Ellie sighed for the tenth time in the last five minutes.

She sat at the table in her dinning room, trying not to dwell on the fact that Daehyun was leaving the next day.

Leaving for his new dorm in Seoul.

Now he'd be a 3 hour drive away.

Of course it could be worse, but after months of being right next door to each other, seeing each other practically everyday...this was going to take some getting used to.

They'd discussed a couple different ideas of how they'd wanted to spend today, but they'd quickly agreed they wanted to stay at home, and have time for just the two of them, not out and about, distracted by everything around them. 

Glancing out the window, she decided that was probably a good idea, seeing how dark the clouds were. 

Ellie's head popped up as she heard the front door shut, followed by the sound of Daehyun's feet across the floor.

She smiled automatically and looked toward the doorway that divided the living room from the dinning room.

He came around the corner, and the moment his eyes met hers, he smiled.

"Hi." he said, stopping to lean against the frame of the doorway.

"Hi." she replied.

With all their adventures this summer, his skin had become darker, the bags under his eyes were gone, and his cheeks were just a little bit rounder. It made her happy.

She knew that when he got back to his idol schedule he'd be losing sleep, and weight, so she had to enjoy it while it lasted.

She stood and went to him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace, her cheek pressed against his shoulder.

She sighed as she rest against him. "I swear, I'm never going to get tired of being in your arms." 

Dae held her tighter. "Good."

They stood like that for a couple minutes before Dae spoke again. "Hungry?"

She nodded as she released her hold on him. "Starving."

He took her hand and they both went to the kitchen.

Ellie pulled several things from the refrigerator and set them on the counter. As she did so, Daehyun pulled off his hoodie and tossed it over one of the chairs in the dinning room, and began rolling up his sleeves.

He pulled his ipod from his pocket and plugged it into the dock sitting on the counter.

Ellie rinsed the vegetables in the sink and placed them on the cutting board.

 As the music softly played, he approached her from behind, resting his hands on her hips as he kissed the back of her neck.

She closed her eyes and smiled, feeling his lips press to her skin a second time.

"What can I do?" he asked.

"Can you begin boiling some water for the noodles?"

"Got it."

He went to the cupboard, pulled out a pot, then went to the sink to fill it. Finally he placed it on the stove and turned it on.

He reached over and picked up one of the carrot pieces she'd chopped and popped it in his mouth, crunching as he went to the pantry for the noodles.

Ellie began thinking about how nice it was to have him there, and how easily things fell into place with the two of them. No matter what they were doing, whether it be cooking, or cleaning, or having fun, they worked well together. Half the time they didn't even need to speak. One, seeing what the other was doing, would fall in and take care of the next step. It felt so natural, doing things like this together. She couldn't imagine her life any other way.

But soon she was going to be doing everything, alone.

Daehyun opened the package of noodles and set it on the counter, then reached over and picked up another vegetable chunk and popped it in his mouth.

Ellie laughed and swatted his hand away. "Don't eat it all now, i need some for the ramen you know!"

He smiled his full smile and chuckled as he jumped out of reach.

He went around and sat on the barstool on the other side of the counter so he was facing Ellie as she gathered up all the veggies and placed them in a bowl.

"Hey Ells?" he started as she moved to the sink to wash her hands.

"Mm?"

"You like Seoul right?"

"Yeah." she said, drying her hands off. "Why?"

She went to the pot that was now boiling and took the lid off.

Dae picked up the package of noodles, and broke them up a bit before handing it to Ellie who dumped them into the boiling water.

He shrugged. "Just curious."

She pulled a set of chopsticks out of a drawer and set them on the counter before looking at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Just curious?"

"Well, i was just thinking...maybe if i could talk to the company...you know,...some of the members have talked about getting their own place, and i thought well, maybe if i could get a little apartment in Seoul..maybe you could come spend some time with me every now and then...would that interest you?"

Ellie smiled at him.

"I mean, you could stay longer, you know...weeks..or even...longer..." 

For whatever reason, his face had started turning red and his head slowly dropped, his voice gradually tapering off.

He was embarassed for asking.

Ellie laughed. "Jung Daehyun. The same boy that was groping me at the beach not too long ago, is now sitting at my counter, getting shy over asking me to stay at his place in Seoul?"

He laughed nervously. "Well, as i was saying it i suddenly realized it sounded kind of ...suggestive?"

Ellie stirred the noodles then placed the lid back on the pot before going around the counter to where Daehyun sat.

She sat down in his lap and brushed his bangs aside, leaning in to place a kiss on his lips.

 "You think the company will let you guys have your own place?"

Dae shrugged, then wrapped his arms around her. "I really don't know. It'd be nice though. I mean, of course you can come visit us at the dorm but...we'd have to be careful, really careful. And then of course it's not like we could really have any alone time...not with the guys there. I mean, i'm sure they'd give us space but...there's only so much space we can get in a dorm with 5 other people you know?" He gazed off in the distance lost in thought a moment before coming out of it. "Anyways, i guess what i was really wondering was, how would you feel about living in Seoul, part-time if i can make it happen?"

"I'd love to." She said without hesitation.

He smiled and brought his lips to hers, briefly, as the pot on the stove began to bubble over.

Ellie got up and went to the stove, stirring the noodles before adding the vegetables and sauce.

Dae leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands as he watched her. 

He was hoping the company would let him get his own place. He figured that would make his return easier on both of them.

Once the food was ready, they sat at the table on opposite sides facing each other.

Daehyun reached over, using his chopsticks to pick up items from the different side dishes, and placed them in her bowl of rice. 

He'd always taken care of her that way. He always served her first and gave her the biggest portions.

He knew what she liked, and what she didn't. 

He didn't even have to ask what she wanted because he knew.

They talked about random things as they ate, occasionally returning to the topic of an apartment in Seoul. 

Neither one of them wanted to think about the fact that this was their last dinner together for awhile.

After dinner they sat silently at the table, unable to think about anything but the fact that the day was slowly coming to an end.

Dae sighed, catching Ellie's attention.

When her eyes met his, he smiled and stood up reaching for her hand.

"Come on, let's go for a walk."

Ellie slipped her hand in his and stood, following him out the door.

They began on their usual path, Ellie's arm looped through Dae's. The moon was out, but it was hidden behind the clouds. 

Ellie focused on the cement path beneath her feet.

It wasn't until Dae took a different turn than usual that Ellie finally looked up from the ground.

She looked to Dae who smiled and patted her hand that was resting on his arm. "Let's go to the park."

The air was cool, a sign that summer was indeed on its way out.

They walked in silence until the park came into view.

It was empty, which was no surprise as it was dark, and a school night.

"This place brings back memories." Dae said with a smile as Ellie unlinked her arm from his.

They moved to the swings and Ellie sat down, the wind tusseling her hair about her face.

Dae went behind her and pushed her gently in the swing.

Her feet dragged the ground, leaving a line in the mud.

She smiled, thinking back to the many times they'd played here in the park together as kids.

Her feet didn't reach the ground then.

Again and again Dae pushed her, the chains squeaking everytime she moved forward.

Ellie closed her eyes, focusing on the sound of the swing moving, the pressure from Dae's hand on her back, and the feeling of the wind against her face.

After a couple minutes, Dae stopped pushing and the swing slowed, before finally coming to a stop.

Ellie tilt her head back and Dae, still standing behind her, leaned forward, bringing his lips to hers.

"I wish we could go back to being kids...don't you? Just hanging out here, nothing to worry about, all the time in the world..." Ellie asked as she stared off into the darkness.

Dae sat down in the swing next to her, taking ahold of her hand.

"Mmm, I don't know... I like doing things with you now. I mean, i get to kiss you now." he chuckled.

Ellie laughed, shaking her head.

"I know what you meant though. I wouldn't have to leave, i wouldn't be so far away...If anything, i think i'd like to go back just to do some things differently." he said.

"Really? Like what?"

She stare at him as he stare down at the ground, drawing in the mud with the toe of his shoe.

"Like i wouldn't have walked out on you that night...I would have called you more, I would have let you know much sooner how i felt about you. I would have cherished our time more. Not that i didn't, i just...guess i took it for granted at times?"

He looked over at her and smiled sadly.

She nodded, understanding what he meant. "I guess there's things i'd like to change too."

"All in all though, we're not in a bad spot now. I just wish i could've made things less painful getting to this point, you know?"

Ellie got up and carefully stood up on the swing, hands wrapped around the chains. Slowly she tilt her head back and closed her eyes, the cool breeze brushing against her cheeks, the smell of rain in the air.

Then she felt Daehyun's arms wrapping around her waist and his head came to rest against her chest.

She let go of the chain with one hand and placed it on the side of his head, holding it against her chest.

"Thank you for loving me." he said softly. "I know i don't deserve it, but i'm so grateful you feel otherwise."

"Silly." she leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

She ruffled his hair and he pulled away as she jumped down off the swing.

They moved to the monkey bars where Dae let his hand slide across the bars.

Once upon a time they were able to hang from these bars without their feet touching the ground.

Dae grabbed ahold of the last bar and started doing pull-ups, making Ellie laugh.

"Show off."

"Couldn't do that when i was 7." he laughed, dropping to the ground as they moved toward the slide.

The breeze caused the leaves to swirl about their feet before flying off into the darkness.

Daehyun ran up the steps to the slide and Ellie watched as he slid down, coming to rest at the bottom where he lay back against the cool plastic.

Ellie joined him, resting her head on his outstretched arm.

Somewhere in the distance was a low rumble of thunder.

They watched the clouds light up overhead before another clap of thunder broke through the silence.

"I love you Ellie. So much. I'm excited to be working again, but i'm going to miss you horribly."

He continued looking up into the sky as he spoke.

"I'm so lucky, to have found you so early on. I mean, when i think back to my childhood, you were such a big part of it. When i talk to other people about my past, i can't talk about it without you being in it."

She smiled because it was the same for her.

"The best parts of my life, and the worst...you were there for all of it."

Ellie turned her head toward Dae, and after a moment, Dae turned to her.

"Please don't think that because i'm going to Seoul, because i'm working again, that you won't be on my mind constantly. I'm not going to go off and forget you and it won't be like last time. I promise. I'm going to be calling you so much you'll get sick of me."

She smiled at him. "And i promise i won't disappear on you, ever again."

Dae brought a hand to her cheek and gently caressed it with his thumb.

Ellie moved in, bringing to his, her tongue slipping between his lips.

When the kiss ended, Ellie pulled back and watched as Dae's eyes slowly opened. 

"I wish i could take you with me." he said sadly, his eyes fixed on hers.

Ellie felt a raindrop hit her cheek but she ignored it.

"It wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that i have no idea when you'll be getting a break or when we'll be able to see each other again." she said softly.

Dae shook his head. "Even if we don't have long periods of time off, i'd drive the six hour round trip to see you even if i could only be with you for an hour. I'll find the time, even if it means losing sleep to do it."

Ellie laughed softly. "Don't do that, i don't want you getting into an accident because you fell asleep while driving."

"I'll do what i can, i promise." 

Ellie nodded. "Me too."

A couple more raindrops fell against the slides plastic, making a soft thud when they landed.

They both lie on their sides, facing eachother, their faces merely inches apart.

"Wait for me." Dae whispered, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.

"I promise."

He pressed his lips against hers, throwing a leg over her, bringing their bodies closer together.

Ellie brought her hands up to cup his face, her fingers moving across his skin, memorizing every detail.

She felt a throb at her hip as Daehyun moaned into .

At this point it was raining steadily, impossible to ignore any longer.

Dae slid his hand up the inside of the back of her shirt, pressing her to him, his hand warm against her skin.

His nose pressed harder into her cheek as his kisses became deeper, more intense.

His hard-on, pressing against her, was becoming harder to ignore.

Ellie's hands moved from his face down to his chest, clutching his shirt in both fists.

Tears slipped from her eyes, impossible to distinguish from the raindrops that poured down on them.

A sudden clap of thunder overhead startled them both.

Daehyun opened his eyes and gently brushed her lip with his thumb, kissing her lips softly once more before he sighed and sat up. "I guess we should get back."

It was raining hard now, and they would be soaked in a matter of moments.

The last thing he wanted was for Ellie to get sick.

He reached for her hand and they began running, Dae in front of Ellie, his hand holding tightly to hers as their shoes splashed through the puddles on the pavement.

The thunder continued to rumble, and their path was occasionally lit up as lightning arc'd across the sky.

Ellie followed Dae, not bothering to watch her step.

Her shoes were soaked through, her clothes sticking tightly to her skin, her wet hair clinging to her face and neck.

She watched Daehyun running in front of her, his hand leading her along, his wet hair bouncing with each step, and every now and then he would glance back just to be sure she was ok.

By the time they reached Ellie's porch, they were completely soaked, their clothes dripping water into puddles on her doorstep.

They leaned with their backs against the front door, catching their breath.

His hand still held hers. 

It was about the only part of her body that was still warm.

"You ok?" he asked.

Ellie nodded, and Dae looked over, quickly realizing Ellie's shirt had soaked completely through, her bra visible through the thin material.

"Ready to head in?" he asked.

Ellie shook her head, fighting back tears. 

She wasn't ready for it to end. She wasn't ready to say good-bye.

Daehyun nodded, understanding. "Ok, i'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

She moved to the side as Daehyun entered her house, returning just moments later with a blanket.

"Here, I don't want you getting sick." he said, putting the blanket around her shoulders.

That moment, looking up at him, his hair dripping wet, standing in front of her on her doorstep, brought her back to that night he'd show up after his father passsed. There'd been so much pain in his eyes then. 

Tonight there wasn't pain so much as there was longing, love, and a bit of sadness mixed in as well. 

She'd tried to control her emotions all night. But here and now, as the night was coming to an end, she was struggling.

But so was he.

They sat on the front steps, watching as the rain fell from the roof making large puddles on the front lawn, melting away the last of the summer heat.

Ellie shivered slightly.

As she watched the rain falling from the roof, Dae was watching her. He reached over slowly, gently moving aside the hair plastered to the side of her face.

Ellie shifted her gaze to Daehyun's face.

Lightning flashed, and for a second, she saw his pupils, which were fixed on her, dialate, before everything went dark again.

In that flash, he saw the single tear, sliding down her cheek.

His brow furrowed and she looked away, quickly wiping the tear off with the back of her hand.

She shivered again and he took her hand.

"Come on." He said softly.

She looked at him, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over.

He shook his head. "It's ok. Night's not over yet. Let's just go inside, get some dry clothes on, ok?"

Ellie looked out across the driveway, then back to him and nodded.

He helped her up and the two of them went inside.