The two had been on their way back from a business conference, as representatives of the R Group Company when Jong Kook’s car broke down. A dejected Jong Kook with nerves worn thin by some uncooperative attendees earlier had angrily banged the steering wheel, his eyes widening in horror as the fuel meter that had previously hovered around the halfway mark dropped sharply to zero.

It was unfortunate that this particular conference had been held in some building in the mountains because they were now stranded in the middle of nowhere, and this late at night there definitely was not going to be any cars showing up soon, not since few others that had left early.

Ji Hyo almost wished they had stayed for the after party instead of joining the early crowd but Jong Kook had insisted, and here they were. Thankfully her driver had remembered passing by a motel a couple minutes ago, and they dragged their bodies and few belongings out of the car and uphill, too exhausted for much words.

Then as if fate was taunting them the motel was completely booked (how that was possible when the place was literally situated in the middle of nowhere, she didn’t know), the only one available being a single room with one bed. A flabbergasted Jong Kook tried to ignore the man at the front desk who gave them a knowing wink as he handed Ji Hyo their keys.

True to his word, the room contains only one twin-sized bed and a drawer on each side, a small closet and a door she assumed lead to the bathroom. Despite the bare furnishings, to a sleepy Ji Hyo the room was the picture of perfection.  A definite improvement over sleeping in Jong Kook’s sedan anyhow, and in any case they could ask the motel owner tomorrow if he was willing to let them borrow his car.

"I could sleep on the floor," Jong Kook offers.

"Don’t be ridiculous, oppa. You’re pretty good at hiding it, but I know your back has been acting up these days. The floor is going only to make it worse.”

“It’s fine, I’ll just roll out a blanket or two and manage.”

Ji Hyo glares at him until Jong Kook gives in with a “Yes ma’m” and a resigned smile.

"So if my back was fine you would make me sleep on the floor?"

She laughed. "Maybe. Now hurry up and take the bed before I change my mind,” she said, even though they both knew she wasn’t going to. She tosses her cardigan and socks and dumps them unceremoniously at the foot of the bed next to her bag, as Jong Kook moves his own bag to the other side.

“Here, go wash up first.” He throws her a towel and then proceeds to hang up his jacket and change into his more comfortable shirt and pants.

She enjoys the way the warm water feels on her skin as she washes her face mindlessly going through the actions: soap, cleanse, lather,  wash again, dry. She steps out of the bathroom towel in hand once she finishes brushing her hair as well in a few quick .

“Bathroom’s open.”

He turns to her but doesn’t make a move to get up, and Ji Hyo stares at him questioningly.

"Ji Hyo-ya,” he begins. “I checked, and there aren’t any extra blankets here.”

She mutters a curse under her breath, then again what else did she expect from a third rate motel in the mountains?

Ji Hyo could feel the wave of exhaustion that was washing back over her and there was no way the lack of extra bedding was going to keep her from sleeping.

She in a breath and asks nonchalantly, "Can we share the bed then?"

He blinks once, twice - then sputters slightly "I.. "

She raises her eyebrows. "...Do you want me to sleep on the floor still? I did say I would but I thought-"

"No of course not, that's not-" He runs a hand through his hair. "How are you taking this so casually? You don't mind sleeping together in the same bed...with me? You’re okay with this?”

She nods.

“Why?”

She glances at him as if to say, you’re seriously asking me this?

"Well first, we don't have much of a choice here. There's no other rooms and there isn’t another hotel we can walk to within the hour either given circumstances that are out of our control, and second, this is you that we're talking about. I trust you. And third-"

She pauses because Jong Kook is looking at her with the oddest expression on his face and she wonders if it is too much to ask from the her friend,  when he suddenly murmurs, "The bed's pretty small you know..." If she didn't know better any better Ji Hyo would say he looked scared. Of what, her?

At that point she closes the distance between them in a single stride, not missing the way those eyes were staring intently at her, and whispers, "Look at me, oppa. It's just me.”

She squeezes his arm, in what she hopes is a reassuring way.

“It's only me."

His breath hitches at that, something gives inside him and the tension eases from his broad shoulders. His eyes flutter lazily. “Okay.” It’s barely above a whisper. Then more surely with his usual smile, “Okay. And what about the third?”

“Third, I’m super tired and there’s nothing that can stop me from jumping into that bed right now.”  She launches herself into the covers before he could say anything.

Jong Kook made a slow show of washing his face and brushing his teeth and finally he walked towards the bed ever so carefully.

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

His tone is joking in a way his eyes are not and she doesn't know whether to slap him and tell him to stop being silly, or be legitimately worried he was pushing himself past his comfort zone.

But no, his genuine concern was directed towards her, from the way he held onto to her every word.

"Please, have you even once considered me a woman in the past three years?"

He chuckles at that. "I guess not." And he joins her under the covers, and shifts so that his back is to her.

“Good night.”

“Good night, oppa.”

The bed is small enough that his other arm brushes against her as he reaches over to the bedside table and turns off the lights.

She isn’t quite sure of the odd silence that hangs in the air, like the night was holding its breath. She might just be imagining things, who knows. As tired as she was, her mind wandered still in that short time between tired wakefulness and slumber, this time coming back to the man sleeping beside her.

She could hear his breathing, all too aware of their knees just barely entangled together and backs to each other a breath apart.

There were definitely worse things that could happen. They were adults. They could share a bed definitely. They were close friends who had been to each other’s houses once or twice (though it had never been just them two) and above all else, she trusted Jong Kook.

It’s just she hates how the night takes away any sense to form coherent excuses especially with his proximity. Admittedly she had been attracted to him once, but that was before they fell into their easy companionship somewhere along the way, and she had quickly gotten over him, had been for a while actually- although there was really nothing to get over, for someone who was never hers in the first place.

It was all pretty silly.

She valued their friendship too much to pursue him like that anyways. She would rather they see each other for a long time, the ever present embers in a welcoming hearth than watch themselves be swept in a flame of passion and left with nothing but ashes and memories.

Mostly she paid it no mind because her mind didn’t know what to think about tha