all excited to see the place, the city and In Guk since he's taking them out tonight. 

"Are you sure you don't want to come hyung?" Hyuk asks as the five of them are all coming down the stairs to leave. They've been planning this night since they all brought going out clothes with them in their luggage. 

"We're going to just relax here and watch some movies," Leo answers, taking the bag of popcorn out the microwave. "Go have fun, but not too much that I have to come pick you guys up later."

"Leo hyung, when has that ever happened?" Hongbin asks. Leo gives him a look before he just nods. "Point taken. Enjoy your movie!" We curl up on the couch and share a bowl of popcorn. Well, Leo eats most of it and when I pout about it he makes another bag. It's just like old times, quietly watching the movie but still taking time to talk about life in between. He said the showcase was amazing and some of the students even got scouted by performing arts schools or even entertainment companies. I tell him about work and how basically everything is the same except for us hiring three new interns after the new year. We end up falling asleep on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket. It's when I'm about to get up and make coffee and Leo tugs me back down muttering 'go back to sleep, it's too early', that I realize I would'nt mind this happening every morning for the years to come.

It's finally the wedding day and it's been incredibly stressful. There are girls not in their dresses yet, some are missing shoes, others are having a makeup crisis and that's just from the bridal party perspective.The groomsmen are either just as big a mess as we are or just chilling in their dressing room doing nothing. Between Sun freaking out about her veil getting stuck on a rhinestone, a bridesmaid breaking a nail and the flower girl throwing a temper tantrum about wearing a flower in her hair, we manage to make it down the aisle with zero problems. I subtly wink at Leo in the crowd and he blushes, of course not going unnoticed by his friends. We finally get to talk at the reception before all the speeches have to be made. It's after the Best Man speech that In Guk is calling Leo up to the front of the room and handing him the microphone. What's going on?

"Uh, In Guk asked me to sing a song," Leo begins shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, I hoped the one I picked is one you'll like it. It seemded to fit the occasion. Oh, and I enlisted in my friends for help." They all take to the center of the dancefloor and I chuckle when Super Junior's 'Marry U' begins to play. Leo and Ken split up the singing parts as Hakyeon, Ravi, Hongbin and Hyuk do the choreography I remember seeing in the music video. Leo will smile at me whenever he catches my eye from my place at the wedding party table towards the front of the room and can't help but beam back at him. Sun and In Guk smile when Leo comes up behind the table we're sitting at. He does the weird man handshake that all guys seem to know with In Guk and gives Sun a peck on the cheek. It's nearing the end of the song and I'm just happily listening along, but it's at the final bars that I suddenly lose my concentration...because in a swift movement, Leo is pulling a velvet box out of his pocket and dropping down to one knee right in front of me. 

"Nawa gyuhrhonhaejullae?" he sings, opening up the box to a diamond ring. "I do." He shyly lowers the microphone as I sit in stunned silence. I try to answer but the only thing that comes out of my mouth when I try to speak is air. So I opt for nodding, literally fighting back tears as he slides the princess cut, diamond ring onto my left ring finger. There's applause as he practically pulls me out my seat to twirl me around in the air. He quickly kisses me when he puts me down, but I'm later tackled in a hug by Sun. 

"Did you know about this?" I ask her as she looks as the ring. 

"Yes," she sighs dreamily. "He asked if he could incorporate it into the song. I guess he loves you after all." 

"You know," In Guk pipes up, placing an arm around Sun's waist. "Just because someone doesn't say they love you, doesn't mean they don't. They could just show it through their actions." I think of all the times Leo would call to make sure I was up early enough for class, helping me study, making me dinner after a long day, texting me 'good night' every night, walking with me to night class, having movie marathons after I had a crappy week, writing the letters, doing the little things like blowing kisses that makes him uncomfortable and so many other things that make me realize that maybe he told me in his own way that he loved me a long time ago. It's when I'm letting this all sink in that Leo is grabbing my hand and pulling me onto the dancefloor. We sway to the beat of the song without saying anything. It's when I'm glancing at the ring on my finger that Leo says something. 

"I've been planning it for a while now," he tells me, causing me to look up at him with a shocked expression. "I knew I didn't want to do it over Skype so I just had to find a time when we were together in person." 

"It was great," I tell him with a smile. "Are my parents okay with this?"

"Yeah, I asked them before I asked you." Wow,that was brave of him. "You know I love you,right?"  Almost on reflex I punch him, light enough not to hurt too much but to feel it, in the stomach. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"I've been waiting two years for you to tell me that!" I exclaim quietly so I don't get looks from other people around us. "And you just say it like I already know...which I do...now, I guess." He raises a confused eyebrow at me. "In Guk said that sometimes you can tell someone loves you by their actions towards you. I was so focused on you not saying it and me almost blurting it out numerous times, I guess I didn't realize that you basically told me a long time ago." He laughs, actually laughs, and I narrow my eyes up at him. 

"Ah, he's so smart. He's right you know." Of course he is. "But would saying it make you feel better?" 

"If you don't mind?" I don't expect him to kiss me but it's a nice surprise. When we pull away his cheeks are pink, like always. "I love you." I can't help but smile from ear to ear because finally he said it. 

"I love you, too."

Three Months Later

"Leo, get Ken out of that headlock!" I shout as Ravi is helping me lift a heavy box onto the diningroom table. It's the new year, February to be exact, and Leo is moving into my apartment. He got a job at a music school downtown and starts in a couple weeks. We got married a week ago because we didn't wan to waste any time planning the wedding when we've waited this long for us to be together. It was a small ceremony with friends and family and it was perfect. 

"He was jumping on the couch!" Leo exclaims, lifting himself and Ken from the floor. I roll my eyes and Ravi just shakes his head. They were nice enough to fly back to help Leo move in and leave in the evening. Hongbin and Hyuk are laughing in the kitchen and Leo is jogging over to them when he sees them playing with something in one of the boxes. "Be careful! My grandmother gave me that plate!" 

"I've never seen this side of him before," I tell Hakyeon as Leo is all but wrestling the plate out of Hyuk's hand. 

"He's very protective of his things," Hakyeon says with a nod. Everyhting gets moved in before we have to drop the guys off at the airport. Even though they're usually joking around and teainsg each other, when it came to good byes they're sincere and heartfelt. They looked happy for Leo but also a little sad that he wouldn't be in their constant prescence everyday anymore.

"Are you okay?" I ask him when we get back to the apartment. He nods. "Leo." 

"I'm fine," he answers with a weak smile. "I'll just miss them that's all." I nod. "Hakyeon wants me to call and tell him we got home alright, even though he's the on a sixteen-hour flight."  He's quiet and I look at him. "Home. I like that sound of that." 

"Me too." 

Because now our home isn't separated by a whole continent. We don't have to say good night through webchat or fall asleep on the phone, refusing to hang up before the other went to sleep. For once, our homes are in the same place and we can go to sleep knowing that we'll see the other's face as soon as we wake up in the morning right next to each other.